After a wet July 4th thunderstorm rolled through the woods hood, I stepped outside and found a quiet spectacle unfolding on the forest floor: a handful of tall, shaggy mushrooms rising out of the pine needles and damp soil. These were Shaggy Ink Caps — Coprinus comatus — also known as Lawyer’s Wig.
From Wikipedia: “Payette Lake is a natural lake in the western United States, located in west central Idaho at McCall. Formed by glacial activity, it is situated in the upper drainage basin of the Payette River, which drains into the Snake River.” A natural wonder and true gem.
Meet Barr Quarton: A Master of Hand-Forged Knives and Tools Based in McCall, Idaho Barr Quarton and Barr Custom Knives and Barr Specialty Tools respectively, has been working with tool steel since 1977. Barr has learned from some of the best bladesmiths and blacksmiths in the country. He even had the opportunity to apprentice with … More Forged In Fire – Pounded With Steel – Shaped By A Master’s Touch
In my ongoing effort to control the spread of beetle kill, I hired the skilled folks at Acker Tree Service to come in and take out some of the infested trees that are too complicated for me to take out myself. If you can get to the trees soon enough, burn, cover with plastic, or … More Spar On The Lake
Winter in the Salmon River mountains of Central Idaho covers up so much of what we love in the backcountry; colorful plants, insects (there’s a few if you pay attention), birds (the ravens, owls, goshawks, woodpeckers, and some resident song birds stick around), fast moving creeks, unique rock formations, archeological sites and so much … More Take a hike with me: South Bruin
I recently added another mountain top to my collection, Box peak (8240 ft. and unnamed on many maps). Box is the prominent peak to the North and East, as seen from downtown McCall, Idaho and Payette lake. It resides in the Salmon River Mountains in the Lick Creek subrange. Approach is a very straightforward hike … More Mountain Pose ~ Box Peak ~
Slab Butte, as seen on recent backcountry tour while volunteering with the Payette Avalanche Center.
Yesterday’s Sunset as seen from our perch on top of a granite terrace on the eastside of Payette Lake. A real juicy spectacle. We have so many wonderful sunsets here in the Salmon River Mountains near McCall. There are of course the ones that have that je ne sais quoi. It is actually the West Mountains … More Sunset On Pilgrim Cove
Radical Earth 