Mountain Misfits

Field-based natural history, outdoor adventure, photography, and science storytelling from the Northern Rockies and beyond.

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.

  • Exploring Petroglyph Canyon: A Journey Through Montanaโ€™s Ancient Art and Culture
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    In the heart of Montanaโ€™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 itโ€™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…

  • Hiking the Napali Coast Trail to Hanakapiโ€™ai Beach
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    What a treat it was to explore the Napali Coast Trail with Vida, and we were primed for an adventure along Kauaiโ€™s rugged northwest shore. Towering cliffs, lush valleys, and hidden beaches beckoned, and our destination was Hanakapiโ€™ai Beach. This journey was not just a physical escapade; it was an  exploration of the untouched beauty…

  • A Wayward Black-throated Blue Warbler – Navigational Anomalies in Migration

    In the blink of an eye, I was jumping in Sam Koenenโ€™s โ€œBirdvanโ€ 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…

  • The Oสปahu สปAmakihi: A Glimpse into its Biology, Endemism, Evolutionary History, and Phylogeny

    Two shotsโ€ฆI got just two shots of an Oสปahu สปAmakihi (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 Oสปahu. Endemism refers to the phenomenon where a species is found exclusively in a particular geographic location, and this isolation…

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