Glacier National Park

Hello,

<br>I needed to get some advise from the experts here regarding taking pictures

in Glacier National Park...some time in September. Based upon earlier comments,

I was considering [to avoid lugging a heavy backpack] taking my <b>17-35mm,

24-120mm (VR)</b>, UV filters and Polarizer. I have a <b>Nikon D200 and an

F5</b>, however, I'll probably end up taking only the D200 to keep my backpack

light; I mostly take landscapes. Any suggestions are highly welcome!

<br><b>Thanks for any responses!</b>

<br>-Naveen

the 17-35 is a great lens. you will want the 12-24 however.

 

the 120 is tooo short for wildlife.

 

All n all, you will be able to get some nice images with those two lenses, but you will want more on both ends. . .

When <a href="http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=00CytL">there a few years back</a>, having a range of focal lengths was a distinct advantage. Take along 17-35, 28-70, and 70-200 at least.

When <a href="http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=00CytL">there a few years back</a>, having a range of focal lengths was a distinct advantage. Take along 17-35, 28-70, and 70-200 at least.

Naveen, I suggest you include a tripod, too.

 

Another thing to think about..... if you want a wider or longer lens, consider renting one for this trip.

Tripod, absolutely! And if you do rent a longer lens, get a fast one (f2.8) and a 1.4X tele-extender.

<b>Bruce</b>

<br>:) Yes, I do have a Tripod.

 

<br><br><b>Tony</b>

<br>I don't want this discussion to change to a lens comparison, however, that being said, is there a considerable difference in terms of print quality if I were to use a Sigma 12-24mm or a 10-20mm as opposed to their Nikon cousins? I understand that the Sigma 10-20mm is a digital only lens. The Sigma's are somewhat less expensive...

 

<br><br><b>DN</b>

<br>Killin me maan!! the lenses you mention cost more than my entire travel budget! but then again, thats what landscape photography is all about I guess.... :)

Rentals! I would never use a 600/4 often enough to make it worthwhile to own, even if I could afford it, but I can rent one for under $250 a week.

September? In my experience, the place freezes over and closes by Labor day.

<b>Edsel</b>

<br>...Well, the hotels agreed to make a reservation....they said that "a couple more weeks and it'd close down...", I'll take some chance... :)

<br>Thanks though...

Be careful, the tourists will thin out by then and the bears roam around quite a bit. If you hike the Hidden Lake trail, the chance of bumping into mountain goats and big horn sheep is real high, they can be just a few feet away from you. Don't miss the Many Glacier area.

<b>Michael</b>

<br>Thanks for the information...I'll be on the lookout for furry critters...in addition to lugging a Tripod and a 50lbs camera bag! just one more day in the life of a landscape photographer... :)

I think for shooting wildlife... even 200 is too short. 300 would be the best lens... for all kind

of animals the perfect choice.

Hi, I visited Glacier last Sept and the weather was fine (actually was glad when a rainstorm blew through and cleared away some of the haze from foreset fires). The trail at Logan Pass to Hidden Lake is a great spot for sheep and goats. They were literally a few feet away sometimes.

 

This was taken with a 300mm f/4 but I had to back up a bit to fit the animal in the frame. :)

 

http://www.pbase.com/coraltown/image/66761321

 

Keep a lookout for black bears along the side of the road as you drive in from West Glacier. There are trees along the river that they feed in, especially early in the morning.

 

Trail Of The Cedars is very nice!

 

Cheers, -Greg-

The last week of RELIABLE weather at glacier is the first 1/2 of the first week in September. I was there September 8th one year and there was continuous snow above 5,000 feet. Glacier was closed. Period. Snow amounts were well over 3 feet three days later.

 

If you want to go to Glacier and have the weather be reliable I recommend you go the last week in August at the LATEST.

 

Another consideration is the prevalence of fall forest fires. The haze can be really problematic.. from fires in the Cascades and Idaho.

 

If you are going out there in September go to Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons.

 

While there is fine weather in September, that fine weather CANNOT be relied on.

 

BTW I shot everything with three lenses. 18mm, 35-70 and an 80-200 and it wasn't the fastest or most expensive glass.

It can SNOW in Yellowstone in JULY if it WANTS to. ;)

I was at Glacier two years ago during early September also. The weather was fine for the entire week until the last day. It snowed on higher elevation. I heard the week after that, it rained and snowed the entire week. I think in general, the weather varies quite a bit in September, but then, I love the opportunity to take snow covered sceneries.

 

As for packing your equipment, I would bring all of them, including the F5, but only bring part of your equipment on specific hikes. If your intention is to take long hikes, I would recommend taking the D200 and the 17-35mm zoom. For the shorter hikes, bring the second lens along. Use the F5 and Velvia for the sunrise/sunset shots. Glacier scenery is huge, so an extrawide is required to take it all in.

 

I'm not sure whether you have finalized your schedule yet, but there is one thing you may want to consider. At St Mary Lake and Swiftcurrent Lake (Many Glacier area), they offer boat rides and they are well worth it. The problem is they close up in early September. Take the St Mary Lake boat first thing in the morning. The scenery is magnificent. Also take the Many Glacier boat trip if you want to hike the famous Grinnell Lake Trail (one of the best hike in Glacier). The boat ride will save you a few miles of hiking time. If the boat service is closed and the Grinnell Lake trail becomes too long a hike for you, try the Iceburg Lake trail close by.

 

Last suggestion. If you haven't checked out the official Glacier National Park web site, it's well worth your time. They have very nice web cam photos and video footages of how they clear the snow at the end of winter. The web site is probably the most informative national park web site I have come across. I guess they have a lot of time on their hands during the winter months.

<b>Michael</b>

<br>Thanks for this information, The sites you mention have also been mentioned in other forums, looks like those are very popular sites! I have them on my list!!

<br>As for the equipment, looks like from all the responses to this post, the 17-35 is a must. I'm gonna go ahead and get me a Sigma 12-24 due to the 1.5X factor of DSLR's.

<br>I did check out the official website, and I agree, they must have a lot of time in their hands, its more informative than other National Park sites.

<br><b>Thanks a bunch for all the wonderful suggestions...</b>

 

<br><br>

<b>Greg</b>

<br>For some reason, I always thought GNP had only Grizzlies, not black bear...it'd be interesting! I am not overly interested in shooting wildlife, if they come overly close to me, its a different story :)

 

<br>

<br><b>Thanks everyone for the wonderful suggestions...</b>

I use the 12-24 tokina, love it! Use it all the time. . . Cant say about the sig, I have a few, they have their drawbacks, but are usable for the right subjects.

 

BTW, right now - today - is some of the best wildlife flowers I've seen in years here in the Park (i live in east)! It's out of control, but drying up VERY VERY fast. The praire already turning brown. West of east glacier is simply outstanding right now if you can get your shots in between the wind and clouds!

Bring long johns. To para-phrase Mark Twain: "The coldest winter night I ever spent, was an August night in GNP". It dipped into the 20's(F), and I was prepared for the 50's.

 

Late August, is high bear season for both the brown and black bruins. They're either just entering hibernation, or fattening up for it. The latter of course means being extremely carefull, and always carrying bear spray when you wander away from roads.

"just entering hibernation" I never have heard of a bear heading for it's winter nap that early, at least in GNP. As for the bear comments, BEARS IN GNP SHOULD BE EXPECTED TO SHOW UP NO MATTER WHAT TIME OF YEAR AND NO MATTER WHERE YOURE AT! AS SOON AS YOU LET DOWN YOUR GUARD, ONE WILL SHOW UP ON YOUR DOORSTEP. NO PLACE, OUTSIDE AND ON A TRAIL OR EVEN ROAD, IS SAVE FROM BEARS.

Naveen

 

I grew up in the area, and worked in Waterton - I do not remember a September long weekend that we didn't get snow. Some years it stayed, most of the time it was gone the next day, but there are exactly four weeks out of the year that I haven't been snowed on in that part of the country. July 15-August 15 (which also amounts to the hottest that it gets around there). Outside of that time frame be prepared for cold rain and drizzle and snow. Being that you are going for landscape more than anything else - snow may be an enhancement. Depending on how dry it gets, it can look pretty desolate, even in the mountains at that time of year.

 

If you do get snowed out - head east to Writing-On-Stone provincial park, and the Milk River badlands (south of Manyberries) (both in Alberta,Canada) You will get some incredible landscapes.

Bears are available at any time of the year with the exception, perhaps, of deep winter.

 

In late summer and Fall the bears are foraging harder getting fat for winter, so you are apt to see them more frequently.

 

That being said, it is WISDOM to expect bears and learn the best way to avoid encounters. Some people wear bear bells, thinking the nose of the bells will alert bears and they will leave (bears generally do not want to encounter people). That being said, there is another faction of bear watchers who believe bear bells actually make the bears curious and they will seek the source of the noise.

 

Since bears do not see well, I consider the last a real possibility and the nosie of the bells on my toes all day would drive me up the proverbial wall. Bears have no reason to fear anything out there.. other than humans and the bears in National Parks have not been hunted for generations, so their fear is minimal.

<b>Tony</b>

<br>I agree, there is a whole bunch of reviews out there that the Tokina 12-24 is one heck of a cool toy! better than the Sigma counterpart...Ken Rockwell's site also lists it as a strong contender to the Nikon 12-24. Other forums in here also brag about the Tokina. I think I'll get one next week...

 

<br><br>

<b>Dave</b>

<br>...Never thought of Writing-On-Stone...I'll check it out, sounds great!!

<br><br>

<b>Nancy</b>

<br>Thanks for the word of caution, I need to practice running faster than my hiking partner (lol)

In addition to the advice about bells and pepper spray above.

 

You can tell if the Bears in the area are black bears or grizzlies by looking at their scat.

 

Black bear scat has berries and fish bones in it.

 

Grizzly bear scat has little bells in it and smells like chili peppers.