Winter in Glacier 2014

Glacier presents some great photographic opportunities, talk about it here.

Moderators: teapot57, Tara

PeteE
Posts: 3346
Joined: Tue Apr 08, 2014 12:20 pm
Gender?: Male
Please add the numbers(11): 11
Location: Winter hHaven Florida
Has thanked: 3 times
Been thanked: 1 time
Contact:

Re: Winter in Glacier 2014

Post by PeteE »

Looking good here behind my apartment late this morning as I left
Image

From CFalls I could see it was gonna suck in the park :evil:
Image

Camas Road. Maybe gated for the seasonImage

Cabin in Apgar on Lake McDonald
Image

Lake McDonald Lodge
Image
Image
Image

Cobb House. Got lucky and dodged a bullet when this tree fell.
Image
Image

You can see the stratus layer hanging over the lake making everything kind of grim.
Image
Image

And Merry Christmas from Clyde
Image

later with video

pete :wink:
"If you are not curious, you will learn nothing" -Goethe-

"When you're born in this world, you're given a ticket to the freak show.
And when you're born in America, you're given a front row seat."

George Carlin
teapot57
Moderator & 2.1 Donator
Moderator & 2.1 Donator
Posts: 935
Joined: Mon May 20, 2013 3:59 pm
Gender?: Female
Please add the numbers(11): 11
Location: Calgary, AB
Has thanked: 82 times
Been thanked: 68 times

Re: Winter in Glacier 2014

Post by teapot57 »

Merry Christmas, Pete! Lots more snow than we have here in Calgary.
User avatar
brindledog
Donator
Donator
Posts: 477
Joined: Tue Jul 24, 2007 7:18 pm
Gender?: Female
Please add the numbers(11): 11
Location: NC
Been thanked: 2 times

Re: Winter in Glacier 2014

Post by brindledog »

Belated Merry Christmas, Pete! Hope you had a nice present for Bonnie and Clyde. They looked hungry!
PeteE
Posts: 3346
Joined: Tue Apr 08, 2014 12:20 pm
Gender?: Male
Please add the numbers(11): 11
Location: Winter hHaven Florida
Has thanked: 3 times
Been thanked: 1 time
Contact:

Re: Winter in Glacier 2014

Post by PeteE »

Thank you ladies :) I had a good Christmas with the two "knuckleheads" 8)

This afternoon I was shoveling snow at the companies storage units near the airport when I realized it was a nice day...in spite of the chilly conditions.
The view towards Columbia Mt and the east was looking nice for a possible good sunset.
See the pics below taken from the CFalls SuperOne, a GNP hiker fave 8)
Looks beautiful, no?
Yeah, until you step out into that 20mph and gusting "breeze". Temp was 10F this afternoon. See my post in Weather from this AM.
But I wasn't going to be doing any hiking.

Image
Image

And on to the park. :(
Image


Image


Image


Image


Image


Image


Image


Image

That wispy bright orange cloud under the top center cloud was really weird looking and didn't last long
Image

The Geezer hisself. Thanks for lookin' 8)
Image
"If you are not curious, you will learn nothing" -Goethe-

"When you're born in this world, you're given a ticket to the freak show.
And when you're born in America, you're given a front row seat."

George Carlin
PeteE
Posts: 3346
Joined: Tue Apr 08, 2014 12:20 pm
Gender?: Male
Please add the numbers(11): 11
Location: Winter hHaven Florida
Has thanked: 3 times
Been thanked: 1 time
Contact:

Re: Winter in Glacier 2014

Post by PeteE »

I went out to the park today to see if I could talk to someone in the Back Country Office about the permit issue discussed over on permits section.
Nobody there. They're closed except for issuing BC permits("knock loudly on the door. If someone is there, they'll answer") or something like that LOL
Maybe a phone call will do it. I hate bugging them since I know they're busy.

It was a overcast day, but as I approached Helicopter City the sun came out briefly.
I got a few pics at Apgar. By the time I got to Lake McDonald, the stratus layer closed in again.
I had a short visit with the two "knuckleheads" Bonnie and Clyde and then came on back home.

Hopefully, this weekend will be nice enough to get out to the North Fork for some snowshoeing and pictures....and a cinnamon bun 8)

later

pete :wink:

Helicopter City--Captured video frame shot through windshield
Image

Shoveling the roof at the West Glacier Gift Shop
Image
Image


Image

BC Office
Image

Old Visitor Center
Image

Some snaps of Lake McDonald. Windy and cold near the lake
Image


Image


Image

Me and my buddy Clyde 8)
Image
"If you are not curious, you will learn nothing" -Goethe-

"When you're born in this world, you're given a ticket to the freak show.
And when you're born in America, you're given a front row seat."

George Carlin
User avatar
Jay w
Posts: 1919
Joined: Fri Jun 01, 2007 6:17 am
Gender?: Male
Please add the numbers(11): 11
Location: St. Paul, MN
Has thanked: 2 times
Been thanked: 41 times

Re: Winter in Glacier 2014

Post by Jay w »

Every speck of water is frozen around here, so it looks odd to see open water. I don't think of that area (MT) as being warm during the summer, so I can't figure out water Lake McDonald doesn't freeze over.

Jay
The NSA...the only people in the government who listen.
User avatar
paul
Donator
Donator
Posts: 1687
Joined: Tue Oct 10, 2006 7:42 pm
Gender?: Male
Please add the numbers(11): 11
Location: MA
Has thanked: 55 times
Been thanked: 36 times

Re: Winter in Glacier 2014

Post by paul »

Jay w wrote:Every speck of water is frozen around here, so it looks odd to see open water. I don't think of that area (MT) as being warm during the summer, so I can't figure out water Lake McDonald doesn't freeze over.

Jay
Not sure, but I think it has something to do with how deep it is and maybe the winds.
We are in the mountains and the mountains are in us. - John Muir
Ear Mountain
Moderator & 2.1 Donator
Moderator & 2.1 Donator
Posts: 4964
Joined: Fri Jun 22, 2007 9:53 pm
Gender?: Male
Please add the numbers(11): 11
Location: Choteau, Montana
Has thanked: 30 times
Been thanked: 32 times
Contact:

Re: Winter in Glacier 2014

Post by Ear Mountain »

Jay w wrote:Every speck of water is frozen around here, so it looks odd to see open water. I don't think of that area (MT) as being warm during the summer, so I can't figure out water Lake McDonald doesn't freeze over. Jay
Lake McDonald freezes over in some years but not every year. If we continue to have the cold weather that we've experienced so far this might be a year it freezes over. But the west side experiences frequent warm periods. When cross country skiing in the upper Midwest I can count the number of times I skied in the rain on one hand. At Izaak Walton in Essex I shave skied in the rain so many times that I've completely lost count. It's warm there a lot, even in January/February and it often rains on the deep snowpack.

Lake McDonald is deep -- very deep compared to its surface area. So the lake cools slowly. If it stays cold enough, long enough it can freeze. Here's a mid March 2011 photo of the lake from Mount Brown. There's still some open water but there's also plenty of ice.
Image

This is a Febrruary 28, 2009 photo. No ice.
Image
Text and photos Copyright 2007-2023.
PeteE
Posts: 3346
Joined: Tue Apr 08, 2014 12:20 pm
Gender?: Male
Please add the numbers(11): 11
Location: Winter hHaven Florida
Has thanked: 3 times
Been thanked: 1 time
Contact:

Re: Winter in Glacier 2014

Post by PeteE »

Great pictures Ralph.
Maybe one day I'll have what it takes to get up there on a nice clear winter day. Just an incredible view!
I believe you're right about the surface area to depth(volume) being the primary factor determining when a lake freezes.
I thought it might freeze this year with the low temps we had beginning 1st of November.
Probably not now.

pete :wink:
"If you are not curious, you will learn nothing" -Goethe-

"When you're born in this world, you're given a ticket to the freak show.
And when you're born in America, you're given a front row seat."

George Carlin
PeteE
Posts: 3346
Joined: Tue Apr 08, 2014 12:20 pm
Gender?: Male
Please add the numbers(11): 11
Location: Winter hHaven Florida
Has thanked: 3 times
Been thanked: 1 time
Contact:

Re: Winter in Glacier 2014

Post by PeteE »

Around noon Friday, the 9th the weather looked like it might be good for pictures.
Turned out not to be. The blue sky disappeared as the stratus moved in. The light was flat. :(

I found these mule deer at the intersection of the Camas Road bridge approach.
There were seven deer, likely an extended family group, as they were all does.

Two of the does were large mature does, the largest was the "lead doe".(pictured below)
At first I couldn't figure out what they were "eating" from a distance. Twas because they weren't eating anything.
They were licking up "pee"(for its salt) from where human visitors to their patch had stopped to pee beside the road. :)
Normally people would get off the road to pee; that's not an easy option now with the deep snow.


Here they were as I approached


Image

The 2nd largest doe here with what is likely her fawn from this past spring. Classic pose for a "mulie" checking out a possible threat. If momma is going to stare directly at me, then her fawn will do the same. Mule deer are more suited to "open territory" and have better eyesight than their whitetail cousins. Mule deer routinely "bust" hunters at 1/2 mile plus in open country. And as their name implies, those big ears, which can be independently directed, pick up the slightest of sounds--especially on a frozen, crusty landscape
Image

These mulies looked healthy to me. I noticed during the October hunting season that all the deer had heavier coats than usual--or it seemed so. Look at this fawn's beautiful coat. Fine downy hair protects inside her ears. Long, thick guard hairs on her neck shed snow easily and cover an inner layer of fine wool. When it snows, these deer are so well insulated the snow gathering on their back won't melt.

Image

Here they are moving off down the bridge approach road towards the river.
Notice that lead doe, "big momma" has her ears "facing forward"; same for the deer immediately behind her. The next four have ears "facing to the rear".
That's no accident. Big Momma, being the leader, makes all the decisions about when and where the family goes, what they eat, everything they do. She needs to be looking and listening out ahead for threats. Those following are listening for threats that may try to approach from the rear. It's highly unlikely a predator like a lion could sneak up on them with all those ears "listening" like some big passive sonar array. A seventh deer is out of frame to the right.

Image

They walk in single file on a trampled down path in the deep snow. Deer avoid walking in deep snow whenever possible. "Postholing" in deep snow is very energy intensive. These animals avoid burning excess calories whenever possible as it's all about energy conservation for wildlife in winter


Image

later
pete
:wink:
"If you are not curious, you will learn nothing" -Goethe-

"When you're born in this world, you're given a ticket to the freak show.
And when you're born in America, you're given a front row seat."

George Carlin
PeteE
Posts: 3346
Joined: Tue Apr 08, 2014 12:20 pm
Gender?: Male
Please add the numbers(11): 11
Location: Winter hHaven Florida
Has thanked: 3 times
Been thanked: 1 time
Contact:

Re: Winter in Glacier 2014

Post by PeteE »

I rode out to Lake McDonald in the AM today. It was foggy, spitting snow and didn't look appealing. So I turned around and headed out to Polebridge to see what the first part of Bowman Lake road looked like. The snow, or actually lack of snow, was really sad. A lot of bare ground around the Camas Rd Bridge area. The snow is better out at Polebridge but we've lost a lot of snow here in the last month. Up high(above 7,000ft) looks OK as you'll see, but down low it's really sucking bad. The creeks and rivers are up, another sign of the melting snow. The snow pack is still slightly above average, but won't be for long if this weather persists.
This is a 60 second video to give you a brief look at what the beginning of the road looks like--"crappy"--in a word.

I have more video coming later showing the first part of the road.

Here's a slide show of snaps I took. See for yourself.
http://s1374.photobucket.com/user/Geeze ... ork%20Area

later

pete 8)

Apgar Mtn
Image

Near Great Northern Flats
Image

Image

Image
Rainbow
Image

On the road to Bowman Lake. I didn't go far. Didn't need to. The road was very icy in spots as well. Glad I took microspikes.
Image

Got me a cinnamon bun too 8)
Image
"If you are not curious, you will learn nothing" -Goethe-

"When you're born in this world, you're given a ticket to the freak show.
And when you're born in America, you're given a front row seat."

George Carlin
scott-atl
Donator
Donator
Posts: 1042
Joined: Tue Feb 07, 2006 8:28 am

Re: Winter in Glacier 2014

Post by scott-atl »

I heard a guy describe the recent warm weather out there as a 'pineapple express'
PeteE
Posts: 3346
Joined: Tue Apr 08, 2014 12:20 pm
Gender?: Male
Please add the numbers(11): 11
Location: Winter hHaven Florida
Has thanked: 3 times
Been thanked: 1 time
Contact:

Re: Winter in Glacier 2014

Post by PeteE »

scott-atl wrote:I heard a guy describe the recent warm weather out there as a 'pineapple express'
That's not quite accurate.
The so-called "Pineapple Express" occurs when the sub tropical jet stream streams tropical moisture from the Pacific Ocean into our area.
If sufficient cold air is in place, it can bring snow at higher elevations.

From Wiki
Pineapple Express is a non-technical term for a meteorological phenomenon characterized by a strong and persistent flow of atmospheric moisture and associated with heavy precipitation from the waters adjacent to the Hawaiian Islands and extending to any location along the Pacific coast of North America. A Pineapple Express is an example of an atmospheric river, which is a more general term for such narrow corridors of enhanced water vapor transport at mid-latitudes around the world.


pete :wink:
"If you are not curious, you will learn nothing" -Goethe-

"When you're born in this world, you're given a ticket to the freak show.
And when you're born in America, you're given a front row seat."

George Carlin
PeteE
Posts: 3346
Joined: Tue Apr 08, 2014 12:20 pm
Gender?: Male
Please add the numbers(11): 11
Location: Winter hHaven Florida
Has thanked: 3 times
Been thanked: 1 time
Contact:

Re: Winter in Glacier 2014

Post by PeteE »

I went back out to Lake McDonald after leaving Polebridge. Here is a 30 second clip of Bonnie and Clyde.
Clyde is very dominant over Bonnnie. However here, he comes over and gives her a little "love"(allogrooming behavior) after she does her "clock clock" sound, a sound that never fails to make me chuckle. 8)
Clyde rarely says much. I hear them making low pitched "growling" noise to each other. Sounds a bit like "ruff"...obviously meaningful to them :)
Ravens are among the largest of "songbirds" and though they don't "sing", they are capable of making a very wide range of vocalizations.
The saying is, "If you hear a sound in the forest and can't figure out what/who made it...it was most likely a raven."

30 seconds


later
pete

Here is a 12 minute video clip from the Camas Bridge area, Polebridge, and the beginning of the Bowman Lake road:


This is Bonnie making her "clock clock" sound. Body language and posturing is a large part of ravens communication. Ravens have great control over their feathers as seen here as she "clocks". You'll see them raise feather tufts over the eyes when showing certain "emotions". Raven experts call that "putting their ears up" :)
Ravens also blink their nictitating membrane(a second eyelid) as part of their "body language". You can see them doing that in the clip above.

Image
"If you are not curious, you will learn nothing" -Goethe-

"When you're born in this world, you're given a ticket to the freak show.
And when you're born in America, you're given a front row seat."

George Carlin
PeteE
Posts: 3346
Joined: Tue Apr 08, 2014 12:20 pm
Gender?: Male
Please add the numbers(11): 11
Location: Winter hHaven Florida
Has thanked: 3 times
Been thanked: 1 time
Contact:

Re: Winter in Glacier 2014

Post by PeteE »

I rode out to Lake McDonald this morning. Nothing spectacular there, so I drove out to Glacier View Peak.
I hiked up the trail about 1.1 miles gaining ~1100ft. The view of the Livingston Range in the park is much better after getting above most of the standing dead.
Here's a few snaps from the day.

Lake McDonald

Image
Image

Stellar's Jay. Beautiful birds when the light is right
Image
Image

Clyde fluffing out his feathers to trap air. Twas chilly this morning. Around zero early; 10-12F when I got there.
Image


Great Northern Flats raft launching area on the way to the Camas Road Bridge. Notice the lack of snow? :(
Image


Huckleberry as seen from the Glacier View Peak trail. Again, look at the poor snow cover on a north facing slope.
Image

The Geezer has gotta be in one! 8) Looking out towards the Livingston Range. It's sad. Barren of snow until you get right at the foot of the mountains
Image

Panarama
Image

I couldn't get everything in focus at the same time with my P&S camera...or maybe I could have using manual settings. I didn't have the patience at the time 8)
Image

You can see Camas and Dutch Creeks winding down to the North Fork
Image

Man and his dog out for a Sunday hike. They went out about 15 mins ahead of me and passed me on the way down.
Image

Another shot of Huckleberry
Image

I dunno. I just liked the shots, and it's my camera so... :)
Image
Image

Video in a few days.

later

pete :wink:
"If you are not curious, you will learn nothing" -Goethe-

"When you're born in this world, you're given a ticket to the freak show.
And when you're born in America, you're given a front row seat."

George Carlin
Post Reply

Return to “Photography”