The Leica 50 mm summicron was made for Lake McDonald. The focal length is almost perfect. This photo was taken straight from the camera (set at vintage bw) , with no post processing.

In an upcoming issue we'll explore the merits of expanding Waterton Lakes Park to the North Fork of the Flathead. Conservation groups on both sides of the border support such an effort and it would give greater protection to the drainage, which has one the the greatest intact ecosystems in North America.

In this photo is Kintla Lake. Immediately to the north is Canada.

Logan Pass opened yesterday. Here, a youngster runs down the snowy slopes as a thunderstorm approaches.

Here's what to expect: Lots of snow ... in fact, more snow than I've seen a few years. Great for summertime skiing, while it lasts (usually a week or two). The boardwalk even is under about three-four feet of snow, even at the bottom.

Traffic delays: With road construction on both sides of the pass, unless you're extrememly lucky, you'll sit in traffic for at least 20 minutes. It started to rain yesterday, juts a brief shower, but everyone seemed to leave all at once and I suspect those folks waited a half hour just to get out of the Parking lot at the pass.

I've heard, but cannot confirm, that the Sun Road will open completely tomorrow afternoon (Thursday). Though don't hold me to it if it doesn't open. I have heard officially that it should be open by week's end. Here, a griz strolls down the middle of the road a couple of springs ago.

Arrow Lake, 21 mm elmarit, Leica M9.

OK, so you’re headed to Glacier and you want to know which camera and lenses to take ... this is what I’d take if money were not an issue:

A Leica M9: Fits in a big pocket or small case, and the Leica lenses are superb. My favorites for Glacier are the Leica 21 mm 2.8 elmarit aspherical and the Leica 50 mm summicron. The 21 is my go-to lens in Glacier’s tight valleys (the 16-18-21 wide angle tri-elmar would be sweet, too) and with aspherical elements, this lens is brutally sharp. It’s also compact. Without the hood, it fits in the palm of my hand. I can also hand-hold it easily at 1/15 a second and go down to 1/8th or slower if I crouch down or just sit down.
The 21 elmarit is a better lens than Nikon’s 14-24 mm and a lot smaller, too.
The 50 mm works great for larger valleys, including Lake McDonald. The views from Lake McDonald looking northeast are almost a perfect 50 mm angle (45 degrees) or for a slightly wider shot, choose a 35 mm lens.
If all you’re taking is landscapes, these two lenses should suit you fine. I also like the Leica 90 mm elmarit for tighter shots, but make sure yours is calibrated to your camera correctly. Mine wasn’t, and all the images at infinity were soft, so it’s in the shop for some adjustment.
The 50 and 90 are great portrait lenses, too.
You could make some great pictures of Glacier with just the Leica setup, and keep the total weight easily below three pounds.


The Leica M9 with a 50 summicron is great for portraits of muddy children.

But if it’s wildlife and birds that you seek, you need long glass. A 300 mm is good for large mammals, but I prefer the Nikon 400mm. You really need reach for birds. Mine is the f2.8 AFS II without vibration reduction. This lens is super sharp and super heavy, at just under 10 pounds. Still, I lug it around on a monopod, even on long hikes. I must admit, I’ve recently purchased a lighter lens, the Nikon 200-400 f4 AFS VR. Hopefully this lens will work out (and save me nearly three pounds). I use Nikon’s D300 which has a 1.5 crop factor, making the 400, a 600 mm effective focal length for extra reach. The D300 is lightweight and durable, though like any camera, it will only take so much rain.
Tip: In dark conditions, set the D300 at ISO 800 and “push” the exposure a stop or two if you have to. The Raw files can be fixed for the underexposure later in post processing, rather than shooting the camera at 1600. This keeps the “grain” in the photos down.
I also carry the TC-14e II teleconverter and an el cheapo (manual focus) Nikon 55 mm lens. The 55 is very sharp, lightweight and takes great pictures.
All told my pack, with all the other survival gear, tent, sleeping bag and food, runs about 45 to 60 pounds depending on the number of days I’m out there.
Yep, it’s heavy.


This snowshoe hare wandered into camp at dark. I shot it at least two stops below normal at ISO 800 with the D300 and Nikon 400 mm f 2.8 afs II and adjusted the exposure in post processing to keep the grain (noise) down.

As far as expense, if you bought all this stuff brand new, it would cost a bundle. But the cool thing about Leica and Nikon is there’s a significant used market out there. With Nikon stuff, I started out with manual focus glass (The Nikon 400 f3.5 is a great lens and costs about $1,500 on eBay) and slowly worked my way up.
Ditto for Leica, though the used market for Leica stuff is still pricey (though some of the older glass can be had rather cheap). Be patient, add a lens or two now and then.
Most of all, have fun.

It poured yesterday which translated into six inches of new snow at Logan Pass. The weather is almost always wet in June. Happens every year, just about. Still, it's tough to get used to. Here, a bald eagle waits out a North Fork shower. More rain and thunderstorms are expected. No flooding yet. In fact, the small creeks were high, but clear. Fishable, even.

Oh yeah, the Sun Road was expected to open to Big Bend today or tomorrow.

You ever get the feeling you're being watched? Why yes, all the time ... Ha! At any rate, Park plows have reached the last of the snow at Logan Pass. They're gnawing away the Big Drift, which is a big old snow drift just east of the pass. But Park officials aren't making any predictions as to when the road will open completely. My guess? Within a week. We're supposed to get some nasty weather, which could slow the opening. I used to get excited about the Sun Road opening, now, not so much. Yes, it's a great, must-see drive. But I must admit I'm not a huge fan of crowds and with construction on the road, it's that much worse. It will all get better in a few years, when construction on the upper sections is completed.

And these coyotes? In the North Fork, slinking along, keeping an eye out for wolves, I bet. Wolves don't tolerate coyotes much.

Did a hike into Lincoln Lake over the weekend. More to get in better shape than anything. It gets dark in there early — about 8 p.m. (it usually doesn't get dark until 10 or later elsewhere). It also doesn't get light very early, either. It was almost 9 a.m., though the birds started singing about 5. I wore the Vibram 5 fingers. They're good and bad. Comfortable for the most part, but I've stubbed a couple of toes over the past few days and it's pretty painful. Vibram makes a more robust model with more toe protection. I might have to get a pair.

Male ruby owned kinglets have this cool bright red crown they flash up and down while trying to attract a mate. Capturing it has proven challenging. Seems like as soon as they hear the shutter, they drop their crown. It's the sort of thing that will make you want to gnaw your arm off.

The Hockaday Museum of Art in Kalispell will feature 32 photographs from the 100 Day project. The show covers the entire lower floor of the museum and it looks really cool. Each photo has a corresponding story with it. The show opens June 15 (though you can see it now) through September 18th and the the opening reception is July 8 from 5 to 7 p.m. Should be fun. I'll be there unless I fall off a cliff or drown between now and then.

This photo is from Day 71.

I came down with a foot condition known as plantar facitis, a painful heel condition. During the process of trying to find the right shoes, I came across these things: Vibram five fingers. We'll have a much bigger story in an upcoming issue on these shoes and a really cool 100-plus mile journey I'll be taking in Glacier. But for now, I can say these shoes are uniquely comfortable. In fact, they're the only "shoes" I can hike in without severe pain (my orthotics fit inside them for arch support).

The only problem I've had so far: Stuff gets stuck between your toes.

The OxBow trail, which runs from Apgar Village south along Lower McDonald Creek, is one of the best birding hikes in the Park, particularly if you like warblers and other migrant species. Here, a female ruby crowned kinglet flits among the bushes. The trail is flat and easy and round trip is just over a mile. You can see everything from flycatchers to American Redstarts to Great Horned Owls and Ospreys. It really is a stew in there. Of course, you need a good pair of binoculars. Glacier has a bird list you can download here.

Took the annual media trip up the Sun Road today to see the plowing. Problem was it was either snowing or pouring rain and you couldn't even see the plows until the very end of the trip when the skies finally cleared. At any rate, they are close to Logan Pass — at Rimrocks, which is just below the pass— but with this wet weather, it could be weeks before the Sun Road opens.

The road, even if it was completely plowed and ready to go, at the earliest, would open June 18 because of construction contracts that allow crews the whole width of the road during the "shoulder season. "

I don't think it will open June 18. My guess is a week later than that. But it all depends on the weather, really. This wet weather pattern we're in isn't supposed to break anytime soon, though the sun did finally shine later in the day. Here, Jessica Headley of KCFW news enjoys the weather. A native of Alabama, this was all pretty new to her.

We did see five black bears on the way down. A sow with four cubs, and then a single bear. No good photo ops, however.

Got out yesterday afternoon and it absolutely poured on me. West Glacier has had 2.75 inches of rain the past week, with more expected. No flooding, but things sure are turning green. The wet weather has a silver lining, of course. Should be a great year for flowers. Here, a yellow warbler doesn't seem to mind the showers.

PS — We did upgrade the server after all.

Spent the better part of the day photographing a brood of Northern Hawk Owls as they worked on their flying. The largest of the brood, which is made up of six fledglings, was beginning to hunt, albeit unsuccessfully, on its own. Hawk owls are cool birds, because they hunt during the day.