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Trip Report: Glacier National Park - July 2023
Trip Report: Glacier National Park - July 2023
by Casey Mannes
“The most epic landscapes in all of the continental United States.”
That is the best way to describe Glacier National Park. In addition, it's also one of my favorite locations for Wildlife as well.
If you’re anything like me and you want the best of both worlds, then this is the place for you. Before I had ever visited Glacier National Park, I had dreamed about shooting alpenglow light on its towering peaks for a long time. It wasn’t until I visited for the first time that I realized there was just as much opportunity to see and photograph wildlife.
That is the best way to describe Glacier National Park. In addition, it's also one of my favorite locations for Wildlife as well.
If you’re anything like me and you want the best of both worlds, then this is the place for you. Before I had ever visited Glacier National Park, I had dreamed about shooting alpenglow light on its towering peaks for a long time. It wasn’t until I visited for the first time that I realized there was just as much opportunity to see and photograph wildlife.
With the park being located so far north, summertime days are long in Glacier. On BCJ trips, we often wake up at 4:30 am to make sure we are on-site for the sunrise. It's always tough to pick an ideal spot when the park is full of endless landscape opportunities and compositions.
Once golden hour is over, it’s officially Wildlife time. While driving through the park it’s very common to spot tons of wildlife including Moose, Brown bears, Black bears, Elk and in the near future Bison will be roaming around these gorgeous landscapes as well.
When the ideal morning light and wildlife shooting is wrapped up, we relax for a few hours and then head out to the lake to see if we can get lucky and find some Moose feeding on aquatic plants. Fortunately, on this departure, we got Moose every single time we scouted for them. It was unreal! just like clockwork, we would show up and within 20 minutes a mother and calf would come out and start feeding. If you've ever seen shots of moose with water droplets falling off of every hair on their body, there’s a good chance this is where those images were captured.
Another key resident of Glacier National Park is the mountain goat. Mountain goats usually spend the majority of their lives 3,000 ft above sea level. Since most of the park sits well above this elevation, it's a perfect place to capture these beautiful white creatures roaming the steep landscape and feeding on wildflowers.
On our trip, we weren’t necessarily searching for them but on last evening the group really wanted to get some shots since it was our final chance. We headed out for sunset at Logan Pass at the very top of the Going to the Sun Road. As we were approaching the location I had in mind for that evening, I spotted two white spots about 100 yards off the road up ahead of us with a parking lot right next to them. We quickly pulled into a parking spot and got out of the van.
When we arrived these two goats were resting but I had an inkling that they were going to eventually get up and walk directly towards us. It was a gamble, but I was confident. After about 30 minutes, sure enough, they did exactly that. We actually had to walk backward to maintain our 25 yards of distance required by the national park. They were incredibly interested in us and continued to follow the group around for a while. And, with great evening light, we had ideal conditions for the shots we all wanted as well. To top it off they decided to hang out in patches of wildflowers making for an epic composition. This was a great way to wrap up this departure.
On another day, in search of landscape shots, we decided to hike up to a glacial lake. I was a little hesitant because it was relatively warm that day and I didn’t want it to be too tough of a hike for the group. We started our trek at about 9:30 in the morning. The beginning was relatively easy, we spotted a couple of grizzlies which was unexpected but so cool to see. As we went further along the trail, we reached an incline. Once we got to the top, we could see our objective: one of the most beautiful lakes I have ever seen. To be honest I didn’t think we were going to finish the hike and reach the lake but there we were.
Every couple of steps, there was a new perspective of the lake with a unique foreground of different species of wildflowers. I think we may have taken well over 1000 images at that lake alone. To top it off as we climbed higher, we spotted about 20 bighorn sheep, and at one point they were actually in our foreground with the lake and a beautiful peak behind it. This was arguably one of the best photography hikes I’ve ever had. I would do it once a week if I lived near Glacier.
Every couple of steps, there was a new perspective of the lake with a unique foreground of different species of wildflowers. I think we may have taken well over 1000 images at that lake alone. To top it off as we climbed higher, we spotted about 20 bighorn sheep, and at one point they were actually in our foreground with the lake and a beautiful peak behind it. This was arguably one of the best photography hikes I’ve ever had. I would do it once a week if I lived near Glacier.
Glacier National Park is unique in so many ways. Coming from Alaska where I reside, it feels like someone cut out a piece of Alaska and brought it down to Northern Montana. There are thousands of wildflower species, hundreds of different types of animals, some of the last remaining glaciers in the lower 48, and Mountain peaks that were carved perfectly by the most recent Ice Age. To anyone looking for a trip with a healthy mix of both wildlife and landscape, I genuinely couldn't think of a better spot.
Both groups from the two most recent departures shared with me that they were able to capture some of the best images they've ever taken. To me, that's really the point of why I do this for a living. We all had an absolutely incredible time. The food was great, the people were fun, the conditions were ideal, and the animals were right where they were supposed to be.
We can't wait to have you out on our upcoming trips to Glacier National Park.
Both groups from the two most recent departures shared with me that they were able to capture some of the best images they've ever taken. To me, that's really the point of why I do this for a living. We all had an absolutely incredible time. The food was great, the people were fun, the conditions were ideal, and the animals were right where they were supposed to be.
We can't wait to have you out on our upcoming trips to Glacier National Park.
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AUTHOR
AUTHOR
Hey everyone, my name is Casey Cooper!
I am a boat captain, pilot, photography/fly-fishing guide, and freelance photographer. I grew up in Kalamazoo, Michigan, where I spent the first 21 years of my life before hitting the road.
Between the Alaskan Summer fly fishing seasons, I spend my time traveling the world, checking off one bucket list item at a time – and capturing photographs along the way.
I specialize in both landscape and wildlife photography. There is nothing that gets me as high as capturing the beauty of this planet and the incredible creatures that live amongst us and how important it is to preserve the remaining beauty of our natural world.
Through my photography, I can take a creative approach in sharing the magnificence hidden within the crevices of Mother Earth.
I am a boat captain, pilot, photography/fly-fishing guide, and freelance photographer. I grew up in Kalamazoo, Michigan, where I spent the first 21 years of my life before hitting the road.
Between the Alaskan Summer fly fishing seasons, I spend my time traveling the world, checking off one bucket list item at a time – and capturing photographs along the way.
I specialize in both landscape and wildlife photography. There is nothing that gets me as high as capturing the beauty of this planet and the incredible creatures that live amongst us and how important it is to preserve the remaining beauty of our natural world.
Through my photography, I can take a creative approach in sharing the magnificence hidden within the crevices of Mother Earth.
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BACKCOUNTRY JOURNEYS
"Backcountry Journeys offers guests the unique opportunity to explore our natural world from behind their own lens. We run a selection of hand-crafted Photo Tours, Workshops & Safaris connecting passionate people to exceptional experiences. Locations worldwide.
- Russ Nordstrand, Backcountry Journeys Founder & Director
- Russ Nordstrand, Backcountry Journeys Founder & Director
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All Images & Content are property of Backcountry Photography Tours, Workshops & Safaris LLCs - Copyright 2024
BACKCOUNTRY JOURNEYS
"Backcountry Journeys offers guests the unique opportunity to explore our natural world from behind their own lens. We run a selection of hand-crafted Photo Tours, Workshops & Safaris connecting passionate people to exceptional experiences. Locations worldwide.
All Images & Content are property of Backcountry Journeys Photography Tours, Workshops & Safaris LLC - Copyright 2024
TRIP CATALOG
Download our Trip Catalog for detailed information on our many destinations for photography tours, workshops, and safaris.