tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-282840972024-03-07T00:26:56.329-07:00EcoRoverStories and photos about life along the Continental Divide in Montana between the Clark Fork (westslope) and Big Hole (eastslope) Rivers. Fresh back from a Fulbright in South China, I am looking at American culture/nature through new eyes. Backpacking, cross country skiing, fishing, hunting, hiking... this is the story of a 4-season outdoors person.EcoRoverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07294159049375690786noreply@blogger.comBlogger641125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28284097.post-47922496165595055192014-05-12T00:49:00.000-06:002014-05-12T00:49:22.023-06:00Springtime on Montana's High Desert: Wildflowers, Geology, and Wildlife[My apologies for the long post--I've separated into sections on wildflowers, geology, and wildlife.] <br />
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It's been a wet, cold spring in Butte America, especially when compared with the <a href="http://governancexborders.com/2014/01/24/wise-cartoons-6-xkcd-on-shifting-baseline-effects/">shifting baseline</a> (source of cartoon pasted below) of the past 10 to 20 years.<br />
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It's funny how, even in the brief period of a human lifetime, we shift our perception to our most recent experience. Wet, cold spring or no, as a life philosophy I embrace the words of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2JGc2CvM0EQ">Townes van Zandt</a>:<br />
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Days, up and down they come<br />
Like rain on a conga drum<br />
Forget most, remember some<br />
But don't turn none away.</div>
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Non-human life is like this, too.<br />
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This is what "150% snow pack"looks like on the Pinter Mountain Range west of Butte:<br />
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I'm tired of skiing, so let's head for the dry hills. <br />
<h3>
<i>Wildflowers</i> </h3>
Montana's prairie/high desert wildflowers are tough, evolved for conditions that often thwart the most determined gardener. There is a lot of plant restoration work on the mine waste <a href="http://www.mtech.edu/academics/clsps/ptc/sciencesocietysuperfund/pubs_presentations/butte_mining_history.pdf">Superfund site of the Butte Hill</a>, so in part I hike the hills of the mid- to lower Big Hole River valley as research/field trips to <a href="http://courses.washington.edu/ehuf462/462_mats/refernece_sites.pdf">reference sites</a> with soils and rainfall (and therefore plant assemblages) similar to the Butte Hill--locations at 5,000 to 6,000 feet elevation, and 10 - 12 inches of annual precipitation. <br />
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Throughout the dry uplands of southwest Montana, bitterroot (<span class="st"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bitterroot"><i>Lewisia rediviva</i></a>)</span> rosettes are among the first signs of spring (they'll bloom in late June/early July):<br />
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As first bloomer, biscuitroot (<a href="http://science.halleyhosting.com/nature/basin/5petal/pars/lom/cous/cous.htm"><i>Lomatium cous</i></a>) usually wins the prize:<br />
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It's relatives are not far behind, or perhaps they bloom just as early but I don't see them because they are less common? Here's <span class="speciesTitle">nineleaf biscuitroot (<span class="latinName"><a href="http://fieldguide.mt.gov/detail_PDAPI1B1Z0.aspx"><i>Lomatium triternatum</i></a>): </span></span><br />
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<span class="speciesTitle"><span class="latinName">And </span></span><span class="speciesTitle"><span class="latinName">desert parsley</span></span><span class="speciesTitle"><span class="latinName"> (<a href="http://science.halleyhosting.com/nature/basin/5petal/pars/lom/biscuit.htm"><i>Lomatium macrocarpum</i></a>). Note that all of the biscuitroots have, as the name implies, fat tasty roots that were a stable for the indigenous people: </span></span><br />
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<span class="speciesTitle"><span class="latinName"></span></span><span class="speciesTitle">Hooker's townsend-daisies (<span class="latinName"><a href="http://fieldguide.mt.gov/detail_PDAST9C0C0.aspx"><i>Townsendia hookeri</i></a>) form a pretty little early season bouquet: </span></span><br />
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<span class="speciesTitle"><span class="latinName"><br /></span></span>
<span class="speciesTitle"><span class="latinName"><span class="speciesTitle">Desert mountain phlox (<span class="latinName"><a href="http://fieldguide.mt.gov/detail_PDPLM0D090.aspx"><i>Phlox austromontana</i></a>)</span></span> is a early season wildflower, often forming mats that look like patches of snow from a distance: </span></span><br />
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<span class="speciesTitle"><span class="latinName">It's close cousin, </span></span><span class="speciesTitle"><span class="latinName"><span class="speciesTitle">Hood's phlox <i>(<a href="http://fieldguide.mt.gov/detail_PDPLM0D110.aspx"><span class="latinName">Phlox hoodii</span></a></i></span><a href="http://fieldguide.mt.gov/detail_PDPLM0D110.aspx">)</a> also forms mats, with colors varying from white to pink to violet/light blue: </span></span><br />
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<span class="speciesTitle"><span class="latinName">Though not quite so prevalent at this relatively low elevation, </span></span><span class="speciesTitle">mountain douglasia (<i><span class="latinName">Douglasia montana</span></i><span class="latinName">) also forms mats, sometimes of especially striking color:</span></span><br />
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<span class="speciesTitle"><span class="latinName">The many species of milkvetches or locoweeds are difficult to distinguish, but I think this is </span></span><br /><span class="speciesTitle">Missouri milkvetch (<span class="latinName"><a href="http://fieldguide.mt.gov/detail_PDFAB0F5G0.aspx"><i>Astragalus missouriensis</i></a>), shown here competing with Hood's phlox to see which can survive best on dry talus:</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNmB4wayljOgwpDW6YsJ0jWJ8HfXBqBm6aSBkPZ4P5Lsl0re5QMfbpa-NcQmvvaPIKUbfBpxuvdBuzSStshrfI1_bEDxR2lfwThEX5CjtdCxl3F8ilJkPEnoHC09JjKaH3TocV/s1600/Missouri+Milkvetch+-+Astragalus+missouriensis.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNmB4wayljOgwpDW6YsJ0jWJ8HfXBqBm6aSBkPZ4P5Lsl0re5QMfbpa-NcQmvvaPIKUbfBpxuvdBuzSStshrfI1_bEDxR2lfwThEX5CjtdCxl3F8ilJkPEnoHC09JjKaH3TocV/s1600/Missouri+Milkvetch+-+Astragalus+missouriensis.jpg" height="283" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span class="speciesTitle"><span class="latinName">Here's a white locoweed, maybe</span></span><span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption"> <i>Oxytropis sericea</i>, but the leaflets are much more elongated than normal (note the near neighbor, prickly pear cactus): </span></span><br />
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<span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption">Desert Indian paintbrush (<i>Castilleja angustifolia</i>) is striking when the stems and leaves are efflorescent: </span></span><span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption"></span></span><span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption"> </span></span><br />
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<span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption"><br /></span></span>
<span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption">On a pile of mineralized mine tailings, I was surprised to find clumps of </span></span><span class="speciesTitle">Nuttall's violets (<a href="http://www.swcoloradowildflowers.com/Yellow%20Enlarged%20Photo%20Pages/viola%20nuttallii.htm"><i><span class="latinName">Viola nuttallii</span></i></a><span class="latinName">). My high school friend, Gary Robertson, pointed out to me that violets have an amazing ability to absorb high levels of metals:</span></span><br />
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<span class="speciesTitle"><span class="latinName"><br /></span></span>
<span class="speciesTitle"><span class="latinName">Given their abundance on the Butte Hill (far more common there than here on the lower Big Hole), I wonder if cutleaf fleabane (<a href="http://fieldguide.mt.gov/detail_PDAST3M0Y0.aspx"><i>Erigeron compositus</i></a>) is also unusually metals tolerant: </span></span><br />
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<span class="speciesTitle"><span class="latinName">No trip is complete without its mystery flower. I'm fairly certain this is a b</span></span><span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption">ladderpod</span></span><span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption"> (<i>Physaria spp</i></span></span><span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption">), but I've not seen a <i>Physaria </i>with bitterroot-like, tubular leaves:</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbmNC58XhX8FKWYgNZizTjs1XbT1a9h0oC80MoBmUJbzV0TRFyE5jshKXVLvh5L5YfNNx0XbIvV2fbOSkwXCmpAPej9lgDpkjsjF43qhvcvYrlkHqC3MtOjIw3Vdj6rVLHsjV1/s1600/Bladderpod+tubular+leaf+Physaria+spp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbmNC58XhX8FKWYgNZizTjs1XbT1a9h0oC80MoBmUJbzV0TRFyE5jshKXVLvh5L5YfNNx0XbIvV2fbOSkwXCmpAPej9lgDpkjsjF43qhvcvYrlkHqC3MtOjIw3Vdj6rVLHsjV1/s1600/Bladderpod+tubular+leaf+Physaria+spp.jpg" height="366" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span class="speciesTitle">Nuttall's pussytoes (<i><span class="latinName">Antennaria parvifolia</span></i><span class="latinName">) round out the list of flowers found over the past week on the drier, upland slopes:</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYqE2sfn2IG3oksGoFdOxhSupfMHYBmgivPcPgZEDU35UY5ne05XD2jN_EVfZIBkJn6iygS8CSQXSULQ6M1zQ88H1YaaFHNO7etmpKJpwGNu08ezIWq_skCWopZwYuuMPt4YY6/s1600/Nuttall's+Pussytoes+-+Antennaria+parvifolia.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYqE2sfn2IG3oksGoFdOxhSupfMHYBmgivPcPgZEDU35UY5ne05XD2jN_EVfZIBkJn6iygS8CSQXSULQ6M1zQ88H1YaaFHNO7etmpKJpwGNu08ezIWq_skCWopZwYuuMPt4YY6/s1600/Nuttall's+Pussytoes+-+Antennaria+parvifolia.JPG" height="256" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption">Even on the desert prairie, there are places that are a little wetter and protected. Here you'll find </span></span><span class="speciesTitle">longleaf phlox (<span class="latinName"><a href="http://fieldguide.mt.gov/detail_PDPLM0D150.aspx"><i>Phlox longifolia</i></a>) a common and widespread forb. It seems to compete well with knapweed (an invasive species), the plant with deeply divided, lance-shaped leaves on the left: </span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKkHSS3CTdM5z1xkKX04GowCdO1xpoJ9mTAqIkfu9w3sd2iidAhzSPyI2mvWrJ3htpWmWJppL1CAhxyds_dOnsHQT4wZtvRgDZI_ZY682vT9ZH-JsCLqAEjnCLeg3ntniI7ZVS/s1600/Phlox+longifolia+with+knapweed.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKkHSS3CTdM5z1xkKX04GowCdO1xpoJ9mTAqIkfu9w3sd2iidAhzSPyI2mvWrJ3htpWmWJppL1CAhxyds_dOnsHQT4wZtvRgDZI_ZY682vT9ZH-JsCLqAEjnCLeg3ntniI7ZVS/s1600/Phlox+longifolia+with+knapweed.JPG" height="293" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span class="speciesTitle"><span class="latinName">This narrow-leaved puccoon (</span></span><span class="speciesTitle"><span class="latinName"><a href="http://fieldguide.mt.gov/detail_PDBOR0L070.aspx"><i>Lithospermum incisum</i></a>), not very common in Montana, was a good find along a wash: </span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgewPpMc1drhCi4hXgy0cJM8fzYv_qsCiFA944zAZWuOz9LWNzwy53wLhthpCKmGAlv-FVlFUEtOi_HWoH-C1moDOj5aOYXReGHT6FBwdIP6dRkaicy1UQEkq3VgrPQffxHFUue/s1600/Narrow-leaved+Puccoon+-+Lithospermum+incisum.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgewPpMc1drhCi4hXgy0cJM8fzYv_qsCiFA944zAZWuOz9LWNzwy53wLhthpCKmGAlv-FVlFUEtOi_HWoH-C1moDOj5aOYXReGHT6FBwdIP6dRkaicy1UQEkq3VgrPQffxHFUue/s1600/Narrow-leaved+Puccoon+-+Lithospermum+incisum.jpg" height="316" width="400" /></a></div>
<span class="speciesTitle"><span class="latinName"><br /></span></span>
<span class="speciesTitle"><span class="latinName">In somewhat more protected places, such as the shaded side of coulees or even under big sagebrush, are </span></span><span class="speciesTitle">shootingstars (probably <span class="latinName"><i>Dodecatheon conjugens</i>; knapweed on left). Up higher, in wetter areas, they'll often have several flowers on each stem, but here on the desert there is little energy wasted: </span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjefrCorL09C09t3VVLVl48B4ia52cudhNTPzq0j7Qd_smQYijAstdOlgEaXPFgvcwex1PNGH5NLtbZBv_ZvHfoI7mpC88EE5WNUg7TiBgnIIo7-ZIQAdL2Etr5MpSTt52bC0zc/s1600/Few-flower+Shootingstar+-+Dodecatheon+pulchellum.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjefrCorL09C09t3VVLVl48B4ia52cudhNTPzq0j7Qd_smQYijAstdOlgEaXPFgvcwex1PNGH5NLtbZBv_ZvHfoI7mpC88EE5WNUg7TiBgnIIo7-ZIQAdL2Etr5MpSTt52bC0zc/s1600/Few-flower+Shootingstar+-+Dodecatheon+pulchellum.JPG" height="368" width="400" /></a></div>
<span class="speciesTitle"><span class="latinName"><br /></span></span>
<span class="speciesTitle"><span class="latinName">In the same area, as a competitor, are yellowbells (</span></span><span class="speciesTitle"><span class="latinName"><a href="http://fieldguide.mt.gov/detail_PMLIL0V0G0.aspx"><i>Fritillaria pudica</i></a>): </span></span><br />
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<span class="speciesTitle"><span class="latinName"><br /></span></span>
<span class="speciesTitle"><span class="latinName">Sagebrush bluebells (</span></span><span class="speciesTitle"><span class="latinName"><a href="http://fieldguide.mt.gov/detail_PDBOR0N0G0.aspx"><i>Mertensia oblongifolia</i></a>) can be found hidden in the prairie grass; just a few inches tall, they seem stunted in this place: </span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWkVYsSYnZSseKhxijUWStcz2dGAa19W8sKDZvvzvz7wFJZ8qJ-gR4H5OQfUmZYl34BsQl4NxMXMlkv-Ho3jq82va0nwDTLlmzJLPX8OLE8tQhkO4Xfqcl9g0KpWQjCz_hGVOt/s1600/Sagebrush+Bluebells+Mertensia+oblongifolia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWkVYsSYnZSseKhxijUWStcz2dGAa19W8sKDZvvzvz7wFJZ8qJ-gR4H5OQfUmZYl34BsQl4NxMXMlkv-Ho3jq82va0nwDTLlmzJLPX8OLE8tQhkO4Xfqcl9g0KpWQjCz_hGVOt/s1600/Sagebrush+Bluebells+Mertensia+oblongifolia.jpg" height="400" width="367" /></a></div>
<span class="speciesTitle"><span class="latinName">Before we leave the plant section, say "Hi" to my favorite plant in this area, the relatively rare </span></span><br /><span class="speciesTitle">Simpson's hedgehog cactus (<i><span class="latinName">Pediocactus simpsonii).</span></i><span class="latinName"> They're not quite in bloom, but it won't be long: </span></span><br />
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<span class="speciesTitle"><span class="latinName"><br /></span></span>
<h3>
<i>Geology</i></h3>
<a href="http://us.geoview.info/sandy_hollow,5676337">Sandy Hollow</a> is a geological train wreck, with a big old volcanic mesa (Block Mountain) next to complex tight folds and thrusts of various sedimentary rocks. I don't pretend to have more than a passing knowledge of geology, but it's a cool place to hike about.<br />
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Let's start with the 59-million year old basalt flow, <a href="http://blogs.agu.org/mountainbeltway/2011/06/29/block-mountain-basalt-flow/">Block Mountain</a>:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1DAMoESRRaeh6Hr4MlJoTIuUHF0RK2yxyT9xCj5NQvxGFVNSJ9Ve64JRxuwDsX0YxQnd5a6vT4_SmKLY-VF1xMpUbDXWn9QKkrpOy2FXOd9BDihfhBC8OlH6MvWSJVL8uyVwD/s1600/Block+Mountain+Sandy+Hollow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1DAMoESRRaeh6Hr4MlJoTIuUHF0RK2yxyT9xCj5NQvxGFVNSJ9Ve64JRxuwDsX0YxQnd5a6vT4_SmKLY-VF1xMpUbDXWn9QKkrpOy2FXOd9BDihfhBC8OlH6MvWSJVL8uyVwD/s1600/Block+Mountain+Sandy+Hollow.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
Ground zero was the volcano cinder cone(s) such as this fast-cooled, highly fragmented basalt: <br />
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Dave Carter makes his way up columnar (slow cooled) basalt steps:<br />
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Close up of the steps:<br />
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And a more distant view of a basalt column cliff face:<br />
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There are some good views from the top of Block Mountain, across the Big Hole River valley to the Hogback: <br />
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And toward Sandy Hollow: <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgka3KN0hM7MKu7O1MZJjHit-losugJ3OFRg4r3a6vBCND0ajIAyj5OITm9m-ffcmnMM7SPfELCbLbr5fJ7cqeqL5DqkXE09RySNLi3W1wMMlXepJfo7Q5K4EJLtKopNalsUJqD/s1600/Sandy+Hollow+view+from+Block+Mountain+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgka3KN0hM7MKu7O1MZJjHit-losugJ3OFRg4r3a6vBCND0ajIAyj5OITm9m-ffcmnMM7SPfELCbLbr5fJ7cqeqL5DqkXE09RySNLi3W1wMMlXepJfo7Q5K4EJLtKopNalsUJqD/s1600/Sandy+Hollow+view+from+Block+Mountain+1.jpg" height="232" width="400" /></a></div>
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Let's check out Sandy Hollow, beginning with a long view of the geological train wreck:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-ykqBnBK2bLuPNYoBJQbMFEuaOYmxIJFKVsNEUf79qmM_QZW3pVGC53oYi_KIqZR2ITlD2uEtoeVI0G3hFLcNrHvG0dmBp7AhKsJUeFx_F77vSbrBmQ39xe0mY_YoICoA-gjv/s1600/Sandy+Hollow+geological+trainwreck.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-ykqBnBK2bLuPNYoBJQbMFEuaOYmxIJFKVsNEUf79qmM_QZW3pVGC53oYi_KIqZR2ITlD2uEtoeVI0G3hFLcNrHvG0dmBp7AhKsJUeFx_F77vSbrBmQ39xe0mY_YoICoA-gjv/s1600/Sandy+Hollow+geological+trainwreck.jpg" height="235" width="400" /></a></div>
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Up a little closer, and there are features like this limestone reef, a layer of rock stood on end:<br />
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Sometimes, there are fossils in the limestone:<br />
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I can only imagine what sort of uplift and erosion of a dome occurred to produce this ring of fire:<br />
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I think some of the magma flowing from Block Mountain encased these river cobbles (volcanic breccia?):<br />
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Hmmmm.... So if the basalt magma trapped these cobbles 59 million years ago, how old are the cobbles? They must have started as beach sand, then been buried and metamorphosized into quartzite, then been uplifted, eroded into pieces, and then tumbled in a stream bed: <br />
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We had two pleasant finds on this hike. One was this old USGS survey marker, or benchmark:<br />
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The other was this unusual spring flowing up from a low rise of limestone. I wonder if it's a year-round source of water for the wildlife here?:<br />
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MollyTheDog strikes a pose and says, "Rocks? Who cares about rocks? Where're the critters?":<br />
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<br />
<h3>
<i>Wildlife </i></h3>
OK, bring on the critters. On our way up from the river, we were serenaded by the pterodactyl-like cries of, and treated to a flyover by, the Sandhill Crane people:<br />
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Here's a question: Given the cool weather and lack of bees and even ants this time of year, what is pollinating all of these flowers that are in bloom? I wonder if this Beetle has something to do with it: <br />
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This Golden Eagle couldn't resist checking us out, or maybe it was thinking about making a meal of one of our dogs: <br />
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Though scarce, we seldom hike this area without bumping into a few Mule Deer:<br />
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More surprising was this big gang of Elk. What are they doing here?:<br />
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Ah, but who is this, peaking at us from over a low ridge? Sure enough, a small herd of curious Big Horn Sheep people:<br />
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Though from a trip in the opposite direction from Butte as the Big Hole River, this pleasant sunset view of the Anaconda Smelter Stack makes for a pleasant end of blog closing. See you in the hills!<br />
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<br />EcoRoverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07294159049375690786noreply@blogger.com57tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28284097.post-43152681725371363622014-04-13T21:06:00.004-06:002014-04-13T21:06:58.089-06:00Cross Country Skiing, Winter 2013-2014, Butte AmericaIt's been a great winter. We had some early snow in September and October that set a good base. Though the new snow cover was thin until some big dumps from mid-February to late-March, snow holds well in our dry climate and trails at both <a href="http://ecorover.blogspot.com/2007/01/moulton-journal-butte-directions-for.html">The Moulton</a> and Mill Creek (aka "<a href="http://skimt.com/categories/moreinfo.asp?IDRRecordID=11063&SiteID=11">Mt Haggin</a>") were excellent. Some warm temperatures in early March set up the surface, so off-piste back country skiing was very good also. It still is--though I decided to hang up my skis this week because, well, it's time. Four plus months of skiing, about four mornings each week, is plenty; and come Spring this boy's heart turns to trout fishing and hiking.<br />
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Winter skies are very beautiful, whether with a storm moving up the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clark_Fork_River">Clark Fork River</a> valley from the west:<br />
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Or sunset on a fresh dump of snow in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highland_Mountains">Highland Mtns</a> south of Butte:<br />
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Here, the wind blows a fresh dusting of champagne powder:<br />
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The early morning, low angle sun lights up metamorphosed snowflakes like diamonds. If you unfocus your eyes and get into the right Zen Shoshin (<span class="st">初心) state of mind, the bright snow background goes dark and it is like looking into the starry night sky: </span><br />
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<span class="st"><br /></span>
Early in the season, a big windstorm dropped a lot of trees over the trails:<br />
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This tree will fall soon, too: <br />
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Club members pitch in to clear the trails. Here's Little Brother A.J. lending a hand (preparing to limb a blow down before we buck it up):<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVjMWWo_N-A-4MRKQluEEVYeMamCOtduLiwYp02BbYE67t-9JDF5uIosXLdQUCXeLWyJ3AW4MhARcwnLqio0U9CWqqYJGNCYFZjb4M5FFVTu35jfmiqXvvlu9ZyFuEESNY4cbH/s1600/AJwAx.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVjMWWo_N-A-4MRKQluEEVYeMamCOtduLiwYp02BbYE67t-9JDF5uIosXLdQUCXeLWyJ3AW4MhARcwnLqio0U9CWqqYJGNCYFZjb4M5FFVTu35jfmiqXvvlu9ZyFuEESNY4cbH/s1600/AJwAx.jpg" height="400" width="320" /></a></div>
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As Townes van Zandt sang, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2JGc2CvM0EQ">"Days up and down they come, like rain on a conga drum. Forget most, remember some. But don't turn none away."</a> This means go skiing even if it's a little frosty (like -5 deg F; it you turn the thermometer upside down, the temperature rises!):<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjvRIp2XtZ-iasbcftAJesUqFBw5arKOepgzaHRg6eyBhaOWTtAbRzH4vKdGw1jWL5Y0PttK87HSg9zEbS2926kivzKPi974xn2a4DfgGmnKLPgX-JkLOgCyqIdoEwMEiFSkml/s1600/-5+deg+F+Moulton.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjvRIp2XtZ-iasbcftAJesUqFBw5arKOepgzaHRg6eyBhaOWTtAbRzH4vKdGw1jWL5Y0PttK87HSg9zEbS2926kivzKPi974xn2a4DfgGmnKLPgX-JkLOgCyqIdoEwMEiFSkml/s1600/-5+deg+F+Moulton.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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When it's below zero, my frosty beard is a pretty good thermometer too:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwaejZpMpTfnnI17nJPKOb8iIqSakVGAadqO32lOivFqFx7kp92OC3C2OMpprN48Jz9MESl0NITztx-Tkjpa4YWYxsikPj3hcXmJOJ26PaNiVUyBUnpDiHWk1xG0cJ3mgJeRBV/s1600/PatMundayFrostyMorning.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwaejZpMpTfnnI17nJPKOb8iIqSakVGAadqO32lOivFqFx7kp92OC3C2OMpprN48Jz9MESl0NITztx-Tkjpa4YWYxsikPj3hcXmJOJ26PaNiVUyBUnpDiHWk1xG0cJ3mgJeRBV/s1600/PatMundayFrostyMorning.jpg" height="285" width="400" /></a></div>
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I primarily ski three trails at The Moulton--Buzzy, Big Nipper, and Yankee Boy:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVFuq1yWZhqguvpn_CJXBEvT4kdnAYCUx106gkJF_OSbUAkVQEymkO73Wy9n5UxW5umu7xmrlw5RcxoiQ4AXUIBao7YE4HfE3Hm8lasv7zXAlu_v0gZpUufl511BPj0n3QvypU/s1600/PatMundayBuzzyTrailMoulton.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVFuq1yWZhqguvpn_CJXBEvT4kdnAYCUx106gkJF_OSbUAkVQEymkO73Wy9n5UxW5umu7xmrlw5RcxoiQ4AXUIBao7YE4HfE3Hm8lasv7zXAlu_v0gZpUufl511BPj0n3QvypU/s1600/PatMundayBuzzyTrailMoulton.jpg" height="366" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqZGKY9DBCpIH_34K5bCPcs5OJiaAM2CHL_v8ScxJGgK9XgKpdNm5nKrs2TH_7Wwc6l6-Jzl7RryiMJleh4IqR_BsPVjRA0X71ZlGyQLPuYVjKGaA3wIhlp90H5sptbcotsHVm/s1600/BuzzyTrailBigNipperMoulton.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqZGKY9DBCpIH_34K5bCPcs5OJiaAM2CHL_v8ScxJGgK9XgKpdNm5nKrs2TH_7Wwc6l6-Jzl7RryiMJleh4IqR_BsPVjRA0X71ZlGyQLPuYVjKGaA3wIhlp90H5sptbcotsHVm/s1600/BuzzyTrailBigNipperMoulton.jpg" height="220" width="400" /> </a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUUI4OKXWlc6uSTFhIRRMyNDyZtydX9CuegxjWPSUehJyz_K_qLJJwWKxlQgWUyZMlAq85Hr4HeiALbTx0IS-NjmP0OsdxGNHOmKW6Mm21_Lmhw6i7XuCJRdIK8_pibHDo1tbM/s1600/YankeeBoySkiTrailMoulton.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUUI4OKXWlc6uSTFhIRRMyNDyZtydX9CuegxjWPSUehJyz_K_qLJJwWKxlQgWUyZMlAq85Hr4HeiALbTx0IS-NjmP0OsdxGNHOmKW6Mm21_Lmhw6i7XuCJRdIK8_pibHDo1tbM/s1600/YankeeBoySkiTrailMoulton.jpg" height="213" width="400" /></a></div>
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During the Winter Olympics, I was inspired to practice my low-tech <a href="http://www.olympic.org/biathlon-equipement-and-history">biathlon</a> technique: </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgK5EMb3Sm1nhul-ogbowocTjwhiS4b5DxO29sPDBXezkrQQI4wHS24nBFUPQ0kTQsRlv45eGca9Mt8ozHcMnHrS42M6-MaUZKuUvegNUX2Liw53RPWE-veeTevNHWPKDgWiwp/s1600/PatMundayBiathlon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgK5EMb3Sm1nhul-ogbowocTjwhiS4b5DxO29sPDBXezkrQQI4wHS24nBFUPQ0kTQsRlv45eGca9Mt8ozHcMnHrS42M6-MaUZKuUvegNUX2Liw53RPWE-veeTevNHWPKDgWiwp/s1600/PatMundayBiathlon.jpg" height="295" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvFjrDJ2H1F8qkTlZ45mApNmrX3oueEkGjQkcLJ2yMkVZ5HPwrUPxQ5SDxYP3fdkr_FHJjc16KQHP-vdZMckYJsK03QikyMO5ERwjzslEBgkXQCLBi7pBBfykUaCaiNrsTE_dh/s1600/PatMundayBiathlonTarget.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvFjrDJ2H1F8qkTlZ45mApNmrX3oueEkGjQkcLJ2yMkVZ5HPwrUPxQ5SDxYP3fdkr_FHJjc16KQHP-vdZMckYJsK03QikyMO5ERwjzslEBgkXQCLBi7pBBfykUaCaiNrsTE_dh/s1600/PatMundayBiathlonTarget.jpg" height="357" width="400" /></a></div>
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No winter is complete without a few moonlight ski trips: </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgieXEp_8nXcYkb1fBtCGOIlr4ekm9TDPv3fbooRWYSofWicHKg8SfDM0nnmNk_9Mf0xKun5_Hc4pMKQYPUXrIkcWcZnWXspO0lVXfEIvBWCYvZdyrbh-ec-tXiFGGekE6-ORF9/s1600/PatMundayMoonNightSkiMoulton.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgieXEp_8nXcYkb1fBtCGOIlr4ekm9TDPv3fbooRWYSofWicHKg8SfDM0nnmNk_9Mf0xKun5_Hc4pMKQYPUXrIkcWcZnWXspO0lVXfEIvBWCYvZdyrbh-ec-tXiFGGekE6-ORF9/s1600/PatMundayMoonNightSkiMoulton.jpg" height="400" width="368" /></a></div>
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I always ski with MollyTheDog, but sometimes human friends (such as Keith, show below) also join the fun: </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLe8_wQZZ4WasvfOQkBSABXRTv8phlPcUD8OAP3fh1c9ddNj94pLO2lb0reIdlwcynxX9YRWh6VhdTz6Rn4xmTMbXvq2-ddU4RfF6xQ1lsIxISxBm7KOJDlyffQg2JPQAd3En3/s1600/MollyTheDogWinterWonderland.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLe8_wQZZ4WasvfOQkBSABXRTv8phlPcUD8OAP3fh1c9ddNj94pLO2lb0reIdlwcynxX9YRWh6VhdTz6Rn4xmTMbXvq2-ddU4RfF6xQ1lsIxISxBm7KOJDlyffQg2JPQAd3En3/s1600/MollyTheDogWinterWonderland.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwlGWarGU13HQD-0LOgjWIFlY9HBQxMycugsblVCMe34cfymvJUPpxJEfBCNMjxzKZQbnwqjDp7d3H8fZo79YZbRF8LSEHw44b2Cw6lufj9IBGKAEb-KisatOPGkjSI-RC0F2A/s1600/KeithMollyTheDogSki.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwlGWarGU13HQD-0LOgjWIFlY9HBQxMycugsblVCMe34cfymvJUPpxJEfBCNMjxzKZQbnwqjDp7d3H8fZo79YZbRF8LSEHw44b2Cw6lufj9IBGKAEb-KisatOPGkjSI-RC0F2A/s1600/KeithMollyTheDogSki.jpg" height="305" width="400" /></a></div>
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Like moonlight skiing, there are certain other elements that make a season complete--such as a good slalom run down the pole line:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI3KpHNHdqNvs1Evjy1zP_UOGjTscPpaswrOa91FGA7H5Pkjz16FDERm3QIhGZqqdXwmAIdF8p4lH798a-qTIs3OpJas6z0IpamEWboVXDnEgkH3xNcB6n-9srIJhF8_vqpwqM/s1600/PoleLineSlalomMoulton.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI3KpHNHdqNvs1Evjy1zP_UOGjTscPpaswrOa91FGA7H5Pkjz16FDERm3QIhGZqqdXwmAIdF8p4lH798a-qTIs3OpJas6z0IpamEWboVXDnEgkH3xNcB6n-9srIJhF8_vqpwqM/s1600/PoleLineSlalomMoulton.jpg" height="400" width="333" /></a></div>
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Much of the wildlife -- elk, deer, migratory birds -- clears out of the high country for winter. Moose hang out in the willows on the creek bottom near the parking lot: </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieLhhU9jfmXFrElvN2PNeG9aL3xifWxA3aiN-_gMQ6vxy2iE5I-SYM94ogrGnlqQTrRvoHiB9IStbh01_f0u133AZCD1NnK3dVxJNDKoi-UIiddZBIPdaMBZCvQXCQUpdv-RwY/s1600/MoultonMooseBedded.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieLhhU9jfmXFrElvN2PNeG9aL3xifWxA3aiN-_gMQ6vxy2iE5I-SYM94ogrGnlqQTrRvoHiB9IStbh01_f0u133AZCD1NnK3dVxJNDKoi-UIiddZBIPdaMBZCvQXCQUpdv-RwY/s1600/MoultonMooseBedded.jpg" height="280" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl7KP56eYI5c74qfAnwwSHS_7e0CtDUG1rH0LfMufp05JL8TLEQ5ottMcztucJf-0YWR2gDIAXNDELW3Y8aNWJCNV9PmuiNmKPdShjUjw1s3j-cXANaLeQX9EO6LXa0mJaOGoP/s1600/MoultonMooseStanding.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl7KP56eYI5c74qfAnwwSHS_7e0CtDUG1rH0LfMufp05JL8TLEQ5ottMcztucJf-0YWR2gDIAXNDELW3Y8aNWJCNV9PmuiNmKPdShjUjw1s3j-cXANaLeQX9EO6LXa0mJaOGoP/s1600/MoultonMooseStanding.jpg" height="277" width="400" /></a></div>
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Most other wildlife is almost exclusively nocturnal. Red Fox (<i>Vulpes vulpes</i>) regularly patrol the best mouse habitat: </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOoOOGNKTkJeauQUa7foqMvw1IXzOcwcwKINg-WwSsxtoGeftFh9R3SN9ThfdtAlx6HDX0Kt-IsjhA9MYmLvwc68DfQIgfozTCCyBMEw_mjiPkBsVOBt01ioF3OYhSQUUwwoWf/s1600/RedFoxVulpesTrack.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOoOOGNKTkJeauQUa7foqMvw1IXzOcwcwKINg-WwSsxtoGeftFh9R3SN9ThfdtAlx6HDX0Kt-IsjhA9MYmLvwc68DfQIgfozTCCyBMEw_mjiPkBsVOBt01ioF3OYhSQUUwwoWf/s1600/RedFoxVulpesTrack.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
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Pine Marten (<i>Martes americana</i>) are always searching for a careless Red Squirrel:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglGvqWJN4m2N-VFX-wfjRzrTv_R5HLTzwYhhUqc0XGc5o_31I9geq3iHjF1H78KnXpqmlJL-6mVJFS2XK28n7b0K9sLPOfbYKNGn2nhm45hZvH1oAkFu5kZBIBZ2nGCpgn_QB8/s1600/PineMartenTracks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglGvqWJN4m2N-VFX-wfjRzrTv_R5HLTzwYhhUqc0XGc5o_31I9geq3iHjF1H78KnXpqmlJL-6mVJFS2XK28n7b0K9sLPOfbYKNGn2nhm45hZvH1oAkFu5kZBIBZ2nGCpgn_QB8/s1600/PineMartenTracks.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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Snowshoe hares (<i>Lepus americanus</i>) have large feet that allow them to run atop the snow without breaking through: </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbOSQrmwusfTPCvYqYNoP6Mm5WgcbOxzSSYcDXIgpJ-m8HKFvKVPh3aQlplHr2XbpxXCrtknISwnX1ctnqHYT74sQSjBfOaZbA8ZXWp4yNeGPjtXqQDnc9UBTtoflxVW9yyFvj/s1600/SnowshoeHareTracksLepusAmericanus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbOSQrmwusfTPCvYqYNoP6Mm5WgcbOxzSSYcDXIgpJ-m8HKFvKVPh3aQlplHr2XbpxXCrtknISwnX1ctnqHYT74sQSjBfOaZbA8ZXWp4yNeGPjtXqQDnc9UBTtoflxVW9yyFvj/s1600/SnowshoeHareTracksLepusAmericanus.jpg" height="338" width="400" /></a></div>
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Often, but not always, this allows them to evade predators. Sometimes, however, death comes from above (I think this hare was killed and partially eaten by a hawk or owl): </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0pjEujNIAbJUaZvFneMA2EriZhFEXR05Msd6qa4xqN0KZNDz4HSaHuye9_8LkzMnJrlytcDYIFcYprVfYmi8Q4cScDjyWy-sVPcBb0wRpLt9jyKLWuEnfTs0PYt1o_d0EJWug/s1600/JackrabbitKill.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0pjEujNIAbJUaZvFneMA2EriZhFEXR05Msd6qa4xqN0KZNDz4HSaHuye9_8LkzMnJrlytcDYIFcYprVfYmi8Q4cScDjyWy-sVPcBb0wRpLt9jyKLWuEnfTs0PYt1o_d0EJWug/s1600/JackrabbitKill.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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Well, Spring is coming and with it there will be new litters of baby bunnies and a renewal of all things. In the meantime, we say goodbye to a winter with an unusual amount of snow--enough to nearly cover the fences: </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV7PtzZBQUp42JPMRNBvG40rhJHDjw7fWaOv2FyLCbYoRFAhRfaWmMNxh7o6t7nFDAx23mmIE6Err3veOspQArG16pilIJ5j1J7Qx5sTNvRXpLNPufufeIG603OHj6NjaGcw03/s1600/SkiTipsTopWireMoulton.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV7PtzZBQUp42JPMRNBvG40rhJHDjw7fWaOv2FyLCbYoRFAhRfaWmMNxh7o6t7nFDAx23mmIE6Err3veOspQArG16pilIJ5j1J7Qx5sTNvRXpLNPufufeIG603OHj6NjaGcw03/s1600/SkiTipsTopWireMoulton.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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Happy Spring! </div>
EcoRoverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07294159049375690786noreply@blogger.com55tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28284097.post-25683783926187369762014-04-06T23:13:00.003-06:002014-04-06T23:13:36.735-06:00Montana Winter Survival: Eat, Drink, and Be MerryNow that winter is about over, I ponder the question that friends from warmer climes often ask, "How do you survive the Montana winter?" They aren't talking about physical survival, of course (at least I hope they're not), but rather misconceptions about the psychological condition known as "cabin fever." The fact is, here in Montana, many of us don't simply "survive." Instead, we <i><b>thrive</b></i>. Partly it's a matter of active engagement with nature through activities such as cross-country skiing. And partly it's a matter of social engagement--i.e. partying! Well, or whatever counts as <i>partying</i> for folks our age.<br />
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You see, Montana -- or at least that island known as <a href="http://www.butteamerica.com/">Butte America</a> -- is an intensely social place. The community is welcoming and friendly, and there's always something going on. This is true in many American small cities and Butte is, I think, just a slice of a common experience. The winter kick-off begins with a solstice bonfire and potluck hosted by the Stierles at their cabin near The Moulton Cross Country Ski Area, just a few miles north of town. They've been clearing beetle-killed lodgepole pines from around the cabin, so we had lots of fuel:<br />
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The event even drew our friends Matt and Jenn, and their new baby Lur, from their home near Missoula a few hours downriver from Butte:<br />
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Daughter Emily came home for Christmas, so the first order of business: strap on snowshoes and bring home a tree. Butte is surrounded by public forest where tree cutting (whether for Christmas tress or firewood or fences etc) is allowed. We selected this nice Englemann spruce--though sharp needled, spruces have a nice shape and dense branches for hanging ornaments:<br />
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A few saw-strokes later:<br />
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Then it's on the sled and time to haul away. On the uphills, I told Emily, "I'll grunt and you pull":<br />
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Nice tree, and it didn't look bad with decorations, either (PhoebeTheCat approved):<br />
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Here's lesson in dendrochronology, based on a slice from the base of our tree. <span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption"> As you can see by counting the rings, our Christmas tree was about 27 years old. Yet the first c.
18 years of the tree's life were VERY different from the past c. 9
years. What do you think happened in the life of this tree that caused
this abrupt change c. 2004. Hint: our spruce grew in a forest dominated
by Lodgepole Pine:</span></span><br />
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<span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption"> Answer: That's right! Pine beetles killed virtually all of the larger Lodgepole Pines, opening the forest canopy so our little tree received more light and water, and hence grew faster. </span></span><br />
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The Butte Christmas Stroll includes all the traditions such as free wine and snacks at local businesses, musicians (<a href="http://www.heatherlingle.com/">Heather Lingle</a> shown here) at the <a href="http://www.butteamerica.com/bsb.htm">Butte-Silver Bow courthouse</a>:<br />
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And, of course, belly dancing (everyone knows the Three Wise Men were really belly dancers):<br />
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New Years Eve found us at the <a href="http://www.quarrybrewing.net/">Quarry brewpub</a> for some lively music by the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Red-Mountain-Band/104633872954163?sk=info">Red Mountain Band</a>. The best part? The even started early and ended at 8 (with the clock set ahead 4 hours, hahaha), so Mrs Rover and our friends could all make our 10 o'clock bed times (I exaggerate but a little): <br />
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Next up? Chinese New Year (31 January this year). Given the rich history of <a href="http://visitmt.com/history/montana_the_magazine_of_western_history/spring_summer04/buttechinatown.htm">Butte's Chinatown</a>, it's a fitting way to honor our history and culture. We began the parade with a crowd at the courthouse, waiting for the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragon_dance">dragon dance</a> as the dragon comes roaring out, chasing the pearl:<br />
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Yes! It's the Year of the Horse: <br />
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Along the parade route on the Butte Hill, fireworks make this the loudest (if shortest) of Butte's parades:<br />
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It ends at the <span class="st">Wah Chong Tai Mercantile and Mai Wah Noodle Parlor</span> (<a href="http://Wah Chong Tai building and Mai Wah Noodle Parlor">Mai Wah Museum</a>):<br />
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Later that day, we joined Butte's Chinese-American community for a sumptuous feast catered at the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1c2zgInhmqg">Four Seasons Chinese Restaurant</a>. <br />
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Each year in early February, a group of us share a house at <a href="http://www.chicohotsprings.com/">Chico Hot Springs</a>:<br />
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We share meals, spend hours soaking in the hot pools, and nearby are great back country ski trails: <br />
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Mid-afternoon, we pause of a warming fire and lunch, then make the run back to the trailhead:<br />
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Chico is also near <a href="http://www.nps.gov/yell/index.htm">Yellowstone National Park</a>, with abundant wildlife viewing opportunities, including Buffalo:<br />
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Big Horn Sheep:<br />
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Elk (this herd is on a ranch next to Chico, not in the Park):<br />
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And Mule Deer:<br />
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Les bon temps roule! For late February, I was invited to New Orleans as part of a session on Superfund issues at <span class="st"><a href="http://www.law.tulane.edu/tlsOrgs/tels/telc/summit.aspx">Tulane Law School Summit on Environmental Law & Policy</a>. It was a great conference with sessions on managing ocean fisheries, dealing with post-Katrina issues, and oil well fracking. Environmental artist and adventurer <a href="http://www.marcuseriksen.com/">Marcus Eriksen</a> was a keynote speaker, highlighting the problem of the <a href="http://5gyres.org/who_we_are/advisors_and_staff/">5 Gyres</a> -- those giant ocean swirls that collect the unfathomable amount of plastic trash generated by the "modern" world: </span><br />
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<span class="st">Mrs Rover and I had a little extra time to enjoy NOLA's food: </span><br />
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<span class="st">Mardi Gras Parades (Mrs Rover earned her beads, hahaha): </span><br />
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<span class="st"><br /></span>
<span class="st">And -- best of all -- to take in the great blues and jazz at our very favorite club, The Spotted Cat: </span><br />
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<span class="st"><br /></span>
<span class="st">There's lots of good music on the streets, too. Whether a lone blued harp: </span><br />
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<span class="st"><br /></span>
<span class="st">Or the outstanding, world renowned (yes, <i><b>seriously</b></i>) <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8EgzwAf_cw">Tanya & Dorise</a>:</span><br />
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Well, before you know it, winter came to an end, marked by our St Paddy's feast:<br />
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I spare you the scenes of happy "Irishmen" (and women) hoisting glasses and stuffing their faces, and end with this toast: <br />
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"He drank like a fish and ate like a savage,<br />
The only thing he wouldn't eat was corned beef and cabbage." <br />
<br />EcoRoverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07294159049375690786noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28284097.post-88961055829379898682014-02-28T16:41:00.001-07:002014-02-28T16:41:22.187-07:00Montana Hunting: Mule Deer, Pronghorn Antelope, and Elk in the Butte Area<i>[Warning: Dead animal photos ahead.] </i><br />
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I generally hunt close to home. In part, this is because there is very good hunting in the Butte/Big Hole River watershed area; it's also because every minute spent driving is one less minute spent hunting.<br />
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Pronghorn antelope season begins in early October, two weeks before the general deer and elk season. It's generally a pleasant time to hike around the hills. At first glance, it seems that the sagebrush prairie is flat and monotonous, with no way to stalk such a sharp-eyed creature. The low hills and coulees, however, offer excellent cover so long as the antelope don't see you first:<br />
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They do tend to be shy of roads, though I try not to hunt more than a mile or so from the nearest two track. Otherwise, the get pretty heavy (it's usually easier to carry than drag on the barren, rocky, cactus-strewn ground):<br />
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My friend and colleague Keith, a pilgrim from the Midwest, became an antelope hunter this year. Here he is, creeping through the sagebrush to get within rifle range of a herd bedded in a coulee:<br />
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A glacial boulder makes for good cover and a steady rest:<br />
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Thank you. We will honor your spirit and use your flesh well:<br />
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My "Little Brother" AJ, then a student down at the University of Montana, joined me for a mule deer hunt. He has the sharp eyes of youth, and often spots deer that I can barely see with binoculars. He has also become an excellent judge of range and an accurate marksman (I killed a smaller buck with a much closer shot!):<br />
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Though a long haul back to the truck, it was worth it for this fine, heavy-bodied buck:<br />
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We use non-toxic all-copper Barnes bullets, partly to avoid poisoning eagles and other carrion feeders:<br />
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And partly to avoid poisoning ourselves. I found this lead fragment in some sausage a friend gave me:<br />
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We like the organic, free-range meat that comes with hunting, but the view is outstanding too. Here's my friend and colleague Frank taking a bead on a mule deer, with an interesting spiral cloud on the horizon:<br />
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Hunting deer and antelope can be a social affair, but I often myself in the solitary pursuit of elk. I cover a lot of miles. In an area where the timber was cut in the late 19th century, I found a sawyer's file on a stump. I'll bet the man who lost it had about $2.00 (a day's wages and the cost of a saw file c. 1900) deducted from his paycheck:<br />
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The triangular file's sides were made to fit the angle of teeth in a crosscut saw blade:<br />
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One area I hunted was shared by another large predator, as evidenced by this partially eaten and cached mule deer:<br />
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I saw the other hunter's tracks (I estimate a 150-pound+ male) several times, and one evening while hiking back to the truck got a glimpse of the actual mountain lion. Big kitty:<br />
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The cougar's presence did not seem to noticeably reduce the deer or elk population, and in mid-November a new storm brought fresh snow that quieted the crusted snow from late-September and early-October storms. Circling a basin high above a road, I cut fresh tracks and followed them to where the elk were bedded. The lead cow and several others crashed away before I could even bring the rifle to my shoulder, but this fat young cow lingered for just a second:<br />
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It took two days to haul the meat out, thanks to the help of my friend Dave. With the freezer full, it was time to roast the Thanksgiving turkey, sharpen the ski edges, and give thanks to this beautiful land:<br />
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<br />EcoRoverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07294159049375690786noreply@blogger.com28tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28284097.post-24943539738658014962014-02-28T02:46:00.003-07:002014-02-28T15:00:48.568-07:00Bow Hunting for Elk in Southwest MontanaHeraclitus observed "You cannot step in the same river twice," and that's generally true of all experience with nature. Before hunting season began, lots of elk were showing up at my old Indian-pit blind near a prairie spring:<br />
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I bow hunted for elk a number of days and saw them almost every day--always well out of bow range, at 60 yards or so...A series of mid-September snowstorms made conditions difficult--the elk no longer sought water at the spring, and the crusty snow made stalking impossible:<br />
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No complaints, mind you. September and early-October are glorious times to be afield. There is always something to observe, whether a young curious coyote:<br />
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or the ever-present pronghorn antelope herd: <br />
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There also seemed to be more mule deer this year:<br />
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Given the conditions, I did a lot of "hiking" (bow in hand) in places I don't normally hunt. One day in on a north-facing ridge in a thick Douglass fir stand, I came upon moose:<br />
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and white-tailed deer. I was surprised both to see white-tails in this mule deer habitat and that they let me approach so closely. I was tempted to shoot one, but (1) I have sort of a personal rule against shooting deer while elk hunting; and (2) the thick woods would probably have deflected my arrow:<br />
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The wet weather brought a big fall crop of mushrooms. I'm familiar with and enjoyed eating tasty giant puffballs (they seem to grow from the elk scat!): <br />
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but most wild fungi are a strictly a matter of visual appreciation for me:<br />
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At first glance, this little caterpillar friend looks like a common "Wooly Bear," but I think it's a Spotted Tussock Moth: <br />
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I recall one sunset especially well. Though beautiful, it was followed by a hard rain storm that soaked me to the skin, chilled me to the bone, blinded me with lightning, and rattled my soul with thunder on the mile-long walk back to the truck: <br />
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The road to and from my blind crosses an outcrop of weathered volcanic ash. When wet, this clay-like bentonite stuck to my tires and made driving across the ridge a dangerous proposition. To cross the few hundred feet of gumbo safely, I had to stop several times and scrape the tires:<br />
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As dangerous as the lightning storm and road was, I was even more concerned about the half-wild range cattle. Some of the bulls that visited the spring could be downright aggressive: <br />
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When archery season ended, I laid up my bow and took down the rifle. I had put no meat in the freezer, but had harvested a season of happy memories.<br />
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<br />EcoRoverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07294159049375690786noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28284097.post-14921679567144498302014-02-27T18:01:00.002-07:002014-02-27T18:01:16.604-07:00New Orleans Brought Me BackWell, after a long blog-vacation, I'm back. As a superficial reason for my absence, I've been busy--Department Head duties at My Little College can be all-consuming, if you let them. But that's not the real reason for my long absence. It's more a matter of what the 19th century Romantics called <i>Weltschmerz</i>--that world weariness that makes you feel as if God's dog just died. And you really liked the dog.<br />
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I'm happy to say that some combination of lengthening daylight and a trip to New Orleans has brought me back to the Blogosphere. The former is easy enough to understand--even with southwest Montana's notoriously clear blue skies there's not sunshine in December-January. More importantly, I think, was New Orleans--and not just the parades and waxing Mardi Gras celebration, either. No, I was in NOLA for a conference hosted by Tulane's environmental law program and organized by the law students. Their sense of optimism for the future was truly refreshing, as was their selection of topics and lineup of speakers. <br />
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Top of the list, for me, was <a href="http://5gyres.org/who_we_are/advisors_and_staff/">Marcus Eriksen</a>, the adventurer who floated the entire Mississippi River in the Bottle Rocket (a boat made of plastic bottles) and who spoke about the five giant ocean gyres that collect trash from our consumption-mad world:<br />
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OK, humans of Earth: quit with the trash already--if you don't recycle/reuse it or keep it for a lifetime, don't buy it. Think of what you buy/use as a cradle-to-grave process. Otherwise, you are part of the problem of killing the oceans:<br />
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OK, I won't bore you with a lot of what I learned in other sessions about the need to stop <a href="http://newswatch.nationalgeographic.com/2011/10/31/overfishing-101-a-small-fish-with-big-problems/">menhaden</a> fishing, face up to what Global Warming/rising seas/bigger storms will do to human life in and around New Orleans, and mediate environmental and social problems caused by big hydroelectric projects in China. So, <span class="st"><i>Laissez les bons temps rouler</i>: </span><br />
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<span class="st">Thanks to a hot tip from one of the Tulane law students, we found <a href="http://www.spottedcatmusicclub.com/">The Spotted Cat</a> on Frenchmen's Street: </span><br />
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<span class="st">What a great club! The few nights we could spend there were amazing, with bands like <a href="http://auroranealand.com/bands-projects/royal-roses/">Aurora Nealand and The Royal Roses</a>: </span><br />
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<span class="st">And Ecirb Muller and Twisted Dixie: </span><br />
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<span class="st">The latter also featured a guest set by an incredible jazz and scat singer (sorry, didn't get her name): </span><br />
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<span class="st">In NOLA, some of the best music is out on the streets. We were graced with rocking duo <a href="http://tanyandorise.com/">Tanya & Dorise</a>: </span><br />
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<span class="st">As well as this weirdly out-of-place yet totally fitting gospel a capella group: </span><br />
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<span class="st">Speaking of the church, we also took in <a href="http://stlouiscathedral.org/">St Louis Cathedral</a>:</span><br />
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<span class="st">As a sort of womb-to-tomb tour that W.B. Yeats might have organized, we paid the </span><br /><span class="st"><em>de rigueur </em>cemetery visit, taking in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Louis_Cemetery">St Louis Cemetery Number 1</a>. Mrs Rover especially liked the tomb built by the Italian Mutual Benefit Society (you might recognize it from the movie <a href="http://www.nola.com/movies/index.ssf/2010/06/a_true_original_dennis_hopper.html">Easy Rider</a>): </span><br />
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<span class="st">The tomb of Marie Laveau, the high priestess of Voodoo, is also here: </span><br />
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<span class="st"> All that walking and dancing makes a body hungry. Pretty sure you can find some decent food in NOLA, oysters and beer (and po'boys, and gumbo, and jamabalya etc all good!): </span><br />
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<span class="st">And parades? Did I mention parades? Can't hardly shake a crawdad claw without hitting one. There were lots of chances for Mrs Rover to earn her beads, hehehe:</span><br />
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<span class="st">It's good to be back. I look forward to hearing your comments and checking our my fellow bloggers' recent posts. </span><br />
<span class="st"><br /></span>EcoRoverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07294159049375690786noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28284097.post-23918433723080739102013-09-22T22:21:00.001-06:002013-09-22T22:21:53.036-06:00Rocky Mountain Time: Summer 2013It's been a busy summer here in my corner of Montana. I took a little vacation from blogging, but it wasn't because I had no material! Backpacking, family activities, camping with friends, trout fishing, and -- for the past few weeks -- bow hunting for elk have all made for a memorable summer. Rather than get into a long post or a number of smaller ones, I'll do a quick review.<br />
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A car camping/hiking trip to <b>Glacier National Park</b> was the highlight of summer. Daughter Emily was home with her friend Morgan (her first time camping in the West), and so a trip to the "Crown of the Continent" was a must. Glacier is just a few hours away and I wonder why we don't visit more often?<br />
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Sites include, Mountain Goats galore (along with other hikers galore taking photos of Mtn Goats...):<br />
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Some Bighorn Sheep here and there:<br />
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Mrs Rover and I on the trail to Virginia Falls:<br />
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Emily and Morgan paddle-boarding on MacDonald Lake, and trying out a tree domicile:<br />
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Treehugger!<br />
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Friends Brent and Karina Patch visited in July (for the Montana Folk Festival), and we made time for a <b>float on the Big Hole River</b>:<br />
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Here are the kids, Adler and Kenia, taking on some "whitewater:"<br />
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Water levels held up well until early August. After that, heavy water use for irrigation by ranchers and endless hot sunny days (we barely saw a cloud, let alone rain, in July and August!) seriously dewatered the Big Hole River. The <b>fishing was excellent</b> while it lasted, though:<br />
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After last year's dearth of <b>backpacking</b>, I made up for it this year. Some solo trips, but also an outstanding group trip to <b>West Goat Peak</b>, the highest mountain in the Pintler Wilderness. I had forgotten how much fun it could be to backpack with a large group of experienced outdoors folks, not to mention treats such as black rum--Koolaid-snow cocktails:<br />
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Plenty of <b>music</b> too, this summer, including a marvelous range of international talent at the Montana Folk Festival, ranging from a Portuguese Fada singer:<br />
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To Alaskan First People (Raven dance!):<br />
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And Vietnamese performers on traditional bamboo instruments:<br />
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We also enjoyed an evening of labor songs with the Almanac Trail Singers (and some local friends including Amanda Curtis):<br />
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At the Oktoberfest, there were local favorites such as Garret Smith (on tuba) and friends:<br />
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And the Red Mountain Band:<br />
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And yes, now it's <b>bow hunting season for elk</b>. Looking for this guy:<br />
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But I'm not choosy and would be happy to fill the freezer with a nice year-and-a-half old cow:<br />
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Over the past week, the weather has cooled and rain has come. This brought much needed relief to our rivers and burning forests, though it means we don't have any more of these outstanding sunsets (and sunrises) caused by the smoky air:<br />
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EcoRover out! <br />
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<br />EcoRoverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07294159049375690786noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28284097.post-51228422953216273102013-07-11T12:02:00.001-06:002013-07-11T12:02:37.900-06:00First Backpack Trip of the Year: Honesty in NatureHistorically, you could not get into the high country before July, and even then you expected to posthole your way through knee-deep drifts. The low snowpack and warm weather this year (thanks to global warming) sent me packing for the mountains, escaping the 90+ degree heat.<br />
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Well, it wasn't just the heat: one of the reasons I love the natural world is the sheer honesty of it: you either hook the trout that rises to your fly or you don't; you either succeed in starting the fire or you don't. There's more: bird song, noisy tumbling water, blooming wildflowers--you can observe and sometimes even participate in this, but it doesn't much matter if you are there or not (though of course you can "participate" in ways that are destructive). Even the dangers are simple and honest: the grizzly bear doesn't plan to attack you professionally because it doesn't like you, she simply wants to smack you around for threatening her cubs or perhaps kill and eat you as a lesson for the cubs in how to kill easy prey. Treacherous people or killer grizzlies? I'll take the bear any day!<br />
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I love the Alpine cirque I chose for my first trip this year. Speaking of bears, we hiked fast but could not help but pause to admire this year's luxuriant bloom of Beargrass (<span class="st"><i>Xerophyllum tenax</i>): </span><br />
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We drop into the basin from across a timbered, gently rounded ridge. Then you are greeted by the craggy peaks of the Continental Divide:<br />
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For me it's deeply thoughtful moment and a photo opp, but MollyTheDog knows the TRUE meaning of an old snowdrift on a hot summer day:<br />
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We got a late start on the day, arriving at our campsite (I could find the place blind-folded, I think) with just enough time to pitch the tent, build a small cooking fire, and enjoy twilight on a peaceful lake (serenaded by the humming of mosquitoes around our ears):<br />
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The morning dawned clear and bright. Upon my return to Butte, I learned the temperatures in my little city hit 95 degrees. In the mountains at 9,000 feet I doubt if it was warmer than 75. At any rate, I had a goal: years ago, on a peak bagging trip, I had passed an old mine (complete with cabin) and wanted to find it again. It was not hard to spot in this open, Alpine larch park at the base of the scree. See the pile of mine tailings in the center of this photo?:<br />
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Let's try a closer look:<br />
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The mine is at a contact zone between granite and some kind of metamorphic or volcanic rock. This results in mineralization through heat and water/steam:<br />
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No large quartz crystals that I found, but zoom in tight and they're awesome nonetheless:<br />
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Let's venture into a shallow mine face to see what they were after (Oh look! The miner's pick!):<br />
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Hmmm... this green color must mean copper and other metals:<br />
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Out in the light of day, the ore is very beautiful:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjFhjHNM9b9TwHx9KVkeE_GAaHrMAotG-yT8PTF676-iQPVnggqdXPqQbfbpqabZyPmZiyacQuGErAbbyACaWL56hfyCROzoyRulUCq6UeNm8GCEewAHu3nJlFHC7CPyr369xs/s1600/10MIle+Lake+mine+ore+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjFhjHNM9b9TwHx9KVkeE_GAaHrMAotG-yT8PTF676-iQPVnggqdXPqQbfbpqabZyPmZiyacQuGErAbbyACaWL56hfyCROzoyRulUCq6UeNm8GCEewAHu3nJlFHC7CPyr369xs/s400/10MIle+Lake+mine+ore+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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We made a few passes through the timber looking for the cabin, but I tired of navigating snowdrifts. It's early spring at 9,000 feet. On the several miles back to camp, I paused to admire the Pretty Shooting Stars (aka "Roosterheads"):<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUBLJukuIH7oxcWOwKO9ijINVaakXcu7yk9zmNYyAYHMG6Yea03CPDNa4pgGD3s70RxuVy_ZZTLbo3Yy4NICDQ-tTdeor7JvAn8hkE-UvWckOxT7kjv_CdOw9gSQx_uRsEwcaM/s1600/Shooting+Star+flowers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUBLJukuIH7oxcWOwKO9ijINVaakXcu7yk9zmNYyAYHMG6Yea03CPDNa4pgGD3s70RxuVy_ZZTLbo3Yy4NICDQ-tTdeor7JvAn8hkE-UvWckOxT7kjv_CdOw9gSQx_uRsEwcaM/s400/Shooting+Star+flowers.jpg" width="372" /></a></div>
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And a mixed bloom of White Marsh-marigolds (<span class="latinName"><i>Caltha leptosepala</i>, with the smoother leaves), somewhat larger Globeflowers (<i>Trollius laxus</i>, with the cleft, divided leaves), and tiny Spring Beauties (</span><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">Claytonia lanceolata</span></i><span style="font-weight: normal;">): </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivelKP2JzaOsdA_p4Mdo2DJ01ewy554vjU8KwnZI3Mm-1Cf5V4hIUIpiSgodys-TeHU5ZEvjUwdSEIgvK1O59kKO-pMdrkjKmzJWmU52r8SVHNpiw2S4uOx6m3vUgVR_2wSwSk/s1600/March+Marigold+Globeflower+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivelKP2JzaOsdA_p4Mdo2DJ01ewy554vjU8KwnZI3Mm-1Cf5V4hIUIpiSgodys-TeHU5ZEvjUwdSEIgvK1O59kKO-pMdrkjKmzJWmU52r8SVHNpiw2S4uOx6m3vUgVR_2wSwSk/s400/March+Marigold+Globeflower+.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Near camp<span style="font-size: small;">, you can see <span style="font-size: small;">stacked cordwood and falle<span style="font-size: small;">n trees from a century ago, when contractors for the Anaconda Copper Company were <span style="font-size: small;">ordered by President Teddy Roosev<span style="font-size: small;">let to cease and <span style="font-size: small;">desist in stealing timber from public lands: </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_8-fwy40qdHm8m1vORtW8DmnPQUrtGqQ_gg45rMgBSu0Sn-8Q3ktdkfNZgulEa3kgKBqRipCA7snCWE9oWOwW1O1gY8RItjDR9T_2ewnhItfnrLs12CXis-l9mNgsUTt5uMlV/s1600/10MIle+Lake+Illegal+Logging.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_8-fwy40qdHm8m1vORtW8DmnPQUrtGqQ_gg45rMgBSu0Sn-8Q3ktdkfNZgulEa3kgKBqRipCA7snCWE9oWOwW1O1gY8RItjDR9T_2ewnhItfnrLs12CXis-l9mNgsUTt5uMlV/s400/10MIle+Lake+Illegal+Logging.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">In addition to copper ore, timber, and wild<span style="font-size: small;">flowers, there is other tre<span style="font-size: small;">a<span style="font-size: small;">sure <span style="font-size: small;">in th<span style="font-size: small;">e several <span style="font-size: small;">lakes of th<span style="font-size: small;">is Alpine basin<span style="font-size: small;">:</span> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjANwupmjebt1HXPr5lTeyPSu704XXj9StOP52FSeEMkICthnT5B9hjUZQ23r_mlFSVFrxG6-6FufTw4JesBQ_P5UOuxVfLnSCln-mL2BrGyzA2mbj9k_c1qJsktdoLsMac6KdO/s1600/cutthroat+trout+rise.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjANwupmjebt1HXPr5lTeyPSu704XXj9StOP52FSeEMkICthnT5B9hjUZQ23r_mlFSVFrxG6-6FufTw4JesBQ_P5UOuxVfLnSCln-mL2BrGyzA2mbj9k_c1qJsktdoLsMac6KdO/s400/cutthroat+trout+rise.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">They are eating caddisflies that <span style="font-size: small;">cr</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>awl from their <span style="font-size: small;">stony cases<span style="font-size: small;">, float to <span style="font-size: small;">surface on a bubble of air, and -- pau<span style="font-size: small;">sing just long enough to be snapped up in the jaws of a trout -- e<span style="font-size: small;">merge as a flying creature: </span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTAFnSRBnbaNOq39Sfeobsm8js1lISuL_SEgktfEz4ejpCrdgWjeCOwOpaKp7tSNzBelC3OOkN2On7GnkDmmoTvO0SNa5oGdaazVVfvMYBs6SlpfAby1KL5OtaJEtV8cV1kNhd/s1600/caddis+case.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTAFnSRBnbaNOq39Sfeobsm8js1lISuL_SEgktfEz4ejpCrdgWjeCOwOpaKp7tSNzBelC3OOkN2On7GnkDmmoTvO0SNa5oGdaazVVfvMYBs6SlpfAby1KL5OtaJEtV8cV1kNhd/s400/caddis+case.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGmD4LRuovblm0jz5Qs1KwP-LxOoHgTl9zkN8iYZCogVg7x4bSWpjMMp9NR8ITZowV794e-FxCuPNF00_-09E4AZxZRdz8ENyF5ATfAvJWkYY2Useo2YYaBdTqHJosvx1Y19y2/s1600/caddis+larva.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="371" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGmD4LRuovblm0jz5Qs1KwP-LxOoHgTl9zkN8iYZCogVg7x4bSWpjMMp9NR8ITZowV794e-FxCuPNF00_-09E4AZxZRdz8ENyF5ATfAvJWkYY2Useo2YYaBdTqHJosvx1Y19y2/s400/caddis+larva.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">The fish? Lovely, jew<span style="font-size: small;">eled cutthroat trout. They are relatively easy to c<span style="font-size: small;">atch: </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNSwE_rziFGqYRyRONrFCJgNBcPu2HQsE0FNp6RrohZcRdnkvVmOOeGmNOli0aqQ6iRmHfi_Ux4WBaTJMAuO2gB2iRlnqx_N7ye5v2Skqswzxw2wXOD_r2z1xJDL9zjB-balEN/s1600/cutthroat+trout.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="140" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNSwE_rziFGqYRyRONrFCJgNBcPu2HQsE0FNp6RrohZcRdnkvVmOOeGmNOli0aqQ6iRmHfi_Ux4WBaTJMAuO2gB2iRlnqx_N7ye5v2Skqswzxw2wXOD_r2z1xJDL9zjB-balEN/s400/cutthroat+trout.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">But I killed just two for my simple camp supper (eaten with a pot of rice): </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghFkv9WEal-0j4EIBTU89udoUuZWg_EjsW6BfsK4pFLzDIG_EVDZ6okK8CDuWg6u8dH-YCxGfdl2UmZYDNbVytsND6L49rH58KxRH7zmCbKh0VWFBxsGWNnau5Obp9XlYsHk18/s1600/Cutthroat+Trout+Cook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghFkv9WEal-0j4EIBTU89udoUuZWg_EjsW6BfsK4pFLzDIG_EVDZ6okK8CDuWg6u8dH-YCxGfdl2UmZYDNbVytsND6L49rH58KxRH7zmCbKh0VWFBxsGWNnau5Obp9XlYsHk18/s400/Cutthroat+Trout+Cook.jpg" width="370" /></a></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">As I ate supper, I watched storm clouds buil<span style="font-size: small;">ding over the valley (viewed from my campsite to the not<span style="font-size: small;">ch in the trees that ma<span style="font-size: small;">rks the <span style="font-size: small;">lake outlet): </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span> <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieblgroe43GIOvNkByOhjeAEPf2lU5D7ktjjumnQHAq74DjRhTAGFSRGM0ITFBTuDl4okTPmtjIKxGzLu0fXFJ_x_GhNRYFzkptH5a38p5HkBISd6L0Wf7p5XRwCQeCaZgN2ru/s1600/10Mile+Lake+outlet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieblgroe43GIOvNkByOhjeAEPf2lU5D7ktjjumnQHAq74DjRhTAGFSRGM0ITFBTuDl4okTPmtjIKxGzLu0fXFJ_x_GhNRYFzkptH5a38p5HkBISd6L0Wf7p5XRwCQeCaZgN2ru/s400/10Mile+Lake+outlet.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Soon, a magnificent thunder storm came <span style="font-size: small;">swoopin<span style="font-size: small;">g over the <span style="font-size: small;">Great Divide a few miles to the <span style="font-size: small;">west, sending me to my tent. The next day, after a leisurely morning hike<span style="font-size: small;"> and a bit of fishing, I packed<span style="font-size: small;"> and hiked out, arriving in <span style="font-size: small;">Butte <span style="font-size: small;">to join a gang of family and friends to watch the<span style="font-size: small;"> big annual "July 4th<span style="font-size: small;"> Eve" (03 July) fireworks display: </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_4axIluEcY6sniPAEdV2ti5Sj7Ewg7ZcLyDxcOVjZofi6B_WsbsImj11Lbhk_E6izBxP-pSpeGD-AqGNSmWdRtEPWRvG-2Ji4sPLko-A0JFsuWvh0FtTEXV-gXtxEndeIGCpK/s1600/Butte+Montana+Fireworks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_4axIluEcY6sniPAEdV2ti5Sj7Ewg7ZcLyDxcOVjZofi6B_WsbsImj11Lbhk_E6izBxP-pSpeGD-AqGNSmWdRtEPWRvG-2Ji4sPLko-A0JFsuWvh0FtTEXV-gXtxEndeIGCpK/s400/Butte+Montana+Fireworks.jpg" width="371" /></a></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">The next day, we all set off to visit the Rainbow Gathering, a<span style="font-size: small;"> <span style="font-size: small;">national week-long <span style="font-size: small;">gathering on public<span style="font-size: small;"> land. Welcome Home: <span style="font-size: small;">t</span>he <span style="font-size: small;">Rainbow Tribe celebrates peace, love, and oneness with nature. Yeah, retro-hipp<span style="font-size: small;">ies in a sense, as you might think from this tie-dye shade shelter and tiny <span style="font-size: small;">rock <span style="font-size: small;">village</span></span>: </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL1Q57gepS4wo99_ARWOqcaUmWm3UWUa_jrPo-VsSynW-ikrwL6wvs9Uf_88rsVM7HRic4JlU0S2AVxPvUothPIab7xrFPN20aDlZ9glE0l6PkXytuXUsH4IiHneb0oFPElzuL/s1600/IMG_1923.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="153" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL1Q57gepS4wo99_ARWOqcaUmWm3UWUa_jrPo-VsSynW-ikrwL6wvs9Uf_88rsVM7HRic4JlU0S2AVxPvUothPIab7xrFPN20aDlZ9glE0l6PkXytuXUsH4IiHneb0oFPElzuL/s400/IMG_1923.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">There were about 10,000 folks at the gathering. We Love You: <span style="font-size: small;">a</span>t least half of them gathered in Skinner Meadow (a huge upland park a half-mile or more <span style="font-size: small;">wide and a mile or more long) to hold hands<span style="font-size: small;"> and gently "ohm" their way to a <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">crescendo</span> <span style="font-size: small;">marked </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>by drumming, dan<span style="font-size: small;">cing, and more than a little naked<span style="font-size: small;">ness (here's the ohm circle of peace)<span style="font-size: small;">: </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">Peace Out!</span></span></span><br />
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EcoRoverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07294159049375690786noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28284097.post-11161383583207384242013-07-07T23:24:00.000-06:002013-07-08T10:18:19.581-06:00Summer Comes to Butte MontanaPrairies aflame with flowers, trout looking up for dry flies, shorts and sandals: it all adds up to SUMMER! We're on that ideal cusp where it still rains every few days to keep the hills green, and yet that rain hardly ever (<i>hardly</i> ever) turns to snow.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>The 1864 Grand Victorian Ball for Peace </b></i></span><br />
It's the 150th anniversary for the founding of Virginia City, a gold rush town which was Montana Territory's capital from 1865 to 1875. Today it's a state-managed historic site and a fun place to visit. We spent the weekend there with friends at the Fairweather Inn:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoP6dM3gGTMEvIJ-xyR4wOUa1-S6_dqabc2MWg-5EIEEGRYrA8az2QYs4eXwdKEbwBXGHIoM-ZWPHnHwDlP7nAC5Vz-mePilHq8RHQ3K8hAoKqwFi1uefBFvoM_wI6VllxSViX/s1600/Fairweather+Inn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoP6dM3gGTMEvIJ-xyR4wOUa1-S6_dqabc2MWg-5EIEEGRYrA8az2QYs4eXwdKEbwBXGHIoM-ZWPHnHwDlP7nAC5Vz-mePilHq8RHQ3K8hAoKqwFi1uefBFvoM_wI6VllxSViX/s400/Fairweather+Inn.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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We took in a bawdy evening show at the <a href="http://www.breweryfollies.net/">Gilbert Brewery Follies</a>:<br />
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And, at the <a href="http://virginiacitygrandvictorianball.com/">Grand Victorian Ball</a>, we danced waltzes, quadrilles, reels, polkas, and other dances from the era--all to tunes played by a great bunch of fiddlers and other musicians:<br />
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Luckily, we were provided a program booklet with helpful information such as,<br />
"Ladies should avoid affection, frowning, quizzing, or the slightest indication of ill-temper." Now do these ladies look like they could ever be accused of such unseemly emotions?:<br />
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Mrs Rover did not even show any ill-temper during the many hours she spent making her ball gown:<br />
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All told, we had a ball!: <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>Wildflowers: Prairie and Mountain </b></i></span><br />
Near Virginia City, the <a href="http://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/res/Education_in_BLM/Learning_Landscapes/For_Travelers/go/wildlife_viewing/axolotl_lakes.html">Axolotl Lakes</a> area (named for the neotenic tiger salamanders that never lose their gills) has seen more spring rain than areas closer to Butte. The wildflowers show their appreciation, with meadows of Blue Flag Iris (<i>Iris missouriensis</i>):<br />
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Upland areas are dotted with Prairie Smoke (<i>Geum triflorum </i>-- shown here before and after flowering): <br />
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<br />
Sticky Geranium (<i>Geranium viscosissimum</i>):<br />
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And Owl Clover (<i>Orthocarpus tenuifolius</i>):<br />
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Near the lakes, there's Willow (<i>Salix spp.</i>) with it's inconspicuous but weirdly beautiful flowers:<br />
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And Serviceberry (<span class="latinName"><i>Amelanchier alnifolia): </i></span><br />
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<span class="latinName">Moving upland, the forest-prairie edge habitat of the <a href="http://www.blm.gov/mt/st/en/fo/butte_field_office/recreation/humbug.html">Humbug Spires</a> area (near Butte Montana) is drier but puts on a good show. In no particular order, we found Littleleaf Pussytoes (<i>Antennaria microphylla</i>): </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJX-KGiGNgVx_na7wi0Fek2O2FAwIF-mfT-X_CeClRR9Qc6hiOVyPdq3Cd8e3mQ7NBgKA7_GFBwXuzZEthEDkKnRVAkSpnIkR_8Ea6Do66LNsRqC_iFxYMbBqOOWUgQxpABHr7/s1600/LittleleafPussytoes+Antennaria+microphylla.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJX-KGiGNgVx_na7wi0Fek2O2FAwIF-mfT-X_CeClRR9Qc6hiOVyPdq3Cd8e3mQ7NBgKA7_GFBwXuzZEthEDkKnRVAkSpnIkR_8Ea6Do66LNsRqC_iFxYMbBqOOWUgQxpABHr7/s400/LittleleafPussytoes+Antennaria+microphylla.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span class="latinName">Foothills Arnica (<i>Arnica sororia</i>): </span><br />
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<span class="latinName">Higher up, in the timber, you'll find its more common cousin Heartleaf Arnica (Arnica cordifolia): </span><br />
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<span class="latinName">Lanceleaf Stonecrop (<i>Sedum lanceolatum</i>): </span><br />
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<span class="latinName">White Daisy Fleabane (<i>Erigeron spp</i>.): </span><br />
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<span class="latinName">Delicious sliced and grilled or in stir-fry -- a Giant Puffball: </span><br />
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Cut it to be sure it's in its prime and there are no incipient gill structures that mark deadly look-alikes:<br />
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My fungi knowledge is limited--I would not eat these, but appreciate the attractive composition they form with the juniper and a limber pine cone: <br />
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<span class="latinName">The hills above the town of Anaconda, Montana, were devastated for most of the 20th century by arsenic, heavy metals, and acid smoke from the 500+ foot tall smelter stack (seen here in the distance): </span><br />
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<span class="latinName"><br /></span>
<span class="latinName">Like the Butte Hill, there has been a slow but steady natural recovery. An early June hike showed colorful Scarlet Paintbrush (<i>Castilleja miniata</i>): </span><br />
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<span class="latinName">Elk Gentian (<i>Frasera speciosa</i>, also called "century plant" because it allegedly grows for 100 years before it blooms and dies): </span><br />
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<span class="latinName">In the cool shade of a limestone outcrop, we found lovely Blue Clematis (<i>Clematis occidentalis</i>): </span><br />
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<span class="latinName">Showy Jacob's Ladder (<i>Polemonium pulcherrimum</i>) is aptly named: </span><br />
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<span class="latinName"><i> </i></span><br />
<span class="latinName"><i> </i>You can imagine the fruit when you see blossoms of Twinberry Honeysuckle (<i>Lonicera involucrata</i>): </span><br />
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A camping trip to the Big Hole Valley was well timed for the blooming Blue Camas, which at a distance looks likes water reflecting sky (there are lots of elk here too, just below Camas meadow in photo): <br />
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Along a shady trail in the lodgepole pine forest, there is False Solomon's Seal (<i>Maianthemum racemosum</i>):<br />
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Though I'll separate them for this post, there's a clear connection between plants and geology. Along a dry area of the Continental Divide, you can feel the struggle of a spreading juniper to colonize the harsh landscape: <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>These Rocky Mountains </b></i></span><br />
Hiking around these mountains, geology is a character in the landscape. Fossils are relatively uncommon, but limestone outcrops near Anaconda show a few ancient sea creatures:<br />
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Chert embedded in this same limestone shows an interesting pattern from differential erosion--the softer, more soluble limestone matrix wears away leaving the silica material in relief:<br />
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The Humbug Spires come in many fantastic shapes. Here is Dave and MollyTheDog in a boulder field along a ridge:<br />
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In every direction, there was an interesting view:<br />
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Also, this strange, old antenna structure. I can't imagine what rancher or ham radio operator built this:<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>Look Up: Sky! </b></i></span><br />
Like geology, the sky too is a character in this grand landscape that is Montana. In Butte, we are often treated to gorgeous sunsets framing the many mining headframes (aka "gallows frames"):<br />
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Wind buffeting the ridges of the Continental Divide, along with the moisture carried aloft from the river valleys, makes for interesting clouds:<br />
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The transition from wet spring to dry hot summer makes for awesome storm clouds (and lightning storms):<br />
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Not infrequently, the passing storm is capped with a rainbow:<br />
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Butte America does fireworks in a big way--both the "private sales" that rival some town's whole display, and the major Independence Day Eve city display. Happy Birthday, America!<br />
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<br />EcoRoverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07294159049375690786noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28284097.post-73117684684281289972013-06-15T17:57:00.001-06:002013-06-15T18:00:32.531-06:00Urban Botany: Natural Vegetation Restoration on the Butte HillAs EcoRover readers probably hear too often, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butte,_Montana">Butte, Montana</a> is ground zero for America's largest <a href="http://www.mtech.edu/academics/clsps/ptc/sciencesocietysuperfund/">Superfund</a> site, with natural resource damages stemming from a century of copper mining and smelting. Most mining and all smelting ceased in the 1980s, and since then the area has been making a steady recovery. Some areas, such as <a href="http://www.epa.gov/region8/superfund/mt/sbcbutte/">Silver Bow Creek</a>, have been cleaned-up and restored to--the creek even has a good population of native Westslope cutthroat trout now. In the big picture, it's all very good (view of the Pintler Mountains from behind my home):<br />
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But let's look closely. We are spending hundreds of million of dollars on clean-up and restoration, and I agree with spending our hard-won Superfund and <a href="https://doj.mt.gov/lands/">Natural Resource Damage</a> lawsuit money carefully. Prioritize clean-up that protects human health and clean-up that removes toxic materials. Some areas, such as the creek, need intensive restoration to recover in terms of human time. Other area, such as the Butte Hill, are doing just fine thanks to "natural" recovery: remove the phyto-toxic mine tailings, plant grasses, and let nature take its course. Maybe add some alfalfa to aid nitrogen fixation (alfalfa is initially hardy but seems to die away after a few years)--like this volunteer growing through a crack in an abandoned road:<br />
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For animal life, grass goes a long ways. If you do want to spend a lot of money to accelerate wildlife recovery, focus on shrubs such as Sagebrush and Rabbitbrush (<i><a href="http://fieldguide.mt.gov/detail_PDAST2C0G0.aspx">Ericameria spp</a></i>):<br />
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If you want to boost bird populations, Mountain Ash (<a href="http://fieldguide.mt.gov/detail_PDAST2C0G0.aspx"><i>Sorbus spp</i></a>) is a good bet, and also very beautiful at all seasons of the year (in fall it turns red-orange):<br />
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In wetter areas, Chokecherry (<a href="http://fieldguide.mt.gov/detail_PDROS1C1E0.aspx">Prunus virginiana</a>) is a natural for birds (and makes tasty good jam):<br />
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Some hardy apple trees also do just fine in our urban margins, such as this blossoming beauty near Montana Tech (my little college): <br />
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When it comes to flowers, a number of natives and exotics are taking over the Butte Hill, all without the aid of a gardener's hoe. While pretty to look at, I'm not sure they play a large role in recovering wildlife. Still, pretty things such as Rockroses (aka Bitterroot <a href="http://fieldguide.mt.gov/detail_PDPOR040D0.aspx"><i>Lewisia rediviva</i></a>) are a personal favorite. It emblemizes survival in a harsh landscape, and is just now coming into bloom (the leaves die away as the buds form):<br />
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Each year, the climate variation favors one species over others. This year, the lucky winner was Longleaf Phlox (<a href="http://fieldguide.mt.gov/detail_PDPLM0D150.aspx">Phlox longifolia</a>)--superabundant on the Butte Hill behind my house:<br />
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Several flowering plants deserve special recognition for the way they colonize minewaste sites and even out-compete that most aggressive of noxious invasives, Spotted Knapweed (<a href="http://fieldguide.mt.gov/detail_PDAST1Y140.aspx"><i>Centaurea maculosa</i></a>)--here shown growing through a crack in an abandoned road:<br />
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Like alfalfa, Lupines (<a href="http://fieldguide.mt.gov/detail_PDFAB2B0H0.aspx"><i>Lupinus spp</i></a>) are a nitrogen-fixer/soil-improver, but they are native and do quite well after forest fires or mining:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUWnRqlhAlzWVZvteuBsCT2tdMdZi2VbGK18CbiCepsH6iXu-1vsjsLAVmbVX-SCOHabO3yn8_QCCnzSMJvJmCoOrMw8Uvp9kPfnsGlFlA_1xXjFjPdCl2JiHVsHQ2a4aEprVe/s1600/Lupinus+spp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUWnRqlhAlzWVZvteuBsCT2tdMdZi2VbGK18CbiCepsH6iXu-1vsjsLAVmbVX-SCOHabO3yn8_QCCnzSMJvJmCoOrMw8Uvp9kPfnsGlFlA_1xXjFjPdCl2JiHVsHQ2a4aEprVe/s400/Lupinus+spp.jpg" width="341" /></a></div>
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The seemingly fragile (and fun to say) Fuzzy-tongue Penstemon (<a href="http://fieldguide.mt.gov/detail_PDSCR1L270.aspx"><i>Penstemon eriantherus</i></a>) often grows from mine tailings or coarse granitic soil that won't even support knapweed: <br />
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This one really rolls off your tongue, in English or Latin: Silverleaf Scorpionweed (<a href="http://fieldguide.mt.gov/detail_PDHYD0C1Z0.aspx"><i>Phacelia hastata</i></a>); like penstemon or lupine, it seems to grow where almost nothing else will: <br />
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Along the alley behind my home, exotic little poppies have taken over the shady, north-facing edges: <br />
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And in my yard, of course, there is the most fearsome wild creature of all, which Germans call Loewenzahne ("Lion's Teeth") but for us is the nefarious dandelion:<br />
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I do have a cure for those who are obsessed with vanquishing dandelions from their yard: surrender. And eat them--picked when the flower buds first form, they are my favorite "wild" green. Steam over a slice or two of bacon, of course. <br />
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<br />EcoRoverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07294159049375690786noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28284097.post-12871535988052497052013-06-15T10:04:00.000-06:002013-06-15T10:04:07.404-06:00Spring Trout FishingSpring trout fishing in southwest Montana involves choices, all in Butte's backyard: The intimacy of a small stream loaded with Eastern brook trout and the occasional large, spawning rainbow? A mid-elevation lake (ice free before July) with colorful cutthroats? The Big Hole River with peak snow-melt run-off but big bugs and big trout? Yes to all.<br />
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I do relatively little lake fishing, but occasionally seek out the solitude that comes from a pleasant hike, and the colorful treasures (in this case a Yellowstone cutthroat trout):<br />
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Along the way, there are other treasures to be found. Though I have hiked this area dozens of times, I somehow always missed this intact though long-forgotten miner's cabin:<br />
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From the inside, it appears that hunters may have used it seasonally for some years after it was abandoned by the full-time resident miner:<br />
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I like the old bedroll, tied up and hung from the ceiling to discourage mice:<br />
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Outside, <span class="userContent">c. 1940 Dodge truck (flathead 6 engine, NO BULLET
HOLES!!!): </span><br />
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<span class="userContent">Trees growing in the road to the cabin indicate it's been
abandoned c. 40 years. What you discover when you take the road less
traveled by...</span><br />
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<span class="userContent">This past week, the lilacs on the Butte Hill were in full bloom: </span><br />
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<span class="userContent">Blooming lilacs = hatching salmon flies on the Big Hole River: </span><br />
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<span class="userContent"> These large stone flies are a favorite food of large trout, and make for good fishing (though often a nymph works better than a dry fly, though occasionally big trout do slash leap from the water to grab a mouthful): </span><br />
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<span class="userContent">After fishing, time for a little high-bank diving and stick-fetching for MollyTheDog: </span><br />
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<span class="userContent">The largest trout of the day came during a hailstorm with buckshot-sized hail pelting the river (and me). It was worth it, though I did not chance drawing my camera during the downpour. Back at home, after supper with sun setting, a brilliant nearly-vertical rainbow lit the sky: </span><br />
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<span class="userContent"><br /></span>EcoRoverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07294159049375690786noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28284097.post-22097761864710666902013-05-18T18:55:00.000-06:002013-05-18T18:55:08.379-06:00A Night on the Prairie (Big Hole River, southwest Montana)Spring comes, hills green up, elk return to calving grounds, and trout feed: it's time for a night out on the prairie of the Big Hole River valley. The view from my campsite is striking:<br />
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At sunset, the sky gets even better--going from orange to pink in about 10 minutes:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-7edAyAB_o12zKd8RhDBdkNDe6alYHs2nmaW2wFrQ87ga3RoZkzNSlO1q2sVaJvwc3y1xai-fXi-8bzX_GP2nrXj4WvAX9WSSWGyskO-zd-tb4sucUmKr4wvHlDHSVbvIDlcr/s1600/Pintler+sunset+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-7edAyAB_o12zKd8RhDBdkNDe6alYHs2nmaW2wFrQ87ga3RoZkzNSlO1q2sVaJvwc3y1xai-fXi-8bzX_GP2nrXj4WvAX9WSSWGyskO-zd-tb4sucUmKr4wvHlDHSVbvIDlcr/s400/Pintler+sunset+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The nights are still frosty--good weather for a wool jacket and a blazing fire:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfa95-DdzKeQVFE-Iug-wkkEQ1ZsLtmks1WSrc8nsqI8i-9T6wyotR4CMA-QfEMJZKRQkCLdPyDKHQqMtmUXoHmSjn7q4XHze62BXAk2Pp0tB7zYlxTFqHogaB_Hk0FtbWT0Ke/s1600/Pat+Munday+Big+Hole+campout.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfa95-DdzKeQVFE-Iug-wkkEQ1ZsLtmks1WSrc8nsqI8i-9T6wyotR4CMA-QfEMJZKRQkCLdPyDKHQqMtmUXoHmSjn7q4XHze62BXAk2Pp0tB7zYlxTFqHogaB_Hk0FtbWT0Ke/s400/Pat+Munday+Big+Hole+campout.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Historically, the Nee-Me-Poo (Nez Perce) called the upper Big Hole Valley Iskumtselakik, "the place of ground squirrels." It's an apt name. I'm not sure which species of ground squirrel -- Columbian, Uinta, Wyoming, or Richardon's -- is most common. The Big Hole is at the intersection of all their ranges. To complicate matters, some of these species interbreed, they can all share the same burrow system and their larger cousins, Yellow-bellied Marmots, also live here. So far as I can tell, the several species sort out by proximity to the creek and rockiness of the ground. All of the species are wary and, when alarmed, sit up straight and give a shrill whistle. It drives MollyTheDog absolutely crazy. She will hold rock solid at the sight of elk cows and calves or even flushing grouse. But a colony of ground squirrels? Forget it--she takes off like a rocket.<br />
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While MollyTheDog chases ground squirrels, I examine the excavated dirt around their burrows. It's a good place to find jasper tool flakes left by Indians long ago:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi34_sXNxvlma8BK8jrRhJeoEl2ZBgARWvD0yJdkTWDhepLbuBquGgvaqz1jNqwzpc5hG_kK6ArmSkUH5lVZyjp2AC91ipaQFX3D-stEoLqzsDHFfQVnCQUURfGu96I0FPuXZLI/s1600/Jasper+Flake+ground+squirrel+burrow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi34_sXNxvlma8BK8jrRhJeoEl2ZBgARWvD0yJdkTWDhepLbuBquGgvaqz1jNqwzpc5hG_kK6ArmSkUH5lVZyjp2AC91ipaQFX3D-stEoLqzsDHFfQVnCQUURfGu96I0FPuXZLI/s400/Jasper+Flake+ground+squirrel+burrow.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
This landmark, a lava outcrop, stands high above the floodplain (behind the outcrop from this view):<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs4eAEiNFLgPrlYXPIiEIdEsMm1UdNTR58y3OANGd2vO-DALlmaO1c1HG3_Kfg7K0LZpUNbllPlUadrgKy0c43QkdhpyL5AU69mRSWowIn-h0tkX8823ypajMK3u22lyvMq1tC/s1600/Rock+Outcrop+Game+Drive+Butchering+Site+Big+Hole.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs4eAEiNFLgPrlYXPIiEIdEsMm1UdNTR58y3OANGd2vO-DALlmaO1c1HG3_Kfg7K0LZpUNbllPlUadrgKy0c43QkdhpyL5AU69mRSWowIn-h0tkX8823ypajMK3u22lyvMq1tC/s400/Rock+Outcrop+Game+Drive+Butchering+Site+Big+Hole.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
According to local legend, this site was the apex for game drives. Rock piles or brush formed a sort of corral. This story seems confirmed by what appear to be butchering tools such as this:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh5tDbqdBP6S0bVRJDOWrNnRk9F2yzlA-6nrThSjudgboDgMExj7U8E378RW6mmQTpGmvKwp8Jdui8pV7ZEfL3JtSVN-HRFZ79YC2f79F9dpym4ieI3V-AXjPoV-CNewENZFQm/s1600/Jasper+Butchering+Tool+montana+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="326" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh5tDbqdBP6S0bVRJDOWrNnRk9F2yzlA-6nrThSjudgboDgMExj7U8E378RW6mmQTpGmvKwp8Jdui8pV7ZEfL3JtSVN-HRFZ79YC2f79F9dpym4ieI3V-AXjPoV-CNewENZFQm/s400/Jasper+Butchering+Tool+montana+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I took a morning hike and did a little fishing, initially thinking I would kill a few brook trout for lunch. Instead, I released each of the half-dozen or so that I caught. I tried to get a photo of one being released, but they are two quick and I was left literally empty-handed (it's a photo of the one that got away!):<br />
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Along the creek, I found various other treasures, such as this piece of Western Pearlshell Mussel:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCaWcDQLQC2Rdp-FHpmLEcrL7geQA3Ahu90IxzqyPVnrFA1ijQjbZI2_o0uxkqIyyGpGRcEwpkfLWw_VB_4a7_7fqXgVPbMPdTySbMwEySWu7vQPSrCo8Qml5vm1Y0JA2Xh9rr/s1600/Western+Pearshell+Mussel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="341" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCaWcDQLQC2Rdp-FHpmLEcrL7geQA3Ahu90IxzqyPVnrFA1ijQjbZI2_o0uxkqIyyGpGRcEwpkfLWw_VB_4a7_7fqXgVPbMPdTySbMwEySWu7vQPSrCo8Qml5vm1Y0JA2Xh9rr/s400/Western+Pearshell+Mussel.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
On a boggy meadow, I found this small projectile point (aka "arrowhead"). It's a mystery to me why the First People made it from coarse, quartz-like material rather than from the abundant fine-grained jasper found here. Perhaps it was a practice point, or had been leached by the tannins in the bog?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQMYmtEw31PfQYjcEKOcrXA1K-XyLrbg5zl7FBVvDKIC2bulFfBwoeDm_syjdtndcOmKybWcY6ofRWjoAMPMvCLaLyNrw6jpQlIbEeB2EClwpKRrVhz_IypUM4Sfcg3_PtBQTp/s1600/Arrowhead+montana+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQMYmtEw31PfQYjcEKOcrXA1K-XyLrbg5zl7FBVvDKIC2bulFfBwoeDm_syjdtndcOmKybWcY6ofRWjoAMPMvCLaLyNrw6jpQlIbEeB2EClwpKRrVhz_IypUM4Sfcg3_PtBQTp/s400/Arrowhead+montana+1.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
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These bits of glassy petrified wood caught my eye:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN9QpWu7nJJMHA4v8ScMuWAGTfeN0-PhY4o6Z4GnVx5NA9Kf5WrA5Dp12qWn-fMP4Mg1dEjwHppSfH91U8Ppx4NwaqsdQ0dOTx-QI22_RCqZXJXx-yAqZBAi9hkoQmSR38KXZ1/s1600/Petrified+Wood+fragments.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="327" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN9QpWu7nJJMHA4v8ScMuWAGTfeN0-PhY4o6Z4GnVx5NA9Kf5WrA5Dp12qWn-fMP4Mg1dEjwHppSfH91U8Ppx4NwaqsdQ0dOTx-QI22_RCqZXJXx-yAqZBAi9hkoQmSR38KXZ1/s400/Petrified+Wood+fragments.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
I investigated upslope from the fossilized wood and found some larger chunks (note the one with the dark, glassy core):<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9RwG_jF9doAY_huZ56rlf7AtwgRhXPCLFsLp216kGNCstsCCNBXkU1DiU2bV5876-DPA8C2txoR32Bmndh7Q8LrZ268LrlxsdHyCVmLV9ovALgwx1vYCGK7zwJ4BvoLj6SPEL/s1600/Petrified+Wood+chunks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9RwG_jF9doAY_huZ56rlf7AtwgRhXPCLFsLp216kGNCstsCCNBXkU1DiU2bV5876-DPA8C2txoR32Bmndh7Q8LrZ268LrlxsdHyCVmLV9ovALgwx1vYCGK7zwJ4BvoLj6SPEL/s400/Petrified+Wood+chunks.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Perhaps someday this skull (from a skunk?), will also become a fossil:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT3cv5YdIEXbyaOWfn0kmoexwzSsG_lVY4dQ-8kenvvDnGUOMCKfdyQp8qpcl_gPxLMSfo40dhaQx6Rna0NQtAumucI_IDTjjBPqvnqhHSYu2J3UHwb5wgDbOuhlX6fM3CXUmv/s1600/Skunk+Skull.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="373" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT3cv5YdIEXbyaOWfn0kmoexwzSsG_lVY4dQ-8kenvvDnGUOMCKfdyQp8qpcl_gPxLMSfo40dhaQx6Rna0NQtAumucI_IDTjjBPqvnqhHSYu2J3UHwb5wgDbOuhlX6fM3CXUmv/s400/Skunk+Skull.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
As a child, after I first heard the expression "pushing up daisies" I imagined corpses beneath every flower. There is some truth to this, of course, as all the things that die (human animals included) help fertilize the soil. A macabre thought, given the wealth of blooms on the prairie right now. Spring Beauty (<a href="http://fwp.mt.gov/mtoutdoors/HTML/articles/portraits/2012/springbeauty.htm#.UZgNOIUu7bI">Claytonia lanceolata</a>) carpets the partially shaded borders near lodgepole pines:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6ABwSh988P7IjFkGoK9fc0oG_0KTAq4S0fD1VS8bn_sYbAj1anw3Mkum_YFWbrZfoO5RJhTG6oSfUhd5F2chNKVkpBoEvFhYguIladRmg700X9wkqArgPI3WOtCOB7UO9d9kw/s1600/Springbeauty+Claytonia+lanceolata+carpet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6ABwSh988P7IjFkGoK9fc0oG_0KTAq4S0fD1VS8bn_sYbAj1anw3Mkum_YFWbrZfoO5RJhTG6oSfUhd5F2chNKVkpBoEvFhYguIladRmg700X9wkqArgPI3WOtCOB7UO9d9kw/s400/Springbeauty+Claytonia+lanceolata+carpet.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The Spring Beauty's leaves and corm (root) are a tasty source of vitamin C (the roots are marble-to-golf ball in size). I chew the leaves while hiking: <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHUhXlq-AkB0ytk9PdqZGzHHd4kmtoz10VvEs83snVfgAaUpRipN9MMn9wXHuPquyp3n_pE_2Y8sjRTrrg5KSho4SECaWsGD1b2EMWZxn8ziPfy-gIIDL3J0UhubT8jcdP5DaA/s1600/Springbeauty+Claytonia+lanceolata.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHUhXlq-AkB0ytk9PdqZGzHHd4kmtoz10VvEs83snVfgAaUpRipN9MMn9wXHuPquyp3n_pE_2Y8sjRTrrg5KSho4SECaWsGD1b2EMWZxn8ziPfy-gIIDL3J0UhubT8jcdP5DaA/s400/Springbeauty+Claytonia+lanceolata.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Glacier Lily (<i><span class="latinName"><a href="http://fieldguide.mt.gov/detail_PMLIL0U050.aspx">Erythronium grandiflorum</a>)</span></i><b><span class="latinName"> </span></b><span class="latinName">likes the same edge habitat, especially where winter snow drifts have lingered: </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg41fUmWTxHotVA5wNjuC7bY_SgE7LcrQeCrrBhVygDgi6_CbTGKv9sa98r1m6ccALBkjkP8lXg-69rsI2wFxGNhr2UDNFn07XNdUBBo95RawCdqM9ToNk6_1y86EDrx7ryplo/s1600/Glacier+Lily+Erythronium+grandiflorum.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg41fUmWTxHotVA5wNjuC7bY_SgE7LcrQeCrrBhVygDgi6_CbTGKv9sa98r1m6ccALBkjkP8lXg-69rsI2wFxGNhr2UDNFn07XNdUBBo95RawCdqM9ToNk6_1y86EDrx7ryplo/s400/Glacier+Lily+Erythronium+grandiflorum.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<span class="latinName"><br /></span>
<span class="latinName">On the drier, open areas several flower species brighten the landscape, including:</span><br />
<span class="latinName">Pasque Flower (</span><i><span class="latinName">Anemone patens)</span></i><span class="latinName">, a real giant among the mostly-tiny wildflowers:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1xyuPkEA5OKn6pDPOpB_cuTEazd0XLStmEu4lsh0O4Zlp_Macxf0Ixu6kpQm_G9uZuQ5F9xHHdhCioXX7VDrmsEVAn7bmzEoEIHTacyYV6H4pg3BTetam3wDaWTqXYrsKf-Ab/s1600/Pasque+Flower+Anemone+patens+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1xyuPkEA5OKn6pDPOpB_cuTEazd0XLStmEu4lsh0O4Zlp_Macxf0Ixu6kpQm_G9uZuQ5F9xHHdhCioXX7VDrmsEVAn7bmzEoEIHTacyYV6H4pg3BTetam3wDaWTqXYrsKf-Ab/s400/Pasque+Flower+Anemone+patens+1.jpg" width="275" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbWqvD0Tn2WbQvndhvrZN-_qGOLQ_eJmDpc2mZkXfqrLyuMvUnXja6hvHp22Jv_gaxFN6yruKFxXI3Jxbn5Sf5bI8pxJzUtSPPUKpaO6UTMLvNkxI3mUnBBFEZZfSXDlf4Vv6r/s1600/Pasque+Flower+Anemone+patens+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbWqvD0Tn2WbQvndhvrZN-_qGOLQ_eJmDpc2mZkXfqrLyuMvUnXja6hvHp22Jv_gaxFN6yruKFxXI3Jxbn5Sf5bI8pxJzUtSPPUKpaO6UTMLvNkxI3mUnBBFEZZfSXDlf4Vv6r/s400/Pasque+Flower+Anemone+patens+3.jpg" width="316" /></a></div>
False Danelion (<i><span class="latinName">Nothocalais spp.):</span></i><b><span class="latinName"></span></b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTjDS6bb-oGRa2ZfHdMk3Z7h-EKVOYqq0F-oX3NMAtJEevBbBwxKUh5pJBuKibyX8xBtTTZlu0ufs7dX7qngS8tqc3h6GBId2iuIrDZU8GPeA690vpcR7gKMf-7G91LU6vDypq/s1600/False+Dandelion+Nothocalais+montana.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTjDS6bb-oGRa2ZfHdMk3Z7h-EKVOYqq0F-oX3NMAtJEevBbBwxKUh5pJBuKibyX8xBtTTZlu0ufs7dX7qngS8tqc3h6GBId2iuIrDZU8GPeA690vpcR7gKMf-7G91LU6vDypq/s400/False+Dandelion+Nothocalais+montana.jpg" width="381" /></a></div>
<span class="latinName"><br /></span>
<span class="latinName">Larkspur (<i>Delphinium spp.</i>): </span><b><span class="latinName"></span></b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLem2VEm5PHb_Ng7JT_VB8k2uyGusZEHh2DVbNVkfVEV_fkcSYluw2Y_sO6v5JKAYLaSXnKRAnBr0TQ1Hopvr0AZX_gSJRHg0VLCVekHMcKspuO-34msQChTTEt-kuBW38bIJO/s1600/Larkspur+Delphinium+montana.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLem2VEm5PHb_Ng7JT_VB8k2uyGusZEHh2DVbNVkfVEV_fkcSYluw2Y_sO6v5JKAYLaSXnKRAnBr0TQ1Hopvr0AZX_gSJRHg0VLCVekHMcKspuO-34msQChTTEt-kuBW38bIJO/s400/Larkspur+Delphinium+montana.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span class="latinName">Locoweed (<i>Oxytropis spp</i>.): </span><b><span class="latinName"><br /></span></b><br />
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Longleaf Phlox (<span class="latinName"><i>Phlox longifolia</i>):</span><br />
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In wetter areas, Pretty Shootingstar ("roosterheads," <i><span class="latinName">Dodecatheon pulchellum)</span></i> take over:<br />
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The purple ones dominate the scene:<br />
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But there are lots of white ones too:<br />
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In the same area, but not so common, are Sagebrush Bluebells (<i class="highlightme">Mertensia oblongifolia):</i><br />
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Down along the creek (where I found the "arrowhead"), Sand Violet (<span class="latinName"><i>Viola adunca</i>)</span><b><span class="latinName"> </span></b><span class="latinName">rounded out the picture:</span><br />
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Even the sun seemed to channel its inner flower spirit (helped along by high-altitude atmospheric ice crystals) by putting on this colorful halo (a "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/22%C2%B0_halo">22 degree halo</a>," to be precise)--time to pack up camp, this means rain is coming: <br />
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Several pronghorn antelope amused me while I packed up camp:<br />
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On the way out, two moose said "Good bye:"<br />
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One of them has had a rough winter/spring, suffering a lot of hair loss probably due to "winter ticks" (dry spring weather favors winter tick outbreaks):<br />
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Once home, I checked myself and MollyTheDog for ticks--Mrs Rover doesn't appreciate us bringing these creepy guests into the house.<br />
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My little college held its graduation ceremony today--see you in the hills!<br />
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<br />EcoRoverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07294159049375690786noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28284097.post-68277601176071040832013-05-12T20:45:00.000-06:002013-05-12T20:45:29.680-06:00Spring Wildflowers and Trout: Montana Awakes from Winter's SlumberOur weather along the Continental Divide in southwest Montana has warmed but it's still very dry. On a recent family hike, dark clouds filled the sky and lightning flashed along the mountain ridges. But only a light rain graced the land, barely enough to make donning a jacket worthwhile. Outstanding sky, though, as with this "sun hole:"<br />
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Each spring at this time, I fish a small tributary of the upper Big Hole River. The main fare is brook trout--I like a mess or two dusted with cornmeal and fried, with a plate of sauteed dandelion greens on the side. Here's a tasty trout for the table:<br />
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The creek this year is lower than I have ever seen it in early May. Still, the rainbow trout are spawning (they run upstream from the larger river). I saw several very large fish (20"+) and caught a few nice ones, too--always exciting to hook up with a big fish in a stream you can jump across: <br />
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The high prairie, at first glance, looks desolate. But let's take a closer look. In this photo, you can see an arc of higher grass that defines part of a tipi ring:<br />
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Inside the ring, you can find buttery-yellow and blood-red flakes of jasper, knapped off by Indian sharpening their tools:<br />
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A friend I grew up with many years ago and with whom I've reconnected via FaceBook, suggested I try a test on the yellow jasper: heat it to see if it turns red. So on my way home from fishing I stopped at a local jasper mine used by Indians and picked up a few chunks of yellow jasper. Sure enough, at home in the kitchen over a gas flame, the heated yellow jasper turned red:<br />
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A close look at the bunch grass prairie also reveals many wildflowers. Though they seem stunted by this spring's drought, there are many varieties to be found, including:<br />
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Hooker's Townsend Daisy (<i>Townsendia hookeri):</i><br />
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Mountain Douglasia (<span class="latinName"><i>Douglasia montana</i>):</span><br />
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<span class="latinName"><br /></span>
<span class="latinName">Cutleaf Daisy (or </span><span class="latinName"><span class="st">Dwarf Mountain Fleabane;</span> <i>Erigeron compositus</i>):</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4v9Jl0_j8BBjGDTFX0pOKcpehwVj8203KadjFn-kIjZUO5i6rRl9x7uRcSvzSQgqsdo9fC63mLHp8bDkv4OkMiJKF8YzgtPlnv8pS92zCvJ7OMBcVCh1JCHFTaG6eYMU6VFm9/s1600/Erigeron+compositus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4v9Jl0_j8BBjGDTFX0pOKcpehwVj8203KadjFn-kIjZUO5i6rRl9x7uRcSvzSQgqsdo9fC63mLHp8bDkv4OkMiJKF8YzgtPlnv8pS92zCvJ7OMBcVCh1JCHFTaG6eYMU6VFm9/s400/Erigeron+compositus.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Sagebrush Buttercup (<span class="latinName"><i>Ranunculus glaberrimus</i>):</span><br />
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<span class="latinName"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwQ3jx8ed498Dt4z7zgu7AgBZ0Aa_0t94QNHjTouE2w7RFMFMHuvWXIpTka23Nb8pTIlcQOceiFdyetiaPMLR2YEzcTUbjjJXRbqjF2ZQQmkAby1wHbob82JqFSf4qPDeE5V7w/s1600/Ranunculus+glaberrimus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwQ3jx8ed498Dt4z7zgu7AgBZ0Aa_0t94QNHjTouE2w7RFMFMHuvWXIpTka23Nb8pTIlcQOceiFdyetiaPMLR2YEzcTUbjjJXRbqjF2ZQQmkAby1wHbob82JqFSf4qPDeE5V7w/s400/Ranunculus+glaberrimus.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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<span class="latinName">Wyoming Kittentails (<i>Besseya wyomingensis</i>): </span><br />
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<span class="latinName"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghTVtDlL48by_QRFF6vRsOqDya7YSW6tN6-kqKywFUzSXg1hevQL_F9_U7ypz-XNrL_IZ-AhuneDInWwsqyUClwD_WtdWRvYY616T1qvlTqhYsCDaxCcu1mnofRyiVymrF4o2b/s1600/Wyoming+kittentails+Besseya+wyomingensis.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghTVtDlL48by_QRFF6vRsOqDya7YSW6tN6-kqKywFUzSXg1hevQL_F9_U7ypz-XNrL_IZ-AhuneDInWwsqyUClwD_WtdWRvYY616T1qvlTqhYsCDaxCcu1mnofRyiVymrF4o2b/s400/Wyoming+kittentails+Besseya+wyomingensis.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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<span class="latinName">Pretty Shootingstars (<i>Dedecatheon pulchellum</i>), both purple:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb1yTfhQkmeyaim7JMyK-WsrwjVIQvKUksTv48_Q-CPdWQCHoHVXO-MoPiXWoDs_SYQNKWknC9Y31TbRGI5IoZCDkf6T5p0wwzPUjEB5EsBQV9QcpLNxWlt_e7FGkj_8WPMHt1/s1600/Purple+Shootingstar+Dedecathon+pulchellum.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb1yTfhQkmeyaim7JMyK-WsrwjVIQvKUksTv48_Q-CPdWQCHoHVXO-MoPiXWoDs_SYQNKWknC9Y31TbRGI5IoZCDkf6T5p0wwzPUjEB5EsBQV9QcpLNxWlt_e7FGkj_8WPMHt1/s400/Purple+Shootingstar+Dedecathon+pulchellum.jpg" width="316" /></a></div>
<span class="latinName"><br /></span>
<span class="latinName">and white: </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZMnVynT-rOjOm5uT-jUZAIWmb9z88u80MYjQUyrQeIZSjESKRENCNs279-j0Qq4C0UL9fqlRVsK10eGjcyBsRtEnTyXhUU1GY6v7mfEXGNT_H4IUGkOf3y4ly9IzlKJgbHi0X/s1600/White+Shootingstar+Dedecatheon+pulchellum.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZMnVynT-rOjOm5uT-jUZAIWmb9z88u80MYjQUyrQeIZSjESKRENCNs279-j0Qq4C0UL9fqlRVsK10eGjcyBsRtEnTyXhUU1GY6v7mfEXGNT_H4IUGkOf3y4ly9IzlKJgbHi0X/s400/White+Shootingstar+Dedecatheon+pulchellum.jpg" width="368" /></a></div>
<span class="latinName"><br /></span>
<span class="latinName">Sagebrush Bluebells (<i>Mertensia oblongifolia</i>): </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2k3Wl_Vo5CHPw1DK7mLiWLkS2j0aJcM70gN0jboU6qoFEeXJcyumtl8RxpH143TZh6HSLhw11-l3r3ng3qnkvWk0nl75hi_Rcz-dhOt3iaYZ-F2hL0Pypr7kD1wKAoHBdfjay/s1600/Sagebrush+Bluebells+Mertensia+oblongifolia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2k3Wl_Vo5CHPw1DK7mLiWLkS2j0aJcM70gN0jboU6qoFEeXJcyumtl8RxpH143TZh6HSLhw11-l3r3ng3qnkvWk0nl75hi_Rcz-dhOt3iaYZ-F2hL0Pypr7kD1wKAoHBdfjay/s400/Sagebrush+Bluebells+Mertensia+oblongifolia.jpg" width="306" /></a></div>
<span class="latinName"><br /></span>
<span class="latinName">and Hood's Phlox (<i>Phlox hoodii</i>): </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyGwvO9lwRACwnycOfDi-lBBwF61G8sbxPyB1st-NRq7yvxOTqwZAjrKiPYmu5Q6ZHIO8RZlDMrlXoeJQUSjLLM9eZzJE2IDxoi3zj1kVZEUmViPNgqGMzwDaNHTE3gZ4dCB2N/s1600/Hoods+Phlox+hoodii.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="321" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyGwvO9lwRACwnycOfDi-lBBwF61G8sbxPyB1st-NRq7yvxOTqwZAjrKiPYmu5Q6ZHIO8RZlDMrlXoeJQUSjLLM9eZzJE2IDxoi3zj1kVZEUmViPNgqGMzwDaNHTE3gZ4dCB2N/s400/Hoods+Phlox+hoodii.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span class="latinName"><br /></span>
<span class="latinName">Daughter Emily passed through on a cross-country drive to the East, so we set off on a family hike to a favorite place: </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8D4L9G3__AdXIfMgmct3N1hwoLuc1uOWpIawUEOHejAqu5AHVYVNCGr6KNTaGLoizO9M-fjbmBugYrz8pt7JpswWgIaQESdf7rBox0NbmhVpOFJ7eONQSgwCdZLMY55XFrYPe/s1600/EmilyMunday+DeepCr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8D4L9G3__AdXIfMgmct3N1hwoLuc1uOWpIawUEOHejAqu5AHVYVNCGr6KNTaGLoizO9M-fjbmBugYrz8pt7JpswWgIaQESdf7rBox0NbmhVpOFJ7eONQSgwCdZLMY55XFrYPe/s400/EmilyMunday+DeepCr.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span class="latinName"><br /></span>
<span class="latinName">It's near a now-abandoned ranch established c. 1900:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin-Hcpy5nxMfboWjWiyqj0YSiyR5GzZq9eu_Vbtauunt966EVprhtpF4CDG1caUwFYf6afWmlFmNJiH8hlt9i59tzXcQcq_jqz_EG2UFH3ZSvxbCDR8grMKUFUZSJO9-O5bUtw/s1600/Home+Ranch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin-Hcpy5nxMfboWjWiyqj0YSiyR5GzZq9eu_Vbtauunt966EVprhtpF4CDG1caUwFYf6afWmlFmNJiH8hlt9i59tzXcQcq_jqz_EG2UFH3ZSvxbCDR8grMKUFUZSJO9-O5bUtw/s400/Home+Ranch.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span class="latinName"><br /></span>
<span class="latinName">There are always interesting artifacts to be found (strictly catch and release): </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2sIOLYemIJpNi4puKPK9EdOtoH-_pciHJkz9UK1saxnXpHqq5szjxrdz4bwTxgSWOo6FiEXmdum1D-XZaosDtj0s_-DUHhTfFdgpeOLjIyGx6A9cjuaOo4E7PiY2kwZTySW2a/s1600/Yale+Junior+Padlock.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="370" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2sIOLYemIJpNi4puKPK9EdOtoH-_pciHJkz9UK1saxnXpHqq5szjxrdz4bwTxgSWOo6FiEXmdum1D-XZaosDtj0s_-DUHhTfFdgpeOLjIyGx6A9cjuaOo4E7PiY2kwZTySW2a/s400/Yale+Junior+Padlock.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span class="latinName"><br /></span>
<span class="latinName">This is a calving area for elk, and they time their return for "green-up." Here are a few early arrivals (they begin calving here c. 20 May): </span><br />
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<span class="latinName"><br /></span>
<span class="latinName">Along the creeks and willows, a few white-tailed deer can usually be found: </span><br />
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<span class="latinName"><br /></span>
<span class="latinName">Molly-The-Dog enjoys the remaining snowfields, but they won't last long with another 80-deg F day or two:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAYK3KziCGmbZXGkIRYNr8SPyn4Jb3r34Y4bpwX7VZETZDX2BmaKOTe3C3OTPadJ3y94Or-GmVmz07wKH03lzPVp_QZA7nx6KVxHxvH6-0htQeKF1px9GSv5BbrTF7HGo0q10u/s1600/MollyTheDog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAYK3KziCGmbZXGkIRYNr8SPyn4Jb3r34Y4bpwX7VZETZDX2BmaKOTe3C3OTPadJ3y94Or-GmVmz07wKH03lzPVp_QZA7nx6KVxHxvH6-0htQeKF1px9GSv5BbrTF7HGo0q10u/s400/MollyTheDog.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span class="latinName"><br /></span>
<span class="latinName">See you in the hills! </span><br />
<span class="latinName">EcoRover out. </span><br />
<span class="latinName"><br /></span>
<span class="latinName"><br /></span>
<span class="latinName"><br /></span>EcoRoverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07294159049375690786noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28284097.post-79697864664889170842013-04-19T16:17:00.000-06:002013-04-19T16:17:18.192-06:00High and Dry (and Cold): Butte, Montana SpringtimeYou would never know it's spring according to the thermometer, with daytime highs in the low 30s deg F and nights in the teens or even single digits. Still, the land tells us a different story. The quaking aspen (<i>Populus tremuloides) </i>buds say, "Let's go!":<br />
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Mountain bluebirds are in the nesting boxes, though I don't know how they can possibly find enough bugs to eat with this weather: <br />
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Biscuitroots (<i>Lomatium cous</i>) are in bloom, though the cold weather has stunted them. Normally the stems are 4" or so, but these are like a dwarf variety, barely an inch long:<br />
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Bitterroots (<i>Lewisia rediviva</i>) are more plentiful than ever, and must have some sort of antifreeze in their tissues, for they seem totally unaffected by the cold:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiozESGa2I6IRvVftNuxxHXGimjzNBTZRRkY3aJ06aqHZtD_0NqZ9-HuuZEV14Ml4Udzi2eo9hbETT02Ffk8w7XmtRtUq_nFyC5sBhrdiASm1f685EIsV5DOeURAp89CEpfYlf8/s1600/Bitterroot+Rosettes+many.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="346" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiozESGa2I6IRvVftNuxxHXGimjzNBTZRRkY3aJ06aqHZtD_0NqZ9-HuuZEV14Ml4Udzi2eo9hbETT02Ffk8w7XmtRtUq_nFyC5sBhrdiASm1f685EIsV5DOeURAp89CEpfYlf8/s400/Bitterroot+Rosettes+many.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Why are there so many bitterroots in the past few years on the hill behind my house, whereas 20 years ago I was hard-pressed to find even <i>one</i>? Walkerville (near Butte Montana) is part of a historic mining and smelting district, and was heavily polluted by a century of this industrial activity. I live in a recovering ecosystem. Many people seem to think you can just plant grass and flowers on minewaste, and the ecosystem will magically restore itself. Like many things in nature, it's not that simple or easy. My botany expert friends, <a href="http://www.mea-mft.org/Articles/mea-mft_members_of_the_year.aspx">Grant Mitman</a> and <a href="http://www.mtech.edu/RESEARCH/highlights/awards/2011_DRA_martha_apple.html">Martha Apple</a>, tell me it's all about the moss as a critical step in making the way for vascular plants:<br />
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In the photo above, you can see the bitterroot rosette poking up through the moss, apparently supplying the nutrients and micro-climate the plant needs. The photo below tells an even bigger story. There is the bitterroot rosette and the moss, but also some cottontail rabbit droppings, dried spotted knapweed (<i>Centaurea maculosa</i>) stems and seedheads, and a chunk of milky quartz. Quartz veins were blasted by miners in search of silver and gold; knapweed came as invasive weed (perhaps even planted intentionally as ground cover) when nothing else would grow; and the rabbits and native forbs have come as the most recent stage in this process of biological and historical succession:<br />
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Here's MollyTheDog in a snowy spot where quartz was blasted out of the ground. Appropriately enough, this is called a "dog hole:" <br />
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Despite the cold weather, it has been exceptionally dry. We even had a little grass fire (a rare spring event) in the hills out back:<br />
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Walking in these hills behind my house a few nights ago, I yipped back and forth with a pack of coyotes. To my surprise, a booming howl came rolling down from a higher, timbered ridges a mile to the north. Hmmm... that's interesting. So I hiked up that way a day later, and lo and behold found wolf tracks in scattered patches of snow. This is the first time I have seen wolf sign so close to the town--usually, they stay back 5 or so miles:<br />
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We also ran into small herd of mule deer; their numbers seem to have increased markedly near Butte in recent years, which helps explain the wolf:<br />
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On a rare warm, sunny day, Mrs Rover and I took in the soothing waters at Boulder Hot Springs, a half-hour to the north:<br />
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On another of those rare warm days, I got out for a few hours of fishing (and a few trout) on the Jefferson River with little brother A.J.:<br />
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Well, as they say about Hell and North Dakota, "It's not spring yet, but you can see it from here."<br />
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<br />EcoRoverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07294159049375690786noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28284097.post-24953933337677575552013-03-29T21:40:00.001-06:002013-03-29T21:40:13.544-06:00Springtime in the Rockies: The Snowshoe Rabbit MoonSpring is coming to Butte America, my home in the northern Rockies. Weather has been colder than average, we seem to be paying for the very mild winter. Still, it's warm enough to hike on the snow-free hills of the lower Big Hole River (see <a href="http://ecorover.blogspot.com/2013/03/a-spring-hike-in-montanas-high-desert.html">http://ecorover.blogspot.com/2013/03/a-spring-hike-in-montanas-high-desert.html</a> ), while at the same time the snow base on the hills just north of my home has set up, making for excellent -- and true -- cross-country skiing. The Snowshoe Rabbits (yes, I know, <span class="st"><a href="http://fieldguide.mt.gov/detail_AMAEB03010.aspx">Lepus americanus</a> is a actually a hare) are much more active now and seem to appreciate the endless terrain that is now open to them: </span><br />
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<span class="st">Given the ability to ski anywhere, trails at The Moulton are merely a suggestion. Still, it was nice to run a "trifecta" one morning on the area's greatest trails--Buzzy, Big Nipper, and Yankee Boy: </span><br />
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<span class="st">The good base makes for easy travel on Big Flat (aka "Moonlight Flat"), with great views to my little city of Butte and to the Pintler Mountain Range: </span><br />
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<span class="st">Big Flat is a fun place to skate ski, although I can't keep it up too long on my heavy "back country" Fischer E99s: </span><br />
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<span class="st">A small ridge north of Cabin Meadow has open terrain and a slope just right for my downhill ability. Note the darker green, Douglas-fir ( </span><span class="speciesTitle"><span class="latinName"><i><a href="http://fieldguide.mt.gov/detail_PGPIN05020.aspx">Pseudotsuga menziesii</a></i> ) on the upper slope vs. the lighter green, Lodgepole Pine ( </span></span><span class="speciesTitle"><span class="latinName"><a href="http://fieldguide.mt.gov/detail_PGPIN04080.aspx"><i>Pinus contorta</i></a> ) on the lower slopes: </span></span><br />
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<span class="speciesTitle"><span class="latinName">Many of our Lodgepole Pines are dead, killed by the global-warming exacerbated outbreak of Mountain Pine Beetles ( </span></span><i><a href="http://dnrc.mt.gov/forestry/Assistance/Pests/mtnpinebeetle.asp">Dendroctonus ponderosae</a> ). </i>Luckily, lodgepoles are prolific and lot of seedlings are sprouting up to replace the lost generation:<br />
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<span class="st">Coming off the ridge, I enjoy making a few telemark runs, and find it easy on spring snow compared with the earlier season's deep powder that causes me to flounder: </span><br />
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<span class="st">This month's full moon, which I like to think of as the "Snowshoe Rabbit Moon," will light up the snowy hills (view from by backyard): </span><br />
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<span class="st">OK, let's go night skiing. Maybe my last ski of the season, though--the trail back down to the parking lot was super ICY, scraped a season's worth of wax from my skis!:</span><br />
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<span class="st"> Well, time to start trout fishing. Stay posted. Happy Easter! </span><br />
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<span class="st"><br /></span>EcoRoverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07294159049375690786noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28284097.post-5542935241630501232013-03-17T13:59:00.000-06:002013-03-17T13:59:02.378-06:00A Spring Hike in Montana's High Desert HillsCross country skiing down a steep, ungroomed runof Buzzy Trail at The Moulton last week, I made the turn at the bottom, took in a deep breath, and looked up at the azure blue Big Sky. I love to ski and am fortunate for having legs that have served me well into middle age and for having a excellent trails virtually in my backyard. Still, I have skied about 50 days since late November and was ready for a hike in snow-free hills. <br />
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Spring is early this year in Butte America. Already, on the hill behind my home in Walkerville, the snow is nearly gone, the frost is leaving the ground, and tiny bitterroot (<i>Lewisia rediviva)</i> rosettes are beginning to green up:<br />
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My friend Dave and I, with Molly- and Jack-the-Dog in tow, headed for the high, sagebrush desert hills of the lower Big Hole River. The elevation is about 6,000 feet -- approximately the same as Butte -- but mountain ranges such as the Pioneers (shown here, with <a href="http://www.summitpost.org/torrey-mountain/154798">Torrey Mountain</a> and <a href="http://www.summitpost.org/tweedy-mountain/220408">Tweedy Mountain</a>, the two most prominent peaks) create a rain shadow so the area is very dry--less than 10 inches of precipitation per year:<br />
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It's good Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep habitat, and we were barely parked and on our way when these three young rams ambled past:<br />
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Closer to the river, the carrying capacity for wildlife increases greatly, and it's common to see herds of Pronghorn Antelope:<br />
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The aridity means that bones, such as this rabbit skull, persist for a long time (note also the red-orange lichen that is common here): <br />
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Luckily for the dogs, there are still some patches of snow that offer a welcome respite on a warm afternoon:<br />
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Limestone dominates the geology. Over time, the sedimentary layers have been lifted and tilted, and because it erodes easily, this makes for interesting patterns on the landscape:<br />
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Up close, the limestone proves equally interesting, sometimes eroding into feathery plates:<br />
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And sometimes showing a limestone conglomerate structure:<br />
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Though this area is very dry today, during the Pleistocene glacial periods from 2.5 million years ago to 10,000 or so years ago, it was very wet and experienced large run-off events during interglacial warming periods. At the mouth of coulees, the wash of sediments created alluvial fans:<br />
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Vegetation sorts out into very specific niches that you can read from a high vantage point like a book. <a href="http://fieldguide.mt.gov/detail_PDAST0S1R0.aspx">Big Sagebrush</a> (<i><span class="speciesTitle"><span class="latinName">Artemisia tridentata</span></span></i>), "a desert plant in search of water," likes the deeper alluvial or glacial till deposits. <a href="http://fieldguide.mt.gov/detail_PDROS08010.aspx">Curly-leaf Mountain Mahogany</a> (<i>Cercocarpus ledifolius</i>), a favorite food of mule deer and bighorn sheep, is a limestone-loving shrub. Here you can see the sagebrush on alluvial deposits in the foreground, and mountain mahogany on the limestone outcrop in the back:<br />
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A desert shrub, Curly-leaf Mountain Mahogany is remarkably good at weaving its roots into the limestone's joints and bedding-planes:<br />
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Dave and I like climbing the limestone ridge outcrops or "reefs" that define the landscape here:<br />
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At the top of this one, we found an old, well-aid, cairn--a "<a href="http://mtstandard.com/special-section/local/stone-johnnies/article_98a825a7-7d32-5453-a5de-22d8cbe13caf.html">Stone Johnnie</a>." Basque sheepherders that tended flocks throughout this region a century ago built these stone piles to mark their grazing routes:<br />
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Well, the corned beef is in the oven, and it's time to start the cabbage and potatoes. I wish I could recall all of the poem Gramps used to recite each year on this day, but a few lines went,<br />
"He drank like a fish<br />
And ate like a savage.<br />
The only thing he didn't like,<br />
Was corned beef and cabbage."<br />
Happy St Paddy's! <br />
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<br />EcoRoverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07294159049375690786noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28284097.post-89019842297669510642013-03-07T16:41:00.000-07:002013-03-07T16:41:06.656-07:00Montana March MadnessNo, I'm not talking about March college basketball. I'm talking time the march of time. It's fair to say that if I can't find time to write a blog post every week or two, I am too busy with the administrative details of life ("Oh, woe is me," cried the Department Head. And a dozen tiny violins played...).<br />
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Well, despite my whining, February was a good month. We celebrated the Chinese New Year, spent a weekend at Chico Hot Springs with friends, and I put in a few miles on the cross country ski trails.<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Butte's Chinese New Year Parade: Short but <i>LOUD</i></span></b><br />
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The <a href="http://www.maiwah.org/">Mai Wah Society</a> preserves the history of Chinese in Butte, Montana through an excellent small museum and fun cultural activities:<br />
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<br />
The Spring Festival Parade ushers in the lunar new year, and begins with a crowd assembled in front of the <a href="http://www.panoramio.com/photo/42475556">Butte-Silver Bow Courthouse</a>:<br />
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<br />
It's time for EcoRover to chat with friends:<br />
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<br />
Listen to a short speech of two:<br />
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<br />
And then follow the dragon as it dances through the uptown streets:<br />
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<br />
The dragon chases a pearl and stops at each business that has made a donation to the Mai Wah Society, where the dragon bows and offers the pearl of wisdom to the generous merchant:<br />
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All along the route, loud strings of firecrackers chase away the evil spirits:<br />
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<br />
It's wonderful week, and included a big potluck dinner hosted by Chinese-American friends and a more formal banquet at a local restaurant, the <a href="https://plus.google.com/117461663582257852729/about?gl=us&hl=en">Four Seasons</a>. With only ten fingers and most of them in use with chopsticks, I lost count of how many courses we enjoyed:<br />
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<br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Taking the Waters</b></span><br />
<br />
Butte, Montana is surrounded by numerous hot springs, ranging from undeveloped and charmingly natural (no extra charge for the inevitable dead frog) to full service resorts. <a href="http://www.chicohotsprings.com/">Chico Hot Springs</a> is in the latter category. We share a rental house there with friends for a few days each year, enjoying the sights of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paradise_Valley_%28Montana%29">Paradise Valley</a> (such as these elk on a rancher's hayfield):<br />
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<br />
Some of us cross country ski on the local trails:<br />
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<br />
We don't stick just to the groomed trails, but go "off piste" as well. <br />
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<br />
Sometimes it's much easier going up than coming back down:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN1_iroJ80MuxSDPlZ3mCZihDakCwxbw8xKJ_6DTTqiRk1pvJazApjULoRm08mUdynIKDy2UdYRV0c9ydWvZuyAK8O5BSEppuLCnCcEPjygqd623PQDSwzBa8dnnbrPEUxCKyK/s1600/KeithHairyTrail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN1_iroJ80MuxSDPlZ3mCZihDakCwxbw8xKJ_6DTTqiRk1pvJazApjULoRm08mUdynIKDy2UdYRV0c9ydWvZuyAK8O5BSEppuLCnCcEPjygqd623PQDSwzBa8dnnbrPEUxCKyK/s400/KeithHairyTrail.jpg" width="361" /></a></div>
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<br />
Who says cross country skiing is not a contact sport?<br />
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Back at the lodge, we soak away our aches and pains (and dull them with beer and wine), and take turns cooking (and enjoying) special meals capped with rich desserts like this tropical home-made cheesecake:<br />
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<br />Come check-out time, no one is anxious to leave as we grumble about planning an additional day for our get-together next year:<br />
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<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Out & About </b></span><br />
<br />
Though the skiing remains excellent, the longer, warmer days will soon bring this to an end--there's barely any snow left behind our house:<br />
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When winter does become a bit much, a short drive to the lower <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Hole_River">Big Hole River</a> or <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jefferson_River">Jefferson River </a>valley (usually snow-free) provides a welcome respite and interesting sites, such as this old miner's cabin and adit:<br />
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<br />
Note the well laid rock wall of the adit building: <br />
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<br />
Cows have been calving, which keeps ranchers busy moving their herds to calving pens or branding<br />
areas:<br />
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This herd of Rocky Mountain big horn sheep came down from the high country to the river bottom:<br />
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Well, the bald eagles are pairing up, so spring can't be far off:<br />
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Happy New Year! <br />
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<br />EcoRoverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07294159049375690786noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28284097.post-46113867326395296172013-01-20T19:30:00.000-07:002013-01-20T19:30:42.698-07:00Moulton Montana Backcountry BiathlonWinter has settled over the landscape of southwest Montana. We've had a few small snowstorms move through, but none has dropped more than a few inches of powder. A cold front last week with very high pressure brought temperatures of -20 degrees Fahrenheit at night, along with brilliant blue skies, sunshine, and highs above zero during the day. With the variable weather comes stunning skies (this looking south from Walkerville<span class="userContent">, over St Lawrence church/<a href="http://www.deq.mt.gov/abandonedmines/linkdocs/183tech.mcpx">Lexington gallows frame</a> and toward the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highland_Mountains">Highland Mountains</a>)</span>:<br />
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It's not just us humans watching the sky, it seems. As Ute Indians to the south and perhaps other tribes knew, even trees have souls and keep an eye on the world. I recall a beautiful scene in Jarmusch's film <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Man">Dead Man</a> (1995) when Johnny Depp and his trackers travel through an aspen forest. Some reviewers (it's amazing how separated from nature are many contemporary Americans) thought Jarmusch must have digitally created eyes in the trees. But no, of course aspen trees keep watch on this world we share:<br />
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I hope the aspens watch me only when I shoot well. I've laid out my biathlon course on the upper (north side) trails at The Moulton ski area. It hardly proceeds according to Olympic rules, but it's a lot of fun and a good mental and physical challenge to ski fast, halt and assume a kneeling position, shoot 5 quick rounds, and then ski to the next position:<br />
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Sometimes it all comes together and I shoot fairly well (this target is the result of two 5-shot rounds):<br />
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I won't show you the bad targets, and let's hope the aspen trees aren't talking. EcoRoverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07294159049375690786noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28284097.post-26174507034246313702013-01-06T21:06:00.000-07:002013-01-06T21:06:35.710-07:00Happy Holidays from Southwest MontanaI like the time from Thanksgiving to New Years: it's basically one long party. Not that I'm a big partier--I can't even make it to midnight on New Year's Eve. But it is fun to get together over with friends over good food and drink.<br />
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<b>Stalking the Wild Christmas Tree </b><br />
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First things first. Daughter Emily was barely off the plane when we strapped on skis:<br />
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And went off to hunt the wily Christmas tree. As a lad, I worked for Ben Anderson at his tree farm near Kane, Pennsylvania--trimming trees with machetes during the summer (along with several other teenagers--you can imagine the "sword fights" that ensued!), cutting and bundling trees for market, and assisting at the sales lot. Except for those years, though, I followed my family's tradition and always cut a wild tree. Growing up, our preferred tree was the soft-needled, brushy Eastern Hemlock. Graceful, long-needled White Pines were a good second choice. Since moving West, I've preferred Douglass Firs for their fragrance and soft needles. There are, however, some perfectly shaped, stately spruces along the ski trails. Emily found this beautiful 10-footer, a sharp-needled Engelmann Spruce:<br />
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A few minutes with a bow saw and the tree was ready for the sled:<br />
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Of course, Emily found the tree at the lowest, furthest spot along the ski trails--but like a deer or elk, the farther you drag it (and the more uphill you have to go) the more you appreciate it:<br />
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Mrs. Rover timed a Ciambellone ("Chumelo," Italian pound cake) to come out of the oven with our arrival home:<br />
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And soon the decorations were on and all was ready for St. Nick:<br />
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With cold clear nights and warm afternoons, nature made its own
decorations of rime on the barbed wire fences and trees behind our house: <br />
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As a note to the curious, rime differs from hoarfrost in that the former forms from an ice fog. The still nights make for an inversion layer over the Butte, Montana valley, while the Berkeley Pit and Yankee Doodle Tailings Pond supply plenty of moisture for the ice-fog (view of fog blanketing the Butte-Silver Bow Valley):<br />
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<b>Winter Solstice Bonfire </b><br />
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As always, the Winter Solstice marked a highlight of our festivities. Don and Andrea Stierle host a party at their cabin at The Moulton cross-country ski area just a few miles north of our home in Walkerville. In mid-afternoon everyone skis or snowshoes the mile from the parking lot to the cabin:<br />
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This leaves time for a ski around on the trails, feasting at the potluck, and visiting with friends old and new. Then come the big event--the Solstice bonfire:<br />
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Legend has it that the fire calls the sun back and stops the days from getting shorter. It's worked so far, so I think we'd better keep at this tradition:<br />
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Everyone looks forward to longer days: even the Mouse People were out and about, doing a little celebrating of their own:<br />
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<b>New Years in Portland, Oregon </b><br />
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After a wonderful Christmas with family and friends, we made a road-trip to daughter Emily's place in my second favorite city (Butte being number one, of course), Portland, Oregon. If it weren't for the rainy, cloudy weather, Portland would be at the top of my list as I edge toward retirement age. While there, we always take in a meal of oysters at <a href="http://www.danandlouis.com/">Dan & Louis</a>--in my humble opinion it's the best oyster house in America. Portland, with its 3 dozen breweries, is also Beer Capital of the World, at least when it comes to brewpubs. Sadly, we didn't work in a visit to my old favorite, <a href="http://www.d2m.com/Tugwebsite/">The Tugboat</a>. But I did add a new favorite to my list (this happens every time I'm in Portland)--<a href="http://www.breakside.com/">Breakside Brewery</a>:<br />
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Great beers (I liked the Dunkelweiss), and unlike most pub grub, the food at Breakside is outstanding. We shared a fine bowl of mussels and then I settled into the best lamb-burger ever, a " <span style="font-family: Verdana, serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">½ lb Anderson Ranch Free Range lamb patty cooked to your liking"--</span></span>like an episode from <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2LBICPEK6w">Portlandia</a> (click this link to watch a classic episode!), I wanted to ask the lamb's name, meet it, and then take it home (To eat! Yum.).<br />
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We helped daughter Emily move into a room she's renting at a house near Overlook Park in one of Portland's many lovely neighborhoods. As a great fringe benefit, NolaTheDog also lives here. After a bit of suspicion (she met me as I came up the basement steps into "her" home), we were friends. Here's Nola sharing the leftovers from my lunch of apple wedges and peanut butter:<br />
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<b>Back Home Again</b><br />
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Back home in Walkerville, I've settled into the nice rhythm of skiing a few mornings each week:<br />
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And taking account of the several moose that live near the ski trails:<br />
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Most every night, a herd of white-tailed deer have been visiting our neighborhood. For years, deer were very scarce near Butte, and if you saw any they were usually mule deer. Re-vegetation of the mine dumps and a reduction in poaching have greatly boosted the deer population. Molly-The-Dog and I took a long walk one morning, as I wanted to discover where the white-tails bedded during the day. Found 'em. There they go:<br />
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The increased deer population also means increased deer deaths. A pack of coyotes has taken up residence in the hills behind our house , and they have killed a deer or two (I was tipped off by a flock of ravens) to supplement their mouse and rabbit diet. Sadly, two free roaming dogs (I tracked them in fresh snow to and from the kill) also killed a mule deer yearling at the foot of Big Butte on my route from home to school. Once again, the ravens let me know I should check this out (as a "good" thing, I guess, the ravens and local fox scavenged every bit of meat):<br />
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Sorry to end my post with the senseless death of a deer, but sure wish dog owners would be more responsible. The friendly Fido that sleeps on the couch and plays with the children can be deadly with wildlife. <br />
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<br />EcoRoverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07294159049375690786noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28284097.post-83274217278356906322012-12-09T20:58:00.001-07:002012-12-09T20:58:58.719-07:00Winter (and Cross Country Skiing) Begins: Butte, Montana is a cross country ski paradiseMost years, we have snow on the ground by Thanksgiving--enough to ski at either of the excellent cross country skiing areas near Butte, Montana in southwest Montana. The <a href="http://skimt.com/categories/moreinfo.asp?IDRRecordID=11063&siteid=11">Deep Creek pass area</a> (aka "Mt Haggin") has wide, relatively easy trails ideal for both skating and novice skiers. Much better trails, at least for traditional or "classic" skiing, are to be found just north of Butte at <a href="http://ecorover.blogspot.com/2011/01/moulton-cross-country-ski-trails-brief.html">The Moulton</a> (named for a turn-of-the-century dairy farm).<br />
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The weather has been unseasonably warm, the "new normal" thanks to global warming/climate change. Our first good snow came late this year, but it laid down a heavy wet snow that bonded well to the warm ground (photo of my house in Walkerville):<br />
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Our friends <a href="http://www.radiolab.org/2010/jun/28/even-the-worst-laid-plans/">Don Stierle</a> and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQmbrk-uVCQ">Andrea Stierle</a> have a cabin at The Moulton, and they hosted a "let's eat the leftovers" party after Thanksgiving. It timed nicely with that first snow, and it felt good to be on skies again after my season ended early last February when I packed for China. MollyTheDog loves visiting the Stierles' cabin because she gets to play and hang out with her buddies Chookah (golden retriever) and Shiekah (older mixed breed lab):<br />
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The Moulton typically has a few moose hanging around, and I am grateful that MollyTheDog obeys very well and does not chase critters (well, except for squirrels...). I watched this yearly from just a few yards away (and the safety of my pickup):<br />
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Meanwhile BIG mama came out of the timber to make sure baby was in no danger:<br />
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This past weekend brought more snow as well as near-zero temperatures. Still, the skiing was great (it warmed enough for green kick wax in the afternoon): <br />
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PhoebeTheCat, on the other hand, has a different approach when the short days, cold temperatures, and snow comes. She virtually hibernates, spending many hours cuddled up with "Skunky" (a handpuppet from my daughter's childhood that the cat has adopted):<br />
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In terms of physical fitness, cross country skiing is an excellent sport. So long as your knees are relatively good, you can go for hours and adjust your speed to your physical condition and the level of training you want to achieve. I like it for the aerobic cardio workout, but a long leisurely ski with friends is also a great joy. Let it snow! <br />
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<br />EcoRoverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07294159049375690786noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28284097.post-28672227539782489342012-12-09T20:28:00.002-07:002012-12-09T20:28:16.313-07:00Thanksgiving Road TripArguably, Thanksgiving is <i>the</i> major holiday in America. It combines all the things Americans so dearly love: family, feasting, football, and (sadly, perhaps) shopping. It also gives us a moment to step back, contemplate our lives, and give thanks for what makes life worth living. <br />
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Daughter Emily had an apartment full of her belongings to move from the Phoenix, Arizona, area--so what better way to do it that a Thanksgiving, father-daughter bonding road trip? I flew down and met her, we packed up the little UHaul truck, and were soon on the road. Happily, she is an excellent driver so we switched off every few hours on the 1,000+ mile trek:<br />
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The route took us past the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, which made for a quick side trip:<br />
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Like many U.S. National Park Service sites, the attraction is well managed and designed to inform as well as to amaze. I especially liked the kiva-inspired "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desert_View_Watchtower">Desert View Watchtower</a>":<br />
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The interior levels are decorated with murals by Hopi artist <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Kabotie">Fred Kabotie</a>:<br />
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Sadly, we had limited time to enjoy this holy landscape. Sadly also, the views of the Grand Canyon are greatly obscured by <a href="http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2011/07/03/20110703grand-canyon-future-critical-issues-air.html">air pollution from a Navajo coal plant</a>:<br />
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Our marching orders from Mrs Rover were clear: "Be home for Thanksgiving dinner." We made it, and enjoyed "A Thanksgiving dinner that couldn't be beat" (as Arlo Guthrie sang in <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m57gzA2JCcM">Alice's Restaurant</a>) thanks to chef Jeff:<br />
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Here's the sated crew after dinner, a walk, and a rousing game of "Dictionary" (standing from left: <a href="http://cs.mtech.edu/main/index.php/component/content/article/99">Celia Schahczenski</a>, WooTheDog, <a href="http://www.ncat.org/staff.php">Jeff Schahczenski</a>, Michele Schahczenski, <a href="http://collection.peacecorps.gov/cdm/search/collection/p9009coll11/searchterm/Clara/field/all/mode/any/conn/and/cosuppress/">Clara Schahczenski</a>, Sean Wiz; seated from left: <a href="http://www.keithv.com/">Keith "Mule Deer Slayer" Vertranen</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pat_Munday">Pat Munday</a> (aka EcoRover), <a href="http://cas.vancouver.wsu.edu/science-graduate-programs/student-directory">Emily Munday</a>, MollyTheDog, and Jan Munday):<br />
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It's good to be home, and there <i>is</i> much to be thankful for.<br />
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<br />EcoRoverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07294159049375690786noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28284097.post-22154603291250157812012-12-09T17:03:00.000-07:002012-12-09T20:29:25.756-07:00Hunting Where the Deer and the Antelope Play (Southwest Montana near Butte)Unseasonably warm weather prevailed through November, so it did not seem like the general hunting season. Still, both the pronghorn antelope and mule deer hunting were good.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Pronghorn Antelope</b></span><br />
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I hunt antelope on the vast sagebrush prairie of the lower Big Hole River valley in southwest Montana. Here's a view from a cliff where the river has carved its way into the rock:<br />
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In a rancher's hayfield along the river, several moose (including two bulls) posed:<br />
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While nearby another small bull crossed the river: <br />
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Though the afternoons were warm, night brought freezing temperatures. Some rancher left the sprinklers on, creating an artificial snow field:<br />
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The upland terrain is dotted with interesting features both geological (I think this is a lava outcrop):<br />
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And historical (a cairn, probably built by sheepherders a century ago):<br />
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Some days, it seems impossible to stalk within shooting range of pronghorn antelope. They spot you a mile away and run to a high point two miles away... No matter, for it's a beautiful place at dawn:<br />
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And in the afternoon, which often brings interesting cloud formations imposed on an impossibly blue sky:<br />
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It's a always a pleasure when my old friend Dave Carter can join me for a day afield. He no longer hunts, but enjoys a good hike. Here he is, posing with an ancient, stunted juniper:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7sVczt465A79jFFpmcb5BIMf732PafO8lW5s1_iq7bZRU_8cyprZOIBSsGahw1wdZ5ZClBwP5kZMxmZSGH8vYiYvhZEbPGFlNXt0sLk4Fd82rh_4scBYTGQwIubMTCkSgVfd0/s1600/DaveCarterStuntedJuniper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="337" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7sVczt465A79jFFpmcb5BIMf732PafO8lW5s1_iq7bZRU_8cyprZOIBSsGahw1wdZ5ZClBwP5kZMxmZSGH8vYiYvhZEbPGFlNXt0sLk4Fd82rh_4scBYTGQwIubMTCkSgVfd0/s400/DaveCarterStuntedJuniper.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Perhaps because of our healthy wolf packs or because elk are still repopulating niches emptied out during an era when they were nearly exterminated, more and more elk seem to be living on the high prairie. For the third year in a row, I found a herd of elk with a big bull while I was antelope hunting. This photo is a little fuzzy (taken through my binoculars), but you can see the elk bull at center left:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7vOuFEiBnNtBTCShmsR_ce4AF0unGttUygBCvESH_PNSQ206pGThnxYDOvF6fyQW88ZEmzGOqGYFgDw-OUwRtzzSN0JgPUwhZw6Xk5CUw5qInAVcmKyWbeRagtltVBw2QAakB/s1600/ElkAntelopeHills.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="355" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7vOuFEiBnNtBTCShmsR_ce4AF0unGttUygBCvESH_PNSQ206pGThnxYDOvF6fyQW88ZEmzGOqGYFgDw-OUwRtzzSN0JgPUwhZw6Xk5CUw5qInAVcmKyWbeRagtltVBw2QAakB/s400/ElkAntelopeHills.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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With this warm weather, I tread carefully for the prairie rattlesnakes are out and about. On this day, however, I found only a rattler's skeleton (minus the head and rattles--perhaps taken by some depraved soul who killed the snake):<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAbQKrXS7OWn5PgaZviOEoXlX96Ft4FjGIq0iGVQpaZ61eOaNJ0Dys4j7rZexOz29hQIDipblmmENkXHhmCJY97_Vt_NgWxRduUTGrLByzPZM6oma51DKgiqi_WVXvy32YiLBH/s1600/RattlesnakeSkeleton.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAbQKrXS7OWn5PgaZviOEoXlX96Ft4FjGIq0iGVQpaZ61eOaNJ0Dys4j7rZexOz29hQIDipblmmENkXHhmCJY97_Vt_NgWxRduUTGrLByzPZM6oma51DKgiqi_WVXvy32YiLBH/s400/RattlesnakeSkeleton.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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This pronghorn antelope skull shows the huge eye sockets that support the animal's incredible vision:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY5zCdJ9kzEkmRge6TD1bIq4f0UoKfTnKgmwm0T-BB0pb3iaxGJYPb7FInQNR_Y0l8fLVMdUJHZ1iC3czvh4Wu_TtLBm-mY9EilADAIpDC_0pTOZDGA8eFjKsudQnBkmkkeW8t/s1600/PronghornAntelopeSkull.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY5zCdJ9kzEkmRge6TD1bIq4f0UoKfTnKgmwm0T-BB0pb3iaxGJYPb7FInQNR_Y0l8fLVMdUJHZ1iC3czvh4Wu_TtLBm-mY9EilADAIpDC_0pTOZDGA8eFjKsudQnBkmkkeW8t/s400/PronghornAntelopeSkull.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Hunting another day, I walked up over a ridge-line with the afternoon sun low behind my back. A herd of a dozen or so antelope fed and bedded on a hillside near the top of a coulee a half-mile distant. With the low sun, they did not see me so I backtracked, fell behind the ridge, circled round, and then crept on hands and knees (I wear hard shell knee-pads in this prickly pear cactus country) to get within easy shooting range. A set of shooting sticks is essential, since any sort of natural rifle rest is usually lacking. That night I savored the liver, and repeated my pledge to honor the pronghorn antelope's spirit and use this doe's flesh well:<br />
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<br />
It was a long mile back to the truck, and I wished Dave had joined me this day to help with the carry. It is said that the further you must pack a big game animal, the better it tastes. It is certainly true that you appreciate it more.<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Mule Deer</b></span><br />
<br />
Mule deer are found in the same open country as pronghorn antelope, but tend to concentrate in and prefer areas that are steeper and more rugged with hiding cover such as Douglas fir. Mountain mahogany -- a favorite deer food -- also grows here. For the first hunt of the season, I joined two colleagues, one of whom, though a veteran white-tailed deer hunter from Minnesota, had never hunted mule deer. I think Keith likes it:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXCUJJbt8MktDE7-xOdMuPp5NtauFAHxJuNqq6txyQJOru8Q7d6SCZDxvodcLXjjgkXJeydvI5U8-A2ByPE8Wn8Bhe4iRUk4SuaXBHnmMbox2BpPiMYF5fwsTDtmoxqGg7jNIy/s1600/KeithWithMuleDeerBuck.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXCUJJbt8MktDE7-xOdMuPp5NtauFAHxJuNqq6txyQJOru8Q7d6SCZDxvodcLXjjgkXJeydvI5U8-A2ByPE8Wn8Bhe4iRUk4SuaXBHnmMbox2BpPiMYF5fwsTDtmoxqGg7jNIy/s400/KeithWithMuleDeerBuck.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I took a break one weekend to hunt elk with a former colleague now at another university. His wife is also an avid hunter. The three of us did not find any elk, but had a great hunt in the hills above the prairie spring where we saw a number of mule deer. Earlier that morning, Matt and Jenn had already killed two deer, including this mule deer buck:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiII-YJSviWv6UWD9cwzZ2J6GPyXVXY4LmK1RR0gVjIXVK1pag7tTBj8FEQclQAzZ102LAHwz_i9hdHjgu6lCmiM2v5cVRPgJABtApmwP_gj6Z8O9WzZmtJvtWpu0c_OJB6052j/s1600/JenniferMattMuleDeer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiII-YJSviWv6UWD9cwzZ2J6GPyXVXY4LmK1RR0gVjIXVK1pag7tTBj8FEQclQAzZ102LAHwz_i9hdHjgu6lCmiM2v5cVRPgJABtApmwP_gj6Z8O9WzZmtJvtWpu0c_OJB6052j/s400/JenniferMattMuleDeer.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Though I enjoy the fellowship of hunting with friends, I am more attuned to nature while hunting alone. I like taking time to appreciate things, ranging from the musical flocks of geese passing overhead (I believe these were snow geese):<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1cMidqXW0XbbctGMYNmXaUZe8ADF96mcam_V0cXZ9-QZ3fRFEEGjhxm78aQdK9awma5YGlmi7FS7rbtQy0feDN8xUULp9tO8eyFi0-LdqZ0ZN4jTGcH_BDzuKzVVJ0UeXovK2/s1600/SnowGeeseFlock.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1cMidqXW0XbbctGMYNmXaUZe8ADF96mcam_V0cXZ9-QZ3fRFEEGjhxm78aQdK9awma5YGlmi7FS7rbtQy0feDN8xUULp9tO8eyFi0-LdqZ0ZN4jTGcH_BDzuKzVVJ0UeXovK2/s400/SnowGeeseFlock.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinSGCTIQNIFLmolRr9zb_UkN1zIc-iPKdiAUzuipW4YEWEO_cX6MWCfIFtWJ6Ct4Z_X24XA6_4M290zgX2g_klZOUnyP1Bmou9ihm4OoSdBAAS_QdDL3fal8m9lnfV4YySy0La/s1600/SnowGeeseCloseup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinSGCTIQNIFLmolRr9zb_UkN1zIc-iPKdiAUzuipW4YEWEO_cX6MWCfIFtWJ6Ct4Z_X24XA6_4M290zgX2g_klZOUnyP1Bmou9ihm4OoSdBAAS_QdDL3fal8m9lnfV4YySy0La/s400/SnowGeeseCloseup.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br />
Even the common sight of prickly pear cactus has a beauty all its own:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh5rOb1BC39OMJj2AA88L4Op62VlsuUw3PTGQs9a4zyZy5vDQ5MDhxLaWLurdy8MoNeME2eusqBjrZaDbGn8rolVJBrgOcexGMQd8DNo1CWBlk85UPMr-Dw3L2wYgK1uhyxsVf/s1600/PricklyPearCactus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh5rOb1BC39OMJj2AA88L4Op62VlsuUw3PTGQs9a4zyZy5vDQ5MDhxLaWLurdy8MoNeME2eusqBjrZaDbGn8rolVJBrgOcexGMQd8DNo1CWBlk85UPMr-Dw3L2wYgK1uhyxsVf/s400/PricklyPearCactus.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
I'm careful where I step for other reasons, too. As I suspected while antelope hunting, the warm weather had brought the prairie rattlesnakes back out. I was sitting down glassing a hillside when this little one (pencil diameter) came slowly from a burrow (at right, near the end of the stick):<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg19Mj6Eoh2nMnOiPgLu_5TBEuIZx9HBcazMVsbQHHPvHcEJFQsjM_p6kBReCSzJ6yUkvkq7Dv4jkI7zRIQy5XlnsnMK1HgIrphoNB6B2gozHa-wMLp_DI048GfZfc2tJTmVGml/s1600/CrotalusViridis.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg19Mj6Eoh2nMnOiPgLu_5TBEuIZx9HBcazMVsbQHHPvHcEJFQsjM_p6kBReCSzJ6yUkvkq7Dv4jkI7zRIQy5XlnsnMK1HgIrphoNB6B2gozHa-wMLp_DI048GfZfc2tJTmVGml/s400/CrotalusViridis.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I have great respect for them, and deeply appreciate their beauty:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioURH1yuiW74dYgjDzEvhvIrL3MrwD3eF1D3ebnTJWTzbMl-94RcpynJdytKOdDw-bnBTwTBqO10qlRr6B7bsQD665fFcF7ad61Y26wkLSCSCkWY2bjP9Bz4L44boqoLSDPb-v/s1600/CrotalusViridisCloseup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioURH1yuiW74dYgjDzEvhvIrL3MrwD3eF1D3ebnTJWTzbMl-94RcpynJdytKOdDw-bnBTwTBqO10qlRr6B7bsQD665fFcF7ad61Y26wkLSCSCkWY2bjP9Bz4L44boqoLSDPb-v/s400/CrotalusViridisCloseup.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Moving along this ridge requires scrambling over the rocky outcrops, and -- fearing I might be in a den site -- was very careful where I put my hands. It's good to move slowly anyway, for every draw can hide deer. Peering from one steep ridge side into a a draw thick with mountain mahogany, I spotted four mule deer bucks together. I stalked as closely as a I could, and chose the buck with the smallest antlers. As a subsistence hunter, I find the larger antlered, more dominant bucks are often "ruttier" and not so good eating:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfNoUO1ubI2I52NWpxBwOX1l_1kE2Q_v-RzJsCPx0zCcsH2ojo4Miec538mf1AOqo6Fi3NX6RHeNtAO6cJuSQ8RWyHsgaAoAT5k7jbvaumffVh3QLDa3Tvy4x3t5danNx3_Sak/s1600/MundayMuleDeerBuck.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfNoUO1ubI2I52NWpxBwOX1l_1kE2Q_v-RzJsCPx0zCcsH2ojo4Miec538mf1AOqo6Fi3NX6RHeNtAO6cJuSQ8RWyHsgaAoAT5k7jbvaumffVh3QLDa3Tvy4x3t5danNx3_Sak/s400/MundayMuleDeerBuck.jpg" width="378" /></a></div>
<br />
Again grateful for the bounty of this good earth, I struggle to get the buck a few hundred yards to the ridge-top, after which I had an easy half-mile drag to the truck.<br />
<br />
Arriving back in town I was greeted by the sight of one of our frequent rainbows during the warm, rainy November:<br />
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<br />
Near the end of November, the weather changed. Little Brother "A.J." came home from the University of Montana for a long weekend and I joined him for a hunt on a blustery, snowy morning with temperatures in the low teens. The wind created some drifts near the ridge-top, and it took some effort to plow our way to the top:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM8RpdGhA7hGIVcLJnx225LHqDsOuPzKLGuPpvhZfhVx6Rd-wbcp33KJ0pQQUkRFBnbx2nOGFOZOglgODTwvk0iFbct4hn_nz3uOBX47HvvqfzZ2wJTXJRSpJIux4Z4_EXJo9g/s1600/AJClimbing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM8RpdGhA7hGIVcLJnx225LHqDsOuPzKLGuPpvhZfhVx6Rd-wbcp33KJ0pQQUkRFBnbx2nOGFOZOglgODTwvk0iFbct4hn_nz3uOBX47HvvqfzZ2wJTXJRSpJIux4Z4_EXJo9g/s400/AJClimbing.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I am very proud of A.J. He has become a slow, patient, and ethical hunter. From a vantage point overlooking a steep coulee, we watched several herds of mule deer does feed and mill about (deer at upper right):<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU1CJHqKRjtbiDcn5Pqa9A1cdKOAR9dxMhxGt27l8GM3pu6df0t1oxaiDmZQfazV8rxI8kircbcitbQSuq0LHl4ybluByxU3MiJn8ObNM2px9VnZsh9iJZj7m090u4jTY8YuuL/s1600/AJWatchingDeer2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="375" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU1CJHqKRjtbiDcn5Pqa9A1cdKOAR9dxMhxGt27l8GM3pu6df0t1oxaiDmZQfazV8rxI8kircbcitbQSuq0LHl4ybluByxU3MiJn8ObNM2px9VnZsh9iJZj7m090u4jTY8YuuL/s400/AJWatchingDeer2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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His patience (and endurance) paid off as, in carefully glassing the thick mountain mahogany, he spotted this fat buck and made a clean kill:<br />
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As A.J. field dressed the deer, I watched several more dozen deer pass by, including several small bucks. A golden eagle heard the shot and glided past, checking out the kill. They are often the first scavenger on a gut pile, and even the ravens respect their presence and do not press their luck:<br />
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We use copper bullets for this reason, because raptors are very sensitive to and many die from the lead fragments left by conventional bullets. This lead is also unhealthy for hunters who eat a lot of wild game. An added bonus, the Barnes copper bullets perform perfectly every time, mushrooming to about double their original diameter (this one came from the mule deer I killed this year):<br />
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<br />
As A.J. began the drag back to the truck, a flock of migrating tundra swans passed over (with a few unidentified, darker species mixed in). What an outstanding sight: <br />
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Although it was a bit of a struggle getting A.J.'s buck to the top of the ridge, from there is was a long, easy downhill drag to the truck. Many Montana hunters "road hunt" for mule deer--that is, they drive around on the Bureau of Land Management and Forest Service roads until they see deer and then shoot them from the road--often without even getting out of their truck. This is really just shooting, and not hunting. Also, these so-called hunters miss out on experiencing and knowing the amazing habitat that mule deer call home:<br />
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Along with the incredible views found in such places:<br />
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While I'm ready for the skiing to begin, it has been a pleasant autumn and the freezer is full. <br />
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<br />EcoRoverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07294159049375690786noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28284097.post-4491867839167205042012-10-14T22:23:00.002-06:002012-10-14T22:23:27.292-06:00Blades: Practical Tools for Outdoors PeopleI lost a dear friend a few years ago: it was a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W._R._Case_%26_Sons_Cutlery_Co.">Case XX</a> "Stockman" pocketknife that my grandfather carried in the years before he died in 1979. There was nothing remarkable about the knife: dark bone handle and blades of carbon steel (a patent Case variation called "chrome vanadium steel") stained dark by deer blood and other strong oxidizers such as apple and peach juice. It was hard but tough steel, easily kept razor sharp with a small pocket whetstone:<br />
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Having carried this knife for 30 years, I used the sheepfoot blade to scrape carbon from the spark plugs of my old Land Rover (1972 Series III). I think I left it on the radiator before setting the points, shutting the bonnet and driving off. I never saw the knife again.<br />
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I grew up in Bradford, Pennsylvania, where Case knives were made. Everyone, it seems, had a relative who worked at <a href="http://www.wrcase.com/index_en.php">Case Cutlery</a>. And in those days, every boy above the age of 10 and every man carried a pocket knife. Carry a Schrade, Buck or Gerber? Heresy! So, after I lost my old knife, dear Mrs Rover didn't have to think too hard when it came to my Christmas gift. Though my new friend is made of stainless steel, it has most of the qualities I like about Case XX knives (2.5" main blade):<br />
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For day-to-day chores such as cleaning fish, field-dressing deer, or cutting apples, a pocketknife is all you need. On the few occasions when I have killed an elk while hunting mule deer, my pocketknife <i>could </i>do that job as well. Shortly after moving to Butte, Montana, I realized a larger knife would be a good thing for field dressing elk. A local knife maker, Harold Podgorski, used L6 (a very tough low alloy carbon steel) from old circular sawmill blades to make his knives. I like the sense of craft and common sense he brought to knife making (no pretentious B.S. about exotic stainless steel alloys, high-tech "Damascus" steel etc). After field dressing, quartering, and skinning about two dozen elk, I'd say Harold's knife has given a pretty good account of itself (4.75" blade):<br />
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You can quarter an elk or make do around camp with just a knife, but a hatchet is a good tool for snicker-snacking (as does the vorpal blade in the Lewis Carroll poem <i>Jabberwocky</i>) the ribs away from the spine and for other heavy butchering work, as well as for cutting branches or small firewood. I bought a <a href="http://www.yesteryearstools.com/Yesteryears%20Tools/Norlund%20Co..html">Norlund</a> hand ax when I was in college, about the same time I bought my first aluminum-frame backpack. Ten years later I replaced the original handle (after it broke) with a shorter, sturdier one made of white oak and shaped to fit my hand (3.25" blade):<br />
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Two other knives in my more-or-less random collection deserve special mention. One is a <a href="http://www.mman.us/jrussellco.htm">Russell "Green River"</a> blade--my favorite skinning and thin-bladed, light-duty kitchen knife. Again, the blade material is nothing special--just good old carbon steel. The handle, though, is very special--a fine piece of local Mountain Mahogany (a dense, hard wood) fitted to the blade by my friend Dave Carter (4.75" blade):<br />
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The other special knife is my most recent acquisition. My graduate student and friend Oliver gave it to me while I was in China (3.25" blade):<br />
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Oliver is a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uyghur_people">Uyghur</a>, a Caucasian Muslim minority in China, with the population centered around Kashgar in the <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xinjiang_Uyghur_Autonomous_Region" title="Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region">Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region</a>. Thousands of years ago, the Uyghur people spread along what became known as the Silk Road. They were famed for making (and carrying, and using) weapons -- including knives -- and closely allied with the Khan Dynasty in the early middle ages. To carry a Uyghur knife is to be part of this tradition, and I honor this culture and hope the Uyghur people are granted greater freedom from the Chinese, Russia, and other countries that have subjugated them. Here's Oliver, "driving" a Willy's Army Jeep at the Stilwell Museum in Chongqing:<br />
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In a world where we often become obsessed with "high tech" -- whether cellphones, sneakers, or boutique cutlery -- it's nice to know that traditional craftsmanship and materials will still do the job. Better yet, in using such tools we connect with culture in ways that give meaning to our lives. <br />
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<br />EcoRoverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07294159049375690786noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28284097.post-5186869823329366392012-10-02T17:59:00.004-06:002012-10-02T17:59:51.558-06:00Elk's in the Freezer, Let's go Hiking (and Partying!)------ warning: dead animal photos ahead --------- <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Hunting Elk with a Longbow </b></span><br />
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Whatever I do, I pursue it with "Knowledge and Thoroughness," as the motto of my Alma Mater Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (MS 1981) puts it. This makes elk hunting a bit like moonlighting at a second job. Parties, hiking, and some other social activities get put on hold. <br />
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In addition to what I have posted earlier, there have been some great moments at my elk hunting blind. This young coyote came in one afternoon and seemed more interested in exploring than in hunting Brer' Rabbit:<br />
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Like the many elk that avoided the spring when I was nearby, this mule deer doe clearly knew something was not right:<br />
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A trail camera consistently showed elk coming to the spring. Look carefully at this young 4X4 bull, as you will see him again:<br />
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The elk just did not come when I sat near the spring. I had two well-hidden spots, but finally abandoned them and went back to the old Indian hunting pit that friend Dave Carter has found. It did not seem like a good spot: too far from the spring and crowded into the base of a sagebrush hillside leaving little visibility. But it was the right place:<br />
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This young bull came by chasing a young cow, and he and the cow practically leaped over me. Several other cows watched the show, though they were just out of longbow range (c. 30 yards). But I made a soft cow call, he walked past at less than 20 yards, and then walked slowly away until falling over dead after 200 yards. At such times, it is good to have a friend like Dave--big, strong, and willing to help me load an elk at short notice:<br />
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I am thankful for this gift, honor the elk's spirit, and will use his flesh well. I also cherish a tradition of hunting that goes back to the Native Americans who dug and hunted from "my" pit. This photo shows my arrowhead, the bull elk's ivories, and a jasper tool flake I found in the pit:<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Let the Fall Full Moon Festivals Begin</b></span><br />
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This past weekend was marked by the full moon, which heralded two major holidays that are dear to me:<br />
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My little city of Butte, Montana, has put on a good and growing Oktoberfest the past few years. The warm weather brought out a good crowd this year:<br />
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Several bands took the stage, playing everything from contemporary folk and country to traditional oom-pah-pah. Got tuba?<br />
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Beer races drew out competitive natures:<br />
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And others took the opportunity to dress up:<br />
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A brief shower found my friend (and gifted writer and geologist) Richard Gibson celebrating the first rain we have seen in many weeks:<br />
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After the Oktoberfest, we joined our Chinese-American friends at a dinner celebrating the mid-autumn or full moon festival. There is nothing like a 12-course Chinese banquet to cap off the day. The dinner ends with the lucky egg yolk food of the day, moon cake (this photo is from http://scienceray.com/astronomy/chinese-moon-cake-festival-or-mid-autumn-festival-is-near/ ):<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Golden Time</b></span><br />
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The following day, to work off all those brats and moon cake, we hiked into some high mountain lakes to see the Alpine larches. Unlike other conifers and like hardwoods, the needles turn yellow and fall off in the autumn. "Golden Time" peaked a week or two ago, but the trees still had good color:<br />
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I carried my pocket-sized grouse gun, and this grouse made a tasty dinner:<br />
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The lakes are very scenic, and we all wished we had come to camp instead of for a day trip:<br />
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Our weather is predicted to turn colder with rain and snow later this week. It's been a gorgeous summer, even though I got off to a late start. Happy autumn, everyone!<br />
<br />EcoRoverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07294159049375690786noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28284097.post-32601372825644753342012-09-24T20:51:00.003-06:002012-09-24T20:51:45.926-06:00"Coming Home to China:" slideshow, lectureHope some of you local readers can attend. This is the first in a three part series. - Pat aka EcoRover<br />
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<br />EcoRoverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07294159049375690786noreply@blogger.com2