Precarious

This is a view of Grinnell and Gem glaciers from the notch in the Garden Wall.  I called it precarious for the obvious reason and also because the existence of the glaciers and the plants and animals that live here is changing fast.  The glaciers will most likely be gone soon and hopefully the critters, like this marmot, will have enough time to adapt to the changes.     

Bear Valley

This my most ambitious painting so far.  :-) Has anyone ever heard this area called "bear valley"?  I read it somewhere and thought it appropriate for this view from the trail up to Granite Park. 

Legacy of Ice

This view of Grinnell glacier and its valley from high on the continental divide is a bittersweet panorama in this era of global warming.  The remnant glacier with it's iceberg filled lake and hanging valley falling to the chain of lakes that represents the final path of melting ice on its way to the Hudson Bay drainage.   I feel so lucky to be able to hike up here and to appreciate a characteristic of the landscape that will very soon be no more.  I included the clouds not only to improve the composition but to symbolize the cycle of water and renewal that will continue even while we insist on messing it up.  This one is for those of you who can't get to this awesome place where hope fills up the clouds and pours down the mountainsides.

Don't Mind Me

This young mountain goat was all cozy on the rocks about eye level above us on the trail.  He seemed to say "lookin good, keep it up, have a nice hike" as he watched us walk up our second pass of the day.  This was on our continental divide crossover hike.  Start at the Jackson Glacier overlook up the St. Mary Valley to Gunsight Pass and eventually end at Lake Macdonald.  I highly recommend this route although as a day hike it's a long one.

Cataract

I'm happy with this one.  Avalanche Creek in the spring, morning sun sliding down the canyon. The swirling water with it's bits of glacial flour is the master sculptor at work. 

Coming up for Air

Watching moose "snorkel" is a favorite passtime, especially at Kootenai Lakes in the north end of the park.

Skipper

This is a moth-ish looking butterfly called a skipper... I won't even try to identify which of the over 3,000 specific kinds it is.  They are named for their skipping flight pattern.  This one has paused to suck up some nectar from this golden aster flower, see the proboscis extending down at a right angle into the flower like a skinny straw?  I think they are kinda cute with their big eyes and fuzzy face.

Glacier Morning

Here is a classic Glacier sunrise lighting up the peaks around Wild Goose Island.