After the snowfall, Old Man Winter rests. He is warm now, with his long white hair flowing down his shoulders. After conjuring up infinite patterns of snow flakes, each one unique, and gently laying down the soft blanket of albescence, he tucks his chin into his full beard and begins …
Although the rather unexpected warmer temperatures and lack of snow at low- to mid-elevations during most of our recent hunting season did not help much, many hunters had a great season. And seasons are measured in a variety of ways, depending on each individual hunter.
In Greek Mythology, a Phoenix is a long-lived bird that is cyclically regenerated or born again. Associated with the sun, a Phoenix obtains new life by rising from the ashes of its predecessor. In Kootenai Country Montana, our families and community have been doing just that. Noble souls will rush …
As the smoke clears, the east face of the Cabinet Mountains wears a white skirt of early season snow. The rain has soaked down into the ground. Cooler temperatures and steady pounding of crews makes headway on local fires. The red fox returns to her den via a mudslide near …
In the pitch dark, with layers of smoke blocking out the moon and stars, a lone driver takes off on a mission. He meanders his pickup through a maze of old logging roads that would trap a man easily. He feels a slight adrenaline rush of the fight or flight …
The thwap-thwap-thwap of chopper one propeller blades vibrate overhead. The ship is flying low, with combat experienced pilots at the helm and sophisticated heat-sensor equipment aboard. It is another hot day with continuing warm and dry conditions. The 3 p.m. winds are both cool and concerning.
The short summer, August night envelopes the Cabinet Mountain Wilderness. In the quiet darkness, lynx tiptoe across rocky landscapes, grizzly mom’s nurture their young, and mountain goats cool off, anticipating another hot day. The birds begin to sing, and although they do not yet see the light, they know it …
July 4th weekend usually signals the time when the snow recedes from the high country, opening the ridge trails and mountain peaks to serious hikers. It can be an opportunity for proud, patriotic, legal citizens of our great country to contemplate as they walk along serene mountain pathways and are …
A serene quiet envelopes the Timberlane campground as the flora and fauna station instructor scouts his area. Along Pipe Creek, named for the Kootenai-Salish practice of collecting semi-soft stones from the creek bottom to carve smoking pipes, a pair of common mergansers hunt for fish in a backwater eddy. A …
Though the first days of May can begin with a frosting of our surroundings, we know the sun will eventually shine, the birds will indeed sing and surely the colorful flowers will blossom. The outdoor “re-creational” spirit of northwest Montanians seems to grow big hearts. The kindness and generosity of …
As the old saying goes, “A picture is worth a thousand words.” Indeed that can be true. However, there are many times while out in nature I have been privileged to take in a visual perception of something so beautiful, I wonder if a thousand well chosen words could even …
Out of the fog of Valentine’s Day morning, 11 hearty hikers on snowshoes marched up a trail in the East Face of the Cabinet Mountains. Some of the ladies had the new neon colored outdoor jackets that really stood out in the foggy drape that enhanced the mystery of the …
All across Northwestern Montana the signs are becoming more obvious each day. Small groups of folks gather around the backs of pickups to admire the trophies they hold. Conversations are punctuated by the common phrase, “Been hunting?”
This mountain will keep more secrets than it shares. Enveloped in an ethereal fog, the power of the sunlight of dawn slowly dissipates the blanket revealing the steelhead red of foliage, the bright orange of mountain ash and the gold of alpine larch.
Crisp, cool mornings, smells of recent rain, heavy berry crops, leaves changing color and silver down clouds coaxed along by autumn winds are signaling changes in all living things, including us.
Summer Solstice weekend was blessed by abundant sunshine and beautiful weather for any outdoor activity. It’s about time. My travels took me on the road for two loops out of Libby. The first, was out to Kalispell and Whitefish to attend and assist a wetland plant identification program.
THE WESTERN NEWS | UPDATED 10 YEARS, 10 MONTHS AGO
“The Sun Shines on a Different Dog’s Butt Everyday.” So far this spring has been lacking in appearances by the yellow orb, but it’s coming. Despite this weather so far, on a rain and snow mixed Saturday 25 mountaineers gathered together. The Glacier Mountaineers sponsored a program entitled “Improving Your …
It’s a cool Saturday morning, and I am nestled in the cradle of a spring slumber. My window is open, and the fresh air is aromatherapy. I roll to my other side thinking how nice 10 more minutes in bed would be.
Slowly awakening, I noticed the sounds of the early-morning train seem muffled from my place near the Kootenai River. The running well water in my bathroom sink is a tad colder than usual. Sunday mornings are always special.
During a snow squall of late December, sandstone red slabs are tilted and leaning in the courtyard of the old brick church built in 1664. The inscriptions, faded from the elements are barely readable.
The legend of Santa Claus has its roots in tales of Sinterklaas, a Dutch figure who’s own noteworthiness was based on historical hagiographies. The term “hagiographies” generally refers to stories of the lives and miracles of divine beings, saints, shamans, medicine people, gurus, prophets and other individuals believed to be …
In the pitch dark of this early morning, I made my way along the trail on my traditional “Thanksgiving Day” hunt. In the distance, I heard the conversation of living water and rock. The “babbling brook” informed me that I was arriving at my first checkpoint, the first of four …
Dense clouds and wisps of fog covered the landscape as I drove to work through the darkness of the morning. At times, the mist of this heavy blanket and vaporizing shapes gave the illusion of a deer crossing the road.
The black rain pummeled the puddles outside with a steady beat. In the darkness, the man slumbered, but true sleep eluded him like an undulating curtain of comfort.
A cool morning breeze teased softly falling leaves like gemstones of autumn-colored spheres to the ground. Near a fire pit and a tepee, 11 folks met to share a prewinter Saturday.
Awakening from slumber, hearty Northwest Montana souls were greeted by a steady, slow snowfall that brought a peaceful quiet inside and out. Woodland shrubs stooped over with cottonlike clumps, testing their strength and flexibility. This, the first real snowfall of the season, was accompanied by an ancient arousal, felt a …
