End of May Hike

This was a great hike behind the lake to close out the month and rid myself of a nasty hangover.


pic 1: Hayden Lake
pic 2: Red sniffing the last of the year's morels
pic 3: Black Bear claw marks on a Ponderosa

Whale Wars

I'm a fan.

White Bird Pass

may 18th hike

Ponderosa State Park, McCall Idaho. These were some biggins.

The importance of lawn chairs on road trips

May 15th hike: i love the smell of clearcuts in the morning

4th of July Pass. Cooper hadn’t been feeling well all week and I felt that a nice romp though the woods would do him some good. Fortunately, from the moment we got out of the car he was his old self: biting, chasing, sniffing, pissing, and romping with what looked like a smile on his face.
This was a strange hike for an old tree hugger like me in that we were hiking down a clear cut. I was on an antler shed and mushroom hunting mission, and as far as clear cuts go, this one was actually quite nice. It had been years since the area had been logged and the shrubs and small trees had begun the re-growth process in a substantial and seemingly healthy way. There was elk scat everywhere but no sheds.
It really is weird for me to write this, but once I got to the bottom of the cut, I walked into one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. It went from small shrubs, shit, and young trees to a cathedral of old-growth cedars and ferns. I walked into it in complete awe.
On the way back up I found six morels.

the national forest wtf-athon continues

I guess this looked like as good a place as any for this person to dump his old water heater. Try as I might, I cannot comprehend this level of disrespect.

beer in a can

The makers of all canned domestic beers, especially light beers, need to put a disclaimer or psa on their cans that states something like, "If you enjoy this product while driving forest roads please throw the container in the back of your pickup" or perhaps, "Attention Teenagers: We here at (insert brewery name) understand that the national forests of America are the best place on Earth to get away with underage consumption of this product, however, if you’re going to drink it, please recycle. It’s not like the cops won’t smell it on your breath anyway" or simply, "Quit littering asshole".

May 11th hike: science!

On this hike I decided to try a scientific experiment. I went to school once. I got a degree in biology. And even though I barely graduated in the bottom of my class at age 29, I still remember at least 60 percent of the 70 percent I hovered around while getting that degree. This was a simple experiment, a small but significant contribution to the fungal world, a world that has continued to thrill and entertain me so much these past few years. When considering this experiment It is important to note that over the past week I have found a relatively small number of morels, <20. In finding each of these morels, the average energy expenditure was exponentially greater than the number of calories obtained. This net loss of caloric intake was offset and replenished greatly by the gluttonous joy experienced through consumption. They taste so good that it actually hurts. Anyway, because I have been hiking my ass off to find such a small number of morels, and haven’t found any on the past two hikes (which leads to withdrawal and anxiety) I came up with this simple hypothesis: If I stop actively looking for the morels and simply enjoy the hike, occasionally glancing at the forest floor, I will find more morels than when I crawl, scrape, and bleed to find them.

With the hypothesis solidly in place, the stage was now set for this important act of science. The dogs and I hiked about half way up the Canfield ridge behind Hayden Lake. It was a beautiful evening hike. The twilight sun randomly slipped through the intermittent rain clouds creating dramatic shadows on the forest floor. Once we crested the first ridge I called to the dogs and we hopped off the trail and onto a rough game trail. We kept walking further up the ridge. I was in the moment, taking in the views, sniffing the spring air, watching the dogs chase and bite one another and generally enjoying being alive in Northern Idaho. It was a fine walk in the woods to be sure. Occasionally, when I noticed the conditions to be consistent with where I had found morels the week previously, I would glance at the forest floor, per my hypothesis. After about 15 minutes we began to descend down the hill, continuing to follow various game trails until finally we hit the bottom of the canyon. Being careful not to compromise the integrity of this important act of science, I maintained a rigid dedication to the hypothesis. Not once did I get on my knees and crawl through the thickets looking for mushrooms, nor did I, at any point, strain my eyes in a migraine-inducing attempt to search every square inch of earth around me. I simply walked and glanced, walked and glanced.

So, did I find any mushrooms? You bet I did, they were everywhere we hiked. And I found them without the anxiety of searching on my hands and knees, stressing over the limited success rate and seemingly nonsensical growth patterns. I found mushrooms under trees, growing under fallen logs, next the creek, peeking up across the slopes, everywhere. Did I find any morel mushrooms? Not a one.

May 11th Hike pt. 2

Over the course of the past three hikes, Red, my dog, has taken on an unpleasant odor while driving back from each hike. I couldn’t tell if he had rolled in something dead, or had eaten it, but whatever it was it smelled like hell and made the drive home very uncool. Tonight it was thus revealed to me as to what was making that smell. It seems as though our friend Red is quite fond of eating fresh deer shit. I stumbled upon him eating it three times tonight. Here’s a picture of Red with a content glow after having just reveled in his evening snack.

May 9th hike

This was an awesome hike. I hiked to the top of the ridge above Hayden lake and then bushwhacked down. No trail. Huge trees throughout.

Red & Coop

Coop and I have been hiking together for almost three years now (He's the darker one). We got Red a little over two months ago. He's coming along, although still likes to wander when nobody's looking. They never stop playing. Its kind of freaky.
(bullet riddled road closure...par for the course 'round here)

May 8th Hike.......Morels in the morning.

I got up early Friday morning and drove into the forest behind Hayden Lake. Three weeks ago this road was still snowed in. This last winter was hell, so it felt really good to get back into the forest and stretch the legs. I found these 7 darlings at the first place I pulled over and hiked into. I hiked into three other areas later in the day but got skunked.

Morel season is upon us......May 6th hike

Today was the first official day of MOREL SEASON!
For me, morel season is more than simply finding tasty fungus in the woods, it is the ultimate symbol of spring, when the deep snow has finally melted, and the temperature and moisture are just right. That’s when the morels start popping up in the most random of places. And unless a person seeks out the areas that had burned the year before, finding morels is difficult, time consuming, and absolutely frustrating. It’s also my favorite outdoor activity (drinking around a campfire with friends being a close second). Early May through early June is the best time of year in Northern Idaho to find these succulent darlings of joy. It’s like Easter egg hunting for adults.
Here’s a pic of the first morel I found this year. As tempting as it is, I never pick the first one I find at the beginning of each season. This one was standing alone. I searched all around the area it was growing in, but found no more, which made it even more difficult to not pick.
The next pic is of what I found after. The antler shed was a bonus.

the naked truth

This is one of three yearling deer carcasses I found in the area this year. The first two were killed in winter or early spring (and still a bit too gory to post) this one was probably eaten last year.

Later in the evening....

may 3rd hike

It rained most of the day today. Sometime around 5pm it broke, The dogs and I saw our opportunity went for it. Early May is a fine time to get outside.