There are many beautiful mountain drives in the American West and I have travelled many of them. If asked to pick my favorite, it would be the Beartooth Highway in Montana and Wyoming. The road spans 68 miles from Red Lodge, Montana, to the northeast entrance of Yellowstone National Park. I have travelled this highway…
Category: Natural History
King of the Pines
There are giants in the mountains near the West Coast of the U.S. These giants are sugar pine trees (Pinus lambertiana), sometimes known as the “King of the Pines”. They grow in mixed conifer forests of the coastal and inland mountains of the Pacific Coast in southern Oregon and northern and western California. There is…
Western Tanager
While walking through a ponderosa pine forest in a western mountain range, a flash of color against the green background of pine needles caught my attention. Careful observation revealed a small bird flying from branch to branch in the uppermost branches of a large pine. The bird’s bright yellow body, red head, black tail, and…
Buffalo Bill Center of the West
One of my all-time favorite towns is Cody, Wyoming. Situated at the base of the Absaroka Mountains, Cody is the eastern gateway community for Yellowstone National Park. The heart of Cody’s main street business district exhibits Western charm. Some buildings are original with the centerpiece being the Irma Hotel, which Buffalo Bill Cody built and…
Bison: The Symbol of the West
Nothing symbolizes the American West more than the American Bison (Bison bison), the nation’s national mammal. Although commonly referred to as buffalo, bison are not actually buffalo. True buffalo are a different animal found only in Asia and Africa. Still, the name buffalo continues to be used interchangeably for bison. Bison once populated the grasslands…
American Pine Marten
Most people, if asked to name wildlife species in the West, would probably include bison, moose, elk, bighorn sheep, etc., all large charismatic megafauna. However, there are many other species, less well known, that are important members of the West’s wildlife tapestry. One such animal is the American pine marten. Pine martens are domestic cat-sized…
Quakies
Quaking aspens, Populus tremuloides, sometimes known as trembling aspens or Quakies, are the most widely distributed native tree in North America. In the U.S., they are most prevalent in the northern areas of the Northeast and Upper Midwest. However, they have a significant presence in the mountain areas of the western U.S. Most quaking aspens…
General Grant National Park?
On October 1,1890, Congress established two new national parks – Yosemite and General Grant. The much smaller General Grant National Park was four square miles on the western slope of the Sierra Nevada about 64 miles due east of Fresno, California. The park was established for the purpose of protecting two groves of giant sequoia…
Monarchs of the West
In my opinion, elk are the monarchs of the West. They are magnificent creatures, especially mature bull elk with their massive antlers. Mature bull elk can weigh up to 1,000 pounds and their antlers can weigh as much as 50 pounds. They are handsome animals with dark brown heads, necks, legs, and bellies. Most of…
Mountain Meadow Harmony
For my first post on the notable flora of the American West, I have chosen to write about lupine and arrowleaf balsamroot. They are often companion species found blooming together throughout much of the West. In my opinion, lupine is the wildflower that most represents the American West. Arrowleaf balsamroot would not be far behind….