October 7, 2025
Autumn has arrived in all its glory. Crystalline blue skies and flaming aspen, cottonwood and Rocky Mountain Maple trees. Shrubby willow, Chokecherry and Huckleberry are lighting up the mountain sides and river corridors. Elk are bugling and big migrations of birds are in flight. Recently, I had the good fortune to spend a week traveling with Off the Beaten Path, leading a group in Yellowstone and Grand Teton. Below are some of the scenes we shared together….
(Bad boys of Elk town)
Elk are drawn to this location for a variety of reasons. Grass that has been planted and landscaped since the US Army administered the “first national park.” The army base was here in Mammoth, and the travertine soil proved dusty and bothered the parading soldiers lungs, so to prevent dust this grass was planted. So, it is “historic.” The other locations in Yellowstone do not allow non-native plants
After some days in Yellowstone we headed down to the Grand Teton National Park and were rewarded at the end of the day with this lighting……
Late September I was in the Absaroka Beartooth Mountain Range based out of the Hunter Peak Ranch with a Road Scholar hiking group. These are the kind of places we want to thrive and stay intact for “everlasting”!
“Nature always wears the colors of the spirit” RW Emmerson.
The Harvest Moon is determined as as the first full moon after fall equinox, which is why it falls in October for 2025. This specific full moon provides the most consistent moonrise times for several nights in a row, allowing farmers to harvest crops late into the night under its light. This is the full moon that rises earliest after sunset for several nights (making it uniquely useful for harvesting).
Wild Wind
A number of you have asked “ What is the name of this organization now?” We are now officially Wild Wind, a 501c3 not for profit who’s primary mission right now is managing the Kid for the Wild Scholarship fund. “Walkin” Jim Stoltz was passionate about wild places and wild lives. His commitment to do everything in his power to advocate for the protection and perpetuity of the natural world led him to a life of long-distance walking that fed his soul. This also stimulated his music and art. He and fellow musicians, Joyce Rouse and Craig Wagner dreamed of collaborating with other musicians to use their talents in ways to advocate for the protection of what remained wild on this planet.
Musicians United to Sustain the Environment (MUSE) was established to try and make that happen. Collaborative recordings were produced that included songs from many environmentally-minded musicians to raise money for projects they all believed in.
After Jim’s death, the Kid for the Wild Scholarship was established in his memory. MUSE has changed its name to Wild Wind (the name of Jim’s record label). The scholarship fund is the primary project of Wild Wind right now. The mission of encouraging and helping young people to get outside and experience the natural world, wherever their dreams may take them, and often sharing experiences that create lifelong connections. We believe those values of working toward maintaining the integrity of wild places will evolve from spending time in the outdoors
May our wild places stay ” Forever Wild.”
Leslie
lesliehstotlz@gmail.com
Thank you for the fantastic photos, explanations, and your work on behalf of wild places.
Patti,
Appreciate this response and hope you and David are well.
Leslie
Love this..Thanks for sharing Leslie! Also fun to look at Susan’s work!! ❤️
Wonderful photos of Tetons ! My first trip out west ( we are from Virginia) WAS 1970 TO J Hole with my 90 year young grandmother .there
Mary and I were out on a cabin on Straits of San Juan de Fuca last 2 days. There are some ancient forests still there, near Point Renfrew. The trees there include Canada’s largest, and the Gnarliest tree. I will send along a pic or 2 later to Leslie.
Thanks !