It’s no secret the glaciers and the alpine environment are changing, yet despite extensive media coverage, it remains an issue that’s tough to fully comprehend. Those who are lucky enough to live in the shadow of big, glaciated mountains can only see so much change from down below. From Bellingham, it’s easy to spot the difference in Mt. Baker’s soft, snowy winter coat and its rocky summer skeleton, but it’s hard to notice how increasingly famished it become each summer.

If there’s one person who can illustrate the tumultuous history of the initial incorporation of the park, the inception of its caretaker, North Cascades Institute, and the ongoing efforts to educate and share the pristine wilderness with all, it would be John C. Miles.

Leave your sack lunch at home this ski season, because the restaurant scene is heating up in Glacier.