Most of the following images are random. They were taken with my backup digital camera that is nothing more than a very much needed hand-me-down following the demise of my camera. Though the quality of the images leaves much to be desired, I would hope that the images themselves sort of speak for themselves. I keep this camera stuffed under the seat of my truck and throw it in my pocket or pack when heading off to areas where the larger more expensive cameras are none to practical. Enjoy...
Creston Mt. I worked for a few short months in this area. This field and view were a very much needed distraction. I loved driving to and from work with this in the background. I don't so much miss the job...but I sure as heck miss the drive.
My trusty little buck-boat. Hopefully this thing will get much use in the following years. I took it out perhaps eight to ten times this summer and loved every minute of it. Can you believe that my friend Jesse and I carried that bugger, the float tube and all of our gear into a couple of back country lakes? Yeah...not going to do that again. That little beasty isn't made for off road fishing...
Burnt Lake? Fire Lake? No clue. This area is full of random hole in the ground lakes with similar names, similar looks and typically similarly great fishing.
Tooling along in the swan range, just north of Seeley Lake.
A random forest fire that interrupted a very much needed and hard earned back country hunt. Miles of hiking, hours of scouting, sweat, cold and not a single elk to be found. And then a lightening storm kicked up a fire that brought in helicopters and planes. Prudence dictated truncating the hunt and heading out. Meat is typically best found
uncooked while hunting.
Wale Lake. Base camp for a short back country hike/hunt. I didn't see any whales, however the lake was teaming with small trout. We saw more Grizzly tracks than elk tracks though...so perhaps the fish are best left for the birds?
Reason # 3,622 as to why Montana is the Last Best Place
A rather stout hen Blue Grouse hiding in the open. This was a record day. 10 grouse for dinner, no elk to be seen and two separate wolf packs brought in by bugling (calling) for elk. Fun though.
A series of shots of a great Sunset near Stryker, MT
Another shortened back country hike. Therriault Lakes. Blizzard-like conditions and massive wind drove us to lower ground. Regardless, it was still a great hike. Not photographed were bighorn sheep, mule deer, moose and a few scrawny mule deer does. It snowed four inches in a little over an hour.
Lower Therriault Lake.
A few mule deer that I decided to stalk. The two young bucks above were fun to watch and provided many opportunities to "fill the freezer", however size does matter. Too small. It was still fun. I got within 35 feet before the does got nervous. This was near Eureka, MT.
And that concludes an attempt to discard of a few dozen more photos that were taking up space on my backup digital camera. Why take pictures? Give me one good reason as to why not...and I will give you a hundred as to why to...
And what better place to do it in?
Mount Rainier, Washington
Spare Time
Raindrops in the fall...
Something different...something drip dried
Something Different...Something waiting to be raked?
Life's a Birch...
Something Different...Something Quilted. An example of my mother's hard work...
A puzzled elk? It is a tossup as to what was harder...finding elk in the woods or putting this damn puzzle together. Fun and frustrating....
An un-named lake. I am sure it has a name, but neither this one or the three others in this basin are labeled on maps. I wonder if the five miles of walking is worth coming in to look for fish?
Standing on the edge of an invisible cliff. I don't think my camouflage blends in with all this snow. The feet got a little cold as well. Now all I need to do is figure out how to get onto the other side of this mountain to where the big deer roam...
All that beautiful open, broken ground and not even a single mule deer in sight. This area used to produce some monster mule deer and I most certainly will be snow shoeing back in here later this year to see if I can find one.
Just below the summit of Striker peak looking east across a lot of nothing. It is certainly a very nice nothing. I love my backyard.
Switching gears. Bow season has ended and rifle season has begun. Most of the camo has been swapped out for orange and warm clothing. There is nothing like a hot cup of coffee on a cold day. There are few things better than crawling out of your sleeping bag at 10 degrees F, hunting and having a cup of coffee and a warm meal. I'll take sleeping on the ground in the cold over the Hilton any day. Horrible photos though...my camera battery froze and I was only able to take two photos during three day hunt before it died.
Doing the self photo thing, freezing my butt off, getting startled by a deer and lugging my food, bed and gear with me, every where I go. It gives a whole new meaning to the phrase "mobile home" I saw a few elk, but no bulls. A doe stood up not 50 feet from me during this photo, but when you are miles from the nearest road, you get picky about what you want to carry out. It was a fun trip and thankfully it was warm. I spent a week in this area last year and I doubt the temperature got over 10 below zero, the entire time. The nastier the weather, the fewer the people I run into, so let it snow, rain and blow. Fun times... 
Sleek lines. The older traditional coal driven steam engine made way for these faster, more powerfull oil fed steamers. This engine was built in the early 40's and modernized in the 50's to create this "contemporary" look. If I remember correctly, this was the last coal engine produced and the last to be retrofitted to oil. It is also the last steam engine that travels the national lines. It is still used to carry passengers and goods, though I imagine that it won't be too long before it ends up in a museum somewhere, its whistles silent and its wheels still.
A close up of the end of an era. This is an example of the pinnacle of American ingenuity, will and might. Looking close you can almost feel the heat, hear the noise and experience the smells of the foundry that cast this eight foot tall wheel. This was an time when man created through sweat, blood and tears. This was long before man created machines to create for him.
One wonders what memories this train carries. Old dining cars like this have seen thousands of people and carried the hopes and dreams of countless people. One can almost envision immigrants, the well-to-do and the classic business men steaming leisurely to new homes, luxury vacations or the financial transactions that helped shape our today.
Old meets new.
Creston Mt. I worked for a few short months in this area. This field and view were a very much needed distraction. I loved driving to and from work with this in the background. I don't so much miss the job...but I sure as heck miss the drive.
Burnt Lake? Fire Lake? No clue. This area is full of random hole in the ground lakes with similar names, similar looks and typically similarly great fishing.
Tooling along in the swan range, just north of Seeley Lake.
A random forest fire that interrupted a very much needed and hard earned back country hunt. Miles of hiking, hours of scouting, sweat, cold and not a single elk to be found. And then a lightening storm kicked up a fire that brought in helicopters and planes. Prudence dictated truncating the hunt and heading out. Meat is typically best found uncooked while hunting.
Wale Lake. Base camp for a short back country hike/hunt. I didn't see any whales, however the lake was teaming with small trout. We saw more Grizzly tracks than elk tracks though...so perhaps the fish are best left for the birds?
Reason # 3,622 as to why Montana is the Last Best Place
A rather stout hen Blue Grouse hiding in the open. This was a record day. 10 grouse for dinner, no elk to be seen and two separate wolf packs brought in by bugling (calling) for elk. Fun though.
A series of shots of a great Sunset near Stryker, MT
Another shortened back country hike. Therriault Lakes. Blizzard-like conditions and massive wind drove us to lower ground. Regardless, it was still a great hike. Not photographed were bighorn sheep, mule deer, moose and a few scrawny mule deer does. It snowed four inches in a little over an hour.
Lower Therriault Lake.
A few mule deer that I decided to stalk. The two young bucks above were fun to watch and provided many opportunities to "fill the freezer", however size does matter. Too small. It was still fun. I got within 35 feet before the does got nervous. This was near Eureka, MT.
