Glacier Bear Grass

Issue #020 - Glacier National Park, Montana

Bear grass (a lily) blooms every four-to-seven years. Ninety-five percent of Glacier National Park is maintained as wilderness area. You will need to do some hiking for the vistas that Glacier’s high country offers. Pick up one of the books describing the trails of the Park or one of the Day Hike pamphlets available at the Visitor Centers. These pocket-sized guides have maps of the popular areas in the Park with descriptions of forty-one of the most scenic day hikes in the Park. On an all-day hike in the mountains, I use a fanny pack with a lightened load of lenses and camera gear. The electronic flash, the heavy tripod, and the large set of filters are left in the car. For the shorter walks, carry the full pack and a tripod. Even if you do most of your photography from the trunk of your car, buy a comfortable fanny pack for this trip. While I’m driving, I keep my fanny pack looped around the passenger-side seat back to hold my camera and telephoto lens ready for any quick wildlife shots along the road.