Exploring Nature by Sheila Newenham
You Find What You Need Last fall, I went to commune with bears and lose myself in the wilderness. I enjoy the wild locations as much as the wildlife. This trip brought something unexpected but just as valuable. We’re watching bears from a jet boat … Continue readingBear Viewing by Boat
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
Plunging into a cavernous ravine from atop the Columbia plateau, Palouse Falls descends 200 feet into the Palouse River in southeastern Washington. The canyon scoured by this water is almost 400 feet deep and has sheer basalt walls. Like most geology in the inland northwest, … Continue readingPalouse Falls
How have I lived this long without knowing about needle ice!? Late last fall, I was on a hike when I first saw it. When it’s intact, it camouflages with the surrounding soil. Footfalls crunch over the top of it like ordinary frozen ground. Yet, … Continue readingNeedle Ice
Two miles, two hours. That’s a good wander. It’s hazy, with a strong breeze off the Gulf of Mexico pushing the waves further up on the soft sand of Surfside Beach. Although the thermometer reads 72°, this cool wind necessitates a sweatshirt. I roll up … Continue readingSurfside Beach Wander
A Pictorial On the rolling hills of Point Reyes National Seashore, gophers drive the ecosystem. In addition to sustaining coyotes, foxes, weasels, and bobcats, this makes for happy hunting for all manner of raptors: kestrels, red-tail hawks, great horned owls, white-tailed kites, northern harriers, and … Continue readingThe Birds of Point Reyes National Seashore
Day Two “Delusional in the Woods” Swan River, Montana First Location Since we got through so many questions yesterday, we started at 9 am today. Piling into the SUVs again, we drove to the nearby Swan River. River habitats attract so much life. Water is … Continue readingTrack and Sign Certification (day two)
I’m at the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes (CSKT) Bison Range, formerly the National Bison Range in Montana. In 2020, the US government returned the 18,766-acre range and its bison, located on the Flathead Indian Reservation, to the local tribes. It is now called the … Continue readingNational Bison Range
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