Monday, August 18, 2008

Glacier






. . . After passing through Yellowstone, having seen the wondrous landscape of geothermal activity and experiencing such wildlife as coyotes, bison, and elk, I travelled on through Montana. I actually stayed at a motel that night as I would have one of the longest drives of my trip ahead of me the next day (I wanted to ensure a good night's rest before the long haul). The next morning I drove up the center of Montana through a landscape of open fields that were lush green, winding through rolling hills and a magnificently wide, blue sky. It was truly beautiful to travel through this part of the state, which most of the locals feel is inferior to the western part of the state which is wooded. Personally, I like to mix up landscapes and enjoy all types from prairie, to woods, to mountains, to deserts, to ocean, and so forth. I find that each landscape has its own unique qualities and beauty.
Anyhow, I arrived at Glacier National Park in the evening. I had just enough time to get a little photography in before the sun would set. I ended up traveling over the mountains at dusk and found a nice little campground with which to spend the night. The following morning I went back into the mountains of Glacier where I experienced my favorite landscape of the trip. My two favorite landscapes are Ocean and Mountains (mountains actually winning out due to the fact that I love to hike). The mountains of Glacier are nothing short of magnificent. The beauty rivals anything that I have seen in Europe and I was in awe of the many waterfalls, cascades, lakes, peaks, woods, glaciers, and all of the snow that was softly nestled in the mountains despite it being the middle of July.
The hiking here was awesome! The one hike I really wanted to do was closed due to all of the snow, but I was able to do an alternate hike which took me through the snow itself and which was a great experience as I was hiking alongside a mountain goat for a good stretch of the hike. Another hike which I embarked upon took me up along a mountainside overlooking a pristine lake. The hike itself led to a number of cascades and waterfalls which were amazing to behold.
When my hikes were completed, I packed up and was ready to continue on my journey, having loved my entire experience at Glacier, but bummed that I did not come across any bighorn sheep. I had to drive back over the mountains in order to continue on my desired course and as I crested the highest pass, to my surprise and joy, I discovered a herd of bighorn sheep. I was able to get some photos and consider my time well spent and my journey through Glacier complete. . .

2 comments:

Liz the Poet said...

Brett,

You need to teach a photography class, and I'll be the first to sign up. I mean it!

Jennette said...

Awesome photos Brett! I'll definately have to make that trip, especially if the scenery competes with Scandinavia. Thanks for sharing!