A Winter Wonderland Visit to Glacier Park

Montana is calling and I must go.

John Muir said of Glacier National Park, "Give a month at least to this precious reserve. The time will not be taken from the sum of your life.Instead of shortening, it will indefinitely lengthen it and make you truly immortal. Nevermore will time seem short or long, and cares will never again fall heavily on you, but gently and kindly as gifts from heaven.” (Our National Parks, 1901)

I played hooky yesterday for some family time and ended up taking a drive to Glacier National Park. Normally I drive around a little, but yesterday I should have brought my snow shoes. I took someone who had never before been to the park, and though we could drive almost nowhere (seriously, so much snow), it was well worth the jaunt. The look on a person's face when they see those majestic peaks for the first time . . . It was a gloriously spectacular day. The cold was forgotten with the sun high above—a rarity in winter—and I stood on the snowy banks of Lake McDonald and stared in awe. It's a sight I've seen many times before, yet one I look upon each time with new eyes.

The off-season is special for locals, for it feels as though we often have the park to ourselves. The winter, especially, is peaceful. The cold keeps many away, but I find myself drawn to the rugged peaks and frozen waters. I wish a mere picture could do it justice.