Glacier National Park
"Wander here a whole summer, if you can. Thousands of God's wild blessings will search you and soak you as if you were a sponge, and the big days will go uncounted." John Muir
Glacier Park was the 10th National Park established in 1910. The land is known for its rugged peaks, ice-blue glacier water, reflections, and grizzly bears.
Mary Roberts Rinehart wrote about her adventures in Glacier, "It is the wildest part of America. If the Government had not preserved it, it would have preserved itself. No homesteader would ever have invaded its rugged magnificence or dared its winter snows. But you and I would not have seen it." Her book, Through Glacier Park is a fascinating look about visiting the Rocky Mountains before modern conveniences.
This place was a bucket list adventure for me. When one of my admired photography friends shared she was doing a workshop this summer; I jumped on the chance to explore this magical place. Below is my story of this scenic place, including my favorite spots along the Going to the Sun road. This is a story of the landscape thru my lens. I wanted to capture the essence of this grand place—the textures, wildflowers, big skies, trees, large landscapes, and amazing water.
Sun Point at Sunrise
Glacier is at the core of the Crown of the Continent ecosystem, one of the most ecologically intact areas remaining in the temperate regions of the world. The water, trees, textures, and colors make this place simply magical.
Glacier Water
Far away in Montana, hidden from view by clustering mountain-peaks, lies an unmapped northwestern corner- the Crown of the Continent. The water from the crusted snowdrift which caps the peak of a lofty mountain there trickles into tiny rills, which hurry along north, south, east and west, and growing to rivers, at last pour their currents into three seas. From this mountain-peak the Pacific and the Arctic oceans and the Gulf of Mexico receive each its tribute. Here is a land of striking scenery.
George Bird Grinnell
Textures
At every turn there are unique rock formations, colors, textures and geological formations. These tell the story of this ecological wonder.
Wildflowers
Along every path and at every waterfall, there were beautiful wildflowers. The forest along Baring Falls suffered a forest fire many years ago; the forest floor is recovering and is now full of gorgeous wildflowers. Amazing how the earth regenerates.
Trees
"To some people, trees merely furnish a convenient patch of shade, a spot to hold a picnic, or a means of beautifying the landscape. Others are beginning to realize more and more the value of trees and forests to our immediate welfare and our American way of life. Our entire course of history is closely tied in with the forests and their uses."
I fell in love with the variety of pine trees, aspens, and spruce in the area. But the trees I loved the most were the ones left standing after the forest fire; they are majestic characters out of a book. I captured them using intentional camera movement and multiple exposure techniques to bring out the beauty.
Sweeping Landscapes
"She was free in her wildness, she was a wanderer."
