Sheryl Mink: Glacier summer

Sheryl Mink has had a summer she won't forget.

How could she?

Eight weeks in Glacier National Park, painting, hiking and greeting people was the gig of a lifetime.

And she was a volunteer.

"The first week, I told everybody I felt like I was in heaven," the Coeur d'Alene woman said.

Mink, whose husband Larry is an interpretative ranger at Glacier, started a new program, "Connecting Art and Nature," in the million-acre park in western Montana.

As a VIP (Volunteer in Parks), she sketched animals and birds, taught watercolor techniques and worked on a large mural with park visitors, all while connecting art and the natural world.

During the program, she was stationed at the historic 1913 Ranger Station in St. Mary on the east side of the park in the mornings. When she and Larry weren't working, they were exploring the beauty and majesty that is Glacier National Park.

But it all wraps up this weekend.

When she drives away and heads back to North Idaho, it will be with a twinge of sadness, but anticipation of getting back to the Lake City, her two dogs and her job teaching a wildlife magnet class at Lakes Middle School.

Larry will stay behind until the season closes, in their seasonal housing in St. Mary just inside the park.

"I'm real excited about getting home and, I'm ready for it to end. It's been a fantastic experience, and I would do it again," she said.

How did you land a summer role at Glacier?

Last year when I first visitedLarry when he was working at Glacier Park, we both were talking about how neat it would be if some of the art project I was using at Lakes I could do with kids here. We thought I should be doing that at the park with some of our visitors, so we approached the superintendent and he said that sounds fantastic, let's go for it.

They set me up at the old ranger station, the first building in East Glacier, built in 1913.

What was your day like?

I worked three hours a day, 9 to noon, sometimes longer. I did water colors and sketches and worked on a mural that has marks from more than 700 people.

I've met really fantastic people. There are only three states I haven't met somebody from. Everybody is just so enjoyable to talk to. It's fun talking about the park and the experiences they're having.

Logan Pass didn't open until July, so because of that, it was nice a lot of families could come to this ranger station and do an art project with their kids. It's a nice break from hiking.

How did guests contribute to the mural?

A lot of the marks are just fingerprint of paint and just touches of paint. They want to be part of the mural, connected with that. I'll tell them where to put their colors. It's a really fun style which leaves it open for lots of brilliant, bright colors. Some people have actually put in an hour or more. They know that this mural is going into the St. Mary Visitor's Center. They'll be able to come back and say they helped with it.

I'm like the conductor and they're the orchestra.

What's a story that stands out for you?

One of the visitors I met through the ranger station was an elderly gal who was spreading the ashes of her husband throughout the park. He was a ranger there. She said she spent her first Thanksgiving with him at the ranger station where I was doing my program.

She said they went to the Sherburne Ranger Station and got snowed in for five months. It was quite a story. It's fun meeting people like that.

How's the scenery this year?

The scenery is so big and majestic, you're in the wild, the weather is always changing, the light on the mountain is just so spectacular. The wildflowers are spectacular this year.

We've seen grizzlies, black bear, moose and lots of mountain goats. It's fun to talk with visitors about their experiences. There have been more bear sightings out on the trails because of all the snow still high up. They just closed the Iceberg Trail because of so much bear activity.

When you and Larry aren't working do you get a chance to explore Glacier?

We go hiking and go to other ranger programs in the area. We're like most people. When you have your two days off, you go hiking.

Do you have a favorite place?

We found we prefer the east side, even thought it's really windy here. We have our heart for being in the east side, with all the trails and the hiking. It's different from the west side. Two different worlds.

Will Glacier have this program next year?

It sounds like it. They haven't said so. Visitors have written how great this program is.

Have you been to Glacier before?

Larry went to the University of Montana and I lived in Missoula.

We used to come here off and on, especially when eagles used to come through by the hundreds. They were thick in the trees.

You'll leave Monday for home. What's the first thing you'll do when you get there?

I'm going to give my dogs a lot of hugs and TLC. I'll probably pick raspberries in the garden and I can't wait to turn on the television and watch the news, because you can't do that here.

Where does this summer at Glacier rank for you?

This is probably my favorite job I've ever done. I get to do what I enjoy most, and that is doing art with children and being with lots of wonderful people in a place as beautiful as Glacier.

Would you return?

I loved it for eight weeks. I'm ready to go home now, but I'm going to miss being in the wild. Yes, I would do it again.