Generated by All in One SEO v5.0.0.1, this is an llms.txt file, used by LLMs to index the site. # Matthew Singer Educator, Biologist, Photographer, Geocacher, Adventurer, and more... ## Sitemaps - [XML Sitemap](https://www.mineral2.com/sitemap.xml): Contains all public & indexable URLs for this website. ## Posts - [Stories](https://www.mineral2.com/stories/) - [Our Weekend Getaway: Wallowa Country](https://www.mineral2.com/travel/our-weekend-getaway-wallowa-country/) - Introduction Almost one year ago, I married the most wonderful girl in the world. Unfortunately, we did not have time to take a nice honeymoon. We spent the night after the wedding at the luxurious Bedford Springs resort, but that was it. Our intentions were to take a trip later in the year, but as - [Backpacking: Granite Lake](https://www.mineral2.com/personal/backpacking-granite-lake/) - When I first moved to Idaho, I would study Google Earth to look for places to explore. The Cabinet Mountains across the border in Montana stood out with its high peaks and alpine lakes. The largest of these is Granite Lake and it sits beneath one of the highest peaks in the range. I never - [Backpacking ... for real](https://www.mineral2.com/travel/hikes/backpacking-for-real/) - After our jaunt to the fire tower on Shorty Peak, we decided to go out for a more conventional backpacking trip - the kind where we bring everything we need with us, including the shelter. We chose the upper priest river, a relatively mild trail to get us started. This trail goes 8 miles along - [Backpacking... sort of](https://www.mineral2.com/travel/hikes/backpacking-sort-of/) - It's good to be back on the trail. Backpacking has been absent from my life for quite some time, and I am excited to change that. On this trip, I hiked 2.5 miles and 1500 feet up to a forest service fire lookout that has been converted into a cabin for rent. Shorty Peak tops - [Moscow Mountain Snowshoe](https://www.mineral2.com/travel/hikes/moscow-mountain-snowshoe/) - Saturday, January 14, 2017 It's not often that I get out to hike these days. But we've had a fantastic winter so far, and after a week of insanely cold temperatures and clear weather, I just had to get out and take advantage before the warm weather and rains took over. I've always wanted to - [Sand Mountain Trail](https://www.mineral2.com/travel/hikes/sand-mountain-trail/) - I don't get out hiking or geocaching often these days. With geocaching, it makes sense. I've found nearly all of the geocaches in a close distance to home and town, forcing me to travel farther distances just to make a find. But when it comes to hiking, I have less of an excuse. I don't - [Fourth of July](https://www.mineral2.com/travel/hikes/fourth-of-july/) - For many years, I have spent my Fourth of July basking in the part of America that I enjoy the most: its wild and natural beauty. It started in 2011 when I explored the Hobo Cedar Grove for the first time. Then again in 2013 when I hiked Grandmother Mountain. In 2015, I spent the - [What have I been up to?](https://www.mineral2.com/personal/what-have-i-been-up-to/) - It has been quite some time since I last made a post here, so I'd say I'm a bit overdue for an update. For the past two and a half years, I have been living in northwestern North Dakota. Saying this is an adjustment is an understatement. North Dakota is considerably flatter than any place - [What's your travel style?](https://www.mineral2.com/travel/whats-your-travel-style/) - When I think about the way I travel and the way others travel, there are two extremes at the ends of a spectrum: on one side, we fit in everything we can see during our limited time at a destination; on the other side, we stick to a small area and get to know it - [A Spiritual Moment](https://www.mineral2.com/personal/a-spiritual-moment/) - My trip to the Redwoods had a profound effect on me. I can't really explain what it was or why. I've been to many amazing and beautiful places never come back as humbled and rejuvenated as I had on this last trip. But everything about it just put me at ease and at awe. It - [The Prairie in Bloom](https://www.mineral2.com/personal/the-prairie-in-bloom/) - With the school year over and nice weather upon us, I've had some free time to get out and explore the landscape beyond Williston. I've been out on the prairie twice to discover the array of early wildflowers in the grasslands. This is the time of year when I feel like I could actually enjoy - [Seven Devils on the Fourth of July](https://www.mineral2.com/travel/hikes/seven-devils-on-the-fourth-of-july/) - What do you do when temperatures rise above 100º F? Seek relief at very high elevations. This June was one of the hottest on record for the northwest with several days above 100 degrees in Moscow. So when my friends proposed a backpacking trip for the Fourth of July weekend, i was a bit skeptical, - [Adventures with Clara: Hobo Cedar Grove](https://www.mineral2.com/travel/hikes/adventures-with-clara-hobo-cedar-grove/) - The Hobo Cedar Grove is a nice easy 1-mile hike through a grove of giant old-growth trees. It is the perfect hike for toddlers to explore nature, which is why we brought Clara up there on Sunday. She enjoyed the large trees, but wasn't into walking the trail much. Eventually Erin had to carry her - [Camping at Hazard Lake](https://www.mineral2.com/personal/camping-at-hazard-lake/) - In May we bought a new tent to accommodate our growing family on camping trips. I guess the two-person backpacking tent just won't do it anymore for thee people and two large dogs. So after we bought it, we took it out for its maiden test at a nearby campground. This summer was dubbed the - [Why you're working from home, Part 2: A Shiny Model](https://www.mineral2.com/personal/why-youre-working-from-home-part-2-a-shiny-model/) - Immediately after I published my last post, I wasn't content with the manner in which I conveyed the SIR model. Simply posting graphs from scenarios that I ran isn't exciting. It's passive, and it doesn't actively demonstrate for the reader how social distancing does work to reduce infection rates. I wanted something interactive. Something that - [Why you're working from home: An introduction to epidemiological modeling](https://www.mineral2.com/science/why-youre-working-from-home-an-introduction-to-epidemiological-modeling/) - The COVID-19 virus is sweeping the world causing an equally contagious pandemic of fear and confusion. Depending on where you live, you may be ordered to stay home, going out only when necessary, or there may be no restrictions on your life, leaving it up to you to decide how to go about your day - [Mexico, Auroras, and other June Fun](https://www.mineral2.com/personal/mexico-auroras-and-other-june-fun/) - I'm a bit late getting some updates out, so I'm going to condense about 3 posts in to one in the hopes that I can get caught up. So let's start with my trip to Mexico. If it wasn't obvious from my last post, I went down to the Mayan Riviera with Erin and the - [Labor Day Weekend: Backpacking the Seven Devils](https://www.mineral2.com/travel/hikes/labor-day-weekend-backpacking-the-seven-devils/) - This is the story of how Dan Beck and I ended up spending much of our Labor Day weekend in the backcountry of one of Idaho's most scenic and rugged mountain ranges, the Seven Devils. It begins over a week before when I sent out a message for a backpacking trip over Labor Day weekend. - [LaTeX](https://www.mineral2.com/personal/latex/) - This semester, one of my classes has required me to turn in all of my assignments in LaTeX. LaTeX (la-tek) is built on TeX, a typesetting language meant to produce beautiful documents reminiscent of the days when papers were printed from engraved plates. Typesetting was an art that got lost in the digital - [Geocaching](https://www.mineral2.com/personal/geocaching/) - In case you weren't aware, Geocaching is one of my hobbies turned obsession that fills my life with joy. Geocaching is a game in which people hide containers and post the coordinates on the web for others to enter into a GPS and go out and find. The game began in May of 2000. On - [Adventures in Sourdough](https://www.mineral2.com/personal/adventures-in-sourdough/) - When life prevents you from going out and adventuring, you make your own adventures at home. My latest adventure is making sourdough. Now, I could go out and obtain or buy a starter from a local bakery, but what's the fun of that? It's so easy to start my own from scratch, and now I - [Kamiak Butte](https://www.mineral2.com/photo-blog/kamiak-butte/) - The Palouse, originally uploaded by Matthew Singer. The Palouse is made up of rolling hills covered in wheat and barley fields. This area was historically a prairie, so there were few trees to begin with. A few of these hills rise up well above the rest, remnants of a time when the region was more - [An update for 2018](https://www.mineral2.com/personal/an-update-for-2018/) - It's occurred to me that I haven't been good at writing posts recently. My last update was from May, and that was subsequently my last big hiking trip. Since then, I have been incredibly busy, and that means I haven't had as much time for fun. I did get out a few times this summer - [Jerry Johnson](https://www.mineral2.com/personal/jerry-johnson/) - We've gotten a lot of snow this winter. And then it got cold. Like, really cold. Night time lows below zero, and daytime highs hovering around 20.  So the only thing to do with this kind of weather is go swimming. Last year, we took Clara to a developed hot spring near McCall and she - [December Update](https://www.mineral2.com/personal/december-update/) - When I started this site, I never expected to make daily posts. Weekly? Maybe. Monthly? Less desireable. I'm kind of ashamed that it's been three months with no updates, but there hasn't been much of excitement to talk about. There haven't been any big adventures this fall. I'm just plugging away at the Ph.D. thing, - [Grandmother Mountain](https://www.mineral2.com/travel/hikes/grandmother-mountain-2/) - I finally got some time to get up to Freezeout to hike Grandmother Mountain. The flowers are out and it's quite pretty, though it's not the best year for flowers that I've seen. It could be that I got up there a little late. Everything seems to be coming out a little earlier this year - [July 4 Update and Clara in Spokane](https://www.mineral2.com/travel/july-4-update-and-clara-in-spokane/) - It's been over a month since my last update. There haven't been any major adventures due to time and financial constraints. As I aim to write and finish my dissertation, the time for such outings decreases and thus this summer will be nicknamed "the summer of no fun." Fun isn't completely off the table, but - [Steptoe Butte and the Palouse](https://www.mineral2.com/photo-blog/steptoe-butte-and-the-palouse/) - When I moved to the Palouse, I didn't realize just how photogenic the landscape was. Then I saw ads for the Palouse in Popular Photography. It turns out, people will pay good money to come and photograph the region, and here I am living there not taking advantage of my home turf. I've only been - [White Pine Loop & Bomber Too](https://www.mineral2.com/travel/hikes/white-pine-loop-bomber-too/) - Last week, Clara and I had a day to ourselves, so we had a little adventure on a nearby trail. The white pine loop is a 3-mile hike from the White Pine campground off of Idaho Rt. 6. A one-mile (one-way) out and back spur takes us to the site of a WWII bomber crash site - [Canoeing on the Palouse River](https://www.mineral2.com/travel/canoeing-on-the-palouse-river/) - March is such a bipolar month in Idaho. One day it can be cold and snowy and the next can be sunny and 60. So while we had cold rain during the weekend of our canoe trip, this past weekend was really nice. I took Clara out for a hike on the Potlatch River Trail near - [Canoeing the St. Joe](https://www.mineral2.com/travel/canoeing-the-st-joe/) - Hello. I realize it's been quite some time since my last post. That's what happens when you get into dissertation writing mode. Life tends to cease and all you can think about is finishing this damn thesis. As a result, I haven't really been on many adventures since December, nor has there been anything interesting - [Merry Holidays!](https://www.mineral2.com/personal/merry-holidays/) - I had a good Christmas this year. It began with a week of continuous snow fall. We'd have 3-6 inches here and there with warm days compacting the wet and heavy accumulation. But all of that still adds up so that by the time Christmas rolled around, the snow was over a foot deep in - [5000 feet](https://www.mineral2.com/personal/5000-feet/) - It snowed in Moscow for the first time this season on Thursday. And although the accumulation didn't amount to much in town, the mountains were turned white the next day. But two days of sunshine, and evidence of the snow is all but gone. The mountains around Moscow are back to their baren self. But - [Elk Creek Falls](https://www.mineral2.com/personal/elk-creek-falls/) - I think I've mentioned Elk Creek Falls in passing, but haven't actually written a featured post about it. Elk River is a small outdoor recreation town (read: hunting & fishing mostly) a little over an hour east of Moscow. This small community represents the "end of the road." The paved road ends here and forest - [Latah County Fair](https://www.mineral2.com/personal/latah-county-fair/) - Clara loves animals. At home, she loves to pet the dogs and the cats. She tries to pet the chickens and gets all excited when we catch one and bring it over to her. She loves saying hi to the goats and touching the horses. So we brought her to the Latah County Fair where - [Seattle](https://www.mineral2.com/travel/seattle/) - In the 5 years living out here, I haven't been to Seattle other than to catch the ferry over to the Olympic Peninsula. So when four of my college buddies from Drew mentioned they were converging in the city for a race in September, I jumped at the opportunity to pay a visit. So for a - [Wallowas Weekend 2015](https://www.mineral2.com/travel/hikes/wallowas-weekend-2015/) - After a long summer with not much exploring, the pace has changed and I've had a fairly busy two weeks. The series begins with the return of the Annual Wallowas Weekend. In the six Septembers that I have lived here, I've led a backpacking trip to the Eagle Cap Wilderness four of those years, with - [Alaska](https://www.mineral2.com/travel/alaska/) - I was in Alaska from June 10-17. This trip was mostly about business with a little bit of pleasure while I was out there. I attended the 2015 meeting of the Animal Behavior Society. This wasn't my first scientific meeting. But it was my first time at ABS and my first meeting where I was - [East Moscow Mountain](https://www.mineral2.com/travel/hikes/east-moscow-mountain/) - [map style="width: auto; height:400px; margin:20px 0px 20px 0px; border: 1px solid black;" gpx="http://www.mineral2.com/wp-content/uploads/Moscow Mountain Hike.GPX"] I had heard about the big trees on Moscow Mountain, but I had yet to experience them for myself. I first drove the road along the ridge back in 2010, the year I moved to Idaho. Back then, I passed some - [Small hikes near Moscow](https://www.mineral2.com/travel/hikes/small-hikes-near-moscow/) - The end of the semester is a busy time, and that often means foregoing larger adventures for some smaller ones closer to home. In the last week, I've been trying to keep active and take advantage of the local trails. One of these trails is the Headwaters trail on the western end of Moscow Mountain. - [Blue Mountains: Panjab Loop](https://www.mineral2.com/travel/hikes/blue-mountains-panjab-loop/) - We open the 2015 hiking season with a fairly big hike in the Blue Mountains. The Panjab loop takes us up the Panjab Creek trail and back down via the Rattlesnake Trail in the Wenaha Tucannon Wilderness. This hike is full of wildflowers, wildlife, and canyon views. Panjab is becoming one of my favorite trails - [Yes, I'm still alive.](https://www.mineral2.com/personal/yes-im-still-alive/) - It's been a long time since I've posted anything here. The purpose of this post is the reassure you that I'm still alive and kicking. There haven't been many adventures and photo outings this winter for a number of reasons, the least of which is that it's been a pretty lackluster winter in terms of - [Grandmother and Grandfather Mountains](https://www.mineral2.com/travel/hikes/grandmother-and-grandfather-mountains/) - Since my daughter was born a month ago, I haven't been able to get out and stretch my legs on the trail. So when an opportunity came along to go hiking, I jumped at it. The past few weeks had been miserably hot, even to the point where escaping into the high elevations wouldn't provide refuge - [Annual Wallowas Weekend 2014](https://www.mineral2.com/travel/hikes/annual-wallowas-weekend-2014/) - [map style="width: auto; height:400px; margin:20px 0px 20px 0px; border: 1px solid black;" gpx="http://www.mineral2.com/wp-content/uploads/Selected Data from wallowas 2014.GPX"] The annual Wallowas Weekend tradition kinda took a hiatus for a couple of years. In 2012, Tyler had to pull out of the trip, and several other people followed. That left me with one other person who still - [Oregon Butte](https://www.mineral2.com/travel/hikes/oregon-butte/) - In a world where there are so many playgrounds at arm's reach, the Blue Mountains of southeastern Washington are so often overlooked. They're not as tall as the surrounding mountain ranges - the highest point is just shy of 6400 feet. There are no natural lakes, and the valleys are actually canyons carved into an - [August Update](https://www.mineral2.com/travel/hikes/august-update/) - I just realized that August has come and gone and I have yet to write about anything that happened during this month. It's not as though I haven't done anything. In fact, I was quite busy every weekend. So, let's see, what happened in August? It got really hot. In fact, it got so hot, - [Roman Nose Lakes](https://www.mineral2.com/travel/hikes/roman-nose-lakes/) - Last year, I tried to take my family up to Harrison Lake to enjoy a true alpine zone. When we got close, we saw that the lake had been closed due to problematic bear activity. I would have still been ok hiking up there, but my parents were wary, so we came up with an - [Snowshoeing Moose Creek](https://www.mineral2.com/travel/hikes/snowshoeing-moose-creek/) - Last week, winter returned to the Palouse. We got about six inches of snow in Deary, most of which was still around over the weekend. On Sunday, I joined a group of students and post-docs for a snowshoeing trip to Moose Creek. Although it was a foggy and overcast day, we had a great time. - [Introducing Clara](https://www.mineral2.com/personal/introducing-clara/) - On Thursday, June 19, my 32nd birthday, Erin woke up having contractions that were 10 minutes apart, give or take a minute. This persisted through the morning. By the afternoon, the contractions had gotten closer together. We left home around 2:30 and an hour later, we were at the birth center in Moscow. Clara - [Flight Paths](https://www.mineral2.com/personal/flight-paths/) - [map style="width: auto; height:400px; margin:20px 0px 20px 0px; border: 1px solid black;" maptype="ROADMAP" gpx="http://www.mineral2.com/wp-content/uploads/Flights.GPX"] If you don't already know me, I have a thing for maps and geography. It's an absolute delight to see the landscape from the air. I've been bringing my GPS with me when I fly, mostly to keep track of flight - [What might the native prairie have looked like?](https://www.mineral2.com/personal/what-might-the-native-prairie-have-looked-like/) - It's hard to imagine what America's prairies looked like when they were unspoiled. Today, more than 95% of our prairies and grasslands have been repurposed for agriculture. The last remnants are so highly fragmented that it's a fight to keep non-native invasive species from taking over. Prairies and grasslands were once thought to be ecological - [Evo-WIBO and the Olympic Peninsula](https://www.mineral2.com/travel/hikes/evo-wibo-and-the-olympic-peninsula/) - I'm two weeks on this post, but forgive me because the last two weeks of the semester have been insane. The bi-annual northwest evolution conference, Evo-WIBO, occurred the last weekend of April. If you don't remember, I attended the last meeting two years ago and presented a talk on the results of our selection experiment. - [Scenic Drives and Cemeteries](https://www.mineral2.com/travel/scenic-drives-and-cemeteries/) - I really enjoy the small historic cemeteries that dot the Palouse. They're tucked away on obscure roads or in the middle of farm fields in places where you wouldn't think to go. They're incredibly peaceful and scenic and full of local history. So, I decided to visit a few local to my house along one - [Asotin Creek](https://www.mineral2.com/travel/hikes/asotin-creek-2/) - It's funny that only two weeks ago, I was clearing snow from my driveway, and now there's hardly any sign of winter left on the Palouse. Instead of snow, it rained for nearly a week straight. So when we caught a break in the weather on Saturday, I was quite happy to take advantage and - [Palouse Photography: Waiting for the right light](https://www.mineral2.com/photo-blog/palouse-photography-waiting-for-the-right-light/) - This post will demonstrate just how fast light can change, especially during sunrise and sunset. These three images, taken in the same location on the same day within a half-hour window, demonstrate just how quickly light can change. Therefore, it is often necessary to scout out locations before setting up your desired image so that - [2013: A Retrospective](https://www.mineral2.com/personal/2013-a-retrospective/) - For all intents and purposes, 2013 was a shitty year. Just when we thought things couldn't get any worse, something else would go wrong. And, so the trend continued until the final months. The year started out pretty good. Though we've been struggling financially since Erin lost her nursing job in 2011, by the fall - [A President's Weekend in McCall](https://www.mineral2.com/travel/hikes/mccall-2014/) - I can't believe February is almost over an I haven't made any posts yet. I've been plugging along with classes and research and laying fairly low for financial reasons. I'm not skiing this year, which helps out in keeping my costs down. I have been snowshoeing more this winter than in the past, and that's - [2013: A Year in Photographs](https://www.mineral2.com/photo-blog/2013-a-year-in-photographs/) - This year, I have fallen behind in my photography pursuits. It's in part due to the events in February, and part due to not having the funds or time to get out as much as I'd have liked. I've been looking through some stats tracking the number of photos I've taken over the past few - [Chickadees](https://www.mineral2.com/personal/chickadees/) - For Christmas, I bought Erin a new bird feeder to replace one that had been broken earlier in the summer. A few weeks ago, we finally got some seed and put it outside, but this was in the middle of a cold snap where daytime highs remained in the low 20's, and the nighttime lows, - [My Research: What I have been up to](https://www.mineral2.com/personal/what-ive-done/) - Last week, the fruits of my last three year's work has finally come to fruition in the journal PLoS One. The premise is that the personality behavior we call boldness, or the bold-shy continuum, is not only heritable, but a genetically correlated multivariate trait. The research is essentially a continuation of a project Mary Oswald - [An update on the Hawk Owl](https://www.mineral2.com/personal/an-update-on-the-hawk-owl/) - It's been over a week since a Northern Hawk Owl was spotted hanging out across a busy street from a shopping mall in Moscow, Idaho, but the bird is still here and reliably seen in the same locations. I've now seen the bird four times and may continue to watch and observe it until it - [The latest hype in Moscow](https://www.mineral2.com/personal/the-latest-rage-in-moscow/) - The latest rage in Moscow, Idaho is the sighting of an immigrant that shouldn't be here. A Northern Hawk Owl (Surnia ulula) has been spotted in Moscow across Rt. 8 from the Safeway parking lot. The earliest sightings on eBird show that this individual has been hanging around since Tuesday, reliably in the same spot. - [Look what I found](https://www.mineral2.com/personal/look-what-i-found/) - Since we finished the interior of the house, it was time to clean up the garage and start moving everything back inside. This was also a good time to start tidying up the yard before winter hits. Last weekend, we took down an old dog house that we were using to raise chicks in since - [The New Kitchen](https://www.mineral2.com/personal/the-new-kitchen/) - Three months ago, we had some pipes leak in our kitchen that caused some damage to the flooring and the cabinets and resulted in us basically getting a brand new kitchen. We contacted State Farm to see about getting any coverage, and thankfully, they agreed to help cover some of the damage. So, we set - [October Update](https://www.mineral2.com/personal/october-update/) - Where has time gone? It's already October, which means I missed out on September. Well, I didn't really miss it. I was busy with a graduate school ritual known as the preliminary examination. Prelims are, without a doubt, the most stressful event for a graduate student. You might think it's writing the dissertation or even - [Garden Produce](https://www.mineral2.com/personal/garden-produce/) - The tomato plants have fruit, but I'm awaiting them to ripen. The pepper plants are starting to produce. The strawberries are on their second round of harvest. In the mean time, the squash and zucchini are providing us with food of plenty. Yesterday I picked four zucchini, all from the same plant. This morning, I - [The Joy of Home Ownership: Adventures in Plumbing](https://www.mineral2.com/personal/the-joy-of-home-ownership-adventures-in-plumbing/) - When we moved to Moscow, we knew we'd be here for more than five years and that buying our own place would probably benefit us more in the long run than renting. There are many advantages to owning your own home. The most obvious is that your monthly payments go toward something tangible. When you - [The Garden of 2013](https://www.mineral2.com/personal/the-garden-of-2013/) - Because I was laid up and out of commission for much of the spring, I wasn't able to work on expanding our garden much this year. Last year, I built a third 4x8 foot box and a 2x4 foot box which were meant to be tiered for planting small annual herbs in large quantities. I - [Aurora](https://www.mineral2.com/photo-blog/aurora-4/) - Once again, the skies lit up with the dancing inferno of the northern lights. The sun has been fairly active the past two months, but this is the first I've both been aware of and had a clear sky to see. All of the aurora events I've photographed have been special, and each one is - [4th of July](https://www.mineral2.com/travel/hikes/4th-of-july-2/) - Once again, I missed the fireworks. I admit that I was looking forward to photographing them, but in the end, I was busy hanging out with friends, and we decided not to go over to Pullman. I did spend much of my nation's birthday enjoying one of the best parts about this country: its wild - [Evolution at Snowbird](https://www.mineral2.com/travel/evolution-at-snowbird/) - This year's Evolution meeting was held at the Snowbird resort in the beautiful Wasatch Mountains outside of Salt Lake City, Utah. This year, I was fortunate enough to attend this meeting and present a talk on the correlation (or lack thereof) of boldness behaviors and swimming behavior in an open field. Of course, while meetings - [Palouse Falls](https://www.mineral2.com/travel/palouse-falls/) - There seems to be a trend among people that when you live in a certain area, you tend to take for granted your proximity to tourist attractions and not visit them. Local attractions aren't really a priority because they're always there, so you can always visit them later. Well, later can turn into years. In - [Spring Wildflowers and McCroskey State Park](https://www.mineral2.com/travel/spring-wildflowers-and-mccroskey-state-park/) - When I started this blog, I never intended to make daily posts, but then, I thought that maybe I could come up with enough content to post more than once a month. This month's post is all about Spring wildflowers on the Palouse, because I've found some new ones and re-photographed some old favorites. To - [Problem Solving to Victory: RLE](https://www.mineral2.com/research/problem-solving-to-victory-rle/) - Today I had a sort of "Boo-yah!" moment when I solved a problem I've been working on since the summer. Here's the back story: We've been integrating video tracking into our behavior assays in the lab, and in order to implement this method into research, I have been working with one of the math-bio undergrads - [Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge](https://www.mineral2.com/travel/turnbull-national-wildlife-refuge/) - I had to go to Spokane for a follow-up appointment with the orthopedic surgeon, and it happened to be a nice day, so I suggested that while we were up there, we should go to the Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge and spend some time outdoors. I've known the refuge was there and have always wanted - [Birding in Lewiston](https://www.mineral2.com/personal/birding-in-lewiston/) - Given my current disabled condition, there's not much I can do to get ouside and enjoy the sunshine, but there are a few places that I can go. There are paved walking and bike trails in every nearby town, and some of them offer spectacular scenery. The Trail of the Coeur D'Alenes, for example, starts - [The Ski Trip to End All Ski Trips](https://www.mineral2.com/travel/the-ski-trip-to-end-all-ski-trips/) - February 17th began as any other trip to McCall. I rolled out of bed around 5:00 am, packed the car with my gear, and 20 minutes later, I was leaving for Moscow to meet up with Tyler and Genevieve. We made it to Brundage around 10:30 local time and headed straight to the Centenial chair - [Winter Hike to Jerry Johnson Hot Springs](https://www.mineral2.com/travel/hikes/winter-hike-to-jerry-johnson-hot-springs/) - Last weekend, I reported on a snowshoe hike along the Potlatch River and alluded to a second snowshoe adventure the same weekend. In fact, we had planned a little excursion out along Rt. 12 to Jerry Johnson hot springs. It turned out that the hot springs are still popular in winter, at least enough so - [Snowshoeing: Potlatch River Loop](https://www.mineral2.com/personal/snowshoeing-potlatch-river-loop/) - This week's snowshoeing adventure takes us on the Potlatch Canyon loop trail (Clearwater NF #765). If the view above looks familiar, it's because I have hiked this loop many times in the summer, and first posted about it two years ago. This time, armed with snowshoes, we had a very successful winter hike through the - [Snowshoeing: Spud Hill](https://www.mineral2.com/travel/hikes/snowshoeing-spud-hill/) - This snowshoeing thing is taking off, and if I keep this up, I'll be in shape enough to not suck at hiking at the beginning of the hiking season. This week's adventure brings us up Spud Hill, also known by some as Mount Deary. Spud Hill was my first Idaho summit, and it's a great - [Snowshoeing: Palouse Divide](https://www.mineral2.com/travel/hikes/snowshoeing-palouse-divide/) - I must have forgotten to post about this trip. This was last week, January 5, 2013. This was Idaho Parks and Recreation's free day in which no parking pass was required to use the Park n' Ski areas or any of the state parks. There are two Park n' Ski areas near Moscow: Elk River - [A walk in the snow](https://www.mineral2.com/travel/hikes/a-walk-in-the-snow/) - Well, now that Winter has finally arrived, we thought it might be fun to tromp through the snow and get some exercise. I dusted off the snowshoes (literally) and we set off for a little hike out of our back yard. As we began our trek, I noticed an awesome mist hovering over the snow, - [Thanksgiving, Parts II & III](https://www.mineral2.com/travel/thanksgiving-parts-ii-iii/) - Holy smokes, it's almost Christmas and I never really finished posting about my Thanksgiving trip to Las Vegas. So, I'm going to give the abbreviated version of the rest of the trip and then move on to some more current events. When I visit Las Vegas, it's not for the usual reasons that most people - [Free Meat!](https://www.mineral2.com/personal/free-meat/) - Warning! This post may contain some graphic and delicious images. Proceed at your own risk. This story begins on Christmas night. Erin and I had been in town to watch The Hobbit and have dinner with friends who didn't leave town. After dinner and a game of Apples to Apples, we headed home. The drive - [What I am thankful for](https://www.mineral2.com/opinion/what-i-am-thankful-for/) - During the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving, many people post about the things they are thankful for. I have been stewing over just how to say what it is I'm thankful for, because it's a little bit different than most people's ideals. There are two major concepts that I am thankful for. Number one is - [Thanksgiving in Las Vegas, Part 1: The drive down](https://www.mineral2.com/travel/thanksgiving-in-las-vegas-part-1-the-drive-down/) - One of my best friends from high school invited Erin and I down to Las Vegas for Thanksgiving. In fact, we were invited down last year, but we weren't able to make it. Therefore, I decided that we'd make it work this year. Erin still wanted to host our annual Thanksgiving dinner at our house, - [Fall Foliage](https://www.mineral2.com/personal/fall-foliage-2/) - I've been spending a lot of time finishing up my dissertation proposal, which is due in a little over a week, and that has kept me from taking time to enjoy the outdoors. We got some considerable rain over the past weekend which lead to some dramatic skies and really clear views on Monday and - [Aurora](https://www.mineral2.com/personal/aurora-3/) - This story begins Friday night when I learned that a large coronal mass ejection (CME) sent a burst of solar radiation from the sun headed toward Earth. It was predicted to intercept our atmosphere on the evening of the 8th, producing auroral activity in the high latitudes. Given the size of this solar storm, - [Smoke in the Air](https://www.mineral2.com/personal/smoke-in-the-air/) - Where have I been the last three weeks? To put it lightly, I have been choking on smoke. Since returning from the Seven Devils trip over Labor Day Weekend, the wildfires in the northwest, particularly in Idaho, have flared up. A fire south of the Devils appeared as well as a large fire just outside - [Huckleberries.](https://www.mineral2.com/personal/huckleberries/) - I went up to Freezeout Saddle with some photo club people to pick huckleberries. As I expected, they were still ripe, and very plentiful. But the problem with huckleberries is that you can pick for an hour and still not get very much. I think I came home with maybe a pint of berries. I - [Fly Fishing on the St. Joe](https://www.mineral2.com/travel/fly-fishing-on-the-st-joe/) - There's nothing quite like the feeling of getting that perfect cast with your fly rod, landing the fly perfectly on the water exactly where you intended it to land, and having a fish jump for it seconds later. I was in that groove Sunday afternoon where the fish were chasing after my fly, but only - [Publications](https://www.mineral2.com/personal/publications/) - I don't usually like to gloat about my accomplishments, but sometimes a little self promotion doesn't hurt. I'll start with the announcement of my first publication, which officially rolled off the presses last month. Last year, our lab was contacted to write a book chapter in a methods and protocol book on assessing anxiety behaviors - [Perseoids](https://www.mineral2.com/personal/perseoids/) - Every summer at early-mid August, we enter a portion of the solar system rife with meteors, and ever year around this time, many of those chunks of rock and debris hit our atmosphere and burn up, giving us the Perseoid meteor shower. This year, the shower did not occur during a full moon, and so - [Fishing on the North Fork](https://www.mineral2.com/travel/fishing-on-the-north-fork/) - I went fishing along the North Fork of the Clearwater with Tyler and Dan, two graduate students in the department. Unfortunately, it was a short trip, leaving Thursday morning and returning late Friday afternoon, but that's just how the timing worked, and it was a much needed getaway for all of us. We camped at - [Garden Update](https://www.mineral2.com/personal/garden-update/) - For the past month, we've been able to enjoy some of the produce coming out of the garden. The lettuce has been producing beautiful and tasty leaves. There's nothing like a freshly-picked salad. One of the lettuces has flowered and will soon go to seed. I think we will let it mature in an attempt - [Hard drives and data storage](https://www.mineral2.com/personal/hard-drives-and-data-storage/) - I've come into a real conundrum lately. I'm running out of space on my hard drive. Earlier in the year when I thought my hard drive was dying, I bought an external drive which I use to move old files for storage and back up my current system. The problem is that using the external - [Exploring](https://www.mineral2.com/travel/hikes/exploring/) - The past week, my parents were in town visiting and we spent the week exploring and showing them our favorite places in the area. We'd usually leave fairly early in the morning and get back kinda late, always exhausted. As a result, I haven't been able to post some detailed updates on the awesome places - [Float Trip 2012](https://www.mineral2.com/travel/float-trip-2012/) - View Float Trip 2012 in a larger mapEvery year, the graduate students from the University of Idaho's biology department embarks on a float trip on the Snake River. It's an annual tradion that carrys on well before my time. Actually, I'm not sure when the tradition began. In 2010, the float trip was held shortly - [East Peak](https://www.mineral2.com/travel/hikes/east-peak/) - There are many peaks in the Wallowas that top 9000 feet, so East Peak might go unnoticed if it weren't so easily accessible. It turns out that I'm not the only one who thought to use the Wallowa Lake Tramway to cover the first 3700 feet of elevation, reducing the climb to the peak to - [Lookout Mountain](https://www.mineral2.com/travel/hikes/lookout-mountain/) - Everytime I'm up on Grandmother Mountain, I look to the east and see the bald dome of Lookout Mountain rising over the Marble Creek drainage and I long to stand on top and look down from the other side. Finally, with my parents and sister visiting, I decided this would be the perfect opportunity to - [Wallowas](https://www.mineral2.com/travel/wallowas/) - The final chapter in the visit of the in-laws consits of a visit to one of my favorite mountain ranges. There are many spectacular mountain ranges in the country, but I happen to have a fondness for the Wallowas in northeastern Oregon. Perhaps its because they're the closest mountains of their kind, or because they - [Return to Freezeout](https://www.mineral2.com/travel/return-to-freezeout/) - Any time someone visits us, their stay would not be complete without a trip to Elk River and Freezeout Saddle. We were limited in our acitivites because one of our guests were not fit for any major hiking, but luckily, we have options for that. So Sunday, we took an easy morning and headed out - [Backpacking: Seven Devils' Lower Cannon Lake](https://www.mineral2.com/travel/hikes/backpacking-seven-devils-lower-cannon-lake/) - My father-in-law and his wife have been visiting us since last Wednesday. Before coming out, he had asked if we could go on a little male bonding trip into the backcountry for a night. So, I set about looking for a short and easy hike to a spectacular place. I figured he had probably never - [Aurora, part II](https://www.mineral2.com/personal/aurora-part-ii/) - Well, I made my last post a bit too soon. After spending the evening on Freezeout Ridge (story and photos to come soon), Erin reminded us that the aurora might still be occuring and that we could possibly see it tonight. Clarkia isn't the best place to test this hypothesis because its surrounded by tall - [Aurora](https://www.mineral2.com/personal/aurora-2/) - We got alerts that a solar flare could cause an aurora that would be visible into the middle states. So, last night, I checked the sky and luckily it was clear to the north. I saw a faint glow on the horizon and set up the camera. Sure enough, there was an aurora. The excitement - [Freezeout](https://www.mineral2.com/travel/hikes/freezeout/) - The heatwave has hit the northwest. Today's temperatures on the Palouse rose into the high 90's, and tomorrow it may break 100. I wanted to hike so I can get in shape for backpacking next month, so I thought I'd take the dogs up to Freezeout Saddle and hike to Grandmother Mountain. But when I - [Fireworks in the Mountains](https://www.mineral2.com/personal/fireworks-in-the-mountains/) - A garden update from the last post: I'm happy to announce that the lettuce that the chickens ate down to the soil is growing back quite nicely and will be ready for consumption within a few days. And now on to the main post: Elk River hosts an annual Independence Day celebration they call "Fireworks - [Gardening](https://www.mineral2.com/personal/gardening/) - I can't believe it's July already. Time is flying by this summer. June has been a mixture of hot and dry with cold and rainy, and that has been good for my garden. Last year, I built two raised beds, each 8' x 4', but I only got one bed filled with dirt. It yielded - [Elk Butte](https://www.mineral2.com/travel/hikes/elk-butte/) - Ever since I first visited Elk River during my interview trip in February 2010, I had a desire to get to the top of Elk Butte. After all, who could resist a lookout tower boasting 3000 foot views? The only problem was finding a suitable way to get up there. While the maps show a - [Perkins (Morris) Cedar Grove](https://www.mineral2.com/travel/hikes/perkins-morris-cedar-grove/) - I think I've mentioned before that there are a number of cedar groves, stands of old-growth Western Red Cedar, nearby. I've already posted about the Hobo Cedar Grove out near Clarkia and Grandfather Mountains. Several times I've been to the Giant Cedar out near Elk River. On our way into Idaho when I moved - [Adventures in fast, reliable ineternet](https://www.mineral2.com/personal/adventures-in-fast-reliable-ineternet/) - For the past seven years, I have been living with slow, unreliable internet. In 2004-2005, the Weis Ecology Center was on dial-up service. Camp McDowell in Alabama was also on dial-up service, shared on a wireless network. If you can remember far enough back when dial-up was the forefront of home internet technology, you might - [Oregon Butte: The Successful Failure](https://www.mineral2.com/travel/hikes/oregon-butte-the-successful-failure/) - View Oregon Butte - 5/26-27/2012 in a larger map Things don't always go according to plan. Along the journey, you discover new interests or find obstacles that end up providing you with a totally different experience than originally expected. This lesson was hard hit this weekend as we attempted a backpacking trip in the Blue - [A Tale of Two Hikes](https://www.mineral2.com/travel/hikes/a-tale-of-two-hikes/) - I was left home alone this weekend. Erin had gone down to Boise and Ontario, OR for a regional meeting of one of the support groups she attends. She was also taking Lana down to Boise to be transported to her new home with a trainer in Wyoming. So while she was gone for three - [Asotin Creek... sort of.](https://www.mineral2.com/travel/hikes/asotin-creek-sort-of/) - The photo above was taken in February of 2010, my first visit to Asotin Creek. I've been back a couple of times as it is usually a reliable winter hike that is free of snow. I had never gone down in the spring when everything is green, and certainly not in the summer when temperatures - [The Last One](https://www.mineral2.com/personal/the-last-one/) - Since last week, we had been down to three puppies. Three is much more manageable than seven, but still a crowd. In fact, having two out at a time was still a handful. Tuesday, I made up posters advertising the rest of the pups, and in less than 24 hours, we had two more sold. - [Evo-WIBO weekend recap](https://www.mineral2.com/travel/evo-wibo-weekend-recap/) - This past weekend, I was in Port Townsend, WA for the bi-annual Evo-WIBO meeting. Evo-WIBO is a small, regional gathering of someo of the biggest names in evolutionary biology in the Pacific northwest. Its only a day and a half long and very informal. Yet, because of its size and intimacy, I got more out - [Another conference, how about that?](https://www.mineral2.com/personal/another-conference-how-about-that/) - Somehow, I managed to go to two conferences in one semester. Tomorrow, I'll be heading to Port Townsend, WA along with several other members of the department for the bi-annual Evo-WIBO conference. This is a small, regional conference for evolutionary biologists in the Pacific Northwest. There are only going to be around 200 or so - [Puppies for Sale](https://www.mineral2.com/personal/puppies-for-sale/) - The puppies are now over 8 weeks old and oh so cute. As you can imagine, seven growing pups indoors can create quite a mess that is hard to keep on top of. On top of that, any time you step into their room, they all mob you for attention. So, as spring weather has - [Attempting to Snowshoe](https://www.mineral2.com/travel/hikes/attempting-to-snowshoe/) - This past weekend, we had a nice day on my day off for once. So I took advantage of the sunshine and warm weather to get out and hike. Or so I thought. I've been waiting to take my snowshoes out for a real winter trek, and the timing has been bad. I set my - [Small World](https://www.mineral2.com/personal/small-world/) - Harvest Moon, originally uploaded by Matthew Singer. Beth, one of the photo club members and employee at the Prichard Art Gallery downtown, mentioned at our last meeting that a student was in town with the current exhibit at the gallery. He didn't know anyone and was desperate to hang out with people his own age. - [Babies](https://www.mineral2.com/personal/babies/) - Out of nowhere, our dog population has increased four fold. Here's the back story. Several weeks ago, I came home to find two extra dogs at the house. They were two German Shepherds, a male and a female, that Erin had decided to watch for a friend while she got on her feet and - [It's going to be a busy semester](https://www.mineral2.com/personal/its-going-to-be-a-busy-semester/) - Somehow, I had arranged the semester to be fairly light allowing me to work on my research. I was only signed up for one class, the work of which parallelled the work I have to do for my degree, namely write up a dissertation project proposal. On top of that, I was slated to teach - [Of data and formatting](https://www.mineral2.com/research/of-data-and-formatting/) - I've been in graduate school now for a year and a half, and I have yet to reveal just what it is I'm working on. Almost immediately coming in, I took over a project originally designed and run by Mary Oswald, the previous doctoral student who had graduated over the summer and left the lab - [Happy Thanksgiving](https://www.mineral2.com/personal/happy-thanksgiving/) - Holy crap it's Thanksgiving already! Well I've been thinking about what to make this post about. There are several great options: The real story of thanksgiving and how it became what we perceive it to be today, the start of the commercial materialism season, the nature of human behavior, and so on. But I think - [Interestingness](https://www.mineral2.com/photo-blog/interestingness/) - Since I started using Flickr to show of my photography to the world, I've neglected my own self-hosted galleries here at Mineral2.com. I'm considering doing away with the Gallery software altogether and maybe swapping it out for a simpler interface for displaying a portfolio. At any rate, Flickr has been a much better interface for - [Grandfather Mountain: A pre-winter hike](https://www.mineral2.com/travel/hikes/grandfather-mountain-a-pre-winter-hike/) - I've been very busy with graduate school, and that has put hiking and exploring on hold, but that also has me itching to get out, especially as my days of decent hiking weather grow shorter and shorter. I've been trying to get up to Sandpoint to get in one last snow-free summit for the - [Aurora](https://www.mineral2.com/photo-blog/aurora/) - Tonight I had a great surprise and learned a valuable lesson as to why it's somtimes good to stay up late, even on a school night. I got the word of an aurora event tonight around 11:30 local time, and this was from people on the east coast. So I thought to myself: I wonder - [I went to Florida](https://www.mineral2.com/personal/i-went-to-florida/) - I went to Florida, originally uploaded by Matthew Singer. Taking a break from the usual trips into the mountains, I went to Florida last weekend to celebrate the marriage of one of my good buddies. The wedding was in Pensacola Beach, with the actual ceremony on the beach outside of town. I've been to Florida - [Eagle Cap Wilderness, Labor Day Weekend](https://www.mineral2.com/travel/hikes/eagle-cap-wilderness-labor-day-weekend/) - A year ago this weekend, I set foot in Oregon for the first time and explored one of its most beautiful and least advertised mountain ranges. Last year, we only got a preview of the Eagle Cap Wilderness in the Wallowa Mountains, only able to stay one night. So this year, I arranged the backpacking - [Storms](https://www.mineral2.com/personal/storms/) - Last night, we had the storm of storms come across the Palouse. It was a quick, but powerful cell the big lightning strikes every few seconds that produced enough power to disrupt phone service (land line) each time a bolt struck the ground. Luckily, we had no major power surges and all of the electronics - [Escaping the Heat](https://www.mineral2.com/personal/escaping-the-heat/) - While the east coast has contended with an earthquake and a hurricane, we have been enduring our summer heat wave, temperatures in excess of 90 degrees. It rarely gets to 95 out here, but when it does, it's brutal. Of course, when it's in the mid-90's up on the Palouse, it's over 100 down in - [The Seven Devils](https://www.mineral2.com/travel/the-seven-devils/) - This past weekend, I had the pleasure of spending three nights in Idaho's Seven Devils. The devils are a series of craggy peaks between the Salmon and Snake river canyons. They rise over 7000 feet above the rivers and offer spectacular views and recreation opportunities, and for about three months of the year, - [2010, Volume 2](https://www.mineral2.com/personal/2010-volume-2/) - There's a new book in my bookstore. I finally got around to completing 2010: A Year of Change, Vol. 2. Volume 1 followed the first half of the year as I finished working in Virginia, got married and prepared to leave the eastern United States. Volume 2 continues the journey, starting with a visit to - [Stevens Lakes](https://www.mineral2.com/travel/hikes/stevens-lakes/) - The hike to Stevens Lakes itsn't particularly hard, but it's no walk in the park either. It's about 2.5 miles and 1700 feet of vertical gain to the upper lake on a well-used and well-mantained trail. It starts off relatively steep and continues to climb steadily for the next mile before levelling out - [4th of July](https://www.mineral2.com/travel/hikes/4th-of-july/) - The celebration of our nation's independence is a custom dating back all the way to the day the Continental Congress approved and signed the Declaration of Independence. The use of fireworks to celebrate the momentous and historic occasion also dates back to that time. As John Adams wrote to his wife: "The second day of - [Shoot for the Stars](https://www.mineral2.com/photo-blog/shoot-for-the-stars/) - Last night, I had some folks over from the photo club for a little get together and fun. We grilled burgers, sat around the fire, and played with our cameras. We were mostly interested in shooting the night sky. I've shot the stars before, but last night might be my most successful attempt yet. Shooting - [Upper Basin Trail](https://www.mineral2.com/travel/hikes/upper-basin-trail/) - View Upper Basin Trail in a larger map The Upper Basin Trail is a 5 mile loop in the upper basin of Elk Creek just north of Elk River The trail is near the giant western red cedar, thought to be the largest tree in the U.S. east of the Sierra-Cascade crest. The loop is - [Bad Ass Sunset](https://www.mineral2.com/personal/bad-ass-sunset/) - Last night was full of bad-assery. Yeah, that's right, it was so bad-ass that I made up a word to describe it. After a cold spell, temperatures quickly rose into the 80's yesterday making for a hot and somewhat muggy day. The conditions were ripe for evening thunderstorms. As I arrived home, I heard reports - [Moscow’s Music Scene](https://www.mineral2.com/moscow/moscows-music-scene/) - I've been neglecting my duty to write here and update with my good fun. In part, I've been waiting for a nice epic hike or adventure to write about, but lately, either the weather has been crapping out on me, or I find myself busy with other priorities. So what have I been up to? - [Hells Canyon](https://www.mineral2.com/travel/hikes/hells-canyon/) - Panoramic View from our vantage point, originally uploaded by Matthew Singer. This story begins with Luke and I itching to get out into the backcountry. Although it's the middle of June, the combination of an unusually cold and wet Spring with the very productive winter has left many of the high country destinations (above 5000 - [Personal Updates](https://www.mineral2.com/personal/personal-updates/) - It's been an eventful week, and I should have posted more often, but I've been busy and tired and uninspired to write. So I'll give you the update on the past week, and then some. Last Monday was our actual anniversary, and even though we celebrated the week before with a getaway to Oregon, we - [Weekend Getaway, Part III](https://www.mineral2.com/travel/weekend-getaway-part-iii/) - Day 3: Canyons It's a week later and I'm only now getting to the end of our romantic weekend away to celebrate our anniversary. Saturday was our third and final full day in Oregon. Thursday we had a nice scenic road trip to Enterprise. Friday, we explored the mountains. And Today (a week ago), - [Our Weekend Away, part II](https://www.mineral2.com/travel/our-weekend-away-part-ii/) - Sacajawea, originally uploaded by Matthew Singer. Day 2 Friday morning, I woke up in time to catch the sun rising over the Seven Devils. I went outside with the camera to catch the morning glow on the snow-capped peaks of the Wallowas as the sun rose in the sky. It was a beautiful morning, and - [Home Theater](https://www.mineral2.com/personal/home-theater/) - A few weeks ago, we received our federal tax return, and with the First Time Homebuyer tax credit, we got quite a hefty sum. The bulk of that money is going right back into the property with a few home improvement projects. But we took a small chunk and set it aside to complete the - [Spring has Sprung](https://www.mineral2.com/personal/spring-has-sprung/) - Spring is officially here on the Palouse, as temperatures soar to almost 80 degrees and graduation season is upon us. The University of Idaho had its commencement yesterday, though I did not attend. This marks the end of my first year in graduate school, and so far it has been a success. But this summer, - [The Baby](https://www.mineral2.com/personal/the-baby/) - Mother and Child, originally uploaded by Matthew Singer. We had a baby. And by We, I mean Erin. And by Erin, I mean her horse. Thursday night (Friday morning) around 12:30, we went out to check on Mae and turn in for the night, but we heard groaning and grunting coming from the barn. So, - [Daffodils in the Snow](https://www.mineral2.com/personal/daffodils-in-the-snow/) - Daffodils in the Snow, originally uploaded by Matthew Singer. I've heard of April showers bringing May flowers, but what do April snows bring? On Friday, I awoke to a white world with about an inch of snow covering everything. It was kind of a shock considering only a week before, there were promising signs of - [Road Trip: Elk River Scenic Byway](https://www.mineral2.com/travel/road-trip-elk-river-scenic-byway/) - Last weekend, we went to Orofino to check out a riding mower that someone was selling. The drive to Orofino is quite scenic, dropping into a canyon, and then climbing back out before reaching Kendrick, passing a few small mountains, and then descending into the big canyon: the Clearwater River. Orofino is kind of neat - [Nostalgia](https://www.mineral2.com/personal/nostalgia/) - times square, originally uploaded by Matthew Singer. I'm going to start this post by sharing a few photos I shot on Kodak T-Max black and white film way back in 2001 during my freshman year of college. Film. Back then, my little school of 1600 had a darkroom that the photo club and art department - [Potlatch River](https://www.mineral2.com/travel/hikes/potlatch-river/) - Potlatch River, originally uploaded by Matthew Singer. There is a Forest Service hiking trail about 3 miles due north of our house, though it's about 7 miles to drive there. Still, it's close for those after-work getaways. The trail is a ~5mi. loop along the Potlatch River that takes you along the river and then - [The Birds at our Feeder](https://www.mineral2.com/personal/the-birds-at-our-feeder/) - We get lots of birds in our trees in the front yard. This could be contributed to the source of food we are supplying to them. The list of winter birds is less than the summer residents. For example, I haven't seen a bluebird in months, and most of the woodpeckers have left the yard - [I wish I had my Camera with me](https://www.mineral2.com/personal/i-wish-i-had-my-camera-with-me/) - One of the properties of Moscow is a wet winter and spring. We're close enough to the coast to get the rainy weather patterns, yet far enough inland to incur the effects of the Cascades rain shadow. Though I suppose being at the foothills of the next major mountain divide, it's only natural for the - [The Road Trip](https://www.mineral2.com/travel/the-road-trip/) - Well, we are finally off and on our way to a new life in the middle of nowhere, Idaho. Of course, this trip is not without its share of stories. To begin with, we were supposed to leave Maryland as soon as Erin was done with camp. I gave her until 2:00 and we were - [Snowstorm](https://www.mineral2.com/personal/snowstorm/) - Snowstorm, originally uploaded by Matthew Singer. After last week's post about the snowstorm that welcomed us in to March, I took a few photos of the snow banks to illustrate how much we had. So here's one of those photos, from Tuesdsay, March 1. Now, to be fair, the total snowfall over the few days - [A Walk Around the Yard](https://www.mineral2.com/personal/a-walk-around-the-yard/) - When you live somewhere long enough and see the same scenery day after day, you sort of become numb to it. It no longer thrills you the way it did when you first moved in. That's sort of how I feel. Don't get me wrong, I love my house and its location, but - [Happy March](https://www.mineral2.com/personal/happy-march/) - Wow, it's March already. Yesterday, it began to snow. Let's back up, all of last week, it snowed. We may have gotten a good combined foot of fresh, fluffy powder. We got a bit of a break over the weekend. Sunday it snowed a bit, but the accumulation wasn't siginificant. But yesterday, it began to - [Website Update](https://www.mineral2.com/personal/website-update/) - If you're reading this on the website, you won't see much of a difference. But I just upgraded Wordpress to version 3.1 and upgraded the theme. The result is a better integration with the Gallery plugin. The galleries should now fit with the look of the site. Enjoy. - [test](https://www.mineral2.com/personal/test-2/) - test - [test](https://www.mineral2.com/personal/test/) - test - [Let it Snow](https://www.mineral2.com/personal/let-it-snow/) - Winter has made a comeback here on the Palouse. After several weeks of warm weather into the 50's, the temperatures have cooled down, but the precipitation remains. The snow began Monday night, giving us only an inch or two, not much to worry about. But the snow continued throughout Tuesday dropping another two inches on - [Winter Desires](https://www.mineral2.com/personal/winter-desires/) - I was in town today getting snow tires for Erin's Jeep, and when I'm in town, I often head over to Hyperspud to look at maps, books and gear that I can't afford. Today I was looking through the book Mountaineering: Freedom of the Hills put out by the aptly named Mountaineers Press. They put - [Skiing](https://www.mineral2.com/travel/skiing/) - I went skiing for the first time in over five years, and it felt like I never took a break. Erin and I went to Silver Mountain with Tyler, and Travis. Silver is the nearest ski area to Moscow and it's not that bad. When the entire area is open, it's got a vertical of - [Winter Arrives](https://www.mineral2.com/photo-blog/winter-arrives/) - So, today, Erin and I drove into Moscow to look at our snow removal options, but that ended up a fail since we left late and she had to get to work. So, I returned home with nothing new. The roads around here are plowed much differently than I expected. In Pennsylvania, the roads would - [First Snow](https://www.mineral2.com/personal/first-snow/) - First Snow, originally uploaded by Matthew Singer. On Friday, I woke up to find a light layer of white on everything. At first, I thought it was a heavy frost, but when I put my glasses on, the truth was revealed. We had our first snowfall. It wasn't much, less than an inch, and by - [Hunter’s Moon](https://www.mineral2.com/personal/hunters-moon/) - Havest Moon, originally uploaded by Matthew Singer. I've been so busy lately that I haven't been able to make any new posts. I wish I could tell you that I've been busy doing some sort of interesting research, but that's just not the case yet. However, during my drive home this evening, I was given - [New Books!](https://www.mineral2.com/personal/new-books/) - I've got two new books available for purchase. 2010: The Year of Change, Volume 1 is a collection of photographs and stories from the first half of the year. 2004-2007: A Portfolio from the Archives is a portfolio from my first four years out of college. This book is more of a photo portfolio rather - [Old Rag](https://www.mineral2.com/travel/hikes/old-rag/) - Spring!, originally uploaded by Matthew Singer. In April, I briefly lost my camera due to a bent pin in the card slot. I sent it to Canon for repair and got the camera back in a week's time. Unfortunately, during that time, I had scheduled a hike up Old Rag with Jon, my supervisor at - [Oregon](https://www.mineral2.com/travel/hikes/oregon/) - Sunrise, originally uploaded by Matthew Singer. I made my very first appearance in the state of Oregon over the weekend. I'm impressed and hooked. Oregon is a very pretty state, and I didn't even get to see very much of it. My Oregon experience took me to a little known section in the northeastern corner, - [Grandmother Mountain](https://www.mineral2.com/travel/hikes/grandmother-mountain/) - Looking West on Grandmother Mountain, originally uploaded by Matthew Singer. This weekend, Erin and I set out for our first hike together in Idaho and we made our first summit together on Grandmother Mountain. The hike to Grandmother Mountain begins high up in the St. Joe National Forest 12 miles out of Clarkia. The entire - [Fall Foliage](https://www.mineral2.com/photo-blog/fall-foliage/) - Foliage, originally uploaded by Matthew Singer. With the sudden drop in temperatures, Fall has officially begun in the northwest. This is the first time I've spent fall in a predominantly evergreen forest. While there is color to be found in the west, I suspect that the immediate area won't be the place to find it. - [Hiking Deary](https://www.mineral2.com/travel/hikes/hiking-deary/) - View from Potato Hill, originally uploaded by Matthew Singer. I've now been in Idaho for almost three weeks and I'm starting to get settled into my new home. Later I will post about the property and the abundant wildlife that make our place so special. But today, I write about a local hiking opportunity just - [Kittens](https://www.mineral2.com/personal/kittens/) - I can hidez., originally uploaded by Matthew Singer. We've been in and out of the Altoona area to pack up belongings in preparation for the big move later this summer. We usually stay with Erin's grandfather who lives on a farm off of Rt. 22 near Williamsburg. He has some "stray" cats that he feeds, - [Mother's Day](https://www.mineral2.com/travel/hikes/mothers-day/) - Hazeltop, originally uploaded by Matthew Singer. This past weekend, my mom came to Luray to visit me. We spent Saturday in town at the annual Festival of Spring. Main Street is shut down to traffic and the stores and other vendors set up shop on the street. We spent a good deal of time at - [Dolly Sods, Revisited](https://www.mineral2.com/travel/hikes/dolly-sods-revisited/) - Dolly Sods Meadow, originally uploaded by Matthew Singer. In the fall, I visited West Virginia's Dolly Sods with my parents. The foliage on the blueberry bushes was amazing, but the trees had not yet turned. I was planning to return a week later to backpack through the wilderness area during its peak foliage, but my - [Swimming Holes](https://www.mineral2.com/travel/hikes/swimming-holes/) - The Lower Falls on Overall Run, originally uploaded by Matthew Singer. When the weather turns hot and humid, there's no better way to stay cool than at your local swimming hole. Swimming holes offer something that your pool does not: privacy, seclusion, crisp cold water, and no chemicals. That icy mountain stream gets the old - [Big Falls on Overall Run](https://www.mineral2.com/travel/hikes/big-falls-on-overall-run/) - Big Falls on Overall Run, originally uploaded by Matthew Singer. It's great to have my camera back. Two weeks ago, I bent a pin in the card slot which rendered the camera useless. After speaking with Canon support, I packed up the body and shipped it off to the nearest repair facility. It left FedEx - [Duncan Knob](https://www.mineral2.com/travel/hikes/duncan-knob/) - View on Duncan Knob, originally uploaded by Matthew Singer. I got up early this morning to hike before the heat of the day. I would have liked to have gotten up earlier to be at the summit for that early light, but I enjoyed what I got. I arrived at my trailhead by 8:00 and - [Life at Camp](https://www.mineral2.com/personal/life-at-camp/) - I haven't been very good at updating this or my livejournal in a while. I've been fairly busy for the past few weeks. I returned to my job at the mountain campus (www.mountaincampus.org, check us out) in the middle of March and spent the first two weeks cleaning up and preparing for the season. With - [Asotin Creek](https://www.mineral2.com/travel/hikes/asotin-creek/) - The Deep Gorge Originally uploaded by Matthew Singer While we were out in Idaho, we had the pleasure of taking a day and hiking. While the Moscow area was devoid of any snow this year, the surrounding mountains still had a bit of the white stuff, and forget about trying to get to the big - [Heading West](https://www.mineral2.com/personal/heading-west/) - The Palouse, originally uploaded by Matthew Singer. Holy Smokes, it's March already? My how time flies. It's funny how time goes by when life is mundane and you feel like you've wasted the days. On the other hand, when you've got something to look forward to, it just can't come fast enough. I suppose I - [Photographing Birds on the Farm](https://www.mineral2.com/personal/photographing-birds-on-the-farm/) - Fox sparrow Passerella iliaca White-crowned sparrow Zonotrichia leucophrys Northern cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis Today I took the camera out to photograph the birds. We've got a feeder in the front yard, but all the birds flock to the seed spilled on the ground. So I threw the dogs inside, scattered a can of seed on the - [Memorial Day Weekend and more](https://www.mineral2.com/personal/memorial-day-weekend-and-more/) - On top of The World Originally uploaded by Matthew Singer. Its Memorial Day Weekend already! My how time flies. There's been a lot happening lately, and between illnesses and deaths in the family, I haven't been out exploring and backpacking as much as I would have liked. I'm finally going to get out on my - [National Aquarium in Baltimore](https://www.mineral2.com/travel/national-aquarium-in-baltimore/) - National Aquarium in Baltimore Originally uploaded by Matthew Singer Last Saturday, Erin had to go to Towson to take her riding instructor exam. I dropped her off at Goucher College and headed to REI, only to find that they didn't open for another hour, so I drove down the road to Borders, looked at books - [A new Mineral2.com](https://www.mineral2.com/personal/a-new-mineral2-com/) - For the longest time, I have been wanting to re-design my site to make it easy to update and manage content. At first, I thought a content management system would suit me, but I found them to be a bit daunting. Perhaps later I'll re-visit the idea, but for the amount of content that I - [Porcupine Mountains, Memorial Day Weekend](https://www.mineral2.com/travel/hikes/porcupine-mountains-memorial-day-weekend/) - Lake of the Clouds Originally uploaded by Up Nort. This Memorial Day weekend was exactly what I needed. It was a weekend away from civilization getting some good physical exercise and getting in touch with the real world. The Porcupine Mountains are simply amazing. Its Michigan's largest state park and on a scale of 1-10, - [Mount Rogers, VA](https://www.mineral2.com/personal/mount-rogers-va/) - Well, my time in Alabama has come to an end. To catch up on this thing, I spent the fall season at the McDowell Environmental Center as an educator down in northern Alabama. I enjoyed it so much that I returned for the spring season. The area is a sandstone highlands carved into canyons by - [](https://www.mineral2.com/personal/4/) - Its been an interesting week to say the least. Friday it was warm and rainy, which killed all remains of snow. Then it got real cold. So I had a ski lesson on the grass. It doesn't really work that great on grass. Today was also cold. So... Its cold. Booo Its supposed to snow. - [View from Mount Rogers](https://www.mineral2.com/travel/hikes/view-from-mount-rogers/) - View from Mount Rogers Originally uploaded by mineral2. Oops! I promised a detailed account of my Mount Rogers extravagansa, but forgot to post about it here. So here it is, almost two months late. Of course, you can visit the photo galleries for photos as they are now up there. But here's my adventure: Sunday: - [Canoeing](https://www.mineral2.com/travel/canoeing/) - This weekend I went canoeing down the Juniata River with my girlfriend, Erin. We had a blast. We only got rained on once while on the water, and then we waited it out under a tree to minimize the soaking. We put in at the riverside park in Huntingdon, PA and took out about twenty - [Photography](https://www.mineral2.com/personal/photography/) - Grafton Street, Dublin Originally uploaded by mineral2. I'm scanning old photos again. Its the first time in probably a month since I've been archiving photos. I skipped over a few and am doing a more "recent" set from the summer of 2001. Ireland. Its 6 rolls of color and one of black and white. I'll - [Maine](https://www.mineral2.com/personal/maine/) - I've been in Maine for the past 9 weeks teaching outdoor education at the Ferry Beach Ecology School. Its been wonderful up here, though its gotten quite cold rather quickly. On weekends I have been hiking up in the White Mountains getting some great photography shots. Unfortunately, none of the computers I work with have - [Virginia](https://www.mineral2.com/personal/virginia/) - I've been in Marion, VA now for over a week. Its been pretty nice. So far I've been up on White Top twice with the lovely presence of snow up there. I've been hiking up Dickey Knob for a decent view and up Molly's Knob for a better view. I'm still exploring and getting to - [Photos](https://www.mineral2.com/personal/photos/) - Mount Adams Summit Originally uploaded by mineral2. Well, I'm finished scanning 5 of 6 rolls from the fall. It sounds pitiful, but there are lots of great shots. Last Fall I shot off 9 rolls between Alabama and North Carolina. In the spring, I topped that with 13 rolls including the hike in Virginia. Add - [Illinois](https://www.mineral2.com/personal/illinois/) - On Mount Moosilauke Originally uploaded by mineral2. I'm in Illinois now and will be here for a good majority of the year. While I'm living 40 miles in the Chicago suburbs, I've already taken a trip to the Mississippi River to see the Bald Eagles and am planning a weekend to Nebraska to watch the - [Observations from my Weekend](https://www.mineral2.com/travel/observations-from-my-weekend/) - Everywhere I go I make observations on the world that would be great commentary for this journal. Unfortunately, I never write them down and most of these notes get lost in the millions of thoughts going through my head. But I will try to recall what I can. Observation no. 1: Zoos Last weekend I - [Chicago](https://www.mineral2.com/travel/chicago/) - On Monday, I went into Chicago to meet up with the elusive Gloria Mui who I haven't seen since Medfest 2005. She was in Chicago for some pharmaceutical conference. So yesterday I took the train into the city, and actually missed the train I wanted because I couldn't find a parking space in the first - [A much needed update](https://www.mineral2.com/personal/a-much-needed-update/) - View on Kennedy Peak Originally uploaded by Matthew Singer. Wow. I realized I haven't updated this place in quite some time. A lot has happened in the past year. I went back to Ferry Beach (www.fbes.org) in the fall and had some fun on the coast of Maine with weekends in the White Mountains again. ## Pages - [Welcome to the home of Matthew Singer](https://www.mineral2.com/) - Matt Educator, Biologist, Photographer, Geocacher, Adventurer, and more... Matthew Singer - [Photo Galleries](https://www.mineral2.com/photography/photo-galleries/) - Below is a curated portfolio of my best and favorite images. Select a gallery from the links above to view thematic collections. All of the images are pulled from my Flickr account. For my full collection, visit https://www.flickr.com/photos/mineral2. - [Photography](https://www.mineral2.com/photography/) - My interest in photography began the summer after my freshman year of high school when I took my parents' old Minolta SRT-201 out to Trough Creek, set it up on a tripod, and captured this long exposure of Rainbow Falls. There was something exhilarating about having complete control over the camera, and I have - [Order Prints](https://www.mineral2.com/photography/order/) - A high-quality photographic print does more than just fill a gap on a wall. It acts as a window, inviting the stillness of a landscape or the energy of a captured moment into your daily life. Physical print offers a depth of color and texture that a smartphone screen simply cannot replicate. By choosing a - [Portfolio](https://www.mineral2.com/photography/photo-galleries/portfolio/) - This is a collection of my best and most popular works. It is continuously evaluated and updated. - [Cities and Towns](https://www.mineral2.com/photography/photo-galleries/city/) - [Wildlife](https://www.mineral2.com/photography/photo-galleries/wildlife/) - [Waterfalls](https://www.mineral2.com/photography/photo-galleries/waterfalls/) - [Flowers](https://www.mineral2.com/photography/photo-galleries/wildflowers/) - [Landscapes](https://www.mineral2.com/photography/photo-galleries/landscapes/) - Landscapes are my specialty. This gallery represents some of my favorites. ## Categories - [Hikes](https://www.mineral2.com/category/travel/hikes/) - [Travel Stories](https://www.mineral2.com/category/travel/) - [Opinions](https://www.mineral2.com/category/opinion/) - [Personal Updates](https://www.mineral2.com/category/personal/) - [Photo Blog](https://www.mineral2.com/category/photo-blog/) - [Science News](https://www.mineral2.com/category/science/) - [Research Blog](https://www.mineral2.com/category/research/) - [All Things Moscow](https://www.mineral2.com/category/moscow/) - All Things Moscow! This category will be a collection of posts promoting culture, events, and things to do around Moscow, Idaho. ## Tags - [Baking](https://www.mineral2.com/tag/baking/) - [Sourdough](https://www.mineral2.com/tag/sourdough/) - [Bread](https://www.mineral2.com/tag/bread/)