Mike Graf - Glacier National Park: Going to the Sun

Text 2012 Mike Graf

Illustrations 2012 Marjorie Leggitt

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FalconGuides is an imprint of Globe Pequot Press.

Falcon, FalconGuides, and Outfit Your Mind are registered trademarks of Morris Book Publishing, LLC.

Photo credits:

Licensed by Shutterstock.com: title page, 1 (bottom); 3; 4; 8; 17; 1819; 22; 23: Rick Laverty; 24; 25; 26 (all); 29: Doug Lemke); 36; 37; 39: Colin D. Young); 41; 45; 52; 53 (top); 58 (bottom); 63; 68: Rick Laverty; 77: Karoline Cullen; 84; 9091; 93: Frontpage; 94; inside back cover

Mike Graf: 1 (top); 5; 14; 15; 28; 3233; 34; 39; 49 (all); 50; 53 (bottom); 56 (all); 58 (top); 64; 65; 66; 69; 75

Greg Lipinski: 60; 61

Map courtesy of the National Park Service

Illustrations: Marjorie Leggitt

Models for twins: Amanda and Ben Frazier

Project editor: David Legere

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available on file.

ISBN 978-0-7627-8687-9

Printed in the United States of America

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

A large brown animal dove underwater.

Two calves nearby watched their mother disappear. One of the calves chewed on some water lilies, then searched around for more.

The other young calf turned back just in time to see a surge of bubbles break the surface of the marsh. The mother reappeared with a clump of pondweed in her large mouth. She slurped in the nutritious food as excess water drained away.

The cow moose hopped out of the water with her twin calves right behind.

One of the newborns slipped on the wet bank. It kicked at the ground, trying to get up. The mother returned to the water and approached the calf from behind, pushing it gently with her long snout.

Off in the forest, a gray animal tilted his muzzle toward the air and picked up a faint scent. He perked up his ears and took several steps toward the distant smell. The robust wolf trotted along, letting his senses guide him. He paused momentarily to lift his leg and urinate against a tree. Now other wolves would know where he had been.

The mother moose nudged at the struggling calf. The newborn bleated loudly and frantically kicked its feet. Finally, with the cows prodding, the young moose stood up and wobbled along.

The three moose walked into a brushy meadow. In the middle of the grass was a flattened area. The mother and her two young lay down there. One of the calves rested its nose on the cows stomach.

The area was surrounded by large sculpted mountains. Several small snowfields clung to the high peaks far above the trees. A few waterfalls cascaded down into the valley where the three moose rested.

The adult moose pivoted her ears in both directions, listening to the sounds of the wilderness. Then she, too, rested her head.

Several minutes later, the mother moose stood up. She led her young through a gently rolling stream. The delicate turquoise waters gurgled along rhythmically.

The lone wolf ran to the edge of the forest. He stopped and peered ahead toward a series of meadows and small ponds. The wolf paced back and forth, his powerful sense of smell alerting him that prey was very close.

Morgan, James, Mom, and Dad were cleaning up after dinner. It was their first evening in Glacier National Park in northern Montana. They were camped at Fish Creek, on the west side of the park.

Ten-year-old twins James and Morgan hoisted the ice chest into the car. Be careful of Dads banner! Morgan whispered.

A ranger holding an animal pelt walked up.

Morgan and James put the cooler down in the trunk. Mom and Dad heard the approaching footsteps and looked up.

Good evening! the ranger greeted the Parkers. Welcome to Fish Creek. The ranger glanced at the campsite. You have one of my favorite spots in the campground. Just down the hill is a little trail leading right to the lake.

We sure like it, Morgan agreed.

James looked at what the ranger was carrying. Whats that?

A wolf pelt, the ranger replied. She held it out for Morgan and James to pet.

Morgan reached over and touched the pelt gently. What happened to it?

Unfortunately, this wolf was hit by a car, the ranger replied. Im giving a campfire talk on wolves tonight at the amphitheater so you can learn more about one of Glaciers predators. There wont be a fire, though. Theres a burn restriction throughout the park due to the extremely dry conditions.

What times the talk? Dad asked.

7:30.

Dad glanced at his watch. Fifteen minutes to finish cleaning up, then.

The ranger trotted off to another campsite.

The wolf crept slowly out of the cover of the trees. He reached the pond and quickly splashed across. Then he came to a flattened area in the grass and sniffed around, picking up a fresh scent. The powerful predator surged through the grass and crossed a gurgling stream.

The wolf saw movement ahead. He crouched behind a tree, growled softly, and bared his teeth.

So, the ranger continued at the amphitheater, wolves typically live in packs of about four to seven, although they can also travel alone. It often depends on the availability of food.

Here in the West, they live anywhere from Alaska to Montana and in parts of Idaho, Minnesota, and Wyoming. Wolves are five to six and a half feet long and weigh eighty to a hundred pounds. They can be white, gray, tan, black, or multicolored.

Years after their disappearance from Glacier, the ranger concluded, they returned on their own around 1980. Now there are several packs living in the park.

The ranger pressed a button on her remote, and several pictures of wolves came up on the screen. She pressed another button, and a chorus of recorded howls serenaded the audience.

The crowd listened to the cacophony of calls. Mom leaned toward her family. An eerie but beautiful sound if Ive ever heard one, she said.

The ranger turned on the lights. Thank you for coming to the presentation. Ill be up front if any of you want to ask a few questions or hang around and chat.