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Savoring the darkness in Alaska

By Tim Lydon

In my part of Alaska, not far from Anchorage, winter solstice is always a dark day, but not because of…

Northern lights Alaska, Image Tim Lydon

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What westerners cared about in 2024

By Betsy Marston

Writers on the Range, an independent opinion service based in western Colorado, sent out close to 50 weekly opinion columns…

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Observations of a fire lookout

By Rick Freimuth

The writers Edward Abbey, Gary Snyder and Norman McLean all staffed high-elevation fire lookouts in the West—their experiences rich fuel for their work. But Jack Kerouac’s reaction makes…

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Old fire lookout towers find renewed purpose

By Zeke Lloyd

There’s a small wooden cabin at the top of Northwest Peak, a few miles from Montana’s borders with Idaho and…

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Imagine a river more fascinating than football

By Patricia J. Rettig

Imagine a best-selling, 900-page novel using “a sad, bewildered nothing of a river” as its centerpiece, connecting the earth’s geologic…

South Platte at 52 bridge image by Laura Perry, courtesy USGS

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Let’s scrap the stigma of mental illness

By Dave Marston

Even though one in five Americans is estimated to suffer from mental health illness, talk about mental health in the…

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Public land protectors are ready for a fight

By Jennifer Rokala

President Donald Trump’s first term was a disaster for America’s public lands. While the prospects for his second term are…

The Citadel, Bears Ears National Monument, Dave Marston photo

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Nature is becoming unreliable

By Pepper Trail

Twice a year, I hike a favorite trail in Oregon’s Cascade Range. I have done this for over 20 years,…

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The Trump triumph portends an economic fallout

By Dave Marston

As I watched Donald Trump arrive at an astounding victory election night, I was struck by his strong turnout in…

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Grizzly 399 was a bear for the ages

By Kristin Combs Wendy Keefover

She was 28 years old and dealt with aplomb the hordes of picture-taking tourists and repeated motherhood. When she was…

Bear 399 with cubs Thomas Mangelsen:Images of Nature Gallery

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Acidic mine drainage haunts Western rivers

By Dave Marston

It was the summer of 2015 when the Animas River in southern Colorado turned such a garish orange-gold that it…

Reid Christopher in font of textile bags, mining ruins in background, Gladstone Treatment Plant, San Miguel County, CO. Dave Marston photojpg

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How to learn where we live

By Dorothy Bradley

I was driving on Montana’s Highway 89 just as fall began showing up at one of my favorite spots for…

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What others are saying See More

I am so glad to hear that Writers on the Range is returning! I gladly used their content at a paper in Wyoming, and I would gratefully subscribe to it, especially as a free service. I love how it brings thoughtful commentary on topics of particular interest to our readers.

Trudy Balcom, Editor
White Mountain Independent, WMICentral.com

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