Can species evolve fast enough to keep up with changing wildfire conditions? Kylie Mohr/High Country News Increasing frequent and intense fires are shaping how species change, according to a paper published last year in the journal Trends in Ecology & Evolution. While previous research tended to focus on a blaze’s immediate impacts — Did population numbers go up or … Continue reading Fire is Driving Animals’ Evolution
Rocky Mountain fires leave telltale ash layers in nearby lakes like this one. Philip Higuera What the extreme fire seasons of 1910 and 2020 – and 2,500 years of forest history – tell us about the future of wildfires in the West Kyra Clark-Wolf, University of Colorado Boulder and Philip Higuera, University of Montana Strong winds … Continue reading 2,500 Years of Forest History
If you follow our adventure posts regularly, you may be wondering why the title of this post is Idaho Panhandle Adventure II instead of an adventure in Lake Tahoe. We had a last-minute change of plans. When we were heading back home from the Dutch John ~ Flaming Gorge, Utah adventure, we decided that we wanted to … Continue reading Idaho Panhandle Adventure II
A day fighting wildfires can require as much endurance as riding the Tour de France Ruby Mountain hotshots construct a fire line during the Dixie Fire in 2021. Joe Bradshaw/BLM Brent C. Ruby, University of Montana For three weeks in July, the world’s most elite bike racers climb steep mountains and sprint along historic cobblestones to … Continue reading Yellow Jerseys of the Fireline:
What happened when two experienced hikers got caught in the Bolt Creek Fire. Kylie Mohr/High Country News Matt Bishop and Steve Cooper grabbed exposed roots and mossy rocks for balance as they climbed up a steep hillside. It was just after 7 a.m. on Sept. 10, 2022, and the two friends were headed up Baring Mountain, … Continue reading ‘We have fire all around us and we can’t get out’
Fires are increasing in high mountain areas that rarely burned in the past. John McColgan, Bureau of Land Management, Alaska Fire Service Mohammad Reza Alizadeh, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Mojtaba Sadegh, Boise State University As wildfire risk rises in the West, wildland firefighters and officials are keeping a closer eye on the high … Continue reading Fire danger in the high mountains is intensifying: That’s bad news for humans, treacherous for the environment
This a compilation of books that we have read, and we continue adding to this list. The books are about topics ranging from history and different cultures to the outdoors and environmental concerns. The purpose of adding the Book tab to the Paddle & Trails website is to bring awareness of these topics and to … Continue reading Recommended Books