I wake up at 6:45am not ready for my day to start. I snuggle further into my bed knowing it will just make getting up even harder. Finally, I throw back the sheets and crawl out of bed. I change and get my things ready to go. I wait for my running partner to finish […]
Are You Ready for the Wilderness?
As a Naturalist, I do multiple Leave No Trace (LNT) talks every week. We stand at trailheads and talk to people going out into the wilderness about the Sawtooth Wilderness regulations and how to best respect the wilderness. Having talked about LNT so often, I have come to have my own opinion on which could […]
From Redd to Shining Redd
I am born. An alevin in a cold rocky bed With a thousand of my siblings by my side I think I’ll hide in the rocks for a while I am hungry. As a fry my yoke has been used up And I must seek food for the first time I think I see […]
My Sleeping Bag
It’s cold up her in the mountains My sleeping bag is warm If I stay I can day dream Read and pretend I am far away But if I get out Oh the things I can do and see I can find a secrete waterfall Follow it to its source Wash my face in its […]
Seeing Salmon
The Salmon are here! The Salmon are here! Ever since I arrived in Stanley this summer, I have heard countless people tell me that seeing the salmon swimming throughout the creek is one of the best sights of the summer. I am so glad that the Kokanee started to swim up Fishhook Creek before I […]
Digging Up History in the Sawtooth N.R.A.
When I took the job at the Stanley Museum, I never expected that I would be using my geology knowledge as much as I have this summer. I expected to enlighten folks with information regarding the mining in the Stanley Basin and up the Yankee Fork, but little did I know that I would use […]
Anchor Points of History
A few weeks ago I posted a silly photograph on my social media. In it, I wore a dusty old work shirt, a dirty ball cap, a head lamp, and a neck gator pulled up over my nose in a make-shift mask. I captioned it, “miner or museum docent?” While the photograph served to make […]
A Question for the Wilderness
As the world turns to greet a new age, our natural places are once again questioned as to their purpose and their roll in the scope of humanity. Idaho, in particular, has moved like a shapeshifter through its various uses and identities as settlers have met this land. Fur trapping, Mining, ranching, sheepherding, and potato […]
The Sawtooth Community
While the Sawtooth Mountains are beautiful and amazing, one thing that I love about living in the Sawtooth Valley for the summer are the people. Every person that I have talked to loves and cares about the Sawtooth Valley. The mountains have created a sense of community among everyone. Growing up, I would spend my […]
A Child’s Wonder
We are on an adventure. Mom says our adventure today will take us to Lady Face Falls. We finally pull into a parking lot and I can see where we will start our journey. But first, sunscreen and bug spray. Mom pulls my tight curls into a pony tail and pulls it through a ball […]