Off to Glacier National Park

[JamesB]

The wife and I are leaving Monday morning to go to Glacier National park in Montana. This is our first trip so we are pretty excited. I know the Sun Road in the park is not fully opened yet but we will still get to see a lot. this will be an exploratory or "recon" trip so it will mostly be very short hikes and finding out the good spots.

I do have a hit list of must see/do things while in the park so we are set. I plan on taking a lot of photos.

We are taking a balloon ride Tuesday morning is the weather is good. this will be a first also.

I rented a Sigma 10-20mm lens for the landscape shots and taking the sigma 50-500 for wild life. and I have a few in between lenses Im taking as well

James

[OversighT]

Sounds like a great trip. Glacier is supposed to be beautiful so have a great time and post photos when you get back.


T.

[CanonShooter]

We went in 87 and loved it ! We got to see a HUGE grizzly but like a dummy I didn't take a camera with me, wasn't very smart back then. I really want to go back through there when we go to Yellowstone one day soon. Have fun, but of course you won't be able to help not to on a vacation like that.

[Gildersleeve]

Lots of great photo ops there. Check out the shops around McDonald Lake for Huckleberry Jam
. Goes great on toast or as the j in pb&j.

[Gildersleeve]

Lots of great photo ops there. Check out the shops around McDonald Lake for Huckleberry Jam. Goes great on toast or as the j in pb&j.

[tjavery]

Good luck! Hope y'all have a blast. Lookin' forward to seeing your photos!

[huttophoto]

Which side of the park will you be staying on?

Some short hikes with small elevation gains:
Logan Pass (if open)
Hidden Lake - morning is better, if only for parking, usually plenty of mountain goats and often has bighorn, too.
Highline Trail - not for anyone who has a fear of heights

West (from Lake McDonald)
Avalanche Creek and Avalance Lake - The lake is about 2 miles from the road on a relatively flat hike. If you can't make it to the lake, the creek has some great photo ops.
Haystack Falls - an unmarked pulloff on GTSun road, near Triple Arches, below Logan Pass, may still be buried in snow. This waterfall looks like a series of hay bales stacked one on top of each other.

North East (from St. Marys)
Sunrift Gorge and Baring Falls - both are in shade most of the time. The gorge is a few hundred feet to the North of the road; the falls are .3 miles to the South of the road. Don't forget to check out the creek as it passes under the road.
Sun Point - great for sunsets

South East (Two Medicine)
Running Eagle Falls - .3 mile, morning until early afternoon, also called "Magic Falls" since the water can appear to be coming out of the cliff face.

My wife and I went last year and attended an Exposure36 workshop and intend to return in the not too distant future. Let us know how the ballon ride turns out - sounds like fun!
It looks like you'll have a good selection of focal lengths to play with. Even though the wildlife is very used to humans at Logan Pass, the long lens will come in handy. Oh, and don't forget your tripod! The waterfalls beg for long exposures.

Finally, make sure that you pack or purchase bug repellent! Texas' mosquitos and horse flies are wimps compared to those up north.

Best wishes,
Steve

[RHoldenSr]

James I am so jealous!

We have not been on a long trip since we did the Canyon Tour (Grand Canyon, Antelope Canyon, Zion Canyon, and Bryce Canyon) in 2004!