A Water Education

“Emerald, that was a really moving essay about your dad,” a friend commented after my reading of a piece published in a department literary magazine a few years ago. “But Continue reading →

Red Squares

When I was twelve years old, I went on a Middle Fork of the Salmon river trip with my family and a group of their boating buddies. I built sand Continue reading →

The Lookout

The lookout is on the almost highest point of a craggy peak, as lookouts tend to be. Below its windows are a skirt of snow swept mountains hemmed by a Continue reading →

V-Day

“It’s a bunch of Hallmark bullshit” grumbles a friend. “So, I’m guessing you haven’t decided on a Valentines Day present yet?” I ask. “I still have time!” she exclaims, voice Continue reading →

Ladies Boat

A half yell/half tune erupts from the bow of the eighteen foot raft. “Ohhhh it’s ladies boat! And we hope it floats!” I roll my eyes at the ruckus but Continue reading →

Grand

Four of us pile into the SUV in the Days Inn parking lot. A bright orange kayak has been haphazardly strapped to the roof rack, my face is smashed against Continue reading →

The Climber Grunt

“SUT!” I have never been much for meditation. To be sure, I have made many attempts at sitting cross-legged, breathing deeply, pushing energy into my internal organs (though I couldn’t Continue reading →

Missoula Mountain Start

Every person in an active mountain town has heard of the alpine start – the term for waking up at 3 AM, skinning or hiking by headlamp, reaching the summit Continue reading →

Seeing the River for the Fish, Seeing the River for the Waves

The ground has just begun to stretch awake from winter in Beartrap Canyon of the Madison River. Although free of snow, the trail rings frozen under my boots and the Continue reading →

The Trip to Colstrip, Revised

I recently got some pretty scathing replies to a piece I wrote last year called The Trip to Colstrip. Interestingly enough, the points that “Cheryl” and “Cobra77″ made were very Continue reading →