Simple Beauty, Boise Foothills - Idaho

Minions of the Aspen Glade - Idaho The wonderful green clusters of White Hellebore ( veratrum viride) looks for sun and sky in the wetlands of the City of Rocks National Reserve, in southern Idaho. This plant, however, is quite poisonous, which paralyzes both the heart and spinal cord if ingested.

Shingle Creek, Boise Foothills - Idaho

Spring Bouquet, Boise Foothills - Idaho

Vertigo, Boise Foothills - Idaho

The Twin Sisters, City of Rocks - Idaho Early morning light on a clearing storm in the heart of the City of Rocks National Reserve. The Twin Sisters was a notable granite signpost for the pioneer families crossing the country and working their way to the west coast. In the 1840's, the California Trail passed just to the left side of the these towering formations - and can still be seen today. This image was created at a panoramic size that will not print within the confines of the print house associated with SmugMug. Contact me directly if you wish to purchase this image. rhartimages@gmail.com It is available in 36"x7.5", 48"x10", and 60"x 12.5".

Early Paintbrush - Southern Idaho Tightly packed desert paintbrush hug the ground in early spring. The days are still cold, snow is still always possible, and the wind scours the hilltops of the alpine foothills.

Autumn Forest, Oakley - Idaho Near the Albion Mountains, on the edge of the Snake River Plain, is the tiny victorian town of Oakley. And outside of this town, south toward the City of Rocks National Reserve, are many small groves of aspen, huddled into folds of the hills and tucked into wet basins.

The Road to Circle Creek - Idaho Springtime in the high country of the City of Rocks National Reserve. Only the youngest aspen, in full southern sun and with plenty of water from a melted snowpack, bloom bright green under an overcast sky.

Hiking in the City - Idaho In the southern desert of Idaho, the City of Rocks is a magical place of hiking, climbing, trail-running, and mountain biking. Its nickname - the Silent City - is a wonderful description of this hidden landscape.

Big Jacks Creek - Idaho In southern Idaho, the Owyhee Canyonlands hold many beautiful canyons, mesas, and rolling hills. Here, in mid February, Big Jacks Creek has lost much of its springtime greens and yellows, and waits patiently for warmer months, to bring back the colors of a desert in bloom.

Arrowleaf and Lupine, Boise Foothills - Idaho Arrowleaf Balsamroot and Lupine bloom into the morning light of the lush spring foothills surrounding Boise. In the spring the foothills are wet and alive and green, but in just a few of months they will have been transformed into rolling brown hills of sage and cheatgrass.

Poison Creek, Marsing - Idaho The southern deserts of Idaho take on a welcomed green tint with the coming of spring. Here, Poison Creek is still bone dry, and yet the desert blooms all around.

Bruneau Dunes - Idaho Bruneau Dunes State Park in southern Idaho offers North America's tallest single sand dune at 470 feet. Unlike many dunes, these do not drift, and have remained stable for hundreds of years.

Blue and Gold, City of Rocks - Idaho When the aspen change color at the City of Rocks - it happens fast. There may only be one week of true fall colors before temperatures plummet, the leaves just turn brown and black, and the winds race across the desert and stripe the zebra-stripped trunks naked.

Old Souls - Oregon An abandoned schoolhouse along the highway from Idaho to Nevada stands as a memory of times past. The great tree, perhaps just a sapling during the last days of school, has now become protector and friend to this old structure.

Aspen, City of Rocks - Idaho In the southern part of Idaho, there is a magical place of granite spires and aspen glades. It is not only a place for rock climbers, but a place for hikers and nature lovers of all ages.

The Breadloaves, City of Rocks - Idaho Just North of the Breadloaves rock formation in the City of Rocks, Idaho. For a few weeks each year, the wet spring transforms an otherwise ochre desert into a lush lawn of grasses and flowers.

Desert Stone, Owyhee Desert - Idaho In the distance - miles and miles of roadless hills, shallow valleys, and deeply carved canyons. This area of Idaho is one of the least populated areas in the lower 48 states, and is part of a wilderness program encompassing over 500,000 acres.

Elba - Idaho Just a little north and east of the City of Rocks National Preserve is the small town of Elba, tucked into the base of Harrison Peak and nestled between the Albion mountains and the Jim Sage mountains. At 5,100 feet, winter lingers in the surrounding hills.

Sunlight and Swiss Cheese, City of Rocks - Idaho Autumn near Bath Rock, in the City of Rocks. Panholes like these form in the granite stone over a millennium. Panholes begin as tiny depressions or cracks where water remains for long periods of time. The longer water remains on the granite surface, the greater the dissolution of minerals by acidic water.