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
When I set out for Waterton National Park in Alberta, Canada, I imagined fall forests resplendent in golds, accented by oranges and reds. The smell of leaves composting into the earth and the peace of the earth quieting into winter. What I found was a … Continue readingWaterton Park and the 2017 Kenow Fire
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
Photographers are often asked what their trip goal or dream image is. I’m not that kind of photographer. I want to be out in the wild, let nature envelop me, and embrace what comes. This trip unexpectedly brought two of my favorite things together—bears in … Continue readingBear Camp – British Columbia
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
“Sheep go where men don’t go. Goats go where sheep don’t go.” – Joe Rahn (Montana Wildlife, Fish and Parks) The Goats Word is that there are mountain goats at Bernard Peak on Lake Pend Oreille. Validating the rumor, Farragut State Park across the … Continue readingMountain Goats at Bernard Peak
I’m on a local four-mile round-trip trail in the Idaho Panhandle National Forest. The elevation gain is about 1500 feet, making it a fairly steep trail for this former flatlander. The route is mainly switchbacked with one last long steady climb. Necessary stops to eat … Continue readingChilco Mountain Hike
Too hot to Hike? It’s hot. Recording setting hot in Yakima, Washington, this week (August 2022); 105-110 degrees. Tired after a day’s work and still fighting a cold, I headed up the Chinook Pass Scenic Byway, hoping to find cooler air for a hike. I’m … Continue readingNaches Peak Loop Trail at Chinook Pass
The Canyon Basalt columns rise from the Tieton river valley providing protected roosts and nest sites for ravens and golden eagles. Climbers are also drawn to the sheer rise, crawling like ants up the walls. Lichens decorate the gray and brown rocks in yellow … Continue readingBirds and Snakes on the Tieton River Trail
Winter and spring all in one walk. Round Lake State Park in North Idaho is a 200-acre preserve surrounding a 58-acre lake with hiking trails, multi-use trails, and a campground. It was chilly when I started out on the 1.8-mile Trapper’s trail roughly circling the … Continue readingRound Lake State Park, Idaho