I especially love going on the big, exciting, mountain treks to explore places I've never been before... but I just can't work them into my schedule as often as I'd like.
So I make a point to work in plenty of smaller hikes in the bits of time here and there in between. It takes a bit of careful planning, but we can do so much more with our time when we make a concentrated effort to do so. Here are some photos from a little 4-5 mile hike we squeezed in recently up a trail we've been on too many times to count. :)
 | The views in the mountains never cease to amaze me. Especially from a place up high. This view to the west is seen from on top of "the rock". (Trust me... you know this rock is "the rock" when you see it from the trail below.) It took us about ten minutes of off-trail bushwacking and navigating lots of downfall to get around the backside of this beast and up on top, but we had such peaceful solitude and wonderful views you don't see from down on the trail. Time is never long enough to hang out as long as we'd like at these places, but we definitely enjoy whatever time we do have! |
| Fire season is upon us in Montana again, and our view to the east was a definite reminder of that! The smoke from a wildfire burning east of the valley and Sapphire Mountains started really billowing up while we were watching from up on the rock. It's always amazing to watch, and you hope that they are working on it before it gets too out of control. Those that live in forested mountain areas know just how scary such things are, and how when you see such smoke, you hope and pray that no one gets injured or killed while fighting the fire. |  |
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If you have an eye for enjoying nature, you will have no problem finding lots of fabulous discoveries while hiking mountain trails. But you gotta take just a few shots and keep moving, so you don't hold everyone up too long!
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Little rock cairns were waiting to greet us at the creekside. For some reason, I enjoy discovering and photographing them. Apparently others enjoy building them. :)
| We thoroughly enjoyed our little respite in the crystal clear water on our way back out. The cold water is definitely a great way to get cooled down a bit on a hot, summer day! So... just a little reminder... Get out and enjoy whatever little bits of time you have available... doing whatever it is you like to do. It doesn't always have to be something big to be enjoyable... it just needs to be something that interests you. Once you start using bits of time here and there, you will be amazed at what all you can do with it. So stop waiting to enjoy life "when you have time". Go out and start living life in the here and now, one moment at a time. :) |  |
