The Land Out Here

I'm here outside of Philipsburg, Montana spending some quality time in a delightful library/cabin. There's no heat besides the wood-fired stove I've been feeding for the past few hours.

With me is "The Legacy of Conquest: The Unbroken Past of the American West" by the eminent western Historian Patricia Limerick. Her aim is to elevate Western history to a status alongside that of other regional studies of America. Southern history, she argues, has been long respected by historians and academics because of the gravity of events that occurred in the region—the legacy of slavery, the Civil War, emancipation, and reconstruction to chose highlights. Because "conquest," the primary force driving Western history is seen as more haphazard and much less relevant in a 21st century context, the study of the American West doesn't receive nearly enough attention. Limerick sees things differently.

Reading her thoughts alongside my own, it's easy to see that the expansion, culture, and present day condition of the West is indeed relevant. As much as the Eastern United States has been used as a case study for public policy, the West looks to hold just as many clues on how to create a better America for the future.


I kicked off my first full day here with a nice bird-watching hike down a cross-country skiing trail. After around two hours of wandering I stumbled across little more wildlife than one squirrel upset with my intrusion into his territory. With an unpretty warning noise no more intimidating than a squeaky door he let me know I wasn't welcome, so I let him be and moved on.

This evening I was warned of the risk of mountain lions in the area, so I doubt I'll head out again without a knife and bear mace, or at least not walk alone. There is some mean wildlife out there after all.

I can't wait to see it...from afar.