Winter's Back in Glacier Park, Billy Bowman, and I Won a Trip on Amtrak!

Winters Back! 
Three inches of new snow, colder, and the mountains are shrouded in fog.  We have returned to a more average weather pattern for this time of year - I'm grateful as we had already seen on wildfire warning and it's only April.  This moisture and snow will help things a bit and keep the plants from coming on too early.  If they come on too early they will get whacked by cold and snow.

On the down side it's a bit hard to photograph much of anything when it's too foggy or snowing.  Sure there are things to photograph but when the weather is like it now is I tend to do office work - it too has to get done.

Billy Bowman!

Before the snow flew, I managed to find Billy Bowman on a hike to Running Eagle Falls up the Two Medicine Valley, on Glacier National Park's southeast side.  The Two Medicine runs right down near the town of East Glacier Park.  Billy Bowman for those that don’t know it is a mountain goat and the mascot for the Glacier National Park Fund managed out of West Glacier, Montana by Jane Ratzlaff - a very dedicated and inspirational leader!  For more information you can check out their website: Glacier National Park Fund .

Two Medicine Road, Glacier Impressions Gallery

The Two Medicine Road to Running Eagle Falls is open but it's hiker/biker access beyond that. Things are slow around East Glacier but it won’t be long now till life is back in full swing!  In fact, I and two others are working on a new gallery (Glacier Impressions) located between the Spiral Spoon, and the Clark Gallery and across from the Mountain Pine Motel, @ 1000 Hwy 49, just down the road from the Lodge and the Amtrak Train Station in East Glacier Park.  Artists include, Tony Bynum - photography, Bob Rummel - oils and original lithography, and Gina Rink - Water Colors.  The theme of the Gallery is Glacier Park and all three artists are full time residence of East Glacier.  More to come on this subject as the spring opener nears, but rest assured we will be open by June 1, 2010!  

That reminds me, I won a round trip for two aboard the Empire Builder.  The trip will leave from East Glacier - a sleeper car is included - to Seattle for a one night stay in the Monaco Hotel (anyone know where that place is?) then returning to East Glacier Park.  I have never won much of anything so this was a real surprise and a treat.  I'll have to make an adventure out of the entire trip.  I won the tickets at the Montana Governors Tourism Conference held last week in Kalispell, Montana.  I have 6 months to use the tickets - I can’t wait, it should be a blast!   

Stay tuned, I'll be adding more in the days that follow!  

Tony