Exploring Nature by Sheila Newenham
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
Question what you think you know. Grebes I thought, “I don’t need binoculars to identify that bird.” Nobody’s got a bill like that but a Northern Shoveler. The drab, dull brown feathers mean she must be a female, and she’s kinda far away for a … Continue readingBirds! Birds! Birds! at Fernan Lake
What scares a moose? A bigger moose? A bear?A mountain lion? I’d heard that moose are ornery. Many experienced outdoors people say they’re more afraid of moose than anything else out there. When I spotted a young cow moose at Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge, I … Continue readingA Moose Encounter
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
The Scenic Byway A Washington State scenic byway twists and turns following a 25-mile stretch of the Yakima River through the Yakima Canyon. The sheer cliffs rise 2000 feet above the river, providing ideal nesting habitat for raptors, home to the state’s densest nesting … Continue readingYakima Canyon Scenic Byway
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
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
I wore my hiking shoes today instead of my hiking sandals after yesterday’s snake encounter. Although, I’m not sure they’ll be much help with the bears and mountain lions today. An Old Railroad Trail The Cowiche Canyon trail follows Cowiche Creek along an old … Continue readingCowiche Creek Canyon Trail
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
The Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge website lists among their 45 species of mammals elk, deer, moose, badgers, river otters, porcupines, beavers, bobcats, and cougars. I set my alarm for the following morning. Fog hung in the mountain valleys highlighting the ridges and trees as I … Continue readingTurnbull National Wildlife Refuge