Late, heavy snows delayed the opening of the Going to Sun Road until the second week of July this year. One great benefit though was that for days before then the road was open to hikers and cyclists only, which allowed a tranquil and leisurely experience exploring the magnificence of Glacier, as well a series of great sunrises at Many Glacier.
Grinnell Point glows at sunrise on the western shores of Swiftcurrent Lake across from Many Glacier Hotel.
The skies above Lake McDonald turn golden just before sunrise.
Less frequently traveled, the approach toward Logan Pass from the east in the early morning is a stunning passage, with hanging glaciers, flowing waterfalls from Reynolds Creek as it drains Reynolds Mountain, and jagged mountains.
Ethereal spirits dance across the evening sky above Mount Wilbur.
Going to Sun Road slides below the Garden Wall as it quickly descends to the west.
The lush green of early summer in the valleys below the Going to Sun Road provide a mesmerizing view on the approach to Logan's Pass. Mount Reynolds dominates straight ahead with the notched crown of Mount Oberlin flanking on the right.
A black bear forages along the lush forest's edge of west Glacier.
In the quiet of dawn the faint echoes of ancient lore can be heard, the story of the young warrior and the beautiful maiden, from competing tribes, who swam across St. Mary's Lake where they would meet. When the tribal leaders learned what they had done they raced to the island to return them home and to banish them from one another. But before they could arrive, the Great Spirit took pity on the young lovers and turned them into geese that mate for life. When the tribes arrived, they found only two geese, stroking one another's necks lovingly. As the tribes approached, the two geese flew away never to return. From that day, this little island in the sea has been named Wild Goose Island.
A beautiful pink sky and golden lights paint Mt. Grinnell and Mt. Gould above Swiftcurrent Lake.
Wildflowers abound high above Grinnell Lake as Angel Wing summit looms. In early summer nearly two dozen waterfalls flow from the melting snows, with Grinnell Falls draining Grinnell Glacier to the right.