The Father of Glacier National Park

George Bird Grinnell is widely regarded as a towering figure in the American conservation movement. Not only is he recognized as "The Father of Glacier National Park," but he's also recognized as "The Father of American Conservation."

Born in 1849, Grinnell was an explorer, historian, anthropologist, naturalist, writer and founder of the Audubon Society. As editor of Forest and Stream he crusaded for more than a decade for more stringent protection of Yellowstone’s wildlife. He campaigned tirelessly to defend the fledgling park from commercialization, and specifically focused on protecting bison from hunters, as Yellowstone was its last refuge. In 1894, he fully exploited a famous poaching incident that occurred within the park boundaries. Less than two months after that incident, the Lacey Act of 1894 was passed by Congress, which was a direct result of Grinnell's persistent reporting. The act protected wildlife in Yellowstone, and made violations punishable.

Grinnell made his first visit to Glacier in 1885. He was so inspired by the scenery that he spent the next two decades working to establish it as a national park. In 1896, he was one of three commissioners to sign the treaty with the Blackfeet Indians that transferred ownership of the land that would become Glacier National Park.

During his first visit to the future park, Grinnell would discover the glacier that now bears his name. Today, Mount Grinnell, Grinnell Lake, Grinnell Falls and Grinnell Glacier are all named in honor of him. During his final visit to the eponymous glacier in 1926, Grinnell noted in his diary that "the glacier is melting very fast and the amount of water coming from it is great. All these glaciers are receding rapidly and after a time will disappear."

Grinnell (second from right) and a hiking party on Grinnell Glacier in 1926:

Grinnell and his wife, Elizabeth, circa 1925:

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The Face on Rising Wolf Mountain

Last summer, while sitting atop Pitamakan Pass, I noticed a face staring at me. It wasn't a hungry hiker eye-balling my sandwich after realizing he forgot to pack his own snacks. No, this was a face in the mountain staring at me from across the valley. If you look closely, right in the middle of Rising Wolf Mountain, you'll see a clearly outlined face:

Here's a closer look:

According to Through The Years In Glacier National Park: An Administrative History, the 9513-foot Rising Wolf Mountain "was the Indian name for Hugh Monroe, the first white man to live with the Blackfeet Indians. The name is said to have been suggested by Monroe's habit of getting out of bed in the morning on his hands and knees. "

Wikipedia sheds a little more light on the name. According to the online encyclopedia, the Blackfeet name for the peak, "Mahkuyi-opuahsin", meaning, "the way the wolf gets up", was later translated to the current name of the mountain. After Hugh Monroe's death, his close friend and author James Willard Schultz, named the peak after Monroe.

I wonder if the face in anyway inspired the Blackfeet in naming the mountain. Did they think the geological oddity resembled Monroe in anyway?

One other thing about the photo at the top. Check out those clouds - they looked like a weave that day. It reminded me of the cover of the Tommy album by The Who.


Jeff
Hiking in Glacier.com