The Things We See

To my faithful readers - I am very sorry. I am WAY behind on blog posts. I have had a combined problem - a laptop on its last leg and more work than I know what to do with. Both ended up for the good - lots of work translates into enough extra income to buy a new and improved laptop. So, my best intentions include returning to weekly posts!

One of the most common questions we hear from guests is, "Where and when is the best time to view wildlife?" Of course this is a perfectly logical question since most of our visitors are here to enjoy the natural beauty, abundant wildlife, and incomparable serenity in which the Centennial Valley specializes.

However, I was pondering this question as I enjoyed a rare walk a few mornings back. This time of year is not the 'best' wildlife viewing time. At least not if you are hunting a glimpse of big game - which most folks are. However, I still found myself stopping, stooping, and speculating over the things I was seeing. From my speculations on this hike came the fodder for this post.

Early summer and late fall can offer incredible and abundant wildlife viewing opportunities, especially to those willing to search quietly and diligently. However, these seasons only make up a fraction of the time we spend in the valley. Nonetheless, I never find myself bored on my hikes. Why? It certainly is not because I always see wildlife or even something most folks would even notice.

What keeps me intrigued and makes each hike an adventure is the ever changing world through which I trek. It often is not the BIG things or even the things most would consider 'noteworthy'. In fact, if I shared everything I find intriguing about the world around me, some of you would probably think the summer heat had gone to my head!

But, I'm not the only one who sees value in what is often overlooked. There are the wildflowers, of course. But why limit it to flowers? What about the trees and the grass and the 'weeds'? Each one has its own life story to tell if we are willing to watch.

But, why stop there? There are the tracks. Even when the ground has turned hard and dry, there is usually some sign of what has passed through the area before us. And, it doesn't take a well-trained tracker to learn to watch. In fact, it doesn't even necessarily require you to walk. My hubby ran across a black bear sow and cub's (little tracks - must be a first cub) tracks while riding his motorcycle up the road toward Hidden Lake.

But, that is not all. What about scat? Scat? What is scat? To put it bluntly - poop! I learned a lot about the fox who spent the winter in our vicinity just from their tracks and scat on and along my ski trails. Of course I'm not the only one to have decided 'poop' is worth looking at. Some creative person has written an interesting (and informative) little book, "Who Pooped In The Park?" based on the Yellowstone area.

Then there are the birds which, I think, are overlooked by many because they are too 'common' in our world. Yet I get as much pleasure from the common House Wren singing outside my bedroom window as I do from glimpsing most of the wildlife I see on my hikes.

Wait, that is not all! This time of year there are the butterflies. I have been told butterflies are a sign of a healthy eco-system. Whether or not this is true, they certainly add color and variety and offer learning opportunities as I hike. But, don't stop there! Even the insects are interesting, although, not to worry, I'm still not a bug enthusiast. (NOTE: The gorgeous Dragonfly photo above is courtesy of David Slaughter, one of our wonderful repeat guests - and a very talented photographer.)

All this to suggest we often miss more than we see when we hike. So, next time you take a walk, regardless of where you are, take a closer look around. Even non-mobile objects like rocks and trees and ridgelines offer learning opportunities if we are but willing to look.

Long Lazy (Well, Somewhere) Days Of Summer

For those of you who have been following this blog for awhile, you know this blog is at least a week old since all blog posts are first posted on our web page. So, if you are reading this here, this really is 'old' news.

Actually, this is REALLY old news because I have been unable to post for nearly a month. To my faithful readers - I am very sorry. I had a combined problem - a laptop on its last leg and more work than I know what to do with. Both ended up for the good - lots of work translates into enough extra income to buy a new and improved laptop. So, my best intentions include returning to weekly posts! - So to my actual post from July 24th.

I think our ‘real' summer has finally arrived, at least for the next few weeks. While there are thunderstorms forecast for this weekend, and the last rain we received was this past weekend, the past few days have reached or topped 80 degrees. To us, that feels HOT!

Wildlife sightings remain generous this summer. I assume it is courtesy of the wetter, cooler weather. Deer. Elk. Bears. Cougars. Moose. And, of course the birds have been abundant and varied.

I think the wild flowers, however, have garnered more comments than anything else. Not only do the colors appear deeper and the flowers more abundant, but there seem to be more varieties this year. I can not count how many people have said something about them.

Furthermore, the fishing has just started to slow (and not very much, at that) here at Elk Lake. Of course that means we will probably only have about 4 weeks where the fish are ‘down deep.' This is good news to the fishermen, I am sure.

Best yet, the bugs have not been too bad. I suspect the late frosts (the last one probably only two weeks ago) have kept them bit back. That always improves the pleasure I derive from my walks (kayaking I don't seem to run into too many).

Speaking of walks, hiking has been wonderful. The only challenge has been coming back ‘un- soaked.' With grass up to my waist (and arm pits in many places) and the regularly cool moist (with dew) mornings - I have come back wet more than once.

However, as I said, wildlife sightings and the profuse wild flowers has made every hike an adventure. And, while we have had a black bear sow and cub (based on tracks, not sightings) pass by the south side of the resort - and a grizzly sow and two cubs sighted just a couple of canyons away - and a lone grizzly sighted just up the hill - and a lone black bear sighted at Hidden Lake (all that within the last three weeks), I have not seen anything more than scat.

New this year is a cougar sighting. Craig had the first look one morning about a week ago. He was kayaking and noticed something just across the bay from the lodge. It pulled away from the water's edge as he approached but stopped just a few yards up the hill to check him out. Then, a couple days later - late morning - some guests (also on the lake) spotted a lone cougar walking in the shallow water north-east of the lodge.

No wolves around, though. At least not that we know of. However, we did hear of wolves killing some sheep just outside of Ennis a week or so ago - so they are around (probably closer than we think).

 

All in all, despite what our summer help would likely term ‘less than summery weather,' we have been enjoying a wonderful summer at Elk Lake. I trust, wherever you are - you are having a great summer too!

Lady of the Lake

Green, Green, Surrounded By Green!

That certainly is not a typical mid-July title. I guess that is why, while I am going to have to make this a 'quick' post due to time constraints, I chose this subject over the numerous other things I want to share with you.

Just to keep you coming back (okay, I'll admit it is to remind me too), I could have posted on the increased bear sightings (reminscent of last year), the interesting conclusion to my otter odyssey, or the new places I've managed to explore on longer hikes. However, I feel compelled to talk about the wonderful green carpet surrounding us this year.

Last year, by the end of June, we were finished with the mowing. The grass had virtually stopped growing and everything was turning brown - which is typical for that time of year (even following a wonderfully good snow year). This year, however, we are in the middle of July and still mowing. In fact, I'm praying we have to keep mowing for at least another month.

Why this sudden love of mowing? Well, I do enjoy the excuse to get outside (when I have time to help mow), but my primary reason is the abundant grass everywhere I hike. In fact, I was especially glad to see the cattle return (although I'm not sure they are making much of a dent in the green stuff) in hopes they would help reduce our "growing" fuel problem.

It seems we are permanently stuck in early June weather. Although the thermometer has topped 80 degrees a couple of times, most hot days have been in the mid to upper 70's. We have had sub-freezing temperatures - even in July. And, we have only experienced a couple handful of days (since the first of June) when we didn't get at least a sprinkling of rain.

The regular thunderstorms have added variety to our weather - along with some spectacular light displays and impressive sound effects! Thankfully, nearly every storm has been accompanied by rain - sometimes substantial rain.

So, the hills are carpeted with green and punctuated with various and profuse wildflowers. In fact, I have never seen more Bitterroots. And, I've photographed several 'new to me' species of wildflowers (which, hopefully, I will identify for us both as the season begins to slow down).

So, with spectacular rainbows, grass up to my waist, and wildflowers coloring every meadow and even the forest floors, it is a particularly fruitful and colorful summer here at Elk Lake.

Lady of the Lake

Morning On The Lake

I HAD to share my morning on the lake with you. It was too magical not to do so. In fact, it was one of those mornings when I wish time would stand still - at least for a while - and let me stay suspended in another reality for just a little longer.

I have not done much kayaking this summer. For one, the weather has been too forbidding. For two, the wind has been too frequent. However, today the early morning sun's rays were causing wisps of fog to hover and rise from the lake's glassy surface. Talk about an invitation to come visit! So I did - and am I ever glad I did!

Hiking is my first love. Probably, at least as long as I can walk with ease, it will remain in first place. However, kayaking is a wonderful way to experience nature - and, at the right time of day, if you are sufficiently quiet and unobtrusive, it can be a particularly fine way to view wildlife. This morning was a perfect example.

It was a cold morning so I delayed - waiting for the sun to crest the ridgeline and bathe the lake's surface in a golden near-blinding light. Still it was only 33 degrees when I headed for the boat house.

I had barely begun to break the lake's glassy surface with my paddle when the first of the morning's treasures came into view. A pair of herons stood still as statues on the nearby bank soaking up the early morning sun's warmth.

Heading straight across the lake from the boat house, I hugged the far shore watching for ducks and shore birds and hoping to glimpse some larger game. I had just passed the little cove at the base of the draw leading up to Elk Mountain when I heard an odd grumbling and clicking behind me. Sandhill Cranes are one of my favorite birds. Thus I am familiar with several of their sounds and suspected I might be hearing their voices. Sure enough, a pair of Sandhills were right along the shoreline just behind me.

When one sees a pair of Sandhills and, when you they have sighted you, and when this combination does not send them scurrying away but, instead, they remain close-by, nearly silent (except for the growling/grinding/clicking sound), it is a very good indication there is a chick or so nearby.

Suspecting this to be the case, I slowly and carefully stopped and turned so I could see them more clearly. One Sandhill, I suspect the male, paced back and forth in an agitated manner (I knew why but was loathe to leave before taking a hard look into the nearby grasses). He paused from time to time to throw a billful of grass into the air. The other bird, I suspect the female,, continued to emit the odd sounds and move very slowly away. Soon a little orange head could be seen just above the grass tops. After a brief photo shoot, I paddled quietly away to avoid disturbing my first Sandhill chick of the season. Wow! What a thrill!

Little did I know more treats were in store. A bit further down the lake I quietly paddled toward the foot of Limestone Canyon. Thicker fog hung near the water's edge along the cool canyon floor. Peering and listening, I drifted along, hoping to see something through the fog. Sure enough. Like an erie specter something dark and glistening caught my eye. Shrouded by fog, I couldn't make it out. Driven by curiosity, I had to get closer.

Now, I have a confession to make. I enjoy most wildlife. In fact, I revel in learning about and observing nearly every wild plant and animal which lives in my neighborhood. However, there are a few, very few, critters which I do not care for. No, I'm not talking about skunks although I really prefer to view them from a distance. My two least favorite critters are birds - the cow bird and the Cormorant. Granted I am sure both play an important role, but neither inspires me in the least. Until this morning!

Drifting silently along, I could finally make out the shape through the fog. It was, actually, several shapes. Several Cormorants were perched on a partially submerged log soaking up the early morning rays. While these birds are typically quite flighty, thanks to the morning mist, I was able to get quite close before they all flew away.

The canyon floor yielded another sighting of a pair of Sandhill Cranes, unusually silent. However, with less light and taller grass, I knew there was little to no chance of spotting a chick - if one were around. Thus I paddled on by.

Birds! Ah, the pleasure of living on a lake. Not only can I enjoy the land birds, the water birds add to the variety. However, as much as I enjoy seeing the birds, with the exception of spotting babies, larger wildlife sightings are still a bigger thrill. Many days on the lake, however, larger game are no where to be seen. Not so this morning. In fact, it was the Buck's Day!

As I continued past Limestone Canyon, the fog began to thicken. The sun had yet to fully crest the nearby hills, and it was cool and still in the heavier shadows along the eastern shore. Paddling quietly along, I paused to listen. Smaller birds twittering in the trees. An owl soft 'hoot' drifting through the mist. A soft splashing nearby. What was that?

I suspect that is exactly what he was saying as he peared around the fallen tree. Two buck deer had come to water. Little did they know a trespasser was nearby. Of course, as I glided closer, they decided to cut their risks and bounded up the hill.

However, in spite of their inborn caution, at their heart I believe Mule Deer are curious. Thus I had another opportunity to get a closer look as I drifted below them just a little farther up the lake.

The fog grew thicker as I headed north. In fact, except along the shoreline, it was almost impossible to see. The thickening mist, heavy shadows, and utter stillness created an almost other-worldly feel. In fact, as I headed across the lake in heavy fog - looking to reach the sun-bathed shore and thaw my chilled fingers - I could see nothing but the prow of my kayak and the surface of the water around me. It was easy to imagine how someone could lose their bearings in similar conditions.

A few more delights were waiting as I began to pop out of the fog. Three different duck species swam nearby. An osprey screamed overhead. A bald eagle flew past then swung to the far shore to chase another bird (osprey?) from a favorite perch. Then from behind I heard a familiar trumpeting sound. Sure enough, a pair of Trumpeter Swans were quickly approaching from the rear.

Last, but by no means least, was the little buck who tiptoed above me near the point of the bay. He saw me, but didn't know what to think of that 'thing' floating on the water under his nose. Cautious animal that he was, he angled slightly up and away from me, but curiousity drove him to keep stopping and looking. To my delight he set himself up for a perfect photo shoot!

Rounding the bay's point I relished the resort's reflection on the still-calm waters. This combined with the softly putting fishing boat near the far shore brought me gently back to reality.

Some days I just can't imagine why everyone wouldn't give their eye teeth to be the,

Lady of the Lake