Category Archives: Nature

Greetings from the Northern Mountains

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Hey friends, long time no talk (at least for my official writing page and list). I’ve been primarily focused the last year on managing my Facebook page (which now reaches tens of millions of people a year) and writing a screenplay and original concept I REALLY like. As well as my adventure photography and the gym. In addition, you can find me at my Instagram. I also just started a new Youtube and Titktok and would love to see you all over there (all under @michaelhodgesauthor).

So, what’s been going on? I’ve got a couple new novels being shopped by my literary agent. And “The Gloaming” (my short story collection) received a new publisher and cover and the audio rights for “The Invasive” have been renewed for seven years by Tantor Audio, which is cool. They did an amazing job.

In addition to this, I’ve been writing non-fiction articles on my Facebook page to accompany an image or short film, which has been fun and well received by millions upon millions of people.

It was also an honor to recently be contacted by a sitting United States Senator and to be asked for my public endorsement, which I did across my platforms.

In all honesty things have been a bit nuts. Reaching this many people a year has caused some issues in public that I’m adapting to. But I’m not going to lie, I still love going out to bars, socializing, and being way back in the wilderness next to grizzly bears. I seem to gravitate to the core of life, towards the wild things. I don’t like the boring stuff. There’s not much sitting around over here. I’m always moving, always onto the next thrilling thing. Sometimes that can be dangerous, especially in the case of wild animals like moose and grizzlies.

And speaking of that, I just got back from a three week trip to SPECTACULAR Glacier National Park where I hiked and did adventure photography.

Hopefully my Montana fire lookout tower ghost story “Bitterroot” will be coming out soon.

And be good. Or not. Heh.

Best,
– Michael

Update from the North Country, 2023 version.

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Hey guys, it’s been a dang interesting spring so far (and about to be summer). I’ve been bouncing around Montana and the PNW, attending speaking engagements at conventions and also acquiring content for social media and the documentary I’m working on titled “Leaving Montana”.

I had an excellent time speaking at Miscon 37 in Missoula, Montana. There’s hardly a better place to be in the world than western Montana in spring.

In all that, I managed to finish a new novel, a psychological thriller based in Montana. It’s currently on submission with my agent.

I hope you all are having a great warm season. You can find me where the tall, north country forests mingle with hidden waterfalls and lumbering moose.


Father’s Day

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I’ve been walking a lot in Missoula. It’s what I do when I’m taking an hour break from writing. Usually I’m on my headphones listening to music, taking audio notes, trying to pet whatever dogs and cats I see. Yesterday, I walked past a bookshop I’m familiar with. The shop was where I had my first ever book signing in 2015. The book was my debut.

Eight people showed up.

One of those was my dad.

He flew out from Chicago for it, sat in the “audience” to support my first ever novel. And make no mistake, at the time that was me jumping off into the unknown. A leap of faith. A new valley to call my own.

After the signing (it didn’t take long haha), we ate ice cream and watched the river. A bald eagle soared over the valley, searching. He and I watched the scene quietly, an unspoken understanding between us.

No matter what, through it all, this guy has had my back. I strive to be more like him, more kind, less judgmental, more logical and practical.

A few years ago we took a camping trip to my favorite Montana river, and then on to Yellowstone. He bought a new tent and sleeping bag just for the trip. We fly fished and took pictures deep in the national forest. I still remember us wading the river at sunset, watching as the trout nipped bugs on the surface, as a moose and calf slowly emerged from the woods and crossed the river. Or filming the elk in Yellowstone, or the spectacular night sky. Or the poor guy having to eat my terrible cooking.

When I was a teenager and getting into trouble, he set me aside and told me I could be anything I wanted to be if I put my mind to it. I never forgot that lesson.

I miss those trips. Those times. I don’t see my parents as much as I used to.

But you see, that’s what they taught me. A healthy eagle flies far from the nest.

Happy Father’s Day.

My dad on the most epic of Montana’s rivers.

Respecting bears and the Northern Rockies.

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Hi. There’s been a lot of bear content in the news lately, especially in the Northern Rockies. A bear attack (sadly), and video of curious bears “following” people. I’ve noticed that it’s occurring more frequently this year. And that’s because a lot of people are moving to the Northern Rockies…people who think their new backyard is just like their backyard in Texas.

It’s not.

Unlike Texas, which has almost no public land or wilderness (and which most people sadly confuse as a wild place), the Northern Rockies are still very wild, with incredibly vibrant ecosystems and a full array of native fauna.

I’ve been filming grizzly and black bears in Montana and NW Wyoming since 2004.

How many times have I followed a bear into the woods? Zero.

How many times have I gone for a jog or bike in grizzly habitat? Zero.

How many times have I not paid attention to the woods in grizzly habitat? Zero.

More and more, I’m seeing people that think the Northern Rockies are some kind of paradise playground, a tame personal backyard.

They are not.

The moment you step into that national forest, you better give those woods 100% of your attention…not your music app on your phone as you jog or bike. Or that random text.

The national forests and parks of the Northern Rockies are the real deal. They are the home of the wildest and rarest animals in the world.

And for those continuing to consider a move there, here’s the reality. Check out the frost-free days of these Montana towns:

97 frost-free days in Bozeman
102 in Whitefish
110 in Missoula.

Can you handle 250+ days of cold? Think about it. For real.

The truth is, Montana is a place best visited. It’s home to a unique brand of hearty people who’ve developed a tolerance to the harsh winters and abundant wildlife.

Growing up, I used to want a cabin on a lake. Then I realized that’s how you ruin the place you love. I saw it happen to the Northwoods of Wisconsin. Soon, trees were cut down for a “better view”. Pine needle and sandy forest floors were replaced with chem-lawns that depleted oxygen levels in the lakes.

And if enough people keep building homes next to places like Glacier, they’ll deplete grizzly bear habitat like the oxygen in the Northwoods lakes.

To capture the essence of Glacier, tent for a few days in a campground. Or take a boat tour, or hike, or just drive. You won’t capture the essence by building a home there . You’ll only ruin it.

The Northern Rockies are more than your outdoor clothing catalogue dreams. More than your desire to “invest in a vacation home”. They are more than your personal goals. They go beyond you…beyond me.

They are the last of the best.
-Michael