Hidden Lake Trail is one of the highest reward-to-effort hikes I have ever done. The trail starts at the visitor center at Logan Pass. And over a little more than 1 mile, most of which is paved or on boardwalks, the trail takes you to one of the best viewpoints in the area. Bears also love to fish at Hidden Lake below, so it is a great spot to see wildlife with binoculars.

This was actually the second time we went to Hidden Lake for sunset. The first time we went, rangers had just closed the trail because a mom bear and her cubs were hunting mountain goats right beside the trail an hour earlier, and tourists were standing around taking pictures... We did not notice the closed sign because we saw people on the trail, so we made it to the viewpoint before we were turned around by the rangers. The clouds were set up nicely for a colorful sunset, so saying I was disappointed was an understatement when I was only able to catch a quick glimpse of the view before the ranger escorted everyone back.

The second time the next day unfolded much more typically. We got to the viewpoint early and settled at a good spot waiting for the sunset. The cloudless sky made for a classic shot over Hidden Lake, which, while beautiful, was not able to distract me from thinking about how beautiful it must have been the day prior.

That thought got me thinking. I wonder how much of this restlessness came from inherent personality - namely, FOMO, which thankfully I am typically immune from except when I am on photography excursions - and how much of it came from the years spent chasing and capturing the extraordinary, where that was the end goal and definition of success. Has my pursuit of photography, or at least the way I approach it, numbed me to the everyday beauty of the world around us?