These photos tell the story of writer John Nichols’ love affair with the wild.
Mountain West
Posted inMarch 20, 2017: The Tree Ring
Untethered existences; Tacos in traffic; movin’ on up in Seattle
Mishaps and mayhem from around the region.
Posted inArticles
If Colorado wants the Outdoor Retailer show, it should earn it
Big Rec wants to make a statement. Staying out of Colorado would be a strong one.
Posted inMay 1, 2017: Change Comes to Short Creek
Republicans push to split the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals
Bills to break up the big Western court have reappeared in Congress.
Posted inMarch 6, 2017: Uncomfortable Corners
Backpacking the blast zone
At Mount St. Helens, they never say ‘recovery.’
Posted inMarch 20, 2017: The Tree Ring
Return of the grizzly?
Feds consider transplanting bears into Washington’s North Cascades.
Posted inFebruary 20, 2017: Overdosed
When private pain becomes a community problem
How a rural clinic sparked a small-town addiction crisis.
Posted inJanuary 23, 2017: For Which it Stands
The heartache of Montana’s solitude
Two new fiction works from Big Sky Country crave human connectivity.
Posted inArticles
Colorado’s controversial plan to kill predators
A study plans to remove mountain lions and black bears to boost mule deer.
Posted inArticles
Ski areas add warm-weather options
Forest Service has made it easier for resorts to include summer activities.
Posted inArticles
How to fix exclusive resort towns
It’s time to rethink urbanization in mountain communities.
Posted inDecember 26, 2016: Obama and the West
Where species will find refuge
Nooks and crannies offer safe harbor from a changing climate.
Posted inArticles
American pika disappearing from Western regions
The pika is fading from historical habitat and a new study points to climate change.
Posted inJuly 25, 2016: Salmon Power
‘Keep It in the Ground’ prompts online oil and gas leasing auctions
Protests against drilling on public lands continue.
Posted inJune 13, 2016: Water to Dust
Taking water’s measure
A three-day trip to measure Montana’s snowpack follows a century of tradition.
Posted inMay 16, 2016: Grizzly Face-Off
As delisting looms, grizzly advocates prepare for a final face-off
The Yellowstone grizzly population is poised to lose its endangered status, leaving protection in the hands of the states.
Posted inApril 4, 2016: A Land Divided
Can a legal victory make Indian Country whole again?
For over a century, federal law has split Native American land holdings into tiny pieces. A settlement unites some of the splinters, but at a steep cost.
Posted inApril 4, 2016: A Land Divided
In bison recovery, scientists start small
A new approach to bison conservation focuses on many small herds on a patchwork of public and private land.
Posted inArticles
Interactive timeline: Fish & Wildlife Service proposes to delist Yellowstone grizzly
Decision marks the second time the grizzly has faced loss of federal protection.
Posted inFebruary 22, 2016: Fractured
How the wild Northern Rockies were saved — and who led the way
A new book looks at the ordinary citizens who fought for wilderness designations.