Author: BradinMontana

The lighting for Mount Helena was not terrific, but the cloud formation above the hill was worth stopping on the street and grabbing a quick image. Helena is a such beautiful place to live, work, and play.

I went out midday, looking for a short-eared owl that had been cited in the Helena valley. I was unsuccessful at finding the owl. I did, however, find a porcupine eating the cambium layer of a tree. He was decently far away and refused to cooperate and give me a good view of his face,…

The Scratchgravels were looking pretty inviting as I walked the Labrador at the Fairgrounds today. If it hadn’t been -17f (-27c), I might have headed out there and done a nice walk. I suspect there are Red Crossbills in the ‘gravels right now.  But the Lab really cannot take deep snow and sub-zero any more.…

It was 35° (1°c) and snowing when I snapped this image- which was wonderful. But we’re heading towards a low of -20° (-29°c) on Friday morning. More snow is forecast and we have a high wind warning, as well. This may be the last trail walk for a few days. The Labrador is getting a…

What a crazy day. We found a single Phlox with a white bloom, a Field Pussytoes growing and looking happy and healthy, a similarly healthy looking Prairie Smoke plant looking green and lush and the another one that I am struggling to ID. January is no time for plants to be growing in the hills…

That’s a wrap!  My final walk of the year has occurred. So, these are my stats for 2023. I am up in 2023 when compared with 2022, but not by a lot. I am hopeful that I can make 6 million steps and 1,000 miles of hiking in 2024.  I might even try to slip…

December has been unseasonably warm (and just a bit wonderful). When I woke up this morning, I had 76 miles (122km) of hiking for the month of December. I decided it might be nice to try to break the 80 mile mark. As a point of refence, I was able to get 157 miles (252km)…

The latest website that I have been working on is live. It’s incomplete, and I have a lot of work to do on it, but it’s out there. HelenaOutdoors.com The Greater Helena Area has better access to trails, including over 15 miles (24km) of accessible trails, than does any other city in Montana. If you’re…

This little vignette of color and texture stopped me as I was walking the Labrador up the Quarry Trail on Mount Helena today. We have about five species of cactus in this area. This one is always nice to find. Missouri Foxtail Cactus- Coryphantha missouriensis

The full moon rising over the Big Belt Mountain pulled us all out on the deck this evening. This valley can be stunningly beautiful.