Glacier National Park

Brigham, Utah

Let me start by saying Montana is so underrated.  In August I went on a massive road trip across the United States. First I hopped a plane to Salt Lake City, Utah and met my long time friend, Max, at the airport. We headed to our friend’s house that live in downtown SLC that night and crashed with them after a long day of travel. Shout out to Kevin, Tyler, and Miller for letting us stay there! The day after we set out on our journey…

From there we drove 527 miles to Missoula, Montana and camped for the night, in the morning we had breakfast, bought groceries and got back on the road for another day of driving. Another 139 miles later we arrived at Glacier National Park! Even though the drive there from SLC was long, it was scenic and easy to enjoy with so much incredible landscape to take in. As soon as we arrived at Glacier it became evident that we were in for some unbelievable outdoor experiences; nestled in the Rocky Mountains this national park is beyond compare.

Over the next two days we trekked as much as we possibly could through this mountainous playground, exploring trails and staring in awe of the surrounding beauty. The pranic energy there permeates the trees, rocks, soil, and each drop of water as it cascades over cliffs into sparkling pools of melted glaciers. Each inhale is saturated with an invigorating sensation that instills a deep feeling of gratitude; just being there is a privilege and I felt extremely fortunate to witness this supernova of glacial creation.

While hiking the various trails in the park we saw so many meadows, flowers, waterfalls, lakes, and animals. The wildlife here is majestic and such a wonderful sight to behold. During my brief stay I saw mountain goats, marmots, rabbits, birds, deer, and even a moose! All of them were so peaceful and unafraid of the hikers that were passing through, it was obvious that the habitat there is well-balanced and flourishing.

One of my best experiences in Glacier was on my second day there. We hiked for about six hours that day and saw some truly immaculate scenery, afterwards we took a shuttle bus back to our campsite through the winding mountain roads. When we arrived I unrolled my yoga mat on the rocky, uneven dirt next to our tent; this type of surface would usually be distracting, but with my small sacred space surrounded by a glorious view of mountains and trees I felt ready to dive into my practice.

I’m an ashtanga practitioner, which is partially defined by set series of postures and the linking between breath and movement (vinyasa). Since I know the series without thinking it was easy to completely surrender my mind to this moving meditation, each breath I received was extra charged with immense strength and decisive movement. There was never a moment where I wanted to stop going or felt the urge to quit. Once the sequence was finished and I laid down to take rest in shavasana where I sank effortlessly into a deep state of relaxation and serenity. I have never felt such magnetic unity with the atmosphere around me before in my yoga or life in general. This was a truly unforgettable experience that I continue to cherish, and it happened in Glacier National Park.

If anyone ever asked me if they should visit this ethereal place I would recommend it faster than they could finish the question. I went into my experience there with no expectations and left with a totally altered perspective on how intoxicating it can be to immerse yourself in nature and disconnect from the urban world.

Thanks for reading, to view a few additional images click on the thumbnails below, these will take you to a gallery. Or, just visit Glacier National Park! Click here to start planning your trip to this beautiful and unique destination.