Deby Dixon
Let there be light
"We are each gifted in a unique and important way. It is our privilege and our adventure to discover our own special light." ~Mary Dunbar
A storm passed during the night and into early morning. The wind howled, thunder cracked and finally the rain. Monster drops hitting the tent moments before sunrise. And then it stopped and the world became quiet, except for a few birds that began to sing. I peeked through the mesh netting of my tent and saw a sky lit by a thousand colors. The moment I had been waiting for and still in bed! I raced from the tent, grabbed the camera and took some handheld shots of Grinnell and its deep red hues, as viewed from my campsite. Quick trip down the lane, forgetting to brush my teeth, I jumped into the car and drove over to Swiftcurrent, set up on a tripod and managed to squeeze off a few before the magic was gone. This, I think, is what Glacier National Park is all about - the light on the peaks after a storm. Hit L to view this one large.
Glacier is never what I expect, or even hope for. If there is a beautiful sunrise then the light quickly disappears behind the clouds, robbing us of the stunning glows of morning. If the skies are blue there is no real sunrise and the peaks light up but quickly dim into the blue day. One can start shooting at 5:30 a.m. and be done by 6:30 a.m. - go back to bed, fix some coffee, eat some breakfast. If clouds start drifting over and filtering the light, I am happy. Other than the morning and evening light, Glacier is good for hiking. One can look deep into the landscape from the roads and everything looks so far away and is a mystery. Take off down one of the trails and before long you are in one of those areas that looked so far away, standing amongst beauty that before was unimaginable. I hiked between 32 and 35 miles during my stay at the Many Glacier campground, carrying two cameras, three lenses, a tripod, water, bear spray and a few snacks. Yes, it hurt but I haven't felt this good in a long time. Yes, when we hiked to Iceberg Lake I thought about laying down and sleeping with the bears but still managed to hop in the car and search the road until sunset. And so I got a few good shots, got to see deep into the landscape of the wild country, had fun with Phil, Kathy and Jerry, ate smores and could not believe the wildflowers. It was great to spend part of this time with friends and after they were gone I spent a lot of quiet moments hiking by myself, and just being right there. Did very little driving, except one trip to the sun, and that was just fine with me.
Some notes about visiting Glacier: Campgrounds are full! Many Glacier sometimes fills by 8 a.m. but 10 at the latest. Road repair is going on in Many Glacier, which is a good thing, so expect some delays and not much opportunity for cruising for wildlife - though it looks like they are moving quickly on this project. If you stop at the east entrance and ask about road delays on Going to the Sun, do not believe them when they tell you there are none. Do not expect to drive over the sun after 9 p.m. The parking lot fills quickly at Logan's Pass. Some trails still have snow on them. And, please don't pose in front of the grizzly bears.
Let there be light
"We are each gifted in a unique and important way. It is our privilege and our adventure to discover our own special light." ~Mary Dunbar
A storm passed during the night and into early morning. The wind howled, thunder cracked and finally the rain. Monster drops hitting the tent moments before sunrise. And then it stopped and the world became quiet, except for a few birds that began to sing. I peeked through the mesh netting of my tent and saw a sky lit by a thousand colors. The moment I had been waiting for and still in bed! I raced from the tent, grabbed the camera and took some handheld shots of Grinnell and its deep red hues, as viewed from my campsite. Quick trip down the lane, forgetting to brush my teeth, I jumped into the car and drove over to Swiftcurrent, set up on a tripod and managed to squeeze off a few before the magic was gone. This, I think, is what Glacier National Park is all about - the light on the peaks after a storm. Hit L to view this one large.
Glacier is never what I expect, or even hope for. If there is a beautiful sunrise then the light quickly disappears behind the clouds, robbing us of the stunning glows of morning. If the skies are blue there is no real sunrise and the peaks light up but quickly dim into the blue day. One can start shooting at 5:30 a.m. and be done by 6:30 a.m. - go back to bed, fix some coffee, eat some breakfast. If clouds start drifting over and filtering the light, I am happy. Other than the morning and evening light, Glacier is good for hiking. One can look deep into the landscape from the roads and everything looks so far away and is a mystery. Take off down one of the trails and before long you are in one of those areas that looked so far away, standing amongst beauty that before was unimaginable. I hiked between 32 and 35 miles during my stay at the Many Glacier campground, carrying two cameras, three lenses, a tripod, water, bear spray and a few snacks. Yes, it hurt but I haven't felt this good in a long time. Yes, when we hiked to Iceberg Lake I thought about laying down and sleeping with the bears but still managed to hop in the car and search the road until sunset. And so I got a few good shots, got to see deep into the landscape of the wild country, had fun with Phil, Kathy and Jerry, ate smores and could not believe the wildflowers. It was great to spend part of this time with friends and after they were gone I spent a lot of quiet moments hiking by myself, and just being right there. Did very little driving, except one trip to the sun, and that was just fine with me.
Some notes about visiting Glacier: Campgrounds are full! Many Glacier sometimes fills by 8 a.m. but 10 at the latest. Road repair is going on in Many Glacier, which is a good thing, so expect some delays and not much opportunity for cruising for wildlife - though it looks like they are moving quickly on this project. If you stop at the east entrance and ask about road delays on Going to the Sun, do not believe them when they tell you there are none. Do not expect to drive over the sun after 9 p.m. The parking lot fills quickly at Logan's Pass. Some trails still have snow on them. And, please don't pose in front of the grizzly bears.