“Far away in Northwestern Montana, hidden from view by clustering mountain-peaks, lies an unmapped corner - the Crown of the Continent.” - George Bird Grinnell - Century Magazine, 1901
“The Crown of the Continent”… pretty epic words to describe a place, right??… well, if you’ve been here (to Glacier National Park that is), you wholeheartedly understand!😉
So it was my Birthday this past Saturday, July 25th, born in 1977, which makes me 49… yes, one more year to the big 5-0!!!🤯 But you know what, with what I have done with my life over the past 15+ years, in a lot of ways, I feel better and stronger than I did in my twenties - in my prime is my mindset!
Over this past week as I’ve been settling back in to being home from the Krasl / Ann Arbor Festivals road trip, I’ve spent a good deal of time working on reclaiming the jungle that had become our landscape, mulch beds in particular, and boy is that feeling good! We’ve also been grilling lots of delicious meals and just enjoying some much needed down time from how busy the past few months have seemed, especially considering the amount of time I have spent constantly out in the heat and humidity more recently!
But, I have, in addition, been thinking of and working on what/where is the best place for me to follow up from where I left you last??? (See “Rocky Mountain Daydream” if you missed it!) And also a great way to welcome some newcomers here from my time in Michigan.
Yes, I do have several things I want and intend to share from that adventure, including checking another National Park off the list and re-visiting another one! ;-) But, as I’m still working through my thoughts and journaling on that experience, that will stay in my pocket for the time being…
Besides, in honor of my recent Birthday, what a better way to celebrate than to showcase two of my favorite gems from my favorite National Park - a Place that has Spoken to My Soul with Its Spirit - Glacier. A place John Muir described as ‘the best care-killing scenery on the continent.’ We will get deeper into that quote in another post though…
If you have been here and you’ve done the hike to Grinnell Glacier in the Many Glacier region of the Park, then you probably “get it.” And by that I mean - I have been very fortunate to see some incredible beauty (and if good fortune holds, I may get to see a lot more), but as I write these words, I am hard pressed to come up with hikes (as John Muir wrote) where the scenery compares to this from start to finish and back again…
“This Blessed Life” - Glacier National Park, MT
Linhof Kardan 4x5 Large-Format View Camera
Schneider-Kreuznach Symmar-S 150mm lens (Normal)
F45 at 1/2 of a second
Professional Fuji Velvia 100
“This Blessed Life”…
August 20th, 2019, early in the evening, Glacier National Park -
“I think it’s time to go build a fire and convene with some of Glaciers’ Spirits. A long day lies ahead…” - from my journal
This photograph is not an uncommon view to many who visit Glacier National Park. I certainly won’t say it’s easy to get here - from the Many Glacier Hotel/Camping/Parking area, you’ve got a 3+ mile hike gaining roughly 800 feet to stand at this view. If you haven’t been here - believe it or not, more and more extravagant beauty awaits you over another roughly 3.5 miles and 800+ more feet of elevation gain to Upper Grinnell Lake and the end of the trail! (See “What Is Remembered” below)
But come mid-morning to early evening, this trail is one of the most popular and crowded in the Park! And deservedly so. I often wonder if I have ever seen as much awe-inspiring splendor in one 6.5 mile stretch as the Grinnell Complex offers?! And this viewpoint area has been high on my radar ever since I took that first hike up here in 2016 and captured “What Is Remembered.”
So, here’s the thing… to truly capture the best light on this scene and bask in all of it’s glory with some sense of solitude, you’ve got to get here by dawn. And that means, in high Summer anyway, starting your day in the ballpark of 3am, give or take a little.
Oh, and if you haven’t had the thought already, the real kicker is - that means you are hiking in the dark/pre-dawn, by yourself, for roughly 3 miles, an hour and a half, in some of the most prime Grizzly terrain Glacier has to offer! There are often trail closures in this area due to Grizzly activity and they SHOULD BE HEEDED WITH THE UTMOST RESPECT!!! And you SHOULD NOT BE HIKING WITHOUT CARRYING BEAR SPRAY! Always be Bear Aware out here! And not just for you, but for the bears’ sake as well! These are magnificent creatures that need our help and protection to thrive! The less negative interactions between us both, the better!
Despite the inherent risks, however, there lies the inherent beauty in this ‘Crown of the Continent.’ It often isn’t easy or 100% safe, but can I outweigh the risk with the reward is what I ask myself in such a situation?
You’ll often hear adventurers of all types say something to the affect of ‘I just had a good feeling about it.’ As crazy as it may seem, I feel these “feelings” have merit. If something seems off, maybe you should listen to that. And if it feels right, maybe you should go for it! Sometimes you just have to trust your gut and hope that it pays off, accepting that there is no guarantee.
When I quoted my journal earlier talking about ‘convening with the Spirits of Glacier’ - that is a very real thing to me. Whatever you want to call it - this Place has an Ancient Spirit. And by feeling that, I feel safer in my journeys here.
All this being said - this particular morning turned out to be smooth sailing seas, fortunately! It is almost impossible to put into words the full glory of the scenery here - and that lack of words, thoughts even, that you can comprehend, speaks volumes of how special this place is. So, I’ll just let my journal entry take you out…
August 21st, 2019, gazing out upon early morning on Lower Grinnell Lake, Angel Wing, Mount Gould, the Salamander and waterfalls - all part of the Garden Wall, Glacier National Park -
“Wow…
Yeah. That about sums it up. Need I really try to say more?
This morning began at 3:30am, making coffee by moonlight at my Cut Bank campsite and driving over here to Many Glacier. I began hiking by the soft glow of pre-dawn light through the forest along the shores of Swiftcurrent and Josephine Lakes. Very early on, a movement in the forest and a couple sets of eyes accompanied by large silhouetted bodies met my headlamp… Bears, deer??!
Although I began hiking almost an hour later than I had wanted, it proved not to matter in terms of the light I had been hoping for, as the sun angle now in later August takes a while to rise up over the mountains. Late July I think would be ideal for catching when the sun perfectly rises in the valley between peaks and would bask the scene with its first golden glow!
Nonetheless, the colors and light upon these lakes, forests, and granite peaks I witnessed this morning were nothing short of spellbinding.
And here I have sat for a while now, so peaceful and serene, soaking in the fortune and glory of this blessed life!”
“What Is Remembered” - Glacier National Park, MT
Linhof Kardan 4x5 Large-Format View Camera
Schneider-Kreuznach Symmar-S 150mm lens (Normal)
F32 for 2 seconds
Professional Fuji Velvia 100
“What Is Remembered”…
Glacier National Park has had my heart from the moment I first laid my eyes upon its majesty in the Summer of 2013. There are many places of indescribable beauty on this Planet, and of those I have been fortunate enough to gaze at with my own eyes, Glacier is special. There is a Spirit here that is undeniable. Just go there and feel it for yourself.
My hike/timing to capture this photograph without doubt put me in a potentially dangerous situation in the heart of Grizzly country during one of the most grueling days of mileage I have racked up as a backpacker. But in the end, it was one of the most spiritual and peaceful experiences on the trail I have ever had.
As I made my way back down the ridgeline all alone, I had to stop and soak in the beauty of the full moon glow every now and then while the silhouetted jagged peaks around me whispered like ghostly spires in the night sky. And my singular thought in these moments was - “Very few, if any, ever experience anything like this.”
I believe that, in the end, what is remembered is the accomplishments and experiences we have had and the obstacles we have overcome. These will shape our finest memories.
Ultimately, behind the inherent risk is the inherent reward. What is it worth to you is what you must figure out for yourself. But I can tell you this for sure - This is just a small slice of the beauty you will be standing before if someday you make the hike up to Grinnell Glacier...
If either of these speak to you, please drop me a line! I have framed Artist Proofs of each on hand and would also be more than happy to work up any potential looks you might like to see that would suit your space.
Wishing you all a wonderful weekend! Boy, is this really the last day of July??! Not to fear, though, I have a strong lineup of Summer Mountain glory to share with you yet before we turn to Autumn and all of its bounties…
All my best,
Brandon