Belle Turnbull found transcendence in the Colorado Rockies.
Mountain West
Posted inNovember 13, 2017: Solace and Perspective
Deer at recess; Stranded in Kanab; A brain-eating mantis
Mishaps and mayhem around the region.
Posted inOctober 30, 2017: The Changing Face of Woods Work
The changing politics of woods work
Cash-strapped agencies use private contractors to the detriment of local communities.
Posted inArticles
‘Diabolical’ mussels begin their march into Montana
Divisions between state and tribal agencies could keep the door open for a most unwelcome visitor.
Posted inSeptember 4, 2017: The Elwha, Unleashed
Will Utah dam the Bear River?
The Wasatch Front faces drier times and a growing population, threatening the Great Salt Lake.
Posted inArticles
The fire season by the numbers
Fire agencies are preparing for the eclipse hordes, in the midst of a large fire season.
Posted inArticles
What I learned from Iraqi and Kurdish students in Montana
Seeing encounters between foreign students and rural Westerners was eye opening.
Posted inArticles
The political right and left are stuck in polarizing myths
Neighbors in a small Colorado town are splintered, but neither are correct.
Posted inJune 26, 2017: Personal Pilgrimage
A network of trails that spans the country
The National Trails System, by the numbers.
Posted inJune 26, 2017: Personal Pilgrimage
Meet the woman behind Colorado’s highest trails
How trail designer Loretta McEllhiney protects mountains from people.
Posted inJune 26, 2017: Personal Pilgrimage
Why thru-hiking would be a disaster for the Yaak Valley
A long-distance trail would disrupt badly needed grizzly habitat.
Posted inJune 12, 2017: The Big Swing
The Big Swing: Why a blue Colorado county voted for Trump
How a wave of retirees and a changed economic landscape reshaped rural politics.
Posted inArticles
Why the Endangered Species Act can’t save whitebark pines
Politics, money and climate change threaten one of the West’s iconic trees.
Posted inArticles
LNG project rises again, with support from Mountain states
White House backing could ease approval for Oregon’s Jordan Cove terminal.
Posted inMay 29, 2017: The Cost of a Comeback
The cost of the bighorn comeback
In California’s Eastern Sierra, bringing back bighorn has meant killing more mountain lions.
Posted inMay 29, 2017: The Cost of a Comeback
Meet Jane, a climate scientist who fled Trump’s government
Worries about science censorship drove her from her post at the Energy Department.
Posted inMay 29, 2017: The Cost of a Comeback
Death on the river
As summer rafting season begins, safe passage to all river runners.
Posted inArticles
Winter snows bring spring flows
After a record low two years ago, this season’s substantial Sierra snowpack highlights the variability of winter weather in the West.
Posted inMarch 20, 2017: The Tree Ring
Nature got your heart?
These photos tell the story of writer John Nichols’ love affair with the wild.
Posted inMarch 20, 2017: The Tree Ring
Untethered existences; Tacos in traffic; movin’ on up in Seattle
Mishaps and mayhem from around the region.