The natural world, life, and dogs.
This morning was a glorious one for running mountain trails with my dogs. Crisp frosty air, blue skies, the early sun rising above the trees and ridges to the east casting a warm glow through the tall pine tree branches. Huckleberry shrubs are bright red under the trees and the aspens are turning a vibrant… Continue reading What Mess?
Some runs, that’s exactly how I feel: like a kid in a candy store. Happy. Awestruck. Stunned by what I see all around me. Following fluff butts Conall and Finn up through early-season snow to a scree field where the morning sun's rays have yet to reach. This morning was one such run. Fresh snow… Continue reading Like a Kid in a Candy Store
Other than a smattering of aspen trees, the autumn colors brightening the landscape in the nearby forest arrive courtesy of the shrubs that make up the understory. During a recent morning run I found myself stopping repeatedly, stunned by the beauty of the foliage, digging my camera (a Google Pixel 3a phone) out of a… Continue reading Nature on the Run
When the world is a bit too newsy, and my days too peopley, I head to the mountains and practice some Stoicism, reminding myself: I can’t control external events, only my response to them. Following the dogs, weaving through rock cliffs and trees. My best response? Go outside and absorb the peace and calm of… Continue reading Too Peopley Out There
One of the delights of autumn, in addition to the leaves on the deciduous trees and shrubs turning color, is the abundance of bright berries. Like their earlier counterparts, mountain wildflowers, berries on mountain trees and shrubs come in bright colors, tickling not only our eyes but the mouths of the birds, deer, elk and bear who rely upon them as winter approaches.
As in...I finished that 30K trail race last weekend. Finishing was my only goal. After all, it's been three years since I ran this distance or longer, and I was thinner then. And faster. My longest training run this summer was twelve miles. Finishing was hardly assured, but given the remoteness of the course, bailing… Continue reading Success!
Late-season wildflowers in the forest of Idaho's mountains.
I have a dog who delights in bouldering. Oxford Dictionary: bouldering (noun) - climbing on large boulders, either for practice or as a sport in its own right. I noticed Conall’s affinity for climbing downed trees and boulders soon after bringing him home as a puppy. I chose Conall and his breeder when she shared… Continue reading Boldly Bouldering
Prepare to follow me down a naturalist’s rabbit hole. Not long after moving to Idaho’s mountains in 2005, I became acquainted with an odd burr that kept attaching to my shoes and socks and to the coats of my two Malamutes when we explored the forest. Local friends told me they were called beggar’s lice.… Continue reading Beggar’s Lice
The plan, starting out, was to run what I call the grand loop, going up one side of the mountain to the summit, dropping off the back side to cruise a sweet three mile stretch of brand-new trail to the other side, then meandering one of two ways back down to the start. Eleven-ish miles… Continue reading Life Skills: Dealing with the Unexpected
Wild Sensibility 