NOTES FROM ABOVE THE TREE LINE
ROCK PTARMIGAN
America’s moderately reliable source for birds, trails, gear, and life outdoors.
Top Story
-
FROM THE FIELD
Area Owl Has Known About You for Some Time
A barred owl perched above a local hiking trail confirmed Thursday that it had been aware of passing hikers for several minutes before any…
-
FROM THE FIELD
12 Completely Normal Forest Sounds That Will Ruin Your Evening
The woods become a different place after dark. During the day, a noise in the brush is probably an animal.
-
FROM THE FIELD
12 Camping Chairs for Sitting Down After Walking Somewhere to Sit Down
The great outdoors contains mountains, lakes, forests, deserts, and several million square miles of places where a human can stand.
Latest Stories
-
9 Binoculars for Looking at a Bird That Will Leave Before You Focus Them
Birding begins with a simple desire: to look at a bird. Binoculars improve this process by introducing focus…
-
Yellowstone Is Basically Plumbing
Yellowstone contains more than ten thousand hydrothermal features. More than five hundred active geysers.
-
Local Man Reaches Scenic Overlook, Immediately Checks Phone
After climbing 2.7 miles to an unobstructed mountain overlook Saturday, local resident Evan Keller spent his first 46…
-
Man Who Bought $600 Tent Reports Conditions “Pretty Primitive”
A man sleeping inside a $600 lightweight tent approximately 40 yards from a flush toilet described conditions at…
-
8 Bear-Resistant Food Containers Bears Will Never Appreciate
A bear canister is an expensive plastic or composite cylinder you carry into the backcountry so a bear…
-
10 Animals That Could Absolutely Ruin Your Weekend
Most animals do not want to ruin your weekend. This is important. The moose is not monitoring your…
-
The Bristlecone Pine Has Been Standing Here Since Before Most of Our Problems
The oldest bristlecone pines do not look successful. They are twisted. Partly dead. Often short. Exposed wood is…
-
Local Coyote Would Like to Clarify That Was Not a Dog
A coyote seen crossing a suburban bike path Wednesday issued a correction after neighborhood social-media users spent nearly…
-
12 Hiking Poles for People Ready to Admit Walking Is Hard
Walking is simple until someone puts a mountain underneath it. Then humans begin adding equipment. Trekking poles can…
-
The Hellbender: America’s Two-Foot River Goblin
The hellbender is a giant salamander that lives underneath rocks in clean rivers. That sentence should be enough.
-
Campground Squirrel Has Now Been Fed Enough to Purchase Property
A gray squirrel that has spent three summers soliciting snacks from campers closed Tuesday on a small parcel…
-
9 Extremely Impressive Rocks America Has Put a Fence Around
Human beings encounter a spectacular geologic formation and react in a predictable sequence. First: awe.
The mountain will still be there tomorrow.
Probably. Browse the complete archive of field notes, wildlife reports, questionable advice, and outdoor opinions.