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Glacier National Park straddles the Rocky Mountains and the Continental Divide.
Our journey starts early morning on the western side of the Rockies on Lake McDonald, looking into the heart of the park towards the pass to the eastern United States.
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At its heart are rugged mountains, sculpted by glaciers, flowing water, and time
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One of the many, shrinking glaciers within the park: Jackson Glacier
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Avalanche Lake, with debris washed down by the heavy snow melt.
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Rushing water, down stream from Avalanche Lake, shapes the red rocks
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And supports life
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and abundant wildflowers in late August
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Mountains slowly disolve...
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Wildflowers grow everywhere, including along the side of road
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two wildflowers; though one has become someone's lunch
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The plants, particularly the berries, support many kinds of wildlife...
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A doe leads her two fawns across McDonald Creek
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A Shoeshoe Hare holds very, very still while thinking "you can't see me"
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A young mountain goat practices climbing
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while another mountain goat practices his smile
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and a third searches for something tasty
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Squirrel at Logan Pass, Glacier National Park
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Big horn sheep
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A Ptarmigan; it will turn white for the winter
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Moose
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Woodpecker, hard at work
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Brown bear, safely far away
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Fresh essence of grizzly bear - the closest we came to the real thing
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Beaver carving
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Mountain lions
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And something calmer
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Life grows anywhere, not always choosing the firmest foundations as demonstrated by these trees, growing on a film of soil atop rocks
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The many forests featured tall, quick growing, but short life span trees
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Lightening ignited wildfires have whipped through the park over the millennium
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Leaving beautiful, stark remains
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Some life in the part is a bit confused
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sometimes on a large scale
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Glacier National Park is beautiful lakes with incredible vistas,
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raging rivers,
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soaring peaks with unusual rocks,
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quiet mountain lakes,
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and ghostly moss.
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Turn of the 20th century roads, clinging to the side of tall clifts,
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gentle mountain streams,
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tranquil ponds,
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Sunrise alpine glow at Many Glaciers
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to sunset at Lake McDonald...
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