Music • Photography • Writing
National Parks Of The American Rockies
Glacier
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Beargrass isn't a grass at all. It's an easy mistake to make , however, because of its long, thin, evergreen leaves. But no one would mistake the tall (3-4 foot) flower spikes for a grass. Its three-part flowers are a typical form for the lily family, of which this is one of the most spectacular native species. The mildly fragrant blooms appear in early summer and sometimes cover the subalpine slopes. In my several trips to Glacier, I've photographed about 70 different species of flowers, but I chose this species as the first in this article, since Glacier is the heart of beargrass country. Do the bears like it? I know that I've seen places where the bears have dug up whole plants, but probably just while looking for grubs and insects that might live beneath it.
Sunrise, of course, is a photographer's busy time and Glacier offers many places for spectacular sunrise vistas. This photo of the first rays of sun hitting Grinnell Point was taken from just above Many Glacier Hotel. To the left of the point is the Garden Wall and Salamander Glacier, to the right is Swiftcurrent Pass.
This evening view of Swiftcurrent Lake, the hotel, and the mountains beyond was taken from the south end of the lake. The hotel is a beautiful landmark, built by the Great Northern Railway as a destination to bring more people to the park by the only conveyance available at the time: the train.
Not everyone enjoys hiking as much as I do, and for those folks a trail ride can be just the thing. A full stable facility near the Many Glacier Hotel outfits horseback rides to Cracker Lake and other nearby destinations. In the photo at left, some hard-working cowgirls brave the very early morning in these northern climes to bring the horses up.
A common sight above timberline in the summer is the mountain goat. These rough-and-tumble characters are very much at home here and aren't particularly perturbed by humans. They are, however, very powerful creatures with very sharp horns and humans do well to keep their distance. Goats are fearless climbers who can go just about anywhere and are more often killed by lightning than by predators.