Sharing the View
For a few moments, we shared the same overlook, watching the mountains fade into the last light of day.
A rare combination of conditions came together perfectly for this image: fresh snow, relatively low winds, and a dramatic break in the weather just as the sun began to set.
Earlier that morning, I made the six-hour drive to the east side of Glacier Park, arriving at the trailhead just before 3 p.m. From there, I began the solo, five-mile trek up toward the glacier. My plan was to photograph the sunset from above, which at this time of year was a little after 6 p.m., so I kept a fairly fast pace. With temperatures hovering in the single digits, moving quickly also helped keep me warm.
When I reached Upper Grinnell Lake, I found it already frozen solid. With some time remaining before sunset, I decided to turn around and descend to a lower vantage point overlooking Grinnell Lake instead. I didn't have much time to find a composition, but I managed to get into position just before the clouds began to light up.
As I waited for the light to develop, I received a surprise visit from a couple of friendly locals, a female mountain goat and her youngster.
I first noticed the pair about 100 yards below me, moving across a snowy cliff band. As the sky grew more colorful, I became absorbed in the scene and spent most of my time looking through the viewfinder. Eventually, I glanced up and caught movement out of the corner of my eye. When I looked over, I was surprised to see a mountain goat standing just a few feet away on the same rocky perch, quietly watching me.
I remained still, and after deciding I wasn't a threat, the goat continued toward me. Knowing how special the moment was, I carefully moved a few feet to my right and got into position. The goats stood there looking out over the lake and mountains as the last light of the day illuminated the valley.
I had originally set out to photograph a landscape, but the presence of the goats completely changed the image for me. The fresh snow, dramatic light, and iconic view were already enough to make the trip worthwhile. Having these two wild animals appear at exactly the right moment turned it into something I couldn't have planned.
Once the sunset was over, I began the long, frigid trek back to the trailhead in the dark. I stopped several times along the way to photograph other scenes, making my way down by headlamp until a full moon eventually rose above the mountains.
Hiking alone through grizzly country always comes with a heightened sense of awareness, and doing it in the dark takes that awareness to another level. Fortunately, I never encountered a bear that night, although I crossed plenty of fresh tracks, but I did see one on the road as I drove out of the park.
It was a fitting way to end the day, and a good reminder that I wasn't the only one out there wandering through the wild.
