​Day 3 | Glacier National Park: Where the Mountains Speak

Today we loaded into three top-notch travel vans and made our way up the legendary Going-to-the-Sun Road toward Logan Pass. It is easy to understand why this drive is considered one of the most spectacular in the world. Towering peaks, waterfalls spilling from impossible places, and wildflowers stretching across alpine meadows reminded us that Glacier National Park is a place where nature still feels wonderfully untamed.

The wildlife certainly didn't disappoint. Along the way we spotted a black bear, a grizzly bear, mountain goats gracefully navigating cliffs that looked impossible to climb, yellow-bellied marmots soaking up the sunshine, and what may have been the loudest Columbian ground squirrels on the planet. They announced their presence long before we ever saw them.

Our hike to Hidden Lake was everything we hoped it would be. Snow still clung to the mountainsides while wildflowers painted the landscape with color. Every few steps someone would stop to point out another incredible view, another animal, or another memory worth capturing. We also made the required stop at the Logan Pass Visitor Center where, somehow, everyone found something they "needed." The good news? Every purchase helps support our national parks, so we felt pretty good about our shopping adventures.

On the way back we made one more essential Glacier stop—Apgar Village for huckleberry ice cream. If you've never had huckleberry ice cream in Glacier National Park, add it to your bucket list. It was the perfect ending to an unforgettable afternoon before we returned to campus where a few of us discovered that a quick nap can be just as glorious as a mountain view.

Tonight, however, became something truly special.

As the sun settled behind the mountains and Big Creek quietly flowed beside us, we gathered around the campfire to welcome Jack Gladstone. Many of our campers already felt like they knew Jack after watching Out There last summer, and meeting him in person was every bit as meaningful as we had hoped.

Jack Gladstone is an acclaimed storyteller, musician, educator, and cultural ambassador from Montana who is a citizen of the Blackfeet Nation. For decades, he has shared Indigenous history, culture, music, and storytelling with audiences across the country, helping people build a deeper understanding of the land and the people who have called it home for generations. Rather than simply performing for us, Jack invited us into an experience. Through songs, humor, history, and heartfelt stories, he reminded us that every landscape holds a story, every community has wisdom to share, and each of us has a responsibility to honor, cherish, and protect the places we call home.

As we shared sweet and savory s'mores around the fire, Jack left us with words that will travel home with all of us.

"What we do in life will echo in eternity."

This is not just a beautiful quote. It's a reminder of how we hope to live—paying attention, caring for one another, respecting the places that have welcomed us, and leaving them better than we found them.

As I write this, we're getting ready to head back outside for some dark sky festivities beneath the Glacier night sky. Today was about mountains, campfires, good friends, and people like Jack Gladstone who remind us that learning isn't just about what we know—it's about who we become.