Flathead Lake from Elk Springs. (Keith Hammer photos)
Nine Swan Rangers hiked up to Elk Springs on Broken Leg Mountain Saturday, December 1.
It was a slightly drizzly day, but the grizzly bear tracks found at Elk Springs were awesome!
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Western hemlock seedlings sprout from a nurse stump. (Keith Hammer photos)
Seven Swan Rangers hiked the hemlock forests of Krause Basin Saturday, November 24.
It was sloppy, slushy and wonderful - including the several bushwhacks involved!
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Strawberry Lake. (Keith Hamer photos)
Twelve Swan Rangers hiked and cleared all but one too-large-for-handsaw deadfall from the Strawberry Lake Trail on Saturday, November 17.
It was a balmy day and days-old grizzly bear tracks were seen. It's a couple weeks late for swimming!
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Ice forms along Birch Creek. (Keith Hammer photos)
Twelve Swan Rangers hiked and cleared most deadfall from the Echo-Broken Leg Trail on Saturday, November 10.
They went as far as Wolf Creek on a chilly day and enjoyed ice formations along Birch and Deer creeks as well!
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A bit of snow and a bit chilly near the top of the Switchback Trail. (Keith Hammer photos)
Eight Swan Rangers hiked the Switchback Trail on Saturday, November 3, with two lagging behind to clear deadfall from the trail.
Nice views of golden larch across both hillside and valley bottom were surpassed only by sights and photos of fungi, moss, and burned snags!
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The Swan Crest from atop Doris Mountain. (Bob Muth photo and poem).
On October 11, some of the Over the HIll Gang hiked up Doris Mountain in the Northern Swans. Several golden eagles soared on high thermals as they ate lunch on the summit, inspiring this poem by Bob Muth:
WATCHING MIGRATING GOLDEN EAGLES FROM THE SUMMIT OF DORIS MOUNTAIN
(AN EAGLE PRAYER)
A bird flies in the sky, and no matter how far it flies
there is no end to the air.
--Zen Master Dogen, Moon in a Teardrop
Sheer stealth.
Sublime strength.
Rapture of sky
And summit.
Sacred sojourner
Of sun-tossed trails.
Mountain master
Of terrible talons
And towering thermals.
Oh, Horus,
Oh, Ba,
Oh, Thunderbird...
Thou feathered frontier
Of our vast fall
And forgetfulness,
Bless the Breath
Of our separate
And same
Belonging.
--Bob Muth October 14, 2012
*In ancient Egypt, Horus the falcon was god of the sky, goddesses were represented by a bird known as Ba that frequented tombs. On this continent, some native people believed Thunderbird created the world.
A salamander out for a snowy stroll! (Keith Hammer photos)
Eleven Swan Rangers hiked the old road from Bear Creek to Wolf Creek on Saturday, October 27, 2012.
They didn't see a bear or a wolf, but they did see a salamander braving the fresh snow!
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A stroll among beautiful autumn colors on Peters Ridge Road. (Bob Muth and Roger Benson photos)
Five Swan Rangers hiked the Peters Ridge Road in beautiful fall colors on Saturday, October 20.
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Keith Hammer photos.
Eight Swan Rangers hiked a rainy day loop in the hemlock forests of Krause Basin on Saturday, October 13, 2012.
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Great views begin along the old road to Malfunction Junction! (Keith Hammer photos)
Ten Swan Rangers hiked Mount Aeneas in a bit of snow on Saturday, October 6.
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