Spring Has At Last Sprung, the Wildflowers Tell Me So...

A walk in the sage a couple weeks ago the only wildflowers we saw were a few patches of Hood's flox--one the tiniest blooms I know of perhaps 3/16" wide and nearly flat to the ground....

Hood's flox

 But yesterday right out the truck Gale spied several bunches much larger, about the size of a half dollar, daisy-like flowers, Hood's Townsendia

Hood's townsendia

From that point on we were never out of sight of one flower or another such as the pretty mountain bluebells; a bit larger and standing taller than Hood's flox, against the gray/brown sagebrush and brown grass bluebells are difficult to miss...

Mountain bluebell

Not much drab about the few seeded draba and while these too fall into the really tiny class the yellow stands out like a beacon in the night sky might...

Few-seeded draba

Moss campanion is another tiny flower but the bright pink stands out and in some places rivals Hood's flox in abundance, like everywhere you look...

Moss campanion

Many think of sagebrush as wasteland, lifeless, empty and worthless but nothing could be further from the truth. Take a hike most anytime and chances are you will bump into all sorts of wildlife: elk, moose, antelope, mule and whitetail deer, songbirds, sage hens. pygmy, cottontail and jack rabbits, badger, coyote, golden eagles, you name it. Obviously spring is one of the best times, don't buy it? Take a hike and see for your ownself...over and out...Chuck

Upper Big Hole Wildflower Walk

What a difference a week makes. Last week wildflowers in the upper Big Hole valley were hard to find, to non-existent. A week later the entire valley seems to be in bloom. Lupine (blue and yellow and even a few whites), paint brush, blue camas, penstemon (sp.), elephant head, rocky mountain iris, oregon grape, sticky geranium, mariposa lily, and several more I can't recall at the moment.

Creeks are still brim full but some are starting to drop to more normal early July levels...notably Bull and West Fork Fish Trap creeks. More whitetails sighted than any other single day in the valley and everywhere we went were antelope and a ton of babies...

Travel: Beaverhead Deerlodge National Forest

Each spring as soon as the roads in the BNF are passable we head to one of the many tributaries of the Big Hole to fish...at least that is Plan A. Many times, especially early on high water cancels the fishing and forces us to switch to Plan B...basically this involves nothing more complicated than taking a hike...poking around would be another way of putting it.

As this photo shows the ongoing pine beetle infestation is taking a terrible toll. One that will change the look of the forest for many decades...way more than we have left. With no end in sight and essentially no way of stopping it until it runs its course...however long that is...many millions acres forest stands to be lost. Aside from the obvious loss scenery-wise a wildland fire starting at the wrong time and place...well, it could really be something. 

I can't tell you how many trout have grabbed our flies in this little crick over the many years we've known it but...a bunch doesn't begin to tell the tale. Even with it raging as we found early this spring still all it usually takes is a couple swings of a soft hackle or a few drifts of whatever dry happens to suit our fancy at the moment.

Once runoff ends Annie can easily hop across this crick just about anywhere. Even shakers have no problem finding a narrow enough spot to step across. Like the one pictured above it too holds more trout than you can shake the proverbial stick...brook, rainbow, rainbow/cutthroat hybrids and even the occasional pure strain cutthroat...at least that's how we call 'em...biologists of course disagree...but hell, if it quacks like a duck...

Twin Lakes in the west Big Hole is among the prettiest lakes around. Although from our point of view one of the lousiest fishin' holes around. I think I might have once had a tug but then again that could be just an old man's vivid imagination. I know for sure have never landed a single trout here...supposed to hold the remnants of a native strain of lake trout and rainbow but like I said can't prove it by me.

The BDNF is so huge it boggles the mind...something like 3.5 million acres. A few days ago we drove 3 hours on the highway to Wade Lake, down below Ennis not far from the 3-Dollar Bridge and just a hop skip and jump from Yellowstone National Park..yep, you guessed it still in the BDNF.

This time around Plan A was to celebrate our Anniversary...29, maybe 39 years but who's counting...In case you wondered the celebration came off without a hitch, while Plan B the fishing...well there wasn't much fishing. But we did get to poke around for a few days in one of the niftiest corners the forest and one thing not lacking was the wildflower viewing...Although due to the weird spring we've been enduring peak wildflower season is still a week or so away...anyway twas a fun time enjoyed by all, ugly dogs included.

This is Wade's sister Cliff Lake just over the hill. Both are part of the so-called Chain of Lakes which includes Elk, Hidden, Goose, Otter and Smith. Unlike most other "chains" these are not anyway connected and a far hike indeed should you want to go end to end...But all are scenic, essentially un-developed, feature some the bluest water on the planet with white sand shallows, and pretty good fishing (bring a boat)...I know better but for reasons I still don't understand failed to act...geezer thinking strikes again...ahhgg 

Good bourbon, good wine, good steaks, great company, like I said, all in all a pretty damn nifty way to celebrate don't you agree...

This guy "did" think to bring a boat...

Three Dollar Bridge on the upper Madison River...

Mama moose and baby just above our campground within sight Wade Lake...

Snowmelt Ponds Attract A Wide Variety Migrating Waterfowl

Each spring snowmelt ponds attract legions of migrating waterfowl and shorebirds. In our area the upper Big Hole is at times nearly wall to wall running and ponded water and every sort of water bird imaginable eventually shows up there. Though viewing wise, yesterday was on the slow side compared to most early spring days.

But still we spied numerous teal, such as this pair of cinnamons as well as blue and green winged, widgeon, pintails, goldeyes, Canada geese, northern shovelers and probably a few ringnecks, although too far out to really make a positive ID. In addition we saw several pairs sandhill cranes (like the water birds not nearly as many as usual), numerous hawks (ferruginous, northern harriers, one redtail, several ospreys) and a couple golden eagles. Songbirds other than ubiquitous robins and redwing blackbirds and non-descript sparrows and such (non-descript in that we did not take time to ID) were also for some unknown to us reasons in short supply also. Maybe too early who knows? Ravens and magpies were of course everywhere and so were antelope, most of which, especially in the morning, were on the move. Though we didn't see any elk we did spy several big bunches of mule deer. Add one pile fresh moose turds not far from Miner Creek and as you can see the day weren't all bad.

Still too early for a real wildflower show but we did see sagebrush buttercup and a small penstemon blooming. And while the occasional willow was laden with pussies most were still barren?

Surprising to us the upper Big Hole was not at all as high and off-color as usual. Actually quite fishable but alas we had the dogs along and didn't feel like dealing with the usual chaos their first fishing trip of the year always brings. Maybe next time.