Spring in Glacier National Park - grizzly bears, going to the sun road, two medicine, wild goose island

While most grizzly bears are still hibernating along the rocky mountain front, as this recent news article reports, spring is nonetheless progressing.

A grizzly bear sow with two cubs emerge from their winter slumber. Nikon D300, Nikon 500mm f4, VR TC 1.4. This is about a 20% crop, the bears were rather far away and there was no harm done either to the bears or to myself.  I grabbed a few photographs and moved on.  © Tony Bynum Photography

The Two Medicine Road recently opened from the Glacier Park boundary to Running Eagle Falls.

Running Eagle Falls, Glacier National Park. Nikon d300, tokina atx 12-24 f2.8. © Tony Bynum Photography 

The rest of the road remains open to hiker biker access only. The pavement is clear of snow and ice, so it's an easy ride into see two medicine lake if your up for it. On my recent trip I captured this image of Sinopah Mountain reflecting in Two Medicine Lake. It was a stunning spring day, probably the nicest day of the year here in Glacier National Park!

Sinopah Mountain, and Rising wolf (frame right) reflecting in Two Medicine Lake, Glacier Nation Park. Nikon d4, nikon 24-120, f16 hand held. © Tony Bynum Photography 

The days are getting longer, it's light till almost 9 PM! There are new faces showing up in town to ready the Village, the lodge, and the Park for tourist season. Things are waking up!  Make sure if you are planing to a trip to Glacier Nation Park, to bring your bear spray, a first aid kit, a water bottle, a gps and maps, a notebook, and camera! If you are traveling by air, forget the bear spray you'll have to buy a can once you land, don't worry, they are available everywhere for about $40 bucks.  When you leave, drop the can off at one of the park gates, or in one of the local shops, and ask them to share it with someone who needs it!

As a side note, I'm told by sources within the Park that the Going to the Sun Road from the mile and a half gate at Saint Mary will open sometime after June 20th this year! That's rather amazing. This mean there's no quick access to the location from which to photograph Wild Goose Island, until after June 20th.

Wild Goose Island, Glacier National Park. The wild goose island image is one of, if not the most photographed location in Montana, and certainly within glacier national park. You can hardly go by this location without seeing a horde of people standing there pointing their cameras at it.  Just bare in mine that this is about 10 miles past the gate and wont be accessible until June 20th or so 2014.  Sorry, if you have a complaint, shoot it up the chain to the Park officials. Nikon d700, nikon 24-70 2.8. Tripod, f16, 1.3 seconds, pre sunrise.  © Tony Bynum Photography 

So, in essence, if you're planning a trip to the east side of Glacier National Park, before June 20th, make sure you know that you wont be driving any farther than Saint Mary. The entire area of Two Dog flats, and Rising Sun are closed. The small camp ground at Saint Mary is open however.

Balsam springs to life in massive fields along Glacier National Park's east side. Two Dog Flats, Red Eagle Mountain, Glacier Nation Park, Montana. Nikon d3, nikon 17-35 f2.8 handheld, f16. © Tony Bynum Photography 

Here's to a wonderful spring in Glacier National Park!

Montana Based Photographer, Tony Bynum 

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East Glacier Park in the Winter - Photographs and Slideshow

How would you like to see real life in East Glacier Park, Montana during the Winter? Here is a blog post with photographs of East Glacier Park in the Winter. If you know someone that would enjoy seeing these photographs and slideshow of East Glacier Park, Montana in the Winter, please share it with your friends! 

 Stay warm out there!  

Tony Bynum 

Glacier National Park Photography 2013 summed up - be in the moment

Posting a series of new Glacier National Park photographs from 2013. This is a photograph of a storm on Saint Mary Lake from 2013, one of my favorite places and one I have photographed literally hundreds of times. 2001 was the fist time I photographed the lake. At that time I saw huge waves crashing on the shore of Saint Mary Lake, so I decided to figure out how best to photograph it. . .  It is challenging.  I'll give you a warring, and some advise, you're going to get wet if that bothers you, stay off the shore when the wind is blowing. If you don't have gear that you can get wet, forget shooting this lake-shore when the wind is blowing - your stuff is going to get wet!!!  That's just a fact. 

Waves crashing down on the shore of Saint Mary Lake, Glacier National Park, Montana. A stunning perspective from Glacier National Park. Nikon d4, Nikon 14-24 f2.8 lens, Really Right Stuff legs, and ball head, several filters . . .  ©tonybynum.com all rights reserved. 

For 2013, Glacier National Park was average to above average to outstanding depending one when and where you were. In some places the summer weather helped produce some of one of the best alpine wild flowers I have ever seen. The lower to mid elevations in several drainage's, were fantastic as well. 

Fall conditions, well, lets not talk about the fall colors on the east side this year - basically I can say this, "what fall colors." As is par for Glacier, the leaves along the east side (Saint Mary, Babb) turned brown and never produced the fabulous colors some of you may have seen in the past or in photographs.  The fact is, it's about every 5 years that we get a fall to remember on the east side of the park. 

The west-side was another story, it was great. Lots of nice color and a long warm fall weather. 

One of the great things about photographing Glacier Park, and being a Montana outdoor photographer is the extreme variability. There's always some place new or un-explored or in the very least, different, to photograph.  

Living and operating an outdoor photography business in Montana, on the edge of Glacier National Park, is any outdoor photographers dream. I've been here for over a decade now and love it everyday! A benefit of living here is that I see Glacier National Park every day - well, when I'm home or in the office. Seeing the same place over and over again has taught me to have more patience. Light is the key to photography Glacier National Park. Anyone can take photos of the park, but if you want to create something new and or unique, it's all about the light.  On the bright side, if you stick around long enough, you'll get dramatic light!  

Perhaps something else that tempers my view and allows me to become a better Montana and Glacier National Park photographer, is that I see it so often I'm not "star-stuck" by a beautiful scene. It's my assertion that most photographers arriving in Glacier National Park are spellbound the moment they see it. Being spellbound or starstruck almost forces you to start taking photographs just because your're there, and just because you think the scene is stunning . . .  

Sun rise on Sinopah, Two Medicine Lake waves crash on the shore, and into a dead log with stump. Two Medicine Valley, Glacier National Park, Montana. Nikon d4, Nikon 14-24 2.8, Really Right Stuff legs, and ball head. ©tonybynum.com all rights reserved

I'm not saying it's not, I'm saying our minds might be calibrated a little differently. Just as a New-York'er will say that tall buildings are stunning, when I step out of the train station in downtown Manhattan, the top of my head snaps back and my eyes are on the tops of towers and man made canyons . . . I'm star struck and might even snap a few spontaneous photos. Will they be as good as someone that knows the city intimately, maybe, but most likely they wont. . .     

I must admit, sometimes fresh eyes are often more of an asset than time and experience - maybe we begin to take some things for granted if we see it everyday. The bottom line is, be in the moment no matter what you're photographing. Being in the moment, and letting go of all that's in your world, at least for a morning will improve your photography more than two hours of reading Outdoor Photography Magazine (no offence OP) or studying the latest gadgets and buying a new camera.

Connecting at the root level of your being will help calm you down and set your perspective in the direction of balance and solitude which will allow you to relax, enjoy yourself, and capture unique photos. 

Backlit, sun glowing valley, hikers moving along a ridge, near the Scenic Overlook Trail in the Two Medicine Valley, Glacier National Park, Montana.  Nikon d700, Nikon 24-120 handheld. ©tonybynum.com 

I hope you have a nice holiday season and if you have any questions or comments, we hope you'll not be too afraid to share them with us!  Tony Bynum 

Spring has made it to Glacier Country - Grizzly Bears are out - It's time to get your bear spray ready!

The first signs that spring is upon us in Glacier National Park is the presence of grizzly bear tracks, usually spotted in late March and early April.  While it is true that grizzly bears can and often do poke their heads out during the winter, the presence of regular tracks and sightings begins in the spring.

Please be sure to be bear aware if you're anywhere in Western Montana. Now is the time to check to make sure you have your bear spray handy!  I always like to check the expiration dates on all my bear spray cans each spring. I'm pretty sure they would still work well past their expiration date, but for the price of a new can of bear spray, why chance it?

I use and like very much the bear spray produced here in Kalispell, Montana by, Counter Assault.

Grizzly Bear Sow and Cub on the shore of Sherburne Lake
Glacier National Park. ©tonybynum.com. Photo may not
be used without permission from Tony Bynum. 

I recently checked in with Counter Assault to ask them about what to do with old cans, and here's what Melissa had to say: "disposal of counter assault is simple. Just point the can at the ground, clear of pets, animals, and other people, be sure the wind is not going to bring the product back into your direction, and discharge the can. Next wrap the can in news paper and dispose of it in the trash."

Sounds simple enough!  I actually had two cans that were past their pull dates. So, I went out and gave it a try. I actually wore latex gloves just in case, but it was very simple. I put the breeze to my back and discharged the cans on to the ground, wrapped them up and in the trash they went.

Be sure to check with the National Park Service - Glacier National Park website for road closures and other important park dates.

Get out there and start taking photos!

Tony Bynum

Spring time in Glacier National Park

Glacier National Park is coming alive. I can still see twilight over the mountains at 10PM!  Yeah . . .  By the end of the week I expect to see some balsam blooming.  Already the lower ground flowers carpeting the lithosols are blooming!

Flowers bloom on a well drained lithosol. Glacier National Park in the Background. Nikon d700, 17-35 afs, f16.
© tonybynum.com All Rights Reserved. 

People are beginning to show up, some tourists, but mostly workers. This past weekend things really started buzzing around East Glacier Park, but deeper into the park, you'd think no one knew about the place, it's deserted, well, almost . . .

A cow moose and her calf from last year cross the Many Glacier Road in Glacier National Park, Montana. Nikon d4, 70-200 afs vr lens. © tonybynum.com, all rights reserved. 

Bull moose eating new buds, Glacier National Park.
Nikon d4, 200-400afs VRII @ f5, iso 400.
© tonybynum.com All rights reserved.

I love this time of year. By our standards it's spring, by most other's it's still winter, but spring in Glacier National Park is all about change and life!  New life springs up around every corner. Plants begin to reach for the sky, animals feed more comfortably on green food. Moose and elk are growing new antlers and grizzly bear cubs sharpen their skills! It's a all about life! Life happens to us, not for us!  Go live it!

For those that care, I mean really care about this place, consider calling your congressman and tell them to vote no on HB 1505!

If you've still not checked in with my facebook page, please do, you still have time to win the glacier park book, "the first 100 years," and my signed print of the cover photo. Gt to Tony Bynum Photography's facebook page and check it out!

Cheers!