Self portrait with Sky Pilot, Bitterroot Mountains, Montana
Hey everybody! Sorry for the lack of posts lately. I hope you haven’t missed me too much. At least one of you has: I got an email from a reader today asking if I was all right! Yes, I’m fine. In fact, I’m fantastic! I have no excuse for not blogging this week. I’ve just been driving, hiking, working, writing, visiting friends and generally enjoying the hell out of life. Along the way, I’ve been saying yes to new experiences (zip lining!), collecting thoughts, composing stories and taking lots of pictures so don’t worry, I’ll be letting all of you in on my adventures soon, I promise. 😉 M
Travels with the Blonde Coyote 
Have missed you. Zip line? Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.
Haha thanks Alice! That’s exactly what I said: wheeeeeeeeee!
That is straight out of the Lord of the Rings.
Great photo!
You certainly are… (living the dream)! Way to go!
You need a break Mary,but don’t be long because we miss you.
We can only truly be sure of this once go around, so continue to live it FULLY ENGAGED
I was wondering about you myself. Keep on LIVING….that’s why we are here.
Take care,
Joni
I’ve hiked to the fire tower at the top of St. Mary’s Mountain in the Bitterroot Range, but the rest of what I have seen of the Bitterroots has been from the highway. Love the photo here – it is magical! What trail were you on – I’d love to hike there on my next trip to Montana.
Not sure if my last couple of posts made it on, so will repost here. Sorry if it is a repeat. My grandmother used live in the Bitterroot Valley and we could see St. Mary’s and the two neighboring peaks out her big kitchen window. My two sisters also live in the Bitterroot Valley. I have hiked to the fire tower on St. Mary’s Mountain, twice. But beyond that, all I have seen of the Bitterroots has been from the highway. I love this photo – it is magical! What trail were you on? I’d love to hike there on my next trip to Montana.
Hi Carol! I spent a summer housesitting in the Bitterroot Valley, so it’s a special place for me too. I’ve climbed Mary’s Peak a few times as well. This photo was taken along the Blodgett Canyon trail, near Hamilton. The lighting is kind of smokey/ ethereal thanks to several forest fires burning in the area. I did a 3 day backpacking trip up this canyon into Idaho years ago, which I’d highly recommend. Just watch out for moose! I had an angry momma cow chase me around a tree on that trail! M
Hi Mary,
Thanks for your reply. I wrote down Blodgett Canyon on my Places-to-See list. Even though I lived in Montana most of life, I haven’t done much backpacking there. Backpacked in Glacier with my daughter and her husband a couple of years ago,and that was wonderful. Would love to give Blodgett Canyon a try. I wouldn’t have thought moose would be up in the mountains – I thought they were more river-bottom animals – but I would certainly keep an eye out for them. Thanks for the warning! Carol