(3 votes, average: 4.33 out of 5)

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This guy was waiting for me to pass so he could finish eating the smashed frog innards on the road. Ah…nature.

(2 votes, average: 4 out of 5)

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High in the Northern Rockies, the wolverine still haunts the wild ground. In this case, it’s the isolated Crazy Mountains island range in Montana. It’s always an amazing experience for this flatlander to drive for hundreds of miles through corn fields to encounter landscape like this, with peaks rising 7,000 feet over the plains. Even more ethereal is the nature of the island range, unto itself with old growth forest, crashing waterfalls and scenic lakes - all surrounded by a sea of prarie. The range is home to black bears, mountain goats, elk, golden eagles and various other wildlife, all in this self contained unit of splendor. Truly a jarring and majestic change from the flat, road-riddled midwest. Click on the image for the full view.

There are two fairly specific places in this world where I get the utmost sense of “home”. This is one of them. The mountains here have a unique look, and are incredibly abrupt. The forest is the wildest left in the lower 48, home to all predators prior to European settlement. The small valley in this location has frequent sightings of lynx, wolverine, cougar, grizzly, bighorn, elk, moose, mountain goat, moose, fisher, pine marten and black bear. Bald eagles, golden eagles and osprey soar along the mountain cliffs. Waterfalls are everywhere, as well as deep blue lakes of size. Truly magical country.

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Click on the image for the larger, high quality view. All images from this site can be purchased as prints or downloads. Click here for more information.

Everyone has their favorite camgrounds. This is one of mine. It’s free, it’s rustic, and it’s right on an amazing river. There are only a few sites and no trailers are allowed which helps keeps things quiet. There are moose, elk, wolves, bears (both kinds), fisher, marten, goshawk, cougar, wolverine, mountain goats, mule deer(along with antelope and white tail further down the valley) and various other animals like bighorn high up on the cliffs. It’s also raptor heaven - with golden eagles, bald eagles, osprey and hawks plentiful. The camp also borders a one million acre wilderness area. There’s a small meadow witha mixture of aspen and pine, as well as wildflowers. There are also mountains surrounding the site and thick pine forest. Every single aspect of this area - right down to the forest floor is scenic. Coming from suburbia to this camp for the first night is an incredible revelation. The quiet is stunning, the air incredibly clean,and the ambience very wild yet also soothing. Water is obtained by a hand pump or by boiling what you get from the river. While some look down on car campgrounds, I see them as our most important campgrounds. People can get to them easy, they are “the beginning” of the wild country, and they provide alot of fun for families and those weary after driving long distances(arriving at night,tired or disabled etc). Keeping these open and affordable to all Americans is a step in maintaining interest in our public lands and the endangered species that live in the habitat. Passion and love for the outdoors is not measured by how expensive your tent is, or how much gear you own from a high end company, or wether you only camp at long hike-in campsites. It’s measured by heart, and by those who share these specials places with people they care about.

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