Glacier Outdoor Center Blog

Glacier Outdoor Center is remodeling!

We’ve stripped things right down to the walls!

What’s changing? Heck, just about everything.  The purpose is to offer all our guests a better fly shop and gear store experience as well as a better experience in booking rafting and fishing trips.  Glacier Outdoor Center was great already–this new flow is going to make it even better for staff, guides and you.

We are looking forward to sharing our new look with you this spring. Please plan to come on by and check out all our hard work.

Here’s our man, Mike Cooney, workin’ the stainwork.

This elk is the 2nd largest harvest on record in Montana, coming it at 411 6/8ths.

The family in south central Montana who shot it generously agreed to let us display it at the Glacier Outdoor Center. Come on up this summer and take a look!

Glacier National Park has reported that the 2011 visitor figures dropped by about 15% from last year. Although we’re never happy to hear that kind of news (Glacier Outdoor Center is right outside the western entrance to the Park, so that means fewer folks visiting us too!), we also know when to appreciate the good side of news too.

First of all, 15% lower than 2010, which was an all-time record high in visitation, so let’s keep our perspective, right?And even at the reduced number, there were still 1.85 million people visiting this gorgeous Park. That’s a lotta folks!

And secondly, knowing this information now means we can get on the ball in encouraging everyone around the world to book their 2012 Glacier vacations now!   So, come on out! Plan a trip to Glacier.  There’s plenty of room for everybody!!

Here are some great examples of what you can experience in the Park. GNP posts ‘eHikes’ and ‘eTours’ on their website that let you take a virtual look around.

If you need more of the eye-candy we posted here, check out the photo gallery on the Park site, where we got these pics. You’ll be packing your bags by nightfall…

And, of course, you can find all sorts of good stuff on our website, and we are here and ready to help you with all of your vacation planning. Need lodging- we got it. Need whitewater – we know just where it is. Need fishing – yep, we’ll take you.  Give us a ring  or an electronic poke and we’ll schedule a great adventure for you.

The snow may be slow in coming this year, but that doesn’t mean there are not opportunities for outdoor enthusiasts to get some beautiful photos when you are out on the trail, on the slopes, or just doing that winter drive.

We thought we’d find you some nice tips on how to shoot great images during the winter months. If you are close to the Glacier Outdoor Center, our neighbor Glacier National Park beckons and rarely disappoints for great image opps. We like to watch the Lake McDonald Webcam for an indicator of when conditions are ripe – some of the most beautiful shots of the Park are taken right there.

So, here are a couple of quick tips before you head out into the frozen landscape, from professional photographer Jerry Monkman, and the folks at OutdoorPhotoGear.com.

• “Stay powered. Cold temperatures reduce the length of time your camera’s batteries will function. Always bring a spare or two, and use power-sapping features like auto focus, live view, and LCD playback sparingly.”
• “Stay dry. Keep snow away from your camera and lenses as much as possible. While dry, fluffy snow isn’t as bad as rain on your equipment, you should still blow or wipe it from your gear whenever necessary. Also, never bring a camera and lenses directly into a warm environment after it has been out in the cold. Pack them in your camera bag or plastic bags before heading inside and let them warm up to room temperature before taking them out. Otherwise, moisture will condense on the glass and metal surfaces, potentially damaging your gear.”

Read all of their hints and tips on their blogsite.

And Dan Bailey, at MasteringPhoto.com has some great equipment advice to keep in mind, along with some great images of outdoor adventure. Check it out here. That’s Dan’s shot at the top of this post.

You got any great winter shots yet? Send them our way, we’d love to share them.

Apparently there isn’t any.

(ok, maybe not THIS warm)

Our local paper, the Flathead Beacon recently published a story from the Christian Science Monitor by Mark Guarino which tells us that the northern tier of the United States has been decidedly devoid of the white stuff so far this year.

“Although the National Climatic Data Center does not yet have total results for December, it reports that 13 states in the Northeast and the upper Midwest recorded a top-10 warmest November and none had a top-10 coldest November. The month was the 25th warmest in the center’s 117 years of recordkeeping.”

We’re definitely seeing that up here in the Glacier National Park area.  We did get a little last night…and that’s AWESOME!  But it’s certainly not the accumulation we were hoping for.  The good news is that Glacier is more accessible than usual this time of year, and the views of Glacier Park in winter are stunning.

Here’s a nice shot of a beautiful winter day in Glacier from the Park website

And you can check out the park webcams here, for instant gratificiation!

The big day is just around the corner. Everyone is scattering to the far corners of the world, or welcoming those who scattered from elsewhere to come here.

For us, Glacier Outdoor Center is buttoned up warm and cozy for the season, all of our employee family are part of the scattering – visiting family and friends in New York, Idaho, Utah, or hosting friends and relatives here at home.

We extend to all of you our most sincere wishes for a happy holiday. We hope that you too are gathering with those you love and sharing the special connection of the Christmas season.

Merry Christmas!!

To keep you thinking of Glacier over your holiday break, we offer you some images here from our friend Chris Peterson’s website. Chris is a stunningly talented photographer, and he is one more thing we are thankful for this season!

We never get tired of the eye candy from the Glacier National Park webcams. Winter views add an entirely different perspective to the gorgeous vistas of the Park.

Take a look at the Lake McDonald cam – this shot in the pre-sunrise is just getting going. Keep watching, and your eyes will thank you.

GNP has eight awesome webcams. Check out all of them here.

It’s time for one of coolest parades in the Valley (and not because it’s COLD!)

This Friday in Columbia Falls is the beginning of the Night of Lights Weekend! At 5pm the town center comes alive with craft show, music, snacks and beverages, and special deals at local businesses. Details are here.

At 6:30 is the big parade, which really is truly beautiful. Santa and Mrs. Claus join the parade!

Then, Saturday morning from 9am to noon, Santa will be on hand at Glacier Discovery Square for Rotary’s Brunch with Santa – yummy food from local restaurants and caterers, HUGE silent auction, photo of Santa with the kids, music, and more!

Get the full details here.

Don’t miss it!

Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered

image from GoogleImages

Even though Glacier Outdoor Center is buttoned down for the winter, we’re still out there in cyberspace. Our online reservation system is waiting patiently (computers are like that) for you to book your spring and summer rafting, fishing excursions, and guided wilderness trips.

Set up the relatives, the friends who are planning a visit next year, the local friends, with a gift of some serious time on the river or in the wilderness.

So, head to our website and pick an activity. Click BOOK NOW, and you are in.

If you are not on the world wide web, you can call 800-235-6781 Monday-Friday 9am-5pm.

Wanna know what others think? Click that link.

Glacier Anglers is pretty excited about partnering up again with Trout TV for a new season. All Trout TV episodes will be hosted out of the Glacier Anglers shop next year.

Take a look at some of the productions from Trout TV. Former Glacier Anglers guides Rich Birdsell and Hilary Hutcheson take viewers to some incredible locations for big, small, strange and beautiful fishing. See some gorgeous backdrops and learn a thing or two about luring the lunkers!

And spread the word about Trout TV – the website is easy to remember: www.trouttvshow.com