Darcie Peet

Spilling into aqua waters, this “no-name” cascade is between St. Mary’s Falls and Virginia Falls on the east side of Glacier National Park. Park rangers tell me that it does not have a name that appears on any map or in any hiking book, but they all refer to it as “The Cascades.” “No name” does not mean it is not a perfect place to stop on the way to Virginia Falls, and a cool respite on a hot hiking day. Late afternoon sun glances over and steps down the boulders to the right, where there is a scraggly, thin pine barely holding on in the ledgerock catching sun along with spindly grasses scattered amongst the cracks. For sale. $8100. Available through A. Banks Gallery, 127 E. Main St., Bozeman, MT 59715, 406-586-1000, www.abanksgallery.com/darcie-peet/

When rain, grey skies and fog touch the ground, mountains and any other definition of the land disappear. Not to be discouraged for a day in Glacier National Park, we headed up “Going To The Sun Road” despite the socked-in weather. What a reward we had as the higher we drove, heavy weather below began to break, letting a hint of views and sun glimmering through. This was our reward as we looked back down to St. Mary’s Lake with Wild Goose Island off to the left. For sale. $3900. Available through October 31, at The Hockaday Museum, Kalispell, MT, 406-755-5268, email: information@hockadaymuseum.org. www.hockadaymuseum.org

Hiking down from the saddle between Mt. Clements and Mt. Oberlin high on Logan Pass, Glacier National Park, I was focused more on the profusion of wildflowers of every color all around. I paused to wait for my husband hiking behind and looking back, happened to spy this quiet, still, mountain goat, not the least bit disturbed, seemingly entertained by the people hiking by. For sale. $1500. Available through October 31, at The Hockaday Museum, Kalispell, MT, 406-755-5268, email: information@hockadaymuseum.org. www.hockadaymuseum.org

Coming up the long trail from Hidden Lake, Glacier National Park, we turned around to look back on our journey that day. Now far below, we could see Hidden Lake, its islands, inlets, and irregular shoreline. The early, evening light turned scattered clouds warm white and peach, at the same time creating dramatic, shadow-sun contrast illuminating masses of avalanche or Glacier Lilies across the high, alpine meadow. For sale. $5400. Available through October 31, at The Hockaday Museum, Kalispell, MT, 406-755-5268, email: information@hockadaymuseum.org. www.hockadaymuseum.org

Taking the first, early morning shuttle across Swiftcurrent Lake, then Lake Josephine, we began the short hike to Grinnell Lake on the east side of Glacier National Park. Not another soul around, the forest was eerily quiet. My imagination expected a grizzly ‘round almost every turn. I was SOOooo relieved to reach the lake and a trail repair crew already hard at work making plenty of welcome noise! As we emerged from the very cool and shadowed forest, we were met by the faint, delayed sounds of the almost 1000 ft waterfall that would occasionally break the stillness and the stark contrast of the morning sun blazing across the cliffs on the far side of the lake. It was hard to imagine a trail traversing those seemingly vertical cliffs, but small dots of color slowly moving above told us that was the Grinnell Glacier Trail and our next destination. For sale. $6500. Available through A. Banks Gallery, 127 E. Main St., Bozeman, MT 59715, 406-586-1000, www.abanksgallery.com/darcie-peet/