Montana Photo

Swiftcurrent Falls. © Jason Savage

Just returned from my workshop up in Glacier and the park is sure starting to look  good. I had a great group of photographers on this workshop and for the most part our weather was pretty darn awesome-excluding of course the massive lighting, golf ball size hail,funnel cloud storm in Browning:)

The park is starting to shape up, but they still have a tremendous amount of snow atop Logan Pass and it was nowhere near being melted off. Not a huge deal, but if you’re looking to do some hiking up around Hidden Lake make sure to bring your skis!

Down lower things are looking good  and the wildflowers are having a great year, especially around Many Glacier and few other areas coming into the park from the east side.

The thing I like about photographing Glacier is no year is the same. There is always something new to see and new to explore.

If you head up in July, make sure you also check out Indian Days in Browning. It usually runs the second week Thurs-Sun. and is quite the experience as well as one of the largest gatherings of tribes in the U.S.. There is a parade, rodeo and pow-wow held in town.

We spent our last evening there capturing some amazing dancers and some very passionate people. Our evening was cut short however by a not so very pleasant storm that shut down the Pow Wow and left everyone running for cover. We watched as quarter to golfball sized hail pummeled the fairgrounds and flattened people’s tents. Not the best shooting conditions;)

It’s always hard though to leave Glacier after spending a few days there. The tranquility and beauty inside the park make it hard to beat.

Wild Goose Island/Ten Image Panoramic. © Jason Savage

Indian Days. © Jason Savage

Bowman Lake. © Jason Savage

Bowman Lake Kayaker.© Jason Savage

Hope everyone’s enjoying the summer. Here are a couple pics from Bowman Lake last week. Will have more shots soon when I find  some time. Enjoy!

Mt. Gould.© Jason Savage

It’s been a couple weeks since my last post and I was determined today to get a few pics up from my trip last week to Glacier. This time of year my schedule is pretty busy and so getting to the blog has been a bit of challenge. It seems like getting anything computer-wise accomplished is a slow endeavor.

However next week I should have some more stuff from upcoming Montana rodeos and some central Montana landscapes. I will also be revamping the blog and hopefully we will have a new design up and going in the next week or so.

Until then, I hope everyone is enjoying themselves and getting out in this awesome Montana summer we are having.

Cedar Generations.© Jason Savage

Swiftcurrent Lake.© Jason Savage

False Hellebore.© Jason Savage

Polebridge/©Jason Savage

Well finally back to the blog. Feels like I keep getting sidetracked lately and haven’t had a chance to post for a while.

Spent this last weekend exploring some new spots up in Glacier National Park and the fall colors are looking spectacular.

Couldn’t beat the weather either. September was a beautiful month and one of the warmest we’ve had in a while or at least it seemed that way.

Towards the end of my trip I decided to venture over to Bowman Lake as I had never been there before and also planned to check out the Polebridge Mercantile which I have always heard rave reviews about.

All I can say is that if you haven’t been-you gotta go. 

For all the years I have spent exploring Montana, there are a handful of places that stick out as very special and have a fond spot in my memory. Polebridge is no doubt on that list.

The town, or if you can call it that, is not much more than the Polebridge Mercantile and the Northern Lights Saloon. There are a dozen or so yearound residents and a variety of vacation homes scattered here and there throughout the valley.

Traveling from West Glacier you cross the North Fork of the Flathead River and continue heading west on 486. After a bit the road turns to dirt and for the next 15 miles or so it’s pothole city. 

Surrounding Polebridge are some spectacular spots that are a must see if you are heading to Glacier. Six miles from town is Bowman Lake and another 20 or so is Kintla. 

After spending some time at Bowman Lake on Sunday, I ventured over to the Polebridge Mercantile to check out some pastries. 

I was greeted by Sasha their three legged dog and had one of the best cinnamon roles ever. 

Polebridge Mercantile/©Jason Savage

The Mercantile is owned by Dan and Deb Kaufman and they are on their fifteenth year in Polebridge. Deb was kind enough to show me around and shared a little history with me on the place.

It sounded like it has survived a lot since being built in 1914 by Bill Adair and has traded hands many times over the years. Deb said they had a couple forest fires that came close to taking out the place,with one catching the roof on fire.

The place itself looks like it hasn’t changed much since it was built and with the fresh baked bread and pastries, it certainly has a particular charm to it.

If you need to mail something, make a phone call, shop for supplies or just gather for coffee, the Mercantile is the place to be. It’s also a great stop after spending time in the wilderness and from what I was told has quite a following from the local college kids to people traveling here from all over the world.

I hope to get back up there soon and if you’re in Glacier, I would highly recommend stopping by.