Posts from the ‘Nature’ category

On the way to Polebridge, MT

Polebridge, Montana…gateway to the western-most entrance of Glacier National Park, 20 miles from the border of Canada…

40 miles on a mostly gravel road north of Columbia Falls, MT ensures that only the hardiest travel that way. Most of the local population are against paving the road as that would mean more traffic and visitors.

Sandy and Jerry have not met a dirt or gravel road they wouldn’t travel. I knew this road would not faze them one bit so off we went. The road was not that bad as far as rough riding – the dust, though, that was impressive!

We stopped at a river access I know…

We all meandered, including Karl.

Here, there and everywhere along the river.

Jerry gets credit for this one…the darned wildlife…always turning away from the camera :)!

A fellow traveler obliged for a group photo…on the way to Polebridge, MT.

Friday: Jewel Basin

Down (actually UP!) the road we went to the Jewel Basin Trailhead Parking lot – Camp Misery by name. No, I don’t know why they call it Camp Misery – it is beautiful.

We were headed up and suddenly a large bird swooped over the road. Jerry thinks the owl was after some critter on the road – we saw a lot of chipmunks … but our presence disrupted things.

All three of us had seen owls at night or dusk, but never in the day time. What a treat! I don’t think the great horned owl had the same perspective on the encounter since lunch got away…

Not too much further along there were 3 goats on the road. Let me point out that neither Sandy nor I specialize in wildlife photography… we missed the goats in the road and unlike in Glacier National Park where they seem trained to pose for tourists, these goats headed for cover.

The photo above is actually later, when we were walking on a trail. And once again – this goat stood spectacularly posed until we had cameras raised.

Both Sandy and I got great photos of the goat’s behind…

More mountains, more Karl, more Bob: Sunday morning

The forecast for the forseeable future is clear, sunny (low 70F) days and clear, cool (low 40F) nights. As the sun hits my corner of the world from a more southern angle, the light and the clear air make for crayola-like color.

Golden grass of fall…the sun shining on the curl of Karl’s tail…see the arrow to the right (dbl-click to see any of the photos full screen size). He is investigating something in the grass. Probably something I don’t want to know about.

A more dignified pose…

Bob came out to meet us on our return.

This is as dignified as Bob gets.

Greetings exchanged.

And we all make it home.

Bear and Beardog

That is a bear. That is a black bear. I think it is a yearling cub. It is not Karl.

It is not Karl, because Karl is next to me and the black bear is down there…

Karl was just in front of the front porch, noshing on a treat as I was unloading groceries from the Jeep. The Jeep was also just in front of the front porch…to the south of Karl.

Karl suddenly jumped up, did his scent gulp thing and started the bear bark alternating with nose in the air scent gulp thing.

I grabbed Karl’s leash and went back out. I think that Karl knows that he is not 100%…he waited. I leashed him. The cub was still there. I dashed back for pepper spray and camera and we went to the edge of the ravine…watching for Mama.

Karl kept up the bear bark. Once I was there for backup, he strained at the leash. I took the photos. We came inside.

A black bear, although exciting, was not the only adventure of the day.

A nap for Karl, a glass of wine for me.

Bob??? He is in front of the woodstove – the woodstove which has a small fire crackling merrily… Our Saturday…partly!

Black bear

Yesterday, early evening, Karl and I were outside enjoying the evening. We had been playing soccer but were on a break – standing and watching down the drop behind the house toward my nearest neighbor. Suddenly, several deer, at a dead run, ran from our right to left on the game trail at the bottom of the drop. Karl was excited in a different way than just deer…And then I saw the bear. The bear was not chasing the deer, but was on the move and the deer ahead of it….

No photos. I took Karl with me inside – got my camera, but didn’t see the bear again and I think it crossed the road vs turning and crossing my property.

But last year, on September 10, is when I saw a bear last…

Mama black bear and twin cubs – on the same game trail except they made the left turn and crossed my property, south of my house – between my house and the road. I was inside working. Karl was in the side yard. Karl sounded the bear alarm which is different than deer, different than squirrel, different than FedEx/UPS is here…different enough to get my immediate attention and I saw them.

I tore outside grabbing my bear spray (pepper spray) as I went. Karl had seen bears before, but always when we were both inside. He has smelled them and their scat on the trail. But this was the first “up close and personal” kind of encounter and a female with 2 cubs…I didn’t want any kind of confrontation.

Turns out, I needn’t have worried.

Karl barked the entire time and followed but did not chase them. It was exactly as I would have liked – I wouldn’t want him too close and I didn’t want him making them run – they need whatever food stores and fat they have – and although I love seeing them, I don’t want them getting the idea that around houses and people is good as that means their death sentence. Karl herded them across and off the property – barking and moving close enough to keep them moving, but not so close that they (or MAMA!!!) felt seriously threatened. Perfect!

Karl was out with them – I had only voice control, but I never had to invoke it. Karl, Karelian Beardog, did his job and did it well.

When I saw how Karl was working, I ran inside for my camera…but as for me and my job as photographer…I didn’t have the same success. You can see that they are bears though….right????