Montana – Paint Your Landscape

Tapping into Native Roots

December 15, 2017December 15, 2017LuAnn

Although “native roots” may conjure up thoughts of the medicinal plant cannabis, that is not what this post is about. Sorry guys, but many of you probably already have your sources and could teach me a thing, or two, or three about that ancient plant. What this post is about is learning to use the native plants we have all around us, for medicine. Since this is one of my many passions, it was not surprising to hubby that I asked (ok, maybe begged a bit) the Campus Manager at Yellowstone Forever to allow me to support this field seminar. My charms won out as he graciously agreed. 😉

I was so honored to be a part of this course, led by Linda Black Elk, PhD and Ethnobotanist. Linda is part of the Catawba Nation and is married to Lakota native, Luke Black Elk, who has an illustrious family history – activist mother and revered grandfather, Chief Black Elk. Side note: Black Elk Speaks is a great read.

Hubby supported Luke’s course on Lakota Creation Stories immediately after the Native Plants class. Sadly no amount of begging or bribing has convinced him to write a guest post about his experience, which he loved. Fortunately for me, the Native Plants and Their Uses class began with singing and praying by both Linda and Luke, in their native Lakota tongue. It brought me to tears it was so beautiful. No photos were allowed during this sacred ceremony.

Luke and Linda sharing stories around the campfire.

Our Native Plants’ course consisted of indigenous stories (many were heartbreaking), identifying and learning the beneficial uses of local plants, foraging for specific plants, and bringing our bounty back to the Lamar Buffalo Ranch to make balms, salves, and elixirs. Seeing what I do at home, making so many of my own products, hubby said he couldn’t imagine a more perfect course for me to support. I had to admit that it was very special and completely in line with my belief system.

Since removing anything from a national park is strictly forbidden, our foraging for two days took us outside the park, where we strolled through forest lands for several hours, as Linda educated us on the medicinal properties of the many plants we found along the way. We harvested fireweed, sticky geranium, and yarrow, to be used later in the making of balms and salves, as well as wild onion and garlic for fire cider.

There is something so comforting about walking in nature, harvesting plants that have been on this earth since ancient times, providing countless generations of people food and medicines. I’ve been told a time or two that I am an old soul and being in this environment, feeling such a strong connection to the past, I feel that may be true.

I loved this course and would highly recommend it for anyone interested in creating their own elixirs, salves and balms or want to learn more about native customs. Check out Yellowstone Forever for this and other great field seminars here.

Linda Black Elk and her husband Luke are a fantastic couple, armed with a wealth of indigenous history they are anxious to share. It was a humbling experience to be in their presence. I walked away with a notebook full of information that I am happy to share if anyone is interested.

Since cold and flu season is upon us, here are a couple of recipes that might be of interest, because it’s all about keeping it natural (at least for me):

Elderberry Elixir

Ingredients:

1 c. dried elderberries (I purchase mine from Mountain Rose Herbs.)
1 star anise
1 cinnamon stick
3 cloves
one good-sized piece of ginger (~4 slices)
4 c. good quality water
1-2 c. raw honey

Add all ingredients except honey to heavy-bottom pan. Bring to boil, then reduce to simmer. Cook down liquid to 1/2. Add honey at end, after pan removed from heat. Keep in the fridge so elixir doesn’t ferment. Lasts a long time.

NOTE: Powerful anti-viral & anti-bacterial agent. Great for treating colds.

Fire Cider

Ingredients:

1 onion, diced
1 head garlic, cloves separated & minced
3/4 c. horseradish root, finely diced
1 (6″) piece of ginger, diced
1 (6″) piece of turmeric root, diced
2-3 T. peppercorns
Chilies, sliced – add according to your heat preference. One large jalapeño might be a good start.
Unfiltered, raw apple cider vinegar

Pack all ingredients besides vinegar in 2-quart jar. Add enough vinegar to fill the jar.

Let fire cider steep for 3-4 weeks on your countertop. Shake periodically.

Strain the vinegar into a clean jar & store in fridge, where cider will keep for up to 12 months.

Enjoy a shot of this daily. Honey can be added for a little sweetness. Be forewarned, this one packs a bit of a punch! 😮

NOTE: This can be used as an expectorant and is a great tonic for sore throats. Great for those with high blood pressure and is also good for the heart.

Disclaimer: The views expressed here are my own and those of the instructor and do not necessarily represent the views of Yellowstone Forever.

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Artistry Forged by Fire and Ice ~ Yellowstone Forever Field Seminar Series, Part II

November 3, 2017November 4, 2017LuAnn

“There are two kinds of truths: the truth that lights the way and the truth that warms the heart. The first of these is science, and the second is art. Neither is independent of the other or more important than the other….The truth of art keeps science from becoming inhuman, and the truth of science keeps art from becoming ridiculous.” ~ Raymond Thornton Chandler

Day 2 of the Yellowstone Forever Field Seminar “Observing Thermal Biology and Geology” took us to Mammoth Hot Springs, where art and the world of science collide. Brace yourself for another geology lesson. 🙂

The geology at Mammoth Hot Springs, aka Mammoth Terraces, is older than that at Norris Geyser Basin, and without the “rotten egg” smell of hydrogen sulfide found in many of the thermal features throughout the park. Non-existent at Norris, limestone, a soft sedimentary rock with a high calcite mineral content, is found in abundance near Mammoth Hot Springs. It is soluble in water and weak acid solution, dissolving into calcium carbonate, also known as travertine. And it is travertine that has molded Mammoth Hot Springs in a big way.

Mammoth Hot Springs Terraces

Travertine is deposited here at the Mammoth Terraces faster than anywhere else on earth, at a rate of 5 mm per day or 7 feet per year. Mammoth Hot Springs today would have looked far different to those early visitors to the park who actually climbed onto the Terraces to soak in these waters, seeking relief for their physical ailments. In fact, travertine is being deposited at such a rapid rate that unstable rock formations have been created that often collapse under their own weight. It is not surprising that no one is allowed onto these Terraces anymore.

As our class stood looking out over Palette Springs, found at the Mammoth Terraces, we were asked to describe what we were looking at. I couldn’t help but feel like I had stepped onto another planet. Almost devoid of trees, except for those left standing as ancient silent sentinels, this sculpted, terraced alabaster mountain loomed over me, capped by a dazzling cerulean sky. Water cascaded over the edges in rivulets, and a patchwork of orange, gold, and green graced the sides and base, thanks to the work of a myriad of microbes.

Palette Springs at Mammoth Terraces. The large egg-shaped boulder on the left is Devil’s Thumb.

As at Norris Geyser Basin, microbes have created these intriguing formations. This is how cellular life began on our planet, with microbes swimming in hot spring environments. I have read that roughly 60% of all life on our planet is microbial, most buried deep below the soil we walk on.

Bruce Fouke, geobiologist who recently authored the book “The Art of Yellowstone Science – Mammoth Hot Springs as a Window on the Universe”, along with the help of professional photographer Tom Murphy, believes that it takes the blending of art and science to unravel the mysteries of hydrothermal features such as Mammoth Hot Springs.

Canary Springs majestically stands above the Mammoth Upper Terraces. The white and gray travertine are older deposits.

He has said that “the water temperature, chemistry and flow at Mammoth are similar to that found on the early Earth, and the hot springs still harbor microbial life that evolved billions of years ago.” And he should know, as he has studied this park since 1996, doing research for NASA and now through his own foundation. He had the good fortune to meet Tom Murphy in 2008, whose photographic passion since 1975 has been in telling Yellowstone’s story in breathtaking images. And I was fortunate to meet Tom Murphy and attend a slideshow presentation of his work several years ago, as well as listen to Bruce Fouke speak this past summer on his studies at Mammoth Hot Springs. As volunteers we were given a copy of his new book, which I am in the process of finishing…a fascinating read.

“Daily it is forced home on the mind of the geologist that nothing, not even the wind that blows, is so unstable as the level of the crust of this Earth.” ~ Charles Darwin

There are several boardwalks surrounding both the upper and lower Terraces. As we wandered those walkways during our class, Joshua broke down the creation of these terraces, what we were seeing above ground, and what was most likely occurring below the surface as well. To say he bolstered the elasticity of my brain matter these two days was an understatement. 🙂

Our fearless leader Joshua challenged us to participate in active observation.

When we arrived at the Upper Terraces at Mammoth Hot Springs, our naturalist assignment was made clear to us – find a pattern in color or structure and attempt to determine the microorganism involved and why the area we selected looks unlike others around it. Huh?

This is the pool I studied for my assignment. The milky substance that floats upon the surface, then later sinks, is calcite ice.

Armed with an infrared thermometer gun, pH strips, a book identifying the characteristics of specific microbes, and a journal, we went to work. Suffice to say, this assignment challenged me, but it was a great exercise in looking beyond the surface and making observations, something we often don’t take the time to do. And, I passed the class!

If you love the national parks and would love to learn more, check out the Yellowstone Forever Field Seminar catalog. There is something for everyone who has a passion for the natural world.

Disclaimer: The views expressed here are my own and do not necessarily represent the views of Yellowstone Forever.

“Humanity’s quest for a sustainable existence will define our present and future place in the universe. The art and science of Mammoth Hot Springs provides an unexpectedly insightful vantage point from which to envision this future.” ~ Bruce W. Fouke & Tom Murphy

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Where the Wild Roam Free ~ Yellowstone National Park

August 22, 2017August 22, 2017LuAnn

Life as a Yellowstone Forever volunteer at the Lamar Buffalo Ranch has been fascinating – intellectually stimulating, spiritually enriching, a kindred spirit gathering, if you will. There is a flip side, however, to this invigorating environment. It is fast-paced and can leave one a bit fatigued at the end of a long day, but we believe the rewards have far outweighed any weariness felt. As someone who longs to write about the wisdom gained this summer, sadly my schedule and being “off the grid” at the ranch has denied me the time. It seems I will be revisiting my Yellowstone adventures long after we leave on September 7th, which we allow me to reflect upon a summer lived on this landscape and how my spirit has flourished from this intimate exposure.

Until I have time to sit down and write a proper blog post on life here in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (and I have so much material with which to entice), I thought I would share some of the summer wildlife sightings we’ve seen in this magical wonderland.

Enjoy!

Bighorn sheep spotted while hiking Specimen Ridge

Northern red-shafted flicker, a member of the woodpecker family, also seen during our Specimen Ridge hike

Although I didn’t have the lens to properly snap this crafty weasel’s photo, he reluctantly came out from under a cabin and posed for me. I think he got weary of me stalking him!

I almost stepped on this fawn during a morning walk on the Buffalo Ranch grounds. Her mama most likely hid her in the sage to protect her from predators.

Peregrine falcon nesting above the Yellowstone River. Terry was looking at him through a spotting scope and used his iPhone to take this shot.

Male pronghorn resting among the wildflowers

Uinta ground squirrel peeking out of the sagebrush

Mama grizzly and her cub in the upper-right corner of the photo. We were caught in a huge bear jam so I jumped out of the car and grabbed this photo.

Another predatory bird, an osprey with a meal, who Terry captured with his iPhone through a spotting scope.

This little cutie was found up in the Beartooth Mountains and couldn’t seem to get close enough to me for a chance to get his photo taken. What an adorable marmot!

This little fledgling, the last robin to leave the nest, was found later that day, having been attacked by a Uinta squirrel…RIP little one.

Little “red dog” with horns beginning to bud

This mountain bluebird seemed to be toying with me as I patiently waited for him to land on a tree branch.

This shiny black bear had just gotten out of Phantom Lake, romping through the water, as I sat in a bear jam. Notice the red ear tag.

This massive bull bison walked down the road, right by us, and up on the hillside during my bison class.

I waited until August to finally see this magnificent bird, the trumpeter swan.

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“Crown of the Continent” ~ Glacier National Park

July 16, 2016LuAnn

“A man who keeps company with glaciers comes to feel tolerably insignificant by and by.” ~ Mark Twain

Imagine what the early explorers must have felt as they pushed their way across the Great Plains and saw a wall of mountains far in the distance. Imagine their amazement as they moved further west and those mountains loomed ever larger, peaks bathed in sunlight, surrounded by long finger-like lakes and rushing streams. As they moved deeper into the mountains, most likely bighorn sheep and mountain goats dotted the hillsides, while osprey and eagle glided overhead. Huge glaciers clung to the cliffs of the Continental Divide, instilling a sense of awe and wonder. Except for the swiftly retreating glacial ice, Glacier National Park still embodies much of this same spectacular scenery.

This was our first visit to Glacier and our 29^th national park to add to our slow-growing list. We have so much more to see! This trip was long overdue, as two previously planned visits were thwarted due to family emergencies. Our timing certainly wasn’t the best, this being the centennial – 100 years since President Woodrow Wilson signed legislation creating the new National Park Service. Record numbers of tourists are descending upon the parks this year and Glacier was no exception. But neither the hordes nor the rainy weather dampened our spirits.

While perusing displays in a visitor center, we stumbled across some interesting and alarming statistics about the glaciers in this beautiful park. In 1850 there were 150 glaciers; in 2010 only 25 remained. One placard we read claimed, “Current climate models suggest that all the glaciers in Glacier National Park will be gone by 2030.” This is a powerful example of what will be lost without global action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

sperrydancer_web_5 — “Changing Balance/Balancing Change” dancer superimposed on Sperry Glacier – photo credit nps.gov

Terry reminded me as I remarked about the high treelines on the mountains that this is yet another example of global warming. As the treelines continue to rise, alpine areas will disappear. If this occurs, what will happen to the species that depend on them? Certainly something to ponder.

One of the highlights of a visit to Glacier is traveling the Going-to-the-Sun Road, a 50-mile meandering road that combines both history and breathtaking scenery. Many national parks we’ve visited have similar roads spanning their length and, while we have found all to be beautiful and unique, Glacier may take the top prize for those parks visited to date.

Plenty of time is needed to do this road justice, as the sights seem almost endless and the photo ops many. The lush Garden Wall section will slow you down, as often there are vertical rock faces that jut out into the winding roadway, but it is a magnificent stretch of road, not to be missed.

Our top 3 picks of the park are shown below. Granted, we didn’t see all this impressive national park has to offer, but everything we saw spoke to us. What better way to describe such beauty than through photos.

1) Going-to-the-Sun Road

Just a few magical moments found while “going to the sun”.

Haystack Creek Falls

Weeping Wall – roll up your window if you don’t want to get wet.

A quick pose before his escape

A section of the Going-to-the-Sun Road

Terry at Avalanche Creek

Glacier National Park, MT

Lake McDonald Lodge is reminiscent of a Swiss chalet with a hunting lodge atmosphere.

Wild Goose Island, one of the most iconic views in the park

2) Many Glacier

Situated in the northeastern corner of the park, it is often called the heart of Glacier. It was our favorite and certainly touched our hearts.

Rapids cascading through Lake Sherburne

Many Glacier Lodge

A more placid view of Lake Sherburne

A wildflower explosion

3) Hiking

More than 700 miles of trails meander through alpine meadows and creep up mountain passes. Iceberg Lake Trail and Ptarmigan Tunnel were given high marks by friends. Because both originated from the same trailhead and we had some gas left in our tanks after going to Iceberg Lake, we decided to trek to Ptarmigan Tunnel. And boy, was it a trek! This 15-mile combo trail, with about 3000 feet of elevation gain is a not-to-be-missed hike. Be forewarned that once you get to Ptarmigan Lake, there is a series of long, steep switchbacks to trek before you arrive at the tunnel, but it would be a sin to stop at the lake.

We had also planned to hike to Grinnell Glacier, which has significantly retreated in recent decades, but time escaped us. The wheels are already in motion for another Glacier visit. 🙂

Through the Ptarmigan Tunnel, a view of Lake Elizabeth and Canada far below

A fuzzy image of a snowshoe hare hiding in the brush during a heavy rain. My first sighting in the wild!

A few icebergs remain in Iceberg Lake.

A quick marmot shot before his retreat into the brush

Rapids cascading down from Ptarmigan Lake

Me heading to Iceberg Lake

Terry ready for Ptarmigan Tunnel

A view of Ptarmigan Lake from the tunnel

Next Up: Oh Canada, here we come!

Like Going Home ~ Bozeman, MT

July 10, 2016LuAnn

“Going to the mountains is going home”. ~ John Muir

We all have that sense of going home when we revisit a place, either physically or in our daydreams, that strikes a chord in our soul. The greater Yellowstone ecosystem, of which Bozeman is a part, is reminiscent of home to us.

Rosie admiring Grotto Falls in Hyalite Canyon

So many memories swirled around me as we drove across Montana – the smell of rain on a warm summer day, pine needles wafting up from a trail crushed by our footsteps, the sight of billowy clouds hugging the limestone-crested mountaintops, the squawking of magpies as they hop across a golden meadow.

Jim, Rosie, me, & Terry enjoying the views on Triple Tree Trail

Yep, we are having that déjà vu feeling of going home as we scan the 360º mountain range view and those big Montana skies. We spent two years in Yellowstone after escaping the corporate life and fell in love with the west in a much deeper, soul-healing way. The beauty and serenity of the wild surrounds us here, creating a perfect flow. This is our “true west”.

Bozeman has been discovered since we last visited. It is tough to see land being chewed up by plot after plot of subdivisions, but it was bound to happen. Bozeman now boasts 8 breweries, a great farmers’ market, a vibrant downtown lined with boutique shops, and is on the cusp of being a “foodie town”.

Bartender, where's my beer? — Bartender, where’s my beer?

Leaving the downtown area you are immediately enveloped in uninterrupted vistas. The breathtaking beauty of six mountain ranges that almost completely surround Bozeman beckon to outdoor enthusiasts year-round, and the many ranches dotting the landscape speak to the strong conservationist spirit here.

Terry enjoying the views from Sypes Canyon Trail

Paradise Falls

Rosie and me on Shafthouse Trail

We’ve spent sunny days hiking in the Bridger Mountains, playing pickleball at the local tennis club, reconnecting with Yellowstone friends, enjoying great meals prepared by our friend Jim, and hop-scotching across the city taste-testing microbrews.

This is a place that welcomes you, a place where you begin to wonder if you could lay down more permanent roots. It has been a perfect place to spend a couple of weeks, thanks to our gracious host and hostess Jim and Rosie. We can’t thank them enough for welcoming us into their beautiful home, filling our days and evenings with fun activities and lots of laughter, watching stunning sunsets and storm clouds build while relaxing on their deck.

Just one of many character-filled old buildings around Bozeman

Blanketflower

Cody and Chief

Pretty shooting star

Mama pronghorn and her three babes

One final adventure before saying our goodbyes, and it was quite a send-off, was a magical day at the Montana Folk Festival in Butte. One of the Northwest’s largest free outdoor music festivals, the Montana Folk Festival featured multiple stages with 20+ continuous international musical performances throughout the day and into the evening. This festival rivals the national event we had been to several years earlier, also in Butte, and has continued for the past six years through the generous donations of its visitors and local sponsors.