Hi, I’m Jim Murphy administrative assistant in training at FSPW.I joined the group August 1st of this year. It has been an exciting time and I thought I would share one of my adventure.
I flew to Ft Lauderdale on September 22nd to spend time with my son, Brian, and his friends. We planned to fish [...]
Spanning the Idaho/Montana border, the Scotchmans are one of the last, and largest, wild areas in our region. We conduct education, outreach and stewardship activities to preserve the rugged, scenic and biologically diverse 88,000 acre Scotchman Peaks Roadless Area. We believe the Scotchman Peaks deserve congressional designation as Wilderness for the benefit and enjoyment of current and future generations.
Most Recent Blog Posts:
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Friends of Scotchman Peak Wilderness spread the word to Ft Lauderdale, FLA
September 30th, 2011
Cinnabar Matching Grant
September 28th, 2011
Your donation can help the Friends of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness twice!! Contribute now and we will receive double the amount you send.
Once again, the Cinnabar Foundation has provided a matching grant to benefit our efforts to protect and preserve the Scotchmans. Cinnabar will match every dollar donated up to the total of the grant, [...]
Goodbye is Not Enough
September 14th, 2011
By: Phil Hough
The mood around the FSPW office today is an odd mix of sadness and excitement. Lauren Mitchell, whom we have often referred to (with affection) simply as “the intern”, is working her last day with us today. But, like a true Friend of Scotchman Peaks, she’ll volunteer for us this Saturday morning doing [...]
Measuring a Journey
September 9th, 2011
Those of you who have gotten to know me this summer have hopefully figured out by now that I don’t stay in one spot for very long. Unfortunately this means that I am constantly leaving people I have grown to care about behind. But it also means that I get to meet awesome people around [...]
A Salute to Aldo Leopold!
August 29th, 2011
Come Join us for a free showing of Green Fire!
What: Green Fire, a film about the life, work and legacy of conservationist Aldo Leopold
Where: Panida Theater, Sandpoint, Idaho
When: August 31 at 7:30 pm (doors open at 6:30)
Who: Presented by US Forest Service and Friends of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness
How Much: Free admission
Let’s salute Aldo Leopold, a [...]
Time to hang up the Pulaskis…until next summer
August 26th, 2011
If you were thinking it would be nice to go help out on a trail project with FSPW this summer it is my unfortunate job to tell you that you’ll have to wait until next year. This last Saturday, August 20th, was FSPW’s last trail project of the season. But what a successful season!
A mixture [...]
First Annual ECO Fair – through the eyes of the new-bee
August 18th, 2011
Hi, I’m Jim Murphy and I recently joined Friends of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness. This is my first blog.
If you weren’t at the August 13 Eco-Fair in Sandpoint, you missed a great adventure. When you walked into the Fair, you were warped back into the 70’s, complete with tie died shirts, pony tails, Birkenstocks and an old converted [...]
Most Beautiful Town
August 16th, 2011
Recently, Rand McNally and USA Today recruited five teams to travel to 30 small towns across the country and evaluate them in several categories. It will come to residents of our area as no surprise that Sandpoint was selected as the “Most Beautiful” small town.
For more information about the award go to:
www.visitsandpoint.info
Daniel and JoAnne Schaub [...]
A New Grizzly Bear Study Wants YOU!
August 15th, 2011
Seeing wildlife in the backcountry is one of the exciting opportunities available in our area. A number of animals which are found in few other places call Northern Idaho and Northwestern Montana home. The Grizzly Bear is one of those; with a small population and a reclusive nature, a Grizzly sighting is a rare treat!
But [...]
My weekend with a naturalist
August 12th, 2011
During my studies in environmental science, I’ve met a lot of really interesting and intelligent people: folks who were studying penguins in Antarctica, glacial erratics on the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean, and limnology in northern Russia. But I have never met someone who so completely blended so many fields of study as Jack Nisbet.
Jack [...]
There’s no knowing where you might be swept off to.
August 4th, 2011
“It’s a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there’s no knowing where you might be swept off to.” ~J.R.R. Tolkien
It’s a strange thing heading into the backcountry. First there’s the preparation, the planning, the packing. You have to think about where [...]
The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.
July 22nd, 2011
From the time I could walk, I’ve been exploring the big outdoors: chasing woodchucks, catching crawfish and climbing trees. My parents, who constantly took my little sister and I on hikes, cultivated this love of nature. We were taught to identify trees, how to navigate off trail and how to find our way home if [...]
Scotchman Trip Report ~ Todd Dunfield
July 14th, 2011
Two good friends were looking for a challenging hike to prepare them for upcoming adventures and I recommended trail #65 to the summit of Scotchman Peak as my favorite place to gain and lose 4,000 feet in a day. They had never been there before and as many people know it is one of my [...]
We finished the trail!
July 11th, 2011
This weekend I witnessed a phenomenon that never ceases to amazing me. A group of people of all ages and backgrounds from many different states combined their efforts to create something that will be used many times in the years to come! It is indeed unbelievable what a group of motivated volunteers can accomplish!
The morning [...]
The Joys of Tie-Dye
July 8th, 2011
You know how sometimes you get an idea, and you think its a really good idea, and then you try it and you realize you’re not really as brilliant as you think. Well, I had one of those ideas recently.
I won’t bore you with the exact details of how my mind works, but I eventually [...]
Shear Silent Auction
July 5th, 2011
Welcome to the 2011 Summer Silent Auction for Scotchman Peaks!
In good local summer fashion, this auction of the painting Bull River (hung at Coldwater Creek Wine Bar on First Avenue in Sandpoint) opens on the 4th of July and ends at midnight on Labor Day.
The painting Bull River was created by Thompson Falls, Montana, [...]
Bissett Silent Auction
July 5th, 2011
Welcome to the 2011 Summer Silent Auction for Scotchman Peaks!
In good local summer fashion, the auction of the painting Sam Owen (hung at Trinity at City Beach in Sandpoint) opens on the 4th of July and ends at midnight on Labor Day.
The painting was created by Naples, Idaho, artist Robert Bissett, and took [...]
The day I almost climbed Scotchman Peak.
June 29th, 2011
The hike started off like any normal hike. I parked my truck, made sure I had everything I needed, threw my pack onto my back, and headed up the Scotchman Peak trail. The muscles in my legs protested the steep climb at first but they soon worked themselves out and I was making good time [...]
Wanderings on “Practice” Mountain
June 19th, 2011
A few days ago Sandy asked me if I’d like to lead the FSPW hike up “Practice” Mountain. I looked at him confused, until he explained that the original leader was unable to lead the hike due to family illness and that he had been planning to go to Missoula this weekend. Since I had [...]
Jessica Read wins the 2010 Sanders County essay contest
June 14th, 2011
In my opinion, I strongly believe that wilderness has value. Not only does it help fuel the eco system; it provides recreational areas for humans. We are able to do things such as ski, hunt, fish, hike and many other recreational hobbies because we are gifted with wilderness. Without it, humans would be greatly affected [...]
Upcoming Guided Hikes
Additional Pages
Extras & Goodies
Scotchmans on Film
Check out the trailers for two soon-to-be-released documentary films by Wildman Pictures about the Scotchman Peaks!
En Plein Air captures the experiences of artists during a 5 day trek through the mountains. Grass Routes tells the story of the Friends of Scotchman Peaks' efforts to achieve official wilderness designation for this scenic wild area. Don't miss them!
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Our Thanks To:
- Mountain Meadows
- Merriweather Inn
- Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce
- Eichardts
- Outdoor Experience
- Pend d'Oreille Winery
- Common Knowledge Organic Cafe & Bookstore
- Keokee Publishing
- River Journal
- Only In Clark Fork
- The StoryTelling Company
- The Cinnabar Foundation
- St. Croix Printing
- Blue Creek Press
- Woodland RV Park
- Kally Thurman's Outskirts Galley
- Greasy Fingers Bikes n Repair
- Endow-Bio, Inc