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Here is the rest of the story.
It was a busy week-end with lots of people hiking this trail. As they passed by, they were curious about what was going on. What are they doing? Who are they? Why is that photographer watching them? We tried to answer, replying . . . "We aren't sure, but they are going to do some acrobatics." A crowd started to gather, ready to enjoy the unexpected entertainment while hiking in Glacier. Once the jump was repositioned and the "chief jump builder-coach" gave the official OK, the action started. The two teens, one on a snowboard and the other on ski's, performed 360's, 540's, back flips and more. They were both easily flying over the rock ledge and making the tricks! The lighting was good and the view was spectacular with the vast mountains of the Garden Wall in the background.
It took me a few practice runs to get the timing right and keep them in the frame from the approach, through the jump and then the landing. Shooting nine frames per second, I was able to get several shots for each jump. After shooting each jumper a couple of times, the skier came over to where I was positioned. He introduced himself as "River Lucas" (is that Montana or what) and we exchanged handshakes. Come to find out, they were trying to get into the "X" Games and they were taking every opportunity to practice their skills. I brought him over to the camera, covered his head with my jacket to block out the bright sun and showed him the images of his jumps. From under the jacket, we hear . . . "Sweet." "Cool." "Wow, Dude, you got the grab!" He was delighted with the photos and asked if he could get some copies . . . and "did I need some cash?" I said, "No on the cash, and that this was a bonus photo shoot for us so we would be happy to just send them each a CD!" Next, the boarder came over. His name is Riley Slaughter -- another great name. He also reviewed the photos on the camera LCD and was pleased. Toward the end, River's dad, Rick, came over to visit and we found out that they came up here every July 4th week-end to ski. He said the boys had been trying to get some good pictures for their portfolios but hadn't been very successful and appreciated our willingness to share what we do. We took a quick group picture and went on our way. When we got back from vacation, we created a poster for each of them to send along with their CD. Those two posters are the featured photos for this story.
When you go the Glacier National Park, you just never know what kind of wildlife you will see. This past summer, we got to see something new . . . River Lucas and Riley Slaughter going wild at Logan Pass. It made our day. "Thanks for the fun, guys, and good luck with your dream!"
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