Glacier National Park - Birds and Bears!

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Nearly No Bears

As scary as an encounter with a grizzly would be while on trail, I wanted nothing more on the trip than to see one in the wild and get some photographs. This is why on every hike in Glacier National Park I had my 400mm (‘wildlife’) lens on my camera despite how heavy it was to haul along. The North American Brown Bear is quite possibly one of the most dangerous animals in North America. While attacks from brown bears are still relatively rare, they are much more likely to attack than other commonly seen dangers like black bears, cougars or wolves. I don’t believe there is a reason to overreact to the threat (guns, bear spray, etc.) but If you plan on being in territory where brown bears live, make sure you at least know of the general safety measures to avoid surprise encounters.

We never did see a bear while on trail (probably a good thing) but thankfully before leaving the park we at least got to see one quickly leaving the roadside and grabbed a few quick shots!

Birds of a Feather

As present as the sky, mountains and water, the birds gave us their song throughout the trip, fluttering throughout the branches, and ever busy. Without their company, the heat that spring and summer brings would be miserable. On the longest of summer days they brighten up the world around them, and I could quickly lose hours of a day just watching a single set of birds through my lens.

My wife will be the first to tell you just how many shots of birds I have in my library of images, but I have to ensure I limit my time with them while on vacations, or we’d never get anywhere! Nevertheless, I was able to at least capture images of some of the beautiful birds that call this region of Montana home.

The birds you see below are a Hermit Thrush that we spent time with while hiking on Logan’s Pass, a Common Merganser that was floating in the sunrise lit waters of Swiftcurrent Lake, and my favorite find, a Ruffed Grouse we found alongside the road to Fishercap Lake.

The Hermit Thrush and Ruffed Grouse were both firsts for me and very exciting!

From Another Mother

Sadly these remaining images are tossed to the back of the line. Time and luck were not on my side in getting better images of these animals, but that doesn’t mean I can’t share them with all of you =)

While it may seem odd to some to be excited about picture of a squirrel, the Columbian Ground Squirrel below is a species of Squirrel I’d never before seen. I honestly would have spent more time than I did with the little fella if not for it being in the middle of a hike on a busy vacation ;-)

The other Images here are of a White-tailed Doe and her Fawn. It can be fairly rare to see a fawn this young as they are often deep in hiding to avoid predators. Fawns are born in May or June of each year, and so this fawn was only a month or two old at this point.

This pair of deer were seen very early morning alongside the moose at Fishercap Lake taking a risk to get some morning water. I wanted so much to get close and follow them, but they need to have as little attention drawn to them as possible so nearby prey is not alerted to their location. I settled for some far off shots and turned my attention back to the moose.

What’s Next!

I hope you all enjoyed this quick set of wildlife posts for Glacier National Park! If you haven’t seen the other posts I recommend going back to see the other wildlife, and the stunning landscapes in previous posts!

I hope to one day return to this beautiful park to spend some time backpacking on a through-hike, or even just to spend more time sitting at its pristine lakes and watching the wildlife drink the water, but it was time to move on, and head up to the second leg of our road-trip to Banff National Park in Alberta Canada.

I may slip in some other topics, but next up on this road trip series will be Lake Louise and our hike up the Plain of Six Glaciers!

Glacier National Park - Moose

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Morning Moose

During the morning of the Sunrise at Swiftcurrent Lake our continuation of that plan had been to visit the nearby Fishercap Lake where at the right times of day you can see many animals coming down out of the trees for a morning meal and swim.

I’ll be real with you all, mornings are never my thing, but the transition from that gorgeous sunrise into this short little hike to watch these massive beasts playing in the water, really makes me rethink my life ;-)

I’ve been on several trips (alone) to see various animals in their natural environment but I don’t often get to spend those moments with my family by my side. My children were standing there at this peaceful shoreline watching things we’d only seen in movies, things you’d only dream of after reading a National Geographic article (still dreaming natgeo will call me some day). This is a moment, among a few others, that my children later referred to in their “top 10 moments of the year” as the best thing they did all year. Que the allergies (aka dad tears), but that is exactly the kind of thing I want to offer my kids. Memories and bonds they’ll hold onto for life. I cannot recommend enough the importance of taking time in your lives to just explore this world, and to do it with those you love. I’ll also add that while this adventure sounds like something out of reach, and only in dreams and stories, this was quite the opposite. It took really no special skills, and outside of the camera, no special equipment.

It is one car ride away.

The moose photographed below were 3 different moose. One was there when we arrived, and eventually walked off into the dark woods. As the sun rose a bit higher and fell upon the lake another pair arrived as well to feed and play.

Be sure to check out the follow-up story just below to read about our encounter with a moose on trail as we left!

Mamma Moose

Knowing we were quite literally in the company of moose, and possibly bears we were incredibly cautious leaving Fishercap Lake, and sure enough not even 1/8th of a mile away from the shore we came across a big lumbering female moose coming up from the shore to our trail. The cracking of twigs had us instantly freeze in place and the moose was easily within 100 feet (30 meters) of us.

To further spark the fear of the moment, trailing right at the heals of the adult moose was a baby moose. I put up hand signals to the family, and whispered in a very stern way that nobody move an inch. I’d worried the kids would get overly excited and either make strong movements, or noise, that the mother moose felt was a threat, and we’d be in some painful trouble.

We stood there watching each other and it seemed as though the mother moose couldn't care less at seeing another pair of humans, the baby however looked on with curiosity as you’d see in any toddler exploring the world. Or like you’d see in any 34 year old bearded photographer capturing this awesome moment.

Glacier National Park - Red Fox

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Campsite Friends

During our stay at Rising Sun Campground we were visited by plenty of critters trying to make a living off of the camp ground residents. There is signage everywhere and strict enforcement rules for open food left for even a few moments, and these guys really drove home how quickly they could take advantage of an opportunity.

While my son Noah and I were out for a walk, we had just made it back to our campsite when, on our very short and dense trail up to the tent, Noah came across an awesome little red fox!

Red fixing hiding on the trail to our campsite, looking for a quick bite to eat.

He yelled out that he had a fox right next to him and as any good dad does to protect his son…

I quickly ran over to the car to grab my camera and 400mm lens ;-)

The fox was quite accustomed to people, and we were able to follow from a distance as it moved from campsite to campsite looking for a quick grab from someone who’d turned their back for just a moment.

The fox you see in these images was a single Red Fox basically using the campgrounds for a quick meal. Foxes are of course cunning and will use every advantage including quite often living near humans to take advantage of structures or meal opportunities. The kits (baby fox) can even become quite curious and playful with other animals and humans.

The mixture in coat length you see on this particular fox is simply due to a transition between the summer and winter coats, much like the mountain goats in the previous post. I imagine it eats healthy both on table scraps (sadly), but also by feeding on the squirrels and other animals coming in to benefit from the campsites.

 

While all images below are available for print (just ask!) These few are already in the store and ready to be shipped to you directly!

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Cunning
Cunning
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There is nothing more cunning than a fiery red fox as it slides through campsites looking to sneak some of your food ;-) My younger son and I followed this fox from a distance and observed its behavior slipping in and out of the foliage, but also often trotting along the road with complete confidence. This beautiful animal is a resident of the rugged landscape of Glacier National Park.

Sneaky Fox
Sneaky Fox
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There is nothing more cunning than a fiery red fox as it slides through campsites looking to sneak some of your food ;-) My younger son and I followed this fox from a distance and observed its behavior slipping in and out of the foliage, but also often trotting along the road with complete confidence. This beautiful animal is a resident of the rugged landscape of Glacier National Park.

Can I Keep Him? - Red Fox Glacier National Park
Can I Keep Him?
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Right after this red fox snuck around the campground looking for a quick snack, it made sure to look back and give us a cute little smile melting all of our hearts…. Public image is pretty important to maintain when you are a thief ;-)

Glacier National Park - Mountain Goats

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In among the amazing and massive vistas of Glacier National Park lives some of this country’s most beautiful wildlife. Throughout our short stay in the park we were thrilled to spend many of these memorable moments right alongside these beautiful creatures.

In the next few blog entries I’ll share with you some extra moments that deserve their own spotlight.

A young mountain goat as it casually explored and played among the many human visitors to the Hidden Lake Overlook of Glacier National Park.

A young mountain goat as it casually explored and played among the many human visitors to the Hidden Lake Overlook of Glacier National Park.

Hidden Lake and the Mountain Goats

All along Logans Pass and the trail up to Hidden Lake Overlook these Mountain Goats live free and in full control of their tough environment. If you’ve read the blog post on Hidden Lake you’ve seen a few of these goats and the story behind how we almost missed seeing them. However, I totally loved following this little lamb as it caused all kinds of stress for its mother, something our kids often do to us!

The goats in these images are Mountain Goats a species that thrives in rough terrain and cold weather, utilizing both elements to avoid prey. Due to changes in the populations of their predators these goats live a pretty care free life seemingly only worrying about the next nap or meal.

This adult goat was in between a winter and summer coat, and though they did come incredibly close to visitors at times, they are very docile animals (in other parts of the country as well) and really we fear them at times much more than they fear us.

The younger goat at one point playfully ran through a picnic a family was having surprising the little kids there and I’m sure giving both the parents and the adult goat a little stress ;-)

Higher up the pass and closer to the overlook an entire family of goats lounged around on a thin layer of snow, cooling of under the sun, many of the goats still working to shed the extra winter coat.

An adult mountain goat resting on the snow during what it would consider a hot summer day.

There is something about getting to spend time with animals and watching their behavior that stirs up the wonders of all that creation has to offer us!

Have you ever been able to spend time up close with a mountain goat before? Let me know about your experience in the comments!

Morning in Sandwash Basin

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As 2018 drew to a close I looked to the years adventures and obligations and had a mixture of emotions.

Throughout the year I have created a lot of great memories, however the challenges mixed in between have been burdensome (naturally). The obvious challenge would be the chronic health condition I live with, but the less obvious challenges have been the pressures and endless drive that a day job and a photography business have been to maintain.

It has been no small feat to accept that the photography side of my life must take a back seat at times to more important work, leaving me wanting more of something I simply cannot yet have. There is a growing amount of images and adventures and things I want to accomplish. A never ending stream of things I want to share with all of you, and the pressure to create content, have me at times wondering if I should continue to share or if I should continue to push.

With that said I needed some time to reset.

At the end of the year I reflected again on the images I took in Sandwash Basin last May. A big open expanse of Northern Colorado where bands of wild horses run free under the stars. It reminded me of the nights spent there alone in my tent, the amazing vistas, and the ever present feeling of freedom.

I simply had to return.

In order to be safe in the basin, one of the most important things is to ensure you go when the roads are dry. Once the roads become wet, they turn into a very slippery clay mud that is impassible. Since the main photography goal was to capture the horses in snow and frost I needed to ensure there was both snow coverage, and that the roads would be cold enough to stay frozen and not wet.

Thankfully snow fell at the end of 2018, and the first 2 days of 2019 brought temperatures of -22 degrees!! More than enough to provide all the conditions I was looking for.

On my way up to the basin I stopped by a very frozen Dillon Reservoir for some quick captures.

The images were not turning out quite right and I needed more time to work the scene, however the extreme cold and late hour made me move on.

I did however want to share at least one, regardless of perfection.

Icy Dylan Reservoir taken in early January during a snap freeze. Temperatures were as low as -10 degrees that night in the nearby town of Silverthorne Colorado. Canon 80D @ 18mm f/3.5 30s ISO 1250. Two images were blended together to decrease noise and introduce multiple lighting elements.

Continuing on to my destination was a dark and cold drive, but surprisingly still beautiful. The roads late at night in winter have more elk than cars, and the factories between Steamboat and Maybell made mountains out of the clouds rising from the steam generators. Yet another beautiful sight I needed to pass up to ensure I got at least a small amount of sleep in the basin before the sun rose.

Upon arriving at Sandwash Basin I was able to continue through the central roads without issues and spent a few hours sleeping under the stars in my truck. Alternating between dreams, and brief engine starts for warmth as the basin got as cold as -30 degrees that night, preparation kept me warm and safe.

As dawn began to break I pulled my head from my sleeping bag and awoke to see this view of the basin beyond. The sense of freedom was instant and getting out of my warm truck to take the shot was well worth it.

Moon Rising over Sandwash Basin Canon 80D @ 22mm f/9 15s ISO 100

With the sun rising it was now a rush to follow the light.

The goal of the trip was to photograph the wild horses in this basin, and particularly in special lighting and weather conditions, so I had to hurry to track the horses with what little light I had.

With 160,000 acres to cover I had to rely on my knowledge of the basin from previous trips, but no photographer can pass up good opportunities along the way. It was no surprise I stopped several times for some quick landscape images.

There were so many incredibly beautiful sights to see in the basin. I know I’ll soon return for another, more calculated, chance at landscape photography. With the light rising and the colors fading I needed to find my main subject.

The majestic Stallions of Sandwash Basin

And just as the sun split in half on the horizon. There he was.

A wild stallion stands as free as the sun. This image was captured during an early morning winter sunrise, as a wild stallion stood above on the ridge watching the sky. Canon 80D 400mm f/5.6 1/800s ISO 100Click here if you’d like to purchase this pr…

A wild stallion stands as free as the sun. This image was captured during an early morning winter sunrise, as a wild stallion stood above on the ridge watching the sky. Canon 80D 400mm f/5.6 1/800s ISO 100

Click here if you’d like to purchase this print.

If I were to tell you that was the highlight of my trip, I think many would nod and agree. It was an amazing moment one that was fleeting and gone as quick as it came, the power of the camera takes that moment and makes it forever and one I am so happy to share with others.

However, as I traveled on to another band of horses I was treated again to yet another of those fleeting moments…

Just on a neighboring hillside slinking through the sage brush I thought I saw a baby pronghorn… or perhaps a mule deer?

I quickly trained my camera on the subject, grabbed focus, and began clicking off shots. This was definitely something I’d never before seen. Catlike…

And then just before the animal slipped over the ridge it stopped right in (what I’d swear) was the only beam of light in the entire basin, and gave me the typical cat like proud pose you’d expect from any house cat before disappearing over the ridge, never to be seen again.

I had just seen and photographed my first wild bobcat!!!

A wild bobcat sitting in a morning ray of light in Sandwash Basin Colorado. Canon 80D 400mm f/5.6 1/1250s ISO 1000.

A wild bobcat sitting in a morning ray of light in Sandwash Basin Colorado. Canon 80D 400mm f/5.6 1/1250s ISO 1000.

I now hope to rest on moments like this through 2019. Fleeting, beautiful, and free moments like this will surely slip between the trials of the year, but I stand ready to face them.

Soon I hope to write about the continuing journey of our summer road trip in Canada and also share more of the beautiful horses I saw in the expanse of Sandwash Basin

Sunrise at Swiftcurrent Lake

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Another frosty tent, and a dark sky met us as we greeted the morning. At this point in the trip we were actually starting to sleep pretty well in the tent under the stars as the busy days and long hours were preparing us well for rest. However, it will never be easy to wake up in the dark and venture into the cold morning air.

Our goal this time was to catch the sun rising against the beautiful peaks and lakes of the Many Glacier area. I had read a few days prior that you can often get either a beautiful glassy lake surface or even fog rolling over the lake bed.

As with many mountain parks it is not easy to get around, and so we had to drive out of Glacier National Park, and then back in again at the Many Glacier entrance just north of us.

With little planning (yep… that whole planning thing) we had to rush, find our way there, and setup my gear in the dark. Trying to figure out compositions and lighting on the spot is challenging and can sometimes ruin a moment, but this view is literally impossible to ruin.

All vacations have their stressful moments, but if you’ve ever done photography or live with someone who does (sorry wife!) you’ll know that a rushed sunrise shoot 1,000 miles from home is very high stress. You always assume you have less time than you do, and I made the typical mistake of grumping out at my family and rushing off ahead of them to hope to capture the light.

In the middle of moments like this I do truly need to learn to stop and take it all in.

After profusely apologizing to my family, we did end up letting the scene play out before us. The kids throwing rocks off into the lake, and my wife and I (in between composition changes) watching the sun light up the peaks and burn its way down to the lake before us.

From a photography perspective, the sky and water were not ideal. Though the low clouds rolling over the peaks were fantastic, the sky did not have enough high clouds for color, and the lake below was being hit with a fairly strong wind, limiting the options for reflections. Overall though I was pleased with the results.

I’ll let the pictures and time lapse below speak for themselves.

Time lapse of Grinnel Point and the Garden Wall as the sun rises to meet the earth. Taken with an iPhone X and the Skyflow app.

Just before the sun officially broke the horizon the sky was a beautiful pink and blue, and a low fog rolled over the Garden Wall in the distance. Canon EOS 80D f/9 1.3s ISO-100 18mm

Normally the time for explosive color in the sky, but some eastern clouds, and a lack of clouds to the west caused the scene to fizzle out a bit. Still though these mountains are impressive no matter the conditions. Canon EOS 80D f/11 2.5s ISO-100 3…

Normally the time for explosive color in the sky, but some eastern clouds, and a lack of clouds to the west caused the scene to fizzle out a bit. Still though these mountains are impressive no matter the conditions. Canon EOS 80D f/11 2.5s ISO-100 35mm

The magic begins as the alpen glow kicks in over Mt. Gould and the Garden Wall. Canon EOS 80D f/11 1.3s ISO-100 35mm

The magic begins as the alpen glow kicks in over Mt. Gould and the Garden Wall. Canon EOS 80D f/11 .6s ISO-100 59mm

With the beautiful forest shoreline and the glow of Mt. Gould and the Angel Wing I simply couldn’t resist this composition. One day I hope to return to capture the milky way here. Canon EOS 80D f/11 .6s ISO-100 18mm

Not to be outdone by the Garden Wall in the distance, the main attraction of Swiftcurrent Lake is Grinnel Point, seemingly rising right up from the shoreline.

It is an incredibly beautiful sight to spend an early frosty morning along the shore line listening to the water and wildlife as the sun slowly slides down the face of the peaks in the distance to eventually meet the water below. Canon EOS 80D f/11 1.3s ISO-100 18mm

Almost fully swallowed by the sun now, Grinnel Point lights up like a beacon glowing across the turbulent waters below. Canon EOS 80D f/11 .5s ISO-100 18mm

Mt. Wilbur is a massive staple of the Many Glacier area in Glacier National Park. You can see this beautiful mountain towering over Swiftcurrent Lake, however it also feeds the smaller Iceberg lake (a fantastic hiking destination) just off to the right of this image. Canon EOS 80D f/18 0.8s ISO-100 35mm

To support future adventures, or just have some awesome wall art in your home or office, check out the store for these and other prints!

Glacier National Park - Hidden Lake Overlook

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The sunrise that morning was beautiful, and the hike to Grinnel Glacier the day before gave us a taste of the teal glacial lakes and massive expanse of granite mountains. Since it’s been a while since I’ve posted, I recommend checking out the previous posts to get caught up, but with the family up and moving and breakfast in our stomachs, it was time to explore more of the park.

The iconic wildlife of Glacier National Park had eluded us the day prior, and a tip from another photographer that morning led us to explore Logan Pass, and specifically the Hidden Lake Overlook.

The drive up the Eastern side of Going to the Sun Road was beautiful as always, and we couldn't resist stopping at some overlooks along the way.

Once at the top, we quickly realized that this hike would not be a remote wilderness hike. The top of Logan's Pass greets you with a large parking lot full of tourists and cars with a ranger waving traffic to continue down the road. Thankfully the park system offers a free shuttle that drives the entirety of Going to the Sun Road, so we backtracked down to park at Siyeh Bend (a beautiful location itself). As we waited for the next shuttle we got our day packs together, put on sunscreen and took in the views.

After arriving via the shuttle to the trail head for Hidden Lake we were finally starting our hike.

The crowds of people were not ideal, but we'd heard many people walking past discussing how beautiful the lake was, and even sightings of baby mountain goats! However, about 15 minutes into the hike my wife Dee stopped us with terror on her face, tears in her eyes, and some grim news. Her wedding ring was not on her finger.

We dug through our packs, pockets, and even emptied everything out onto the boardwalk, but could not find the ring. From memory, we weren't sure if it had been left back at our campsite, or at the shuttle stop while putting on sun screen, and with the massive amount of people traveling through the park our hopes of ever seeing the ring again were pretty slim. While frustration and fear levels were high, we were ultimately faced with the decision to continue on with the hike, or start back-tracking all the way to our tent. With a limited amount of time to spend in the park, the hopes of seeing Hidden Lake, or the goats, were drastically reduced.

It was a long wait for the shuttle, and the drive back to Siyeh Bend seemed to take forever, but as soon as the shuttle rounded the bend and the glimmer of the diamond caught my eye from the gravel alongside the road. I knew we'd made the right choice. Hundreds of cars, and thousands of people must have passed by that exact spot since we'd left but there it was! It was a challenging situation to face but was a great learning experience for the family, and we were all there to support each other.

Found the ring!

With the wedding ring safely back on Dee's finger we traveled back up to Logan Pass and began the hike again to Hidden Lake. While fairly crowded the hike was an easy and stellar example of the tundra you find in the Rocky Mountains. The crowds also began to thin out as usual as you progress towards the Lake, but there was never a time when you felt alone until the trail beyond the Hidden Lake Overlook. There is a fine line between our park systems protecting these beautiful locations, and making them available for all to enjoy. While this particular area had heavy traffic, when you consider how many mountain passes do not have roads and parking lots, it is a good thing that the average tourist can see this beauty.

Throughout the hike we were amazed at the massive scale of the surrounding views.

Nearly to our destination we finally came across the goats! I'd had my Canon 100-400mm f5.6 on my camera for almost the entire hike up, and when you carry that much weight in gear it is always awesome for it to pay off ;-)

While the older goats are very used to seeing people each summer, the younger goat was as curious as any toddler. It roamed and played in and out of the crowds, and at one point even walked right through a family's picnic among the trees. It was all the older goat could do to keep up and keep the younger out of trouble.

After spending some time with the goats we eventually made our way to the overlook for Hidden Lake. The clouds played out dramatic light on the grand scene before us, and ice sheets traveled on the wind over the surface of the lake below. It was absolutely stunning and the scale of the scene before us simply unbelievable. Bearhat Mountain rises half a mile above the surface of the lake and in this image, about 1.5 miles across.

Bearhat Mountain towering over Hidden Lake as the clouds and sheets of ice move across them. This image was taken as a portrait oriented panorama with 3 distinct rows. 26 images in total from a Canon 80D with an EF-S18-125 each at ISO 100 50mm f9.0 …

Bearhat Mountain towering over Hidden Lake as the clouds and sheets of ice move across them. This image was taken as a portrait oriented panorama with 3 distinct rows. 26 images in total from a Canon 80D with an EF-S18-125 each at ISO 100 50mm f9.0 1/200s and handheld. The resulting image is 19,000 x 8,400 pixels.

Days like this are few and far between, but are exactly why each of us should strive to explore more. Remove some comfort, and fill it with adventure.

Escape to Sawhill Ponds

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It has been over a month since I've made it out to Sawhill Ponds, one of my favorite places in the Boulder area.

I've been stuck inside the past 2 weeks with my day job and catching up on the business side of photography. So… So… Fun ;-)

I was on the lookout for some good wildlife shots, but missed out on the couple opportunities for the day. As the seasons change you can often find migrating birds stopping off at the wetlands this area provides, but on this day I had to just enjoy the hike, and later transition into some quick Landscape opportunities.

The main pond on the Walden side of the refuge was full of waterfowl and the island in the center was a haven for the pelicans to dry out their wings. This Great Blue Heron wanted in on the action. Unfortunately the island is too far out for my Canon EF 100-400mm lens to get a detailed image.

Heron and Pelican
Great Blue Heron and American Pelican drying out their wings together. Taken with a Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 L IS USM Settings: ISO 320 - 400mm - f6.3 - 1/1600

Great Blue Heron and American Pelican drying out their wings together. Taken with a Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 L IS USM Settings: ISO 320 - 400mm - f6.3 - 1/1600

Continuing on from there we didn’t see much else besides geese and ducks and towards the back of Sawhill my son got a bloody nose, which he gets from time to time. With nothing to help clean him up we made for Boulder Creek to get some cold water to help stop the bleeding and clean off the blood.

All cleaned up, and with the kids getting some crucial time spent throwing sticks into the water, I was able to get a shot of the creek with some beautiful fall colors along the bank.

Boulder Creek as it flows next to Sawhill Ponds Wildlife Preserve. Taken with Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 L IS USM Settings: 1/125s - f9.0 - ISO 160 @ 100mm

To keep with the theme of things not quite going our way, we went to the area that we usually see owls, and while scouting for them, we spooked one and it flew off before I could get the shot. They camouflage so well that there are times where you’ll be within 100 feet and not know it until too late.

Thankfully on the walk back to the truck we were treated to a nice evening autumn sunset, and stopped to capture some shots of this beautiful tree. The light was back-lighting the leaves and grass below, and if you look close you can see the tree looks as though it was split between two seasons with one half green and the other a fiery autumn orange.

What is your favorite location to escape to and get a dose of nature? Let me know here in the comments or on facebook.

Glacier National Park - Wild Goose Sunrise

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This vacation was designed to be many things. 

An escape from the standard set of daily responsibilities, an amazing adventure spent with the 3 people I love the most, and of course, time spent in nature taking in the calm, serenity, and beauty of creation. While all high on the list, they were still secondary to the original goal of chasing light, and capturing the beauty of these places through my camera. 

The time had come.

For our first full morning in Glacier National Park (Day 3 of the trip) I had planned to visit a location I'd seen previously online. Wild Goose Island is a very small island in Saint Mary Lake on the eastern side of the park. It rises only 14 feet above the surface and only supports a handful of trees. It is considered to be one of the most photographed locations in the park, though one could argue that the lines of tourists waiting for selfies with the National Park sign might top that out ;-)

4:00 am always comes quicker than it should when you went to sleep late, tossed and turned, woke up to a chilly tent, and the sun isn't even up yet. Those who know me are quite aware I am not an early riser, but I find it amazing how the drive and excitement of watching the sun rise over a new location pulls me out of a warm sleeping bag and into the cold dark of the morning.

Due to rising early the day prior, and how late we went to sleep, the family opted to sit this particular sunrise out, but after sharing my experience, they did not miss another  After a short drive, and since I was unfamiliar with the location, I did some brief composition scouting, and some guessing on how the sunrise would play out, both in color and direction. I was disappointed to see a familiar scene play out, and one that ended up plaguing me the rest of the trip. There was a light wind, which reduces the reflective nature of the water, and instead of having clouds towards the west allowing dramatic color in the scene, they were instead far to the east effectively blocking or delaying the sunrise itself. 

Knowing that would impact the planned composition, I took a risk and drove off to another overlook that looks to the east over Wild Goose Island and the long winding Saint Mary Lake. I was pleasantly surprised to find a good amount of color in the sky, as well as a beautiful rising moon.

Saint Mary Lake and Wild Goose Island - Canon 80D EF-S 18-135 - 22 mm 1.3 sec @ f / 9.0 ISO 100 - Lee Filters (.75 Graduated Neutral Density and a Polarizer)

Saint Mary Lake and Wild Goose Island - Canon 80D EF-S 18-135 - 22 mm 1.3 sec @ f / 9.0 ISO 100 - Lee Filters (.75 Graduated Neutral Density and a Polarizer)

Quite pleased with the result, I decided to head back to the original overlook and give it a chance. Unlike most places I've photographed in the morning, I was surprised to see other photographers there already and prepared to get the same shot I would. It was a strange situation for me to basically jockey for a tripod spot, but equally awesome to share the moment with people who saw the scene as I was, and discuss all the nerdy technical details. I am generally an introvert but can always take some time to talk nerdy ;-)

As mentioned above the weather for the scene didn't play out as epic as I had hoped. The water a bit too disturbed by wind, and the clouds were behind us blocking light instead of displaying it. However, it was still a gorgeous morning, and any day you can watch the sun rise kissing the edge of a beautiful mountain range, well that is a good day. 

Wild Goose Island - Canon 80D - Canon 80D EF-S 18-135 - 18 mm 1/8 sec @ f / 9.0 ISO 100 - Lee Filters (.75 Graduated Neutral Density and a Polarizer)

Wild Goose Island - Canon 80D - Canon 80D EF-S 18-135 - 18 mm 1/8 sec @ f / 9.0 ISO 100 - Lee Filters (.75 Graduated Neutral Density and a Polarizer)

As the light began to stretch down, illuminating the entire mountain, I did some experiment compositions with my longer lens a canon 100-400 mm that I generally use for wildlife. I wasn't really finding anything that stood out, and was about to pack up and leave. A photographer I had been talking with that morning was still taking shots and so naturally I was looking to see what of. It did just enough to delay my departure and one more shot presented itself as the sun line finally reached Wild Goose Island itself. From the tip of the tallest tree to the water, it only lasted about 20 seconds before the entire Island was fully lit. Every time I think I've learned my lesson of "waiting out" the light. I seem to learn it again ;-) A special thanks to Mark Laverman both for the company that morning and for keeping me around long enough to capture this next image. You can view his work at www.MarkLaverman.com and on instagram at https://www.instagram.com/marklavermanphotography/

Wild Goose Island - Canon 80D - Canon 80D EF 100-400mm - 135 mm 1/15 sec @ f / 11 ISO 100

Wild Goose Island - Canon 80D - Canon 80D EF 100-400mm - 135 mm 1/15 sec @ f / 11 ISO 100

There will be 2 or 3 posts following this one still focused on Glacier National Park before moving on to Banff. Some of which will include some of the awesome wildlife we encountered.  

Next up is our day hike at Logan Pass up to Hidden Lake... Once I can get these bums out of bed ;-)

Glacier National Park - Arrival and Grinnell Glacier

in , ,
Our long drive from Colorado up to Essex, MT

Our long drive from Colorado up to Essex, MT

After the long drive up from Colorado, we stayed the night in a small "town" called Essex, MT. The idea for our 8 day road trip was to hotel one night after the drive to Montana, and one night prior to driving back home from Canada to Colorado, camping all other nights in between in the beautiful national parks. Partly due to our late attempt at planning the trip (everything was quite booked up), and also partly because I got us a hotel in Kallispell, MT 2 weeks too early (read before you click folks) we ended up settling on this cool cabin based campground in the mountains just south of the park.

This wouldn't be the last time my weak attempt at planning fell apart, but each time added to the experience, and further reminded the family that winging it can work too. If you are travelling to that area and need a short place to stay, I do recommend Glacier Haven Inn. It is a bit on the rustic side, but great staff and a unique and beautiful stay. 

Glacier Haven Inn in Essex, MT

Glacier Haven Inn in Essex, MT

Leaving Essex, MT and exploring Glacier National Park on Day 2

Leaving Essex, MT and exploring Glacier National Park on Day 2

With the rising sun on Day 2 we tossed our gear into our car, and headed to the western side of the park. With no campground reservation (yep, recurring theme?) we had to ensure we were to our planned campground as early as possible to get in line for a spot. The excitement of this morning however was knowing we'd be travelling up and over Going to the Sun Road. A route many believe to be the most beautiful drive in the US. A lofty claim (I think we prefer Trail Ridge Road in Colorado), but what better time to drive it then during sunrise?

Best road or not, it certainly did not disappoint. The views here are gorgeous in ways the Colorado Rockies cannot be. A combination of the mountains my family knows so well, mixed with glaciers, waterfalls, and green valleys. While it was a shame to rush the drive to get to our campsite, sunrise was the perfect time to tour this road, both for the beautiful light it offers, but also the lack of traffic and tourists. A lesson we repeatedly used throughout the rest of our road trip was to rise early and enjoy the parks as they were meant to be seen. 

Pulling into camp that day was fairly uneventful, we did manage to secure a campsite at Rising Sun, our first choice "Many Glacier" was closed to tents due to grizzly activity. The campground is well maintained and beautiful, as well as being centrally located to activities both on the western side of the park, and the stunning scenery up in the Many Glacier area. As a tip for those visiting this campground, reserve a site ahead of time towards the western end of the campground. While we did end up getting a site as an early walk in, we also got placed in a spot that had almost no shade, and no breeze. Not an issue if you only plan to sleep each night, but a rough time if using the campground for mid day leisure. It wasn't until about 6:30 pm (in July) that the sun finally hit a nearby peak offering up shade. 

The star of the hike "Mr Awesomeness" got comments from nearly every hiker we passed.

The star of the hike "Mr Awesomeness" got comments from nearly every hiker we passed.

With a day and a half of travel behind us, and our campsite set, it was finally time to hit the trail and experience the hype for ourselves. Grinnell Glacier was our goal. The hike begins in a colorful forest in the Many Glacier area of the park and passes along the shorelines of Swiftcurrent Lake and Lake Josephine, both are beautiful turquoise lakes fed by the glaciers up above. As you climb up out of the basin along the cliff edges the views open up to stunning scenes of the mountains. Eventually Grinnell Glacier lake presents itself as you round a bend, and it suddenly becomes clear that everything up to this point was oh so worth it. 

Despite running on little sleep, and lots of hot sun we were able to push through and achieve our goals. The trail sadly was closed about 3.5 miles in due to some unsafe snow conditions, and I believe the kids could have ran laps with the mountain goats, but the adults were spent and ready for some rest.

In the next post I'll go over some more of Glacier National Park with sunrises and wildlife to come! Eventually sharing our absolutely stunning trip in Banff National Park in Canada. Stay tuned and thank you for letting me share!

Glacier National Park and the Canadian Rockies

in ,

My love for hiking, and photography is not always intense.

It is easy in this digital age to be saturated with amazing images of awesome places, and lose the desire and drive to create. It is easy to fall into the routine of waking, working the 9-5, sleeping and repeating, stuck and disappointed in a success you are not achieving, staring at follower counts and inventory not sold. 

I have no answer. This post does not contain a fix. However, I was recently inspired in an unlikely way by the YouTube channel of a long distance hiker John Zahorian. John has hiked over 10,000 miles in some of the most beautiful locations this country has to offer. His videos are a vlog style format but peaceful and realistic, with some excellent videography. I highly recommend this video he posted on his record breaking hike of the Colorado Trail. Watch through to the end. Well worth it.

Great Divide Trail

Great Divide Trail

A recent series he released (first video here) focused on the Great Divide Trail. A route that begins in Glacier National Park at the border with Canada and Montana (where the CDT ends) and continues on into the Canadian Rockies. Hearing someone who has hiked so many miles describe this trail as the most beautiful hike he's ever seen, triggered both the hiker in me and the photographer.

I have seen some of these locations pop up regularly in Instagram feeds, knowing that someday (in the never sense) that I would get out there and explore them. Well... This video series did me in. For the first 2 days after watching I worked through multiple scenarios trying to figure out how I'd take that much time off of work, and from my family, or even how I'd handle such a long hike, through such an intense landscape. I have experience hiking and backpacking, but nothing so large an undertaking. 

Lets face it, jobless, divorced and eaten by a bear might not be ideal.

The plans (if you can call anything I do a "plan") morphed from a solo, plaid-clad, grizzled hike through the Rockies, to a family car camping trip.  Less ambitious than John's adventure, but finally inspired and excited to bring my family along on the trip of a life time. 

The result was an amazing 8 day road trip from Colorado to Glacier National Park in Montana, and then up through Canada to Banff and Jasper National Parks. As a native to Colorado I thought I'd seen the best of the Rockies. At every step and the further north we went, we were consistently amazed.

This trip was unlike anything I'd seen before. 

The next several posts I do here will go into more detail of our adventure and share with you some of the photography I captured along the way.

With any luck I can hopefully be that source of unexpected inspiration you weren't quite looking for ;-)