The drive from the cabin at Kalispell to the Many Glacier region is a fairly long one. You enter the national park once more, drive through the Going-to-the-sun road one more time, exit the park via Saint Mary’s and then take the highway 89 towards Canada, until you reach a cutoff to the left. This cutoff leads to Many Glacier – one of the park’s more remote, yet iconic, scenic region.

The road to Many glacier can be rough and unpaved for much of the stretch, but the views are just jaw dropping. The first view of Lake Sherburne and the distant peaks forming the perfect backdrop against the lake is a sight that has been etched into my memory indelibly.

Well, but I didn’t stop here to enjoy the view just yet. Evening had started creeping in and it was imperative to get to the end of the road. So, I just drove on for the next 15 minutes or so, until I arrived at the Many glacier parking lot.

Lake Swiftcurrent stretched in front of me and on this July evening, the water was still and the reflection of the towering spires made for such a lovely picture. Everywhere I looked, there were countless prominent ridges, deep glacial ravines waiting to be explored. If time were not of the essence, I would have stayed and explored every trail in this region to my heart’s fill, but that wasn’t the case on this evening.

I made a solemn promise to come back one day and explore this gem of the American west until my being became one with the wilderness.

It was time to head back. I made one last stop at the overlook right outside the Many glacier parking.

My travel companions had been talking the whole trip about what they would do when they encountered a bear and I almost felt their disappointment at not running into any.

The boys went down to the Swiftcurrent creek while I stayed by the car.

And then, I heard a huge shriek and saw the boys come running up the hill. I went to see what the fuss was all about and it turned out the boys had run into a young black bear and the two parties had spooked each other. Both groups ran up the hill – bewildered and frightened. The boys rushed in through the car door that faced the creek.

Well, but Toyota Sienna doors close notoriously slow. As the boys packed into the backside of the car and the door was still engaging, I saw the bear’s ears pop up on the other side. I am sure the boys saw it too and I could imagine them praying that the bear wouldn’t get in through the door as well.

Luckily, the bear didn’t want to join our company and ran off. I could feel the collective relief.

All that talk about fighting the bear…

After everyone recovered from the experience and I had a good laugh at their expense, we drove off.

But, there was one last thing to do.

Stop at Sherburne.

The light was fading. The hour was golden. The flowers were blooming.

The perfect time for pictures.

I set up my tripod and took a few self portraits. When I look back upon those pictures – of all the countless pictures I have shot during my travels, they rank at the highest echelon in terms of how they make me feel when I revisit them.

Staring at the mountains as the sun went down on this flower laden hillside, I felt so free. My life wasn’t perfect, but I still felt perfectly at peace. No other thought, just that feeling of oneness with the view and a deeper urge to return to the same view, perhaps when I have seen and done more with my life. A solemn promise to be back one day.