Glacier National Park - critters and stuff

Glacier National Park, perhaps unsurprisingly, is full of interesting nature stuff. It has a wide variety of critters, some friendly and many not remotely friendly.


This is my first ever honest to goodness glacier. For the benefit of North American readers, we don't have anything like this in Australia. We barely have ice trays in our freezers. For Australian readers, check out the Wikipedia definition of a glacier, as well as the awesome photograph of a Swiss glacier.

Stunted pine trees are a feature of the sub-alpine climate at Glacier National Park's mid-level. The growing season is so short and the winter so harsh that the trees end up sort of like big bonsai. Even more interesting is the way these trees reproduce. The climate is too harsh for pine cones. Instead, heavy snow loads press low branches of the tree into the ground, where they take root and eventually separate from the mother tree. Reproduction without germination. Clever huh?

There are mountain goats living in the mountains. You can recognise these by the gaggle of tourists with cameras shouting "Look Molly, goats!"

I have come to the conclusion that all ground squirrels are total posers. I also want to pat another one, even though I know you're not supposed to.

If I saw a hole like this in Australia, I would think "snake" and run away. In Glacier National Park I think "ground squirrel" and reach for my camera. It's a different world.