Thursday, June 30, 2005

 

Meadow on the Smith River


Meadow on the Smith River, originally uploaded by Bitterroot.

Pastoral scenes like this one alternate with dramatic canyon backdrops along the Smith River in central Montana.


Wednesday, June 29, 2005

 

Swan Range at sunrise


Swan Range at sunrise, originally uploaded by Bitterroot.

There are some bits of earth's topography that are always in my mind's eye, no matter where I happen to be. One of these is the Blackfoot River and another is the Swan Mountain Range, shown above. Ancestors of mine as far back the 1800's have lived and worked in these areas. This was taken at the Double Arrow, a "dude ranch" built in 1927 by my great-uncle. The Swan Range runs north and south just south of Glacier Park in Western Montana.


Tuesday, June 28, 2005

 

Sagebrush country


Sagebrush country, originally uploaded by Bitterroot.

Windy, empty and clean - the heart can expand in the wide stretches of sagebrush country. "Don't fence me in..."

Taken in Montana's Flathead Valley.


Monday, June 27, 2005

 

Abandoned guest cabins


Abandoned guest cabins, originally uploaded by Bitterroot.

We can only imagine the old-timers who stayed many years ago in these cheerfully painted little guest cabins in Ovando, Montana.


Sunday, June 26, 2005

 

Canada geese


Canada geese, originally uploaded by Bitterroot.

Canada geese along the Smith River in central Montana. The birdlife along this river is magnificent; there is always some creature swooping, quacking, paddling, honking, swishing, or chirping!


Saturday, June 25, 2005

 

Cabin porch in a summer rainstorm

A light inside the cabin provides a beckoning warmth as a summer thunderstorm lashes the woods outside.

Iowa County, Wisconsin


Friday, June 24, 2005

 

Storm through porch screen


Storm through porch screen, originally uploaded by Bitterroot.

The porch screen creates a filter that captures summer storm raindrops and changes perspective.

Iowa County, Wisconsin


Thursday, June 23, 2005

 

Evening in the Smith River Canyon

Sunset highlights the limestone crags overlooking the Smith River Canyon in central Montana.


Wednesday, June 22, 2005

 

Morning mist


Morning mist, originally uploaded by Bitterroot.

Mist shrouds everything but the closest landmarks at 5 am in the Swan Valley.


Tuesday, June 21, 2005

 

Reflections on a June afternoon

There's a mysterious feeling to a northern lake when the breeze dies down and the water becomes a mirror image of its surroundings. Even in a small lake, water has endless dimensions depending on wind, heat or cold, hour of the day, color of the sky.

Taken in the Swan Valley south of Glacier Park.


Monday, June 20, 2005

 

Last light


Last light, originally uploaded by Bitterroot.

The light just before a rainstorm is unearthly, particularly in the mountains. Here, the day's last light touches the treetops and illuminates the limestone cliffs overlooking the Smith River. After I took this photo and hiked back to camp, the rain washed over our tent in a steady downpour.


Sunday, June 19, 2005

 

Twilight in the Smith River Canyon

The Smith River Canyon float in central Montana was magnificent. Permits to make this trip are awarded by lottery, and access to this remote area is limited. The river flows north into a canyon between the Big Belt and the Little Belt Mountains. Vistas of crags, grottoes of hanging gardens, and unspoiled forests appear as you drift by. It was truly a privilege to make this trip!


Thursday, June 09, 2005

 
Dear faithful readers,

Thank you for your visits and your kind messages on my Flickr e-mail. I have made some delightful new friends through this blog and through Flickr, a most lively community of photo-loving folk.

My zeal for blogging remains unabated; however, I will be out of touch for about ten days during a rafting/camping trip in Montana. This should yield some new grist for the mill, unless the rain keeps falling so continuously I have to keep the camera under wraps. We need the moisture however to keep our forests from becoming tinderboxes, so I will willingly float along in a downpour.

I asked my cousin John, the trip leader, to ensure Internet access on the raft, but alas he could not comply. I jest, but I will be incommunicado for the duration.

Back soon!

Yours, Bitterroot

Bitterroots

Wednesday, June 08, 2005

 

Ancient cliff dwelling


Canyonlands, Utah, originally uploaded by Bitterroot.

The desert has its own mystery and beauty. It is a place of vivid colors, startling shapes, and hidden discoveries: here is an ancient prehistoric dwelling in the shadow of a cliff. I will not forget the silence and the sunlight here.

Taken in Canyonlands, Utah


Tuesday, June 07, 2005

 

Late afternoon on the Clearwater River


Clearwater River, Montana, originally uploaded by Bitterroot.

Late afternoon shadows fall across the Clearwater River as it flows through a chain of lakes in the Swan Valley.


Monday, June 06, 2005

 

Homeland: counting the stones


Lake Alva, Montana, originally uploaded by Bitterroot.

When Chief Charlo was asked to move from his homeland in the Bitterroot Valley, he said "I want to be able to count the stones in my own streams and see the tops of my tall mountains."

Taken in the Swan Valley.


Sunday, June 05, 2005

 

Salmon River sunset


Salmon River, Idaho, originally uploaded by Bitterroot.

Spectacular and sudden nightfall on the river.


Saturday, June 04, 2005

 

Sun on Blackfoot River


, originally uploaded by Bitterroot.

The upper Blackfoot River on a crisp cool day, headed toward its junction with the Clearwater River out of the Swan Valley in western Montana.


Friday, June 03, 2005

 

A seven-generation chair


originally uploaded by Bitterroot.

In this chair, Elizabeth rocked Barbara who rocked Edith who rocked Barbara who rocked Edith who rocked Matthew who rocked Sophia. This sturdy old oakwood rocker has seen seven generations and much history...it has moved from Calgary to Great Falls to Missoula to rural Wisconsin.


Thursday, June 02, 2005

 

Amy's garden: bleeding hearts

Amy's garden: bleeding hearts

My dear friend Amy has a garden of earthly delights. The structure of these bleeding hearts is impossibly delicate and miraculous.


Wednesday, June 01, 2005

 

Rock outcropping

Rock outcropping

Wisconsin's back roads reveal unexpected grottoes, perfect places to
stop and have lunch on a warm Sunday afternoon.


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