Where We Be
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| Destination gorgeous! This is Cracker Lake. You have to hike through a lot of trees to get here, but the view at the end is certainly worth it. |
| Hike to Cracker Lake -- Glacier NP |
“40 in 4!” That was our victory cry after we
finished another 10-mile hike for a total of 40
miles hiked in 4 days. That's no small feat for
two couch potatoes like us of late.
We hiked to Cracker Lake in the early morning.
The lake sits at the end of its own valley, right
below an impressive cirque with towering walls.
While the lake is stunningly beautiful, this is not
our favorite hike in Glacier overall because it is
too “tree-y” for our taste. A shared horse trail
for the first two miles also means lots of mud
and horse poo. All told the trail is 12.6 miles
round trip, with 1,400 feet of elevation gain (and
a fair amount of elevation loss mixed in). The
trailhead begins at the parking lot of the Many
Glacier Hotel. We found this trail less busy than
others in the Many Glacier area, so be sure to
make plenty of noise since it passes through
prime grizzly habitat. We saw no grizzlies but it
sure felt like we could have here.
finished another 10-mile hike for a total of 40
miles hiked in 4 days. That's no small feat for
two couch potatoes like us of late.
We hiked to Cracker Lake in the early morning.
The lake sits at the end of its own valley, right
below an impressive cirque with towering walls.
While the lake is stunningly beautiful, this is not
our favorite hike in Glacier overall because it is
too “tree-y” for our taste. A shared horse trail
for the first two miles also means lots of mud
and horse poo. All told the trail is 12.6 miles
round trip, with 1,400 feet of elevation gain (and
a fair amount of elevation loss mixed in). The
trailhead begins at the parking lot of the Many
Glacier Hotel. We found this trail less busy than
others in the Many Glacier area, so be sure to
make plenty of noise since it passes through
prime grizzly habitat. We saw no grizzlies but it
sure felt like we could have here.
| After Lake Sherburne you start to climb. You'll spend most of the hike in forest, so be sure to take advantage of the occasional breaks in the tree cover to enjoy the scenery. |
| Happy to have finally broken into alpine terrain |
| Cracker Lake is almost straight ahead. If the whole hike were in open country like this, it would be among our favorites. |
| This should be called Turquoise Lake for its beauitful color. Apparently "Cracker" comes from two prospectors who had cheese and crackers here after they staked their claim! |
| We hiked about 4 miles along the Upper Medicine lakeshore, enjoying the fine views (not to mention the lack of elevation gain) |
| We took it easy on our last day in Glacier. We drove over to the Two Medicine area, also located on the eastern side of the park. Our first stop was Running Eagle Falls, also called "Trick Falls" because the falls seem to emanate right out of the cliff face. |
| These folks have the right idea -- a simple lakeside picnic. Views like this are available just a few steps from your car door at Two Medicine. |
| Two Medicine Area |
| Lake Sherburne offers pretty views a mile or so into the hike |
