Thursday, November 25, 2021

Anthony Lakes Hiking Adventure!

 Hiya Gang,

Happy Thanksgiving to my US pals!  Hope you have a great day.
Little Fox here.  Still haven't done my archeology work yet (stay tuned).  Today, I am hiking at Anthony Lakes and in the Elkhorn Mountains.  Anthony Lake is a beary nice lake.  Lots to do in the summer hiking, boating, fishing and in the winter x country skiing, snowshoeing and a small ski restort.

So many trail options. This fox needs more vacation time.
Made it to the top w/o any problems.  Saw a few backpackers and day hikers along the way. My goal is the saddle to get around Gunsight Mountain and back to Anthony Lakes.  (This fox has a wine tasting to do later today so I have a schedule to keep).


Made it to the saddle without any problems.  Hoping to have a lunch near here.  Just need to find a spot.  

Any guesses on this tree? It's beary important to high elevation ecosystems.
Did you guess the Whitebark Pine Tree? 

Grizzly and Brown Bears along with Squirrels eat the fatty seeds for sustenance.   This tree also provides stabilization and prevents erosion.  It can handle mountain weather.....there's only one problem....blister rot fungus (oh and climate change too). Between climate change and the blister rot fungus the population has decreased by 90%.  
It's on the threatened list but there is hope!  A variety of groups are planting 500,000 seedlings  that are disease resistant to the blister rot fungus.  Lfox is keeping his paws crossed for success!















Thursday, November 18, 2021

Exploring Baker City

 Hello Blog World.

It is I, Little Fox archeology student on a little road trip to Baker City, Oregon.  No archeology studies today but I a excited to explore town.  Baker City was a mining town, then a timber town and now a county seat and a regional hotspot. I'm staying in the heart of town so it's all walkable for me.  Let's go.

What does this sign say? Better get a little closer.

This is the kind of sign my pal Drunk Fox thinks is funny.  Gotta try the Thai food at the Chinese restaurant.  
On a side note, I did eat there and it was very good.   Now that I am fortified let's explore further.

Up next is the Baker Tower.  A  1929 Art Deco beauty.  Originally constructed as a hotel (89 rooms) and now an office building.  Sandy, when are you going to have another Art Deco contest????
Lot's of public art and most of it was animal based.  Score points for Baker City! 

Help!!!
As usual, this exploring has made me thirsty.  This drink should tie me over.
Here's a hint on where my archeology trip might take me.  Of course, that's after a hike.