Our trip to Glacier

Well, I spent Friday through Tuesday at the park leaving early Wednesday morning. First time I've been there at this time of year and as expected it was crowded. Of course while I view that as a minus my bear fearing wife loved it! We stayed up in Many Glaciers this trip and while it was the hottest I ever saw there it still was not too bad. The first day we encountered the moose cow and calf at Fishercap Lake at oh, about 3 yards. I was turned around telling my wife not to worry about bears when the unseen moose bolted from the side of the trail right next to us. The cow and calf went into the lake and then after a few minutes a deer came to the edge and the calf chased after it. Pretty neat experience for the boys. Later we saw a griz sow and cup up on the ridge behind Swiftcurrent Inn along with the usual goats. The middle of the next day we came on one black bear, a griz sow, and two cubs on the creek bank right past Many Glacier Lodge. The griz sow ran off the black bear when it got two close giving everyone quite the show and an education on just how fast a bear can move. Then the sow and cubs wandered over near the road to within probably 20 yards of me. We also got up at 5:30 one morning to beat the crowds at Logan Pass. We hiked into the Hidden Lake overlook and back before most of the crowds showed up. Plenty of goats, sheep, and ground squirrels to see. I also observed a rogue photographer packing a 600mm or 800mm (big one)lens still go chasing off over the protected meadow pressuring the sheep. Seemed sorta silly as I was getting full frame shots with the 30D and my 400mm yet here was the guy with the biggest gun out there and he was the one breaking the rules. I mainly used the 30D with the 400mm for all the wildlife shots and the 5D with the Contax CZ 28/2.8 Distagon for most of the landscape work. I'll start getting pics up this weekend. Great trip and highly recommend the park to all.

sounds like you had fun. I dont like the guys that break the rules. I see shots of animals and landscapes, even on the covers of magazines that I KNOW FOR A FACT they had to trespass to the get the shots. I dont have some of the shots I want because of resource damage closers in the Park, however, that does not stop even some of the most popular and well known photographers in print today from going where ever they want - Glacier is starting now to really hammer guys that cheat, in some cases they will fine big bucks and in other's they can kick you out of the Park - I wish they would do more of that and then publish the names of the guys on the cover of outdoor photographer - makes me think I need to write an article about the ethics of getting the shot and how the some of the guys we respect in print are the guys doing the cheating.

I'm not saying every great photographer cheats, I'm saying that you would be surprised to find that some do, I know I was when I saw a few shots from a very very well know photographer and I knew he had taken them in a closed area I even confronted him about it, but no reply was the answer . . .

Glad you has a good trip. It's good to follow the rules, at the end of the day, we have our name, and that's about it. . .

Yeah Tony we did have fun. The worse part was accepting the fact that my bad new was only good for about 3 miles before locking up. That's with my teenage son carrying everything.

I'm with you on following the rules and repecting the environment. It those few that make it harder on all of us. I shoot alot in the rural area I live but I never cross a fenceline or gate without permission. Even when it does mean missing the shot.

Hey Jim,

I checked out your pbase account but did not see any photos from the trip to Glacier.

James

James - I haven't put any up yet. I'm trying to get some prints ready for a local competition and then need to do about 30 more for selling at the local hot balloon festival in two weeks. I will get few shots up this weekend though.
But, I did just post 4 images. I also posted two nice fox shots in my animal gallery from a couple of months ago.

Anyway, here's a grizzly cub with it's sow in the background. Basically, I let them work to me as they foraged. This shot was taken as I was backing off to give them space. There was also another cub with them.