My Eerie Experiences #SundayStills

October and Halloween activities can bring out the frightful and mysterious in our world. A photo theme depicting “eerie” brings to mind more of the fun side of Halloween costumes and even gore. My photo archive however showcases a couple different eerie themes! First is that misty, heavy wet air lurking along the road or trail.

Or course sometimes these lower clouds and fog are too beautiful to be considered eerie like the morning log clouds over a river or steam rising from underground hot pools.

The second theme that shows up in my photo archive is land decimated by fire. From a distance it is hard to “feel” the eerieness of a previously lush mountainside or meadow now charred and barren.

This is in the Beartooth Mountains near Red Lodge, MT. We backpacked over 3 days through many beloved areas up and over the Sundance Pass. Sadly, the last 7 miles was making our way through this fire scorched portion. We walked through just a few few years post fire and the meadow and ground cover growth is slowly returning.

When trees burn they leave the smell of heartbreak in the air
– Jodi Thomas

Separate from the fire in the Beartooth, as a fire along the face of Mt. Maurice. A couple years ago due to flooding we were unable to backpack so we took the jeep out on the Meeteetsee trail. Everytime I see these photos, I’m reminded again how eerie traveling through post fire areas feel.

From my original post: “Views through sections of the trail are moonlike or almost other-worldly landscapes. A large fire (Robertson Draw fire) in June 2021 changed the landscape around Mount Maurice forever. In many areas, the ground cover has recovered and was showing off many flowering blossoms. “

Finally, here’s a couple halloween inspired photos. One from a hike in New Mexico and another from our local lone ranger. I think our lone ranger is staking out the place for handouts.