I had the opportunity to explore Glacier National Park in Montana this summer and afterwards take a road trip to visit family in the Big Horn Mountain area in Wyoming. Although it was smokey due to the many fires burning in the area, the views of the mountains were still INCREDIBLY breathtaking.

Glacier National Park, often referred to as “The American Alps”, is filled with powerful waterfalls that fall into crystal clear lakes, trails painted with vibrant wildflowers and vast mountain ranges that seemed endless. I encountered a richness of beauty here and witnessed wildlife moving and grazing through the lush environment at every turn. Lakes crowded with thirsty butterflies delighted me at the end of uphill hikes while wild chipmunks, pikas and marmots fearlessly skittered around claiming their territory reminding us that we are merely visitors on their mountain. Hiking these mountains brought so much peace and communion with the natural world and the beauty of Glacier will stay with me forever.

Once I got to Wyoming and connected with my naturalist cousin, I was so inspired by his relationship with the natural world and his experience growing up connecting with the ecosystems present in the Big Horn Mountain chain. He and his family live in complete harmonization with the land. He led me through the mountains and we discovered hidden streams surrounded by meadows of blooming wildflowers and hunted for gold and milky quartz in rock beds. Through his example I learned to transform into an organism that moves seamlessly through the forrest and trails and graze though the ecosystems quietly causing as little disruption as possible. I left this part of the country completely humbled by the beauty and power of the mountains and full of gratitude to experience the splendor and richness of Montana and Wyoming.