From Spooks and Goblins to Sky Islands In the deeply incised canyons and cliffs of the upper Hat Creek country was pasted a tiny ranch. It rested at the foot of one bottomless fold simply called South Gulch. I never figured out why it was named thus, for it was on the north side of Hat Creek which it was tributary to. But even on the old 1940s …
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Not All Black Hats are Bad
Roscoe Hamilton trotted his horse, heading for sunset, and home. He had just settled his shorthorn cattle on thick, deep and undulating grass covering the big sloping bar that tilted down toward the Pahsimeroi River. The grass reached up to his stirrups, and he could hear it swishing by as he headed across the prairie. He was almost home now, and …
Alone at the Top of the World
To our surprise, we discovered that the tiny wind blasted cubicle still stood as we clambered up to the prominent peak at nearly 10,000 feet. We had left all forest vegetation behind us several hundred vertical feet back on our climb. This weathered and decomposing shed was in the alpine tundra zone, that area of perpetual permafrost and rock where …
When Bridges Fail
There were now only three of us horseback on the darkening backroad. Linnaea had fallen behind and was scooped up by Caryl, piloting truck and trailer. The 7 year old was frozen and tired on her aging gray mare, who now happily had wheels under her. The little blonde haired girl in the truck was happy again, chattering with mom. An old (and a …
Four Months in the Mountains
Well, we got them hired. Six twenty-something gals and guys, hailing from Ohio, Colorado, Texas, Utah, Indiana and Idaho, for a range riding position on Alderspring. Ohio was the strongest state repped this year, with 3 of our hired hands calling the Buckeye State home at one time or another. Ohio does sound a little like Idaho, after all. To the …
Bird Meets Bulldozer
Bird Meets Bulldozer Madelyn, my blonde haired and a little-wild-animal-blooded 14-year old was waiting for me, smiling as I pulled up to the house for lunch. She eagerly came up to my rolled down window, as the warm spring air tousled her hair over her face. She had news: “The killdeer are back, Dad.” Her easy smile told the tale that …
Bonnie Before Time
I felt the pulse of the helicopter before I heard it. The thumping seemed to reverberate through the ground on which I stood, and then, in a blast of rotor wash and noise, the Jet Ranger erupted over the ridge just below me. The ship swung into a curved trajectory aimed for the head of Horse Basin. It was a July clear blue sky day in the big dry …
Idaho’s Oceanfront Property
It’s a lovely, bright sunshine day over quiet waters. As you look east, surprisingly, there’s no vessels of any kind on the vast body of deep azure blue; and there is no end to it. The sea alone is the horizon, and the sky is dotted with white clouds. There is no haze, typical of coastline vistas; the horizon is razor sharp. To the west, behind …
