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Capturing memories of Glacier National Park with a cell phone camera

June 19, 2022 by John L. Dengler

While I spent most of a recent long-weekend trip to Glacier National Park in Montana lugging my heavy Nikon camera and lenses, I found myself without them during an impromptu hike to Avalanche Lake in the park.

The point I want to make is that it has been said that the best camera is the camera you have with you. In this case, all I had was my iPhone. Not having my super high-quality Nikon equipment forced me to approach photography differently. The best part was not being burdened by lugging the typical backpack of gear up the mountain. Being liberated from this made the hike enjoyable and allowed me to easily and quickly try different things.

It really is true. The best camera is the camera that you have with you. Would I have taken more technically better quality photos with my Nikon equipment? Probably, but without the iPhone on this hike on this day, I would have only had memories had I not had the phone.

The 4.5-mile roundtrip hike to the mountain lake was fun, relatively easy, with beautiful scenery. Included that day was a side-hike through a grove of giant western cedars on the Trail of the Cedars trail that connects with the Avalanche Lake Trail.

Western Red Cedar branch litter — *Twigs and small branches litter the forest floor under a giant western red cedar tree (Thuja plicata) along the Trail of the Cedars, a wheelchair-accessible trail in Glacier National Park.*

Western Red Cedar tree — One of the huge western red cedar trees along the Trail of the Cedars, a wheelchair-accessible trail, in Glacier National Park. The humidity of the Lake McDonald Valley enables the cedars to grow in size of 100 feet tall and diameters of four to seven feet, with many of the trees being more than 500 years old. The western red cedar is one of the most widespread trees in the Pacific Northwest, ranging from southern Alaska to northern California. This grove in Glacier National Park is near the eastern terminus of the western red cedar range.

Forest view of Trail of the Cedars — *The Trail of the Cedars, a wheelchair-accessible Glacier National Park trail, allows visitors entry to the magical world of a 500-year-old western red cedar / black cottonwood forest.*

Black cottonwood tree — In this photo, a black cottonwood tree (Populus balsamifera), foreground, is bathed in the dappled light of the forest. The fuzzy fruit of the tree floats in the air during the spring and early summer, creating the look of warm-season snow. They inhabit riparian areas, including streams.

Avalanche Creek gorge — Both the Trail of the Cedars and the Avalanche Lake Trail afford incredible views of the gorge of Avalanche Creek. This photo was taken very near where the easy Trail of the Cedars joins the more moderate-challenging Avalanche Lake Trail.

*Avalanche Creek overflows onto the forest floor along the 4.5-mile roundtrip hike to Avalanche Lake.*

Moss covered boulder — *A sliver of sunlight lights a moss-covered boulder—an excellent example of how photography is all about light.*

Rain approaches Avalanche Lake as seen from the Avalanche Lake Trail. Avalanche Lake was named in 1895 by a party including Dr. Lyman Sperry, namesake of the Sperry Glacier, who witnessed many avalanches during their stay. The meltwater from Sperry Glacier feeds the lake. Monument Falls can be seen cascading down the mountain in the background along the cliff face. Avalanche Lake is the destination of the 4.5-mile roundtrip Avalanche Lake Trail. This photo was taken with the iPhone panorama shooting feature.

Glacier National Park in the Rocky Mountains of Montana encompasses more than 1 million acres. The park’s nickname is the “Crown of the Continent Ecosystem.” The park was established in May 1910. Soon after, hotels and chalets were established in the park, including the Lake McDonald Lodge. In 1932 construction began on the Going-to-the-Sun Road, allowing automobiles to traverse the park. Climate change is affecting the park. As of 2010, only 25 active glaciers remain in the park, down from the 150 that existed in the mid-19th century.

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A wild grouse chase — the search for greater and lesser prairie-chickens

May 10, 2022 by John L. Dengler

KANSAS is home to two main species of prairie-chickens, lesser prairie-chickens (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) and greater prairie-chickens (Tympanuchus cupido), and some hybrids thrown in. The differences are subtle but easy to spot once you know what to look for. Recently, I accompanied my photography buddy and grouse expert, Noppadol Paothong, on a trip to Kansas to research lek locations (also known as booming grounds) for his future photography workshops.

The first stop was in western Kansas, where we met up with Stacy Hoeme. Stacy, a generous, easy-going, positive-attitude rancher, is an example of the modern cutting-edge farmer/rancher who has recognized the benefits of a strong land ethic. Stacy and his son Chasten approach land management with strategies that exceed those suggested by state and federal conservation programs. Their use of limited tillage and crop rotation has resulted in their pastures supporting some of the lesser prairie-chicken’s largest known populations and densities. For their efforts, the Hoemes were awarded the prestigious Leopold Award in 2018.

A male lesser prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) takes flight from a lek on the Hoeme Family Farm and Ranch in Gove County, Kansas. Prairie chickens return to the same lek year after year to mate. Males attempt to entice female lesser prairie-chickens with a showy mating display on a lek During courtship on a lek, males inflate their red esophageal air sacs and hold erect pinnae on each side of the neck. They rapidly stomp their feet making a drumming-like sound. The booming call of lesser-prairie chickens, amplified by the air sacs, can be heard as far as a mile away. Lesser prairie-chickens are threatened by climate changes (drought or too much rain) and habitat loss. In particular, habitat loss caused by wind energy development. Prairie-chickens need large expanses of open grassland without tall objects (like wind turbines or power lines and power poles) that provide a raptor to perch on. As of early 2022, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has placed a status of proposed threatened or proposed endangered species. A ruling is expected in the summer of 2022. Lesser prairie-chickens are found in Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas with about half of the current population living in western Kansas. — A male lesser prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) takes flight from a lek on the Hoeme Ranch in Gove County, Kansas. Prairie chickens return to the same lek year after year to mate. The ranch’s landscape is spectacular with the sedimentary limestone Niobrara Chalk outcroppings of rock similar to the nearby Monument Rocks, a National Landmark.

Storm clouds begin to obscure a colorful sunset on the Home Family Farm and Ranch near Healy, Kansas. EDITORS NOTE: Image is a panorama composite of multiple overlapping images. — *Storm clouds begin to obscure a colorful sunset on the Home Family Farm and Ranch near Healy, Kansas.*

The evening sky on the first night with its encroaching ominous skies, foretold the upcoming dramatic storms that would come the following day. Much of the next day was a literal washout. While the rain put a damper on shooting, ranchers like Stacy welcomed the much-needed rain. Until this rain, the soil there had been seriously parched. I witnessed the effects of the drought a few weeks earlier when I drove back from Wyoming and my Columbian sharp-tailed grouse trip. Highway traffic along I-70 had to significantly drop speed due to the blowing dust and soil that eveloped the highway like a thick fog. It reminded me of the dust bowl photos from the 1930s.

A male lesser prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) races across a lek to protect his spot from other males on the Hoeme Family Farm and Ranch Ranch in Gove County, Kansas. Prairie chickens return to the same lek year after year to mate. Males attempt to entice female lesser prairie-chickens with a showy mating display on a lek During courtship on a lek, males inflate their red esophageal air sacs and hold erect pinnae on each side of the neck. They rapidly stomp their feet making a drumming-like sound. The booming call of lesser-prairie chickens, amplified by the air sacs, can be heard as far as a mile away. Lesser prairie-chickens are threatened by climate changes (drought or too much rain) and habitat loss. In particular, habitat loss caused by wind energy development. Prairie-chickens need large expanses of open grassland without tall objects (like wind turbines or power lines and power poles) that provide a raptor to perch on. As of early 2022, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has placed a status of proposed threatened or proposed endangered species. A ruling is expected in the summer of 2022. Lesser prairie-chickens are found in Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas with about half of the current population living in western Kansas. — *A male lesser prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) races across a lek to protect his spot from other males.*

Like other lekking birds (including greater sage-grouse, sharp-tailed grouse, and prairie chickens), lesser prairie chickens gather at spots known as leks (aka booming ground) to mate. Males perform a mating dance to entice females to mate. As part of that ritual, males also will fight for the best position on the lek. Males will fiercely protect their position. In the above photo, a lesser prairie chicken rushes to chase an intruding lesser prairie chicken out of its space. The photo also shows one of the ways to identify the difference between the lesser prairie chicken and the greater prairie-chicken. Note the size of the eye comb. Later, in this blog posting, you will see that the eye comb of the greater prairie chicken is smaller. Another difference is that the air sack of the lesser prairie chicken is redder, with the greater prairie-chicken being more orange-like.

A male lesser prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) flutter jumps in an attempt to attract the attention of a female on a lek located on the Hoeme Family Farm and Ranch Ranch in Gove County, Kansas. Prairie chickens return to the same lek year after year to mate. Males attempt to entice female lesser prairie-chickens with a showy mating display on a lek During courtship on a lek, males inflate their red esophageal air sacs and hold erect pinnae on each side of the neck. They rapidly stomp their feet making a drumming-like sound. The booming call of lesser-prairie chickens, amplified by the air sacs, can be heard as far as a mile away. Lesser prairie-chickens are threatened by climate changes (drought or too much rain) and habitat loss. In particular, habitat loss caused by wind energy development. Prairie-chickens need large expanses of open grassland without tall objects (like wind turbines or power lines and power poles) that provide a raptor to perch on. As of early 2022, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has placed a status of proposed threatened or proposed endangered species. A ruling is expected in the summer of 2022. Lesser prairie-chickens are found in Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas with about half of the current population living in western Kansas. — *A male lesser prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) flutter jumps in an attempt to attract the attention of a female.*

The uplifting flute-like vocalization of Western Meadowlark is a common sound to hear on the prairies of western and central Kansas. A colorful member of the blackbird family, the Western Meadowlark uses a feeding method that relies on its strong muscles that open its bill. They can insert their bill into soil, bark, etc., and then force it open to make a larger hole. This gives them an advantage over other birds to reach insects that most other birds can’t get to. This Western Meadowlark was photographed on the Hoeme Family Farm and Ranch Ranch in Gove County, Kansas. — *Western meadowlarks are a common sight and sound on the prairie*

One of my favorite things about hanging out on the prairie is listening to the uplifting flute-like vocalization of meadowlarks. In this case, it was a western meadowlark that I was hearing. A colorful member of the blackbird family, the western meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta) uses a feeding method that relies on strong muscles that open its bill very wide. They can insert their bill into soil, bark, etc., and then force their bill open to making a larger hole. This ability gives them an advantage over other birds to reach insects that most other birds can’t.

*A burrowing owl (Athene cunicularia), lands next to another burrowing owl at the opening to an underground burrow.*

Another bonus from the trip to the Hoeme Ranch was the opportunity to observe burrowing owls (Athene cunicularia). In the above photo, a burrowing owl lands next to another burrowing owl at the opening of an underground burrow. Burrowing owls live in underground tunnels, often that they have taken over from prairie dogs, tortoises, and ground squirrels. While most owls are active at night, borrowing owls are active during the day, doing most of their hunting in the early morning or early evening. When threatened by a predator, the burrowing owl will retreat to the borrow and produce hissing and rattling sounds similar to that of a rattlesnake. Burrowing owls are often seen with just their eyes poking above the burrow hole. Control programs to limit or eradicate prairie dogs and ground squirrels have led to a sharp decline of burrowing owls who depend on the burrows dug by prairie doge and ground squirrels.

Male greater prairie-chickens boom and dance to impress the girls

From western Kansas, we headed east to a greater prairie-chicken lek near Tipton in north-central Kansas. Before we arrived, a friend of Noppadol’s was able to triangulate a booming ground location using sound monitoring equipment, so we had a good idea of where to look.

Two male greater prairie-chickens perform their mating display for a female prairie-chicken on a lek in Mitchell County, Kansas. The greater prairie-chicken or pinnated grouse (Tympanuchus cupido) is known for its mating ritual by males called booming. In the spring, males gather on leks, also known as booming grounds, in which they defend small areas on the lek to perform their mating displays for visiting females. This display includes extending their orange eye combs, lowering the head, raising two tufts of feathers on the neck, and pointing the tail slightly forward while stamping their feet rapidly. They also expand their bright orange air sac to produce a booming-like sound that can be heard up to a mile away. In addition, males will vigorously defend their territory on the lek by chasing, leaping in the air, and dramatic fighting. Greater prairie-chickens are threatened by climate changes (drought or too much rain) and habitat loss. In particular, habitat loss caused by wind energy development. Prairie-chickens need large expanses of open grassland without tall objects (like wind turbines or power lines and power poles) that provide a raptor to perch on. — *I don’t think she is impressed. Talk about a cold shoulder!*

While rain and a late season visit to the lesser prairie-chicken lek didn’t afford much activity, there was plenty of action at the greater prairie-chicken lek, notably when a female showed up. It was somewhat comical to see the female strut across the various territories of the males on the lek. It looked like she was shopping for a boyfriend. During her ‘shopping trip,’ male greater prairie-chickens would perform their mating dance. This display includes extending their orange eye combs, lowering the head, raising two tufts of feathers on the neck, and pointing the tail slightly forward while stamping their feet rapidly. They also expand their bright orange air sac. In the end, though, she ignored all the efforts of the males with a cold shoulder. Guess she didn’t care for what she saw.

The booming-like sound emitted from the orange air sac of the male greater prairie-chicken can be heard up to a mile away. The bird inflates the sack during its courtship ritual when wooing females. This male greater prairie-chicken was photographed on a lek in Mitchell County, Kansas. The greater prairie-chicken or pinnated grouse (Tympanuchus cupido) is known for its mating ritual by males called booming. In the spring, males gather on leks, also known as booming grounds, in which they defend small areas on the lek to perform their mating displays for visiting females. This display includes extending their orange eye combs, lowering the head, raising two tufts of feathers on the neck, and pointing the tail slightly forward while stamping their feet rapidly. In addition, males will vigorously defend their territory on the lek by chasing, leaping in the air, and dramatic fighting. Greater prairie-chickens are threatened by climate changes (drought or too much rain) and habitat loss. In particular, habitat loss caused by wind energy development. Prairie-chickens need large expanses of open grassland without tall objects (like wind turbines or power lines and power poles) that provide a raptor to perch on. — The booming-like sound emitted from the orange air sac of the male greater prairie-chicken during their mating dance display can be heard up to a mile away. The bird inflates the sack during its courtship ritual when wooing females. Also, note the smaller eye comb compared to the lesser prairie chicken in the photos earlier in this blog post.

Battling to protect lek position

Two male greater prairie-chickens faceoff on a lek in Mitchell County, Kansas. The greater prairie-chicken or pinnated grouse (Tympanuchus cupido) is known for its mating ritual by males called booming. In the spring, males gather on leks, also known as booming grounds, in which they defend small areas on the lek to perform their mating displays for visiting females. This display includes extending their orange eye combs, lowering the head, raising two tufts of feathers on the neck, and pointing the tail slightly forward while stamping their feet rapidly. They also expand their bright orange air sac to produce a booming-like sound that can be heard up to a mile away. In addition, males will vigorously defend their territory on the lek by chasing, leaping in the air, and dramatic fighting. Greater prairie-chickens are threatened by climate changes (drought or too much rain) and habitat loss. In particular, habitat loss caused by wind energy development. Prairie-chickens need large expanses of open grassland without tall objects (like wind turbines or power lines and power poles) that provide a raptor to perch on.

Staredown face-offs are the first stage of the battle to protect or overtake a position on the lek. It is always interesting to see who makes the first move. When one does, all hell erupts with some serious biting and pulling of feathers occurring. Feathers fly everywhere, much like in an animated cartoon.

Two male greater prairie-chickens fight on a lek in Mitchell County, Kansas. The greater prairie-chicken or pinnated grouse (Tympanuchus cupido) is known for its mating ritual by males called booming. In the spring, males gather on leks, also known as booming grounds, in which they defend small areas on the lek to perform their mating displays for visiting females. This display includes extending their orange eye combs, lowering the head, raising two tufts of feathers on the neck, and pointing the tail slightly forward while stamping their feet rapidly. They also expand their bright orange air sac to produce a booming-like sound that can be heard up to a mile away. In addition, males will vigorously defend their territory on the lek by chasing, leaping in the air, and dramatic fighting. Greater prairie-chickens are threatened by climate changes (drought or too much rain) and habitat loss. In particular, habitat loss caused by wind energy development. Prairie-chickens need large expanses of open grassland without tall objects (like wind turbines or power lines and power poles) that provide a raptor to perch on.

Two male greater prairie-chickens pause during fighting on a lek in Mitchell County, Kansas. The prairie-chickens will bite, and pull at the other's feathers during the battle for their position on the lek. The greater prairie-chicken or pinnated grouse (Tympanuchus cupido) is known for its mating ritual by males called booming. In the spring, males gather on leks, also known as booming grounds, in which they defend small areas on the lek to perform their mating displays for visiting females. This display includes extending their orange eye combs, lowering the head, raising two tufts of feathers on the neck, and pointing the tail slightly forward while stamping their feet rapidly. They also expand their bright orange air sac to produce a booming-like sound that can be heard up to a mile away. In addition, males will vigorously defend their territory on the lek by chasing, leaping in the air, and dramatic fighting. Greater prairie-chickens are threatened by climate changes (drought or too much rain) and habitat loss. In particular, habitat loss caused by wind energy development. Prairie-chickens need large expanses of open grassland without tall objects (like wind turbines or power lines and power poles) that provide a raptor to perch on. — *Feathers floating in the air as a result of the fighting.*

While these battles are dramatic, there are more significant dangers to greater prairie-chickens and lesser prairie-chickens. All prairie-chickens are threatened by climate change (drought or too much rain) and habitat loss. In particular, habitat loss caused by wind energy development. Prairie-chickens need large expanses of open grassland without tall objects (like wind turbines or power lines and power poles) that provide a raptor to perch on.

PHOTO GALLERY of all my greater prairie-chicken photos

PHOTO GALLERY of all my lesser prairie-chicken photos

PHOTO GALLERY of all my burrowing owl photos

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Columbian sharp-tailed grouse dance to impress

April 22, 2022 by John L. Dengler

Two male Columbian sharp-tailed grouse faceoff each other on a lek in southern Wyoming. — *Two Columbian sharp-tailed grouse dance on a lek in southern Wyoming.*

I HAVE MADE occasional trips to photograph Columbian sharp-tailed grouse on a lek in southern Wyoming for almost a decade. The Columbian sharp-tailed grouse (Tympanuchus phasianellus columbianus) is one of the seven recognized subspecies of North American sharp-tailed grouse. It is also the rarest and smallest of the subspecies of sharp-tailed grouse. Columbian sharp-tailed grouse have experienced declines in distribution and population due to overuse and development of the mountain shrub and grasslands that it favors. It is native to the sagebrush steppe of the western United States and British Columbia. First described by the Lewis & Clark expedition, Columbian sharp-tailed grouse were once the most abundant grouse in the West. Today, Columbian sharp-tailed grouse no occupy less than 10 percent of its historic range. It is currently considered a Species of Concern in several U.S. states

Male Columbian sharp-tailed grouse perform their mating dance on a lek during the pre-dawn in southern Wyoming.

Like other grouse, Columbian sharp-tailed grouse congregate year after year in the spring on a small area known as a lek. Males perform highly animated dancing courtship displays to impress females to mate. These displays consist of rapidly stomping their feet at blur-like speed while keeping with their wings extended, often rotating in a circle. It always makes me smile when they synchronize their dance with each other, turning and freezing in position simultaneously as their neighbor. I also always enjoy hearing them approach in the pre-dawn darkness as they approach the lek. Their weird hooting, cackling, gobbling sounds, and loud foot-stomping are memorable.

Photographing these fast and erratic moving grouse is always a challenge. The birds dart across the lek at high speed, with males stopping suddenly to perform their mating dance. Trying to shoot video is even a more significant challenge. I joke with my shooting buddy Noppadol Paothong that photographing sharp-tail grouse is the ultimate test of camera technology and a photographer’s skill.

Two male Columbian sharp-tailed grouse fight on a lek in southern Wyoming.

A male Columbian sharp-tailed grouse is chased by other males on a lek in southern Wyoming.

A male Columbian sharp-tailed grouse takes flight from a lek in southern Wyoming. — *Ultimately, the staredown results in a fight with one of the males being chased from the space on the lek.*

A male Columbian sharp-tailed grouse performs a mating dance on a lek in southern Wyoming. — *Males try to impress females with their crazy foot-stomping dance, rapidly stamping their feet at blur-like speed while keeping their wings extended, often rotating in a circle.*

A female Columbian sharp-tailed grouse is chased by a male on a lek in southern Wyoming. The Columbian sharp-tailed grouse (Tympanuchus phasianellus columbianus) is one of the seven recognized subspecies of North American sharp-tailed grouse. It is also the rarest and smallest of the subspecies of sharp-tailed grouse. Columbian sharp-tailed grouse have experienced declines in distribution and population due to overuse and development of the mountain shrub and grasslands that it favors. It is native to the sagebrush steppe of the western United States and British Columbia. First described by the Lewis & Clark expedition, Columbian sharp-tailed grouse were once the most abundant grouse in the West. Today, Columbian sharp-tailed grouse no occupy less than 10 percent of its historic range. It is currently considered a Species of Concern in several U.S. states. Like other grouse, Columbian sharp-tailed grouse congregate year after year in the spring on a small area known as a lek. Males perform highly animated dancing courtship displays to impress females to mate. These displays consist of rapidly stamping their feet at blur-like speed while keeping with their wings extended, often rotating in a circle. — Females are picky on their choice of male to mate with. Males will chase a female back and forth across the lek in an attempt to mate. Here, a female makes her escape from a male Columbian sharp-tailed grouse.

A male Columbian sharp-tailed grouse struts across a lek in southern Wyoming. — This photo shows a male Columbian sharp-tailed grouse with its distinctive orange comb and the purple air sacks that they inflate to amplify the courtship call and display their health. Also, note on the down-like feet the fleshy projections on their toes called pectinae. These help distribute the bird’s weight when walking on snow as snowshoes do.

A male Columbian sharp-tailed grouse rests on a lek in southern Wyoming. — *A male takes a break from protecting his position and trying to impress the females with his dancing on the lek.*

VIDEO Sights and sounds from a Columbian sharp-tailed grouse lek in southern Wyoming

PHOTO GALLERY of all my Columbian Sharp-tailed grouse photos

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Warm beach or -27°F?

March 3, 2022 by John L. Dengler

I know our friends think Carol and I are a bit crazy. Our recent “Spring vacation” supports their case. While everyone we knew was heading to the beach to soak up the sun and dip their toes in the ocean and warm sand, we headed to the frigid mountains of Rocky Mountain National Park where temperatures were forecast with HIGHS of -7°F and windchills of -15°F (a different weather app was predicting a -27°F windchill).

Sucker weather

The trip west from Missouri started out with a 70°F day in Hays, Kansas, where we overnighted. It felt like a beautiful warm Spring day.

It continued to be nice when we pulled into Estes Park, Colorado, the base for our forays into Rocky Mountain National Park next door. One of the workers where we were staying was doing his job in shorts. But temperatures quickly dropped to below zero that evening, with over a foot of new snow later that night.

Where is everyone?

All of our snowshoeing took place from the Bear Lake area. We were amazed how we were the only people at the lake on our first day. What makes this so unusual is that thousands of visitors can be at the lake area during the summer. Frankly, it’s not particularly pleasant with crowds and traffic. It gets so packed with cars that they limit the vehicles driving up to the lake. The parking lot at Bear Lake is routinely filled up by 9:00 a.m. Anyone arriving after that has to park their car down the mountain and take a shuttle bus to the lake. We didn’t have to worry about any of that, however. It was just us, the snow, and the occasional gust of wind. We even picnicked on a bench, though I must say that our frozen peanut butter sandwiches gave new meaning to “crunchy” peanut butter.

If you are cold, you probably don’t have the right gear

Being equipped with the right gear makes a big difference when wind chill temperatures are below zero (sometimes double digits below on our trip). Multiple clothing layers topped by a thick down coat kept us toasty. Because of the windchill, a baklava was a must on the face, along with mittens (with liners) instead of gloves. Because we were often breaking trail, serious snowshoes were very helpful, particularly in the new powder snow. Carol put good use to the new ones she received for Christmas.

Wildlife spotting

The wildlife we saw on the trip was pretty typical of what you see at Rocky Mountain National Park. Easily spotted from the road, we saw mule deer (on the road to Bear Lake) and elk (at Sheep Lakes) feeding on vegetation and even a huge moose (on the way to Paradise Valley) lumbering up a road. While I didn’t get a photo of her (she quickly left the road into the willows), we got a disgusted look from her indicating she couldn’t believe that we had the audacity to be driving on her road.

2/22/22 @2:22 p.m.

National parks are becoming more popular for destination weddings. We ran into two weddings during our drives in the park. One occurred on February 22, 2022, at 2:22 p.m. We arrived upon the scene just after the wedding to see the couple pose for wedding photos. With temperatures likely in the teens, we don’t know how the couple, particularly the bride, could bear the cold. I guess love conquers all.

Up we go

For one of our snowshoe hikes, we decided to snowshoe up to a lake we have previously visited in the winter (Nymph Lake) and then push even further up the mountain to a lake that we have only seen during the summer (Dream Lake). Once again, we had the place to ourselves. At the first lake, we had a picnic lunch (again with “crunchy” peanut butter sandwiches). Because we had been to this lake before, we knew where a bench was to be found under a couple of feet of snow. After digging out the bench, we had a perfect picnic spot. What made the spot fun was that the last time we were here in 2018, two Steller Jays, tried to con us out of some of our lunch. Once we sat down, two Steller Jays again zeroed in on us and streaked across the lake to sit right above us in the tree to look for handouts.

Summer vs winter hiking

What made the trip interesting (besides the beautiful scenery) was that unlike the summer when you want to stay on the trail due to the potential to do damage, in the winter, with all the snow, you can go anywhere you want as long as you stay out of avalanche zones. So for our trip to the second, higher lake, we ditched the regular summer trail (which we couldn’t see anyway) and instead did the winter route indicated on the map we had. Using a GPS made this easy to keep on the route.

For those of you concerned about our safety, my GPS also has satellite texting capabilities along with an SOS button that you only press in matters of imminent death. Pressing it brings out Coast Guard helicopter rescue swimmers on the ocean or rescue teams from federal and local authorities if you are on land. In other words, you don’t unlock and press the big SOS button if you are whining, looking for an easy way home.

The effort to reach the second lake was worth it, but we couldn’t stay long as the snow began to get heavy, which would make it difficult to see the tracks we made on the way to the lake.

Yup, we got snow

We received messages from friends back in Missouri about the threat of several inches of snow during our trip. I so wanted to send this photo of Carol standing next to the side of the road to Bear Lake. The weather monitoring station at Bear Lake recorded 50” of snow on the ground. But even more impressive were where snowplows cut through snowdrifts on the side of the road to Bear Lake. This made the snow the 50” of snow at Bear Lake look like nothing.

Nothing to see here, folks

Our final snowshoe hike was to Alberta Falls. By now, word must have gotten out that the snowshoeing and hiking were good, as many more people were now on the trail. We had several choices for our final hike, but after researching winter images of Alberta Falls on Google, we thought that would be worthy of checking out. Most of the way to the falls was downhill, and we were a little worried that it was going to be quite the slog heading back to Bear Lake, but as it turns out, it wasn’t all that bad. However, when we finally reached the falls, they looked nothing like the photos of the frozen falls I saw on online. The issue was that all the snow buried the frozen falls. So much so that it wasn’t until we got back to the car that I realized that I hadn’t even bothered to get the camera out to shoot photos of the falls. The hike wasn’t a bust, though, as the golden canyon before the falls was beautiful and made for a good spot a photo of the two of us taken by a kind cross country skier.

Final views

On our last day, the sky above Bear Lake was clear, affording a beautiful view of Hallett Peak. We then descended the mountain for the last time, passing through the Moraine Park area of Rocky Mountain National Park. There we were afforded panoramic views of the park and some of the park’s historic cabins blanketed in snow.

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Capturing memories of Glacier National Park with a cell phone camera

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Wildlife spotting

2/22/22 @2:22 p.m.

Up we go

Summer vs winter hiking

Yup, we got snow

Nothing to see here, folks

Final views

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