Page 16 - Breath of the Bear

NORTHWEST USA

Montana, Washingon, Oregon, Idaho, Grizzly & Black Bear

photos by Deby Dixon

Montana can still be found on hikes and trails much the wild, then that would be the icing on a
I grew up in the shadow of Glacier National to the consternation of the Park Service. memorable vacation.
Park. Every year my family would make Grizzlies are of a special concern and I would
their annual pilgrimage on Going-to-the- call them grumpy. Never did a summer go by Yellowstone National Park
Sun Highway and every year I never fully that someone didn’t have a run in with one It is appropriate that Yellowstone was the
appreciated the beauty and majesty of the of them that was occasionlly tragic for the world’s first National Park as she has held a
park until I moved to Texas. Now don’t get tourist. Unlike the coast of Alaska, where the special place in the hearts of people. There
me wrong, I loved Texas as there is no state food source for bears is abundant with salmon aren’t too many places where you can view
like the Lone Star State but the mountains and berries, the grizzlies of Montana have it a volcano’s hidden power rising up in awe-
were a part of my soul and I missed them. I rougher and a hungry bear is a stressed bear. inspiring geysers, psychedelic hot springs or
missed the winter days when the air was crisp Go to Glacier Park for the beauty of seeing geologic wonders. Watch the drama as Mother
and biting, the sky was a robin egg blue and mountains and glaciers in all their ordained Nature puts on a show and the supporting
snow on the mountains sparkled like a Tiffany glory and if you happen to see a bear in actors are bears, wolves, elk, bison and bighorn
diamond. During the summer you always
knew you could escape to the cool of the
forest or dip your toes in a glacier-fed lake.
Autumn was my favorite season as the air
took on a softness and the ghosts of the First
Peoples would dance in the warm fall breeze
and their colorful beading would rub off and
turn the leaves shades of crimson, gold and
pumpkin. This was my Montana and it would
always call me home.
Glacier National Park
“Crown of the Continent,” “Backbone of the
World” and “Shining Mountains” are some
of the names used to describe this national
park that encompasses more than a million
acres. For hundreds of years aboriginal tribes
crossed through Glacier Park to reach the
bison on the east side and the Kootenai tribe
called Lake McDonald “The Place Where
They Dance.” This park has held a cultural
and spiritual significance for the many tribes
and is a place of unimaginable beauty and
ruggedness. The terrain was carved by mother
nature’s hand during the force of the Ice Age
and today more than 25 active glaciers remain
in the park, as well as breath taking 400-foot
waterfalls, stunning rock cliffs and sweeping
vistas that are every photographer’s dream.
Black bears as well as brown bears (called
grizzlies) call this place home, and while they
do not congregate in one particular area they

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