Have you ever witnessed an avalanche? They are awesome, terrifying and among the greatest dangers to human life that one may encounter in the back country. In the United States, over the past ten years there has been an average of 25 avalanche fatalities per year. The majority of avalanches affecting people are triggered by people. Skiers, snowmobilers and everyone that travels in avalanche-prone areas should remain vigilant and aware.
Do you often put off until tomorrow tasks that you should do today? I know I am guilty of deferring actions until a later date when it would be in my best interests to just “do it” now. However, I procrastinate, avoiding action, hoping a task or problem will just “go away”. It seldom does. Avoidance often makes the situation worse.
Brilliant, beautiful and highly prized, the Yogo sapphire is the most precious gemstone mined in the United States and is an official gemstone of Montana. Breathtaking to behold, the Yogo sapphire is found only in Montana. Yogos are unique among the sapphires of the world. Whereas most of the sapphires found around the world vary greatly in color and quality, the Yogo sapphire’s unusual “corn-flower” blue color is natural (rather than heat treated) and color and clarity are uniformly high.
Montana is home to an amazing and fascinating natural phenomenon: Grasshopper Glacier. Near Cooke City, Montana, in the heart of the Beartooth Mountain Range, Grasshopper Glacier is named for the millions of grasshoppers entombed within the lower fringes of its ice.
Beaver (Castor canadensis), semi-aquatic mammals, are the largest rodents in North America, north of Panama and they are the second largest rodent in the entire world (after the capybara). They are closely related to rats, squirrels and marmots. Beavers have an average lifespan of 12-15 years, however; beavers over 20 years old are not uncommon. Mature beavers normally weigh from 40 to 60 pounds, however many will reach a weight of close to 100 lbs.
Is it possible that certain people can discover water, minerals or oil hundreds of feet beneath the surface of the Earth simply by using their mind? Since biblical times, dowsers have claimed they can find water, buried treasure or hidden objects by using only their senses and a twig.
Expert Author: Marlene Affeld | Category: Hunting Today I went through my mining supplies, sorting things out and putting gear away for the winter. I noticed my metal detector gathering dust in the corner of the shed. Shame on me. It is a great tool and I have neglected it. I have a Fisher Gold Bug - a few years old. Although several very fine new detectors with great add-on features have come on the market since I purchased the unit a few years ago, it is a reliable workhorse that gets the job done.
Since biblical times agates have been considered power stones, talismans of protection and healing energy. The agates found in Montana are no exception. Native Americans believed the intriguing stone told stories from the earth mother and provided protection. It was the stone of warriors. Montana Moss Agate is considered by many to be the most powerful of all agates and is said to ward off storms.
Montana is a paleontologist’s paradise and famous worldwide for its wealth of dinosaur fossils. Scientists, consumed with a passion to understand the history of life on earth, have discovered over seventy-five different species of dinosaurs in Montana. More dinosaurs have been discovered in Montana than in any other state in the Union.
Cave walls and cliff faces bear witness to the travels, hunts and brave deeds of prehistoric hunters and their historic American Indian counterparts that inhabited the caves sporadically for a period of nearly 10,000 years. These early residents of Montana left behind a rich legacy of artifacts and painted images that many feel have magical significance; evocative and mystical, they fire our imagination and connect us with our past.
The most visited place in Montana, Glacier National Park is a crown jewel in America’s National Park System. The park derived its name from the more than 50 perennial ice fields within its 1600 square miles of pristine wilderness that spans the Continental Divide. The park has over 200 alpine lakes, 700 miles of maintained hiking trails and almost 1000 miles of creeks, rivers and waterfalls.
Mystical and majestic, the Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep is a treasured member of Montana’s wildlife heritage and an icon of the American West. Bighorn Sheep are amazingly sure-footed, swift and strong. Considered the most sociable of Montana’s big game animals, big horn sheep delight and intrigue; to view these incredible animals in the wild is a moment of magic.
Winter storms are the most life-threatening of any natural hazard Montanans face. Accurate statistics on winter related deaths are hard to tally, however Montana has one of the highest cold weather related death counts in the nation. Numerous people succumb to hypothermia due to extended exposure to the cold, traffic accidents on icy, snow covered roads, heart attacks from overexertion and avalanche activity.
People who have spent some time in Montana tell eerie tales of the warm winter winds. Have you ever experienced a chinook? If so, you surely remember the sudden change in the weather. A dismal, gray, snowy day and suddenly everything doesn’t look quite so bleak. A bit of sunshine breaks through the dark cloud cover and the day begins to brighten. A frigid cold day warms.
Expert Author: Marlene Affeld | Category: Birds Ospreys (Pandion haliaetus), when hunting on the wing, seem to glide effortlessly over the water. Smaller than an eagle, an osprey is still an impressive raptor. With wingspans of up to 72 inches and up to 24 inches in length and a weight of almost 5 pounds, the osprey is a wonderful addition to Montana’s rich abundance of bird life.
Expert Author: Marlene Affeld | Category: Fishing Montana is blessed with water; gin-clear cold water. Fed from glaciers, winter snowpack and deep mountain springs, Montana’s pristine chilly waters are a perfect habitat for trout. Rainbow, Lake, Cutthroat, Brown and Brook Trout thrive to the delight of bears and anglers.
The Hoary Marmot, largest of the North American sciurid rodents, is a fascinating, charismatic animal. Marmot population biology, their impact on the ecosystem, physiology and behavior is studied world wide. The only holiday in the United States to be named after an animal, is named for a marmot - Groundhog’s Day. Closely related to tree squirrels, prairie dogs and groundhogs, hoary marmots are the largest ground dwelling squirrels in the world.
Expert Author: Marlene Affeld | Category: Birds Majestic and regal, the snow-white Trumpeter Swan (Cygnus buccinator) is a spectacular sight. Trumpeter Swans belong to the avian order Anseriformes, family Anatida, along with ducks and geese. Flaunting a wingspan of over seven feet and a height of four feet, the Trumpeter Swan is the largest native waterfowl species not only in Montana but in all of North America. With an average body weight of 25-30 pounds and large males weighing over 35 pounds, the Trumpeter Swan is the heaviest bird in North America and is considered one of the heaviest flying birds in the world.
Although it is sunny, ominous black clouds lay low on the horizon. The day matches my dark mood. I am grieving. A kind neighbor, Lyle, is on his way to come to cut down and remove seven of the magnificent trees on my land. It is painful to fall trees that I have pruned and nurtured for many years. I have no choice, they are infected with the dreaded Mountain Pine Beetle.
Expert Author: Marlene Affeld | Category: Birds If you spend time in the woods of Montana, you are undoubtedly familiar with the rhythmic rat-tat-tat of the woodpecker as it chisels its beak into the bark of a tree. Their familiar drum rolls are heard most often in the spring but are common all year long.
