Field Notes
Dispatches from the dirt, water, woods, sky, roadside ditch, gravel bar, alpine ridge, and everywhere else nature gets interesting.
Field Notes are where Mountain Misfits slows down and follows the clues: a bird out of place, a track in mud, a bloom after rain, a river doing river things, a rock telling on deep time, or one small weird organism quietly running the whole show.
Some notes are seasonal. Some are strange. Some are useful. Some are just proof that paying attention outside is still one of the best habits a person can have.
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Slow Down, You Sons a Bitch’s
101 miles of dirt between two wilderness areas, a hand-painted sign in Elk City with an indefensible apostrophe, and what the Gold Pan burn actually looks like thirteen years on.
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Exploring Petroglyph Canyon: A Journey Through Montana’s Ancient Art and Culture
In the heart of Montana’s rugged landscapes lies a hidden gem: Petroglyph Canyon. It’s a place where natural beauty and ancient art converge in a mesmerizing display, but it’s far more than just a hiking destination. This canyon serves as a silent storyteller of times long past. Embarking on its scenic trails, every step takes…
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Hiking the Napali Coast Trail to Hanakapi’ai Beach
What a treat it was to explore the Napali Coast Trail with Vida, and we were primed for an adventure along Kauai’s rugged northwest shore. Towering cliffs, lush valleys, and hidden beaches beckoned, and our destination was Hanakapi’ai Beach. This journey was not just a physical escapade; it was an exploration of the untouched beauty…
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A Wayward Black-throated Blue Warbler – Navigational Anomalies in Migration
In the blink of an eye, I was jumping in Sam Koenen’s “Birdvan” and we were off to chase a Black-throated Blue Warbler that lost its way during migration, and it ended up in an apple tree in small, old Lolo, Montana. Soon after arriving the rarity popped into view as it flitted about the…
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The Oʻahu ʻAmakihi: A Glimpse into its Biology, Endemism, Evolutionary History, and Phylogeny
Two shots…I got just two shots of an Oʻahu ʻAmakihi (Chlorodrepanis flava), and two photos were enough to scratch my Hawaiian endemic itch. Endemic to the island of Oahu (particularly, the wetter southern area of Oʻahu. Endemism refers to the phenomenon where a species is found exclusively in a particular geographic location, and this isolation…
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Auriscalpium vulgare: The Forest’s Miniscule Marvel
Explore the unique aspects of Auriscalpium vulgare, also known as the earpick mushroom. Learn about its role in forest renewal. The air clung with a cool humidity under the dense canopy of conifers and riparian vegetation. Autumn forest was largely mute, save for the rush of Bass Creek. Under was a fungal splendor highlighted by…
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