Exploring Nature by Sheila Newenham
Rock Rabbits: The cutest alpine residents I hear them before I see them. The high-pitched chirps and squeaks float out of the rock scree. The sounds can be mistaken for birdsong or chipmunk alarms. Pikas’ mottled gray-tan coats camouflage perfectly with the talus (large, broken … Continue readingHaystacking Pikas
A Quick Look at Pacific Banana Slugs There is so much phenotypic (trait and characteristic) diversity within this one species that, at first, I thought I was seeing different species of banana slugs. It turns out that the Pacific banana slug is the only banana … Continue readingPacific Banana Slugs: The King of Snails
I’d half expected the falls to be dry. It’s hardly rained in northwest Georgia this autumn. But nature always delights as she often reminds me. The tiered unnamed falls cascade in a soft veil to join the creek and meander among the fallen leaves. The … Continue readingCloudland Canyon Waterfalls
I’ve only ever been charged by two species. The bear took only a few quick steps before stopping. The snowshoe hare, on the other hand, well, I was reminded of the killer bunny scene in Monty Python’s The Holy Grail. In 2014, on a trail … Continue readingSherman Peak Loop Trail
The Drive It’s obvious upon arriving at Big Cottonwood Canyon why it’s so popular. The road from the Salt Lake City valley into the Wasatch Front follows Cottonwood Creek as it races down the mountain, turbulent with spring snowmelt. The road winds through switchbacks lined … Continue readingDonut Falls Trail, Utah
I can’t believe the profusion of wildflowers we stumbled upon! Looking for a relatively close, new hike for this spring afternoon, I decided on the Mineral Point Trail. It’s a four-mile out-and-back along Lake Pend Oreille through forested habitat. The trail courses up and down … Continue readingMineral Point Trail Wildflowers
My thigh muscles are sore. It wasn’t the hiking or climbing, but the confrontation of fears, and a persistent gripping, using my leg muscles to anchor me as I moved through my fear of falling on loose footing and high places.I tried to come here … Continue readingGrouse Creek Falls
Forest. For. Rest. Fall in North Idaho isn’t known for its color. Our forests are dominated by pine and fir with accents of larches that turn gold before casting their needles each fall. I did not expect Gold Hill to be so gold with fallen … Continue readingGold Hill Trail – A Fall Hike
A short hike to a mountain lake? Count me in! When I talked with people in town, everyone recommended the Boulder Lake trail. “It can get kinda busy on the weekends, but it should be good on a Wednesday. With that, I set out to … Continue readingBoulder Lake Trail in McCall
There might be moose. North Idaho News posted these photos and cautioned hikers and climbers to be wary. “How is this not an invitation?” I thought. To me, it falls under the “don’t publicize wildlife sightings so as not to draw a crowd.” However, Q’emiln … Continue readingQ’emiln Park