Happy Place Part 7

Alright, it's time to get back to the beauty and serenity of Glacier for another day. As write, I'm looking out the window seeing leafless trees, grey skies, brown/tan fading grass and the days have been super short. Winter can be okay for the holidays and such but I'm a spring & summer person so I need to remedy these wintertime blues with some summertime forest greens and Montana sky blues.

Where I left off last: The journey was proceeding from the west side of the park to the east, traversing the "Going To The Sun" road.

Looking southwest just pass Logan's Pass, a stream caresses the terrain through the layers downward.

That stream becomes the other really spectacular waterfall I saw. I had to zoom in with my camera from high up to capture this shot. (My little Kodak dual lens camera was at maximum zoom!) It was amazing looking down on the valley this stream was cutting through from such an elevation. I imagine it's an envious view from down there as well. I want go back and hike much of this park, if I do, I gotta get down there and see this waterfall from ground eye level up close.

The names of the mountains in this frame, on the other side of the valley from right to left are: Heavy Runner Mountain, Citadel Mountain, Little Chief Mountain, Mahotopa Mountain, and Red Eagle Mountain in the far distance. I should note that Almost-A-Dog Mountain sits between Citadel Mountain & Little Chief Mountain but it's tucked back a little further out of view of this shot. The mountain straight ahead on this side of the valley on the left edge of the frame is Going To The Sun Mountain, the namesake of the road I'm on that crosses the park east to west.

If anybody reading this has ever played Sim City 4, this is what the "God Mode" looks like. I literally feel like I'm looking down on one of the most spectacular pieces of landscape ever put on this earth. This photo can't do justice to the sensation of actually standing here, gazing at this wonder. The waterfall on right side of the frame is in constant motion cascading into a glistening network of streams combining into a creek that parallels the continental divide trail, downstream it reaches St. Mary falls before flowing into Saint Mary Lake. From this level you can see animals afoot occasionally in the valley as ever moving present dots and a bird or two rides past in the warm breeze up here.



I don't why I like this photo so much but I think it's the big tree next to the road smack dab in the middle of the frame. Descending into the east side of the park and the closer I get to the prairie, I'm greeted with a mix of pines and leaf filled trees still accompanied by rugged raw mountains for a backdrop. I suppose this tree reminds me a little of cottonwoods on the prairie. I don't know if it's a cottonwood for sure. It's just a great summer day picture.

"Rollin' rollin' rollin', movin', movin', movin' keep
'em puppies a movin' through valleys, past trees, over mountains, through tunnels and to lakes-
Glacier!

Here's a sneak peak of Saint Mary Lake. At first all I could see of it from a lower level is just a few glimpses through the trees. Shortly after this shot and travelling due east, I came to a clearing where I witnessed unprecedented beautiful scenery for a lake in my lifetime. I'm talking about mind blowing blue water.

Jackson Glacier (flattering name to me) is the seventh largest glacier in Glacier National Park. There was a park marker here explaining the glacier. First surveyed in 1850, there were 150 glaciers in the park. Sadly only 25 glaciers remain as of today. It's estimated the remainder may disappear by the 2030's. If those predictions hold true, I feel lucky and blessed to live in a time when I can at least still see them for now. It's motivation for me to get back up here and see more of this and make sure I photograph/document the expeditions well for my sake and for posterity.

Alright, next on the itinerary is Saint Mary's Lake, for the next installment on Glacier. Stay tuned.