Idaho is MUCH more than just potatos!

The Lost River Range of Idaho is one of the gems of our country but, it is an undiscovered secret to most people. Halfway between Yellowstone and the Sun Valley/Sawtooth country, this exquisite mountain range gets passed by. Dramatic geology, outstanding wildlife and recreational opportunities abound in this natural playground.

There are about a half dozen 12,000+ foot peaks in this range of awesome peaks.

As you go north, the peaks just get bigger and more dramatic. Those trees in the foreground are at least 35 feet tall! Despite my past inclinations, I really have no desire to climb this peak.

In the "backside", there is evidence everywhere of extreme glaciation in geologic history. Long lateral moraines are in plain sight, without trees or topsoil to hide their existence. Massive alluvial fans march unceasingly into the valleys with 10 mile long "soil fronts" inundating everything in its path. A few universities send all their geology students here to look and learn about Ice Ages, geologic upheavals and massive erosive forces.

Of course, you can't talk about this part of Idaho without mentioning the abundant wildlife here. You can find almost every kind of fascinating (and deadly) animals in this country, including moose, wolves, wolverines, elk, coyotes, antelope, mule deer and white tail deer.

While surveying aspen stands, I ran across this nest at about eye level. A normal horizontal shot was pretty boring so I took a chance and held the camera above to get this amazing shot.

The high country here is so dry and not many trees can survive the hot summers and frigid winters. This Limber Pine has incredible earthy brown colors and weathered textures. I took about two dozen shots focusing on these dead grizzled sentinels of the subalpine realm.

Sunday Morning Hike

I took a good long hike yesterday morning in the fabulous Pass Creek area of the Lost River Range in central Idaho. I saw many sights but this video will make you wish you were here with me. Towards the end of the video, while I was twisting to get a decent panning shot, I struggled to keep from losing my balance. A tripod would have been handy but I was quite limited in what I could bring on this trip.

More still pictures later including a proud white tail buck and an acrobatic raven to go along with all that scenery. Also I got some very artsy pics of some anciently superb pine snags

Slacker!!

Yeah, guilty as charged! However, I'm still taking lots of pics in my many travels this season. We'll take you on a tour to give you a taste of where I have been.

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My several weeks near Mount Shasta resulted in some very fine images.

I just love the lenticular clouds that form as a "cloud-cap" over the peak.

My next assignment was to work on the Mendocino National Forest painting cutting unit boundaries. In one of the units, I found this massive ponderosa pine that was around 70" in diameter and well over 200 feet tall. I decided to try and make a vertical panorama shot, stacking three vertical format pictures on top of each other. After "stitching" together the shots in Photoshop, I used the "Perspective Tool" to adjust for warpage of the trees image. This made the picture's edge all fouled up but, the tree is pretty darn straight. So, I cropped off the goofy edge and here's how it came out.

Since there are no motels in the very remote wilds of the Mendocino, I had a very long commute from Willows, all the way down on the Sacramento Valley floor, to the top of the Coast Ranges. I was struck by the beauty of those golden hills so, I stopped and took this dreamy shot.

I'm currently in the town of Mackay, Idaho, a remote place in the eastern-central part of the state. The Lost River Range is home to several 12,000 foot peaks and Mount Borah is the tallest peak in Idaho. Everything is just so HUGE here and my 10X zoom can only get me so close. These peaks tower 7000 feet over the valley floor and the geology is exquisitely-varied while not masked by deep soils and thick forests. Folded layers of cliffs and elevational variations of plants make this place a visual fascination for a guy like me. Everywhere you look you'll see beauty and "wildness".

However, I still have a job to do, and that involves some picture taking, as well. Me and a co-worker are searching for and documenting stand conditions in patches of aspen. It's very interesting and important work to see how we can improve or protect these very important clumps of trees.

More to come!