After a morning of canoeing on Lake Louise, we all climbed into the car and began the drive to Glacier National Park in Montana. Along the way, the mountains retreated to the horizon and gave way to rolling farmland. Not long after crossing the border back into the United States did we arrive at St. Mary's and our lodge for the trip. As we settled in to campground, Patrick and I checked the conditions for astrophotography and decided that the night would be great for shooting the night sky. As a family we traveled into the National Park stopping at a overlook of St. Mary's Lake and Wild Goose Island and finally up to Logan Pass, which is the epicenter of the area. Patrick and I would return later that evening for star photos complimented by a moonless sky and a beautiful Milky Way. We attempted to get a balance of good photos and still enough sleep for tomorrow's activities and thus retreated out of the park. The next morning we entered the park and traveled to the trailhead for a hike to Hidden Lake. Due to bear activity in the vicinity of the lake, a portion of the trail was closed. I was hoping to reach the lake's edge but was still pleased with the views from the trail traveled, the lake overlook, and the wildlife on the trail. At one point, we came within 10 feet of a mountain goat and as we attempted to continue onward, the goat followed us on the path. We were able to leave it behind and reach the overlook without other drama. Later that afternoon we went to Many Glacier and hiked to Lake Josephine, which was rather secluded with some scenic boat docks. After the leisurely hike to Josephine, we walked through the interior of Many Glacier Hotel, which is a beautiful lodge with a spacious deck overlooking the lake and a grand ballroom that now functions as a dinning room. The following day we opted to see more of the Going-To-The-Sun Road, which took us to the west side of the park. The west side features the scenic Lake McDonald, its association lodge, and Avalanche Lake. My siblings and I elected to hike Avalanche Lake early that morning, which proved to be beautiful but touristy, so much so that a teenage girl picked up my GoPro as I watched from a mere 15 feet. Patrick and I told her off for grabbing the GoPro and happily discussed the lack of reasonability with these kids and their fidget spinners. After a bit of drama we left the lake and met our parents at Lake McDonald, which did not play home to GoPro-disrupting-teenagers. The lake is massive and reaches for what seems like miles. At its shores are millions of stones, which immersed in water show beautiful tones of red and blue. Hopping back on the shuttle, we began the careful drive back up to Logan Pass and then out of the park for the day.
Above: A series of photos taken from the back window as we drove through southern Canada and Montana.
Above: View from our cabin's back porch. Below: Photo taken by Lauren.
Above & Below: I really liked this tall grass that grew by the nearby fence. Prepare yourself for a ton of photos.
Above: After half a day, Montana had already gotten to her.
Above & Below: Scenic Wild Goose Island and some alpenglow.
Above: A great sunset.
Above: Some nighttime light painting before star photography.
Above & Below: There is always something new about astrophotography.
Above: I love the glow around the peak.
Above: Some initial light paint.
Above: Unedited photo of Dean as a car drove by and stopped perfectly behind where he stood.
Above: Dean and Matt's tent beneath the Milky Way.
Above: "Unexpected" is an exciting word in photography. I am uncertain how this photo was captured, but when I went back to view the photos the following day, I found this frame in the contents. Serious David Bowie tones here.
Above: A volcanic Milky Way erupting from a peak complimented by three shooting stars.
Above: Moving to Mars? A mountain lit by nearby brake lights. Outside ambient light is usually a big "no-no" in astrophotography, but in this case it was a great surprise.
Above: Snowman in the summer.
Above & Below: A close close-up of some wildlife makes for great hiking.
Above: Panorama of Hidden Lake.
Above: I promise they didn't plan this.
Above: Panorama of Many Glacier. Below: Siblings on the dock looking out at Many Glacier.
Above: The ceiling of Many Glacier. Below: Old piano and wooden stool at Many Glacier.
Above: @fursty (IG) vibes. Below: Avalanche Lake.
Above & Below: Window baskets at Lake McDonald Lodge. Mom was very impressed by Canada and Glacier's window basket game.
Above: The shore of Lake McDonald.
Above: The change in color between wet and dry Lake McDonald rock is incredible.
Above: A blurry shot from the shuttle window.
Above: Our shuttle buddy named Cliff. Cliff had a 40 year old road bike and rode it in homemade jean shorts. He also had a film camera and binoculars. Other than that, it was just Cliff and the majesty that is Glacier National Park. We need more Cliffs in this world.