GLACIER NATIONAL PARK, MONTANA
I started today by filing a complaint with the weather. Weekends are my sacred time to do big hikes and the forecast predicted rain all day, which left me with very little to do.
My original plan was hike near Two Medicine Lake on the south side of the park. I switched Airbnb's today and was going to hit a new trailhead on the drive from my old Airbnb in Columbia Falls (on the west side of Glacier National Park) to my new Airbnb in Babb (on the east side of the park). Instead, because of the rain, I took my time packing up in the morning and left the house later than originally planned to start my rainy drive to the other side of the park.
Despite the rain, the two-hour drive was still quite lovely. I took Route 2, which skirts the south side of the park to take in different scenery. (I had only done the Going to the Sun Road to this point.)
Here are a couple shots along the drive. See the red and blue train in the photo below? I love how the sun is peeking through the clouds, casting a momentary spotlight on different parts of the hill.
Also, I FINALLY SAW A MOOSE!!! Actually TWO moose! They trotted across the road ahead of me. I quickly fumbled with my phone to switch from navigation to video and, well, you'll just have to trust me that these two dark images floating across the road through the unfocused rain-blurred windshield are moose. Now I know how Big Foot spotters feel.
I put the photo on loop because otherwise, it's just a dark spot on the road. I share this caveat so you don't think it's a whole HERD of moose! (PS - just confirmed that a group of moose is indeed called a herd.)
Here's one more shot from the road ...
I finally arrived at my Airbnb in Babb around 12 noon. As soon as I pulled in, Mother Nature officially responded to the weather complaint I had filed earlier and ordered the sun to come out - woot woot!
Within 30 minutes, I had all my stuff inside, cooler unpacked, clothes changed, backpack filled, and a new hike chosen. I hopped in the car and headed to the Cracker Lake trailhead, just 30 minutes from my door. (Can I tell you how awesome my location in Babb is?!) I am so excited I get to hike today!!
Cracker Lake is a gorgeous hike located on the east side of Glacier National Park, just inside the lesser used Many Glacier entrance. The lake itself is located at the head of a canyon and the waters are an opaque teal color caused by "rock flour" or "glacial milk" -- the less-than-appetizing descriptions for silt originating from a glacier that gives the water that distinct color.
The real question here is, why is it called Cracker Lake? Nope, it wasn't a racial slur against the white men who mined this area at the end of the 19th century. Rather, it's due to the fact that two mining scouts had a lunch of cheese and crackers near this lake before the mining boom and thus the lunch/location association turned into Cracker Lake. Well, that's what my google machine says anyway. Who knows the real reason?
Of course, the trail was MUDDY from all the rain. As in ... I almost turned around because I wore my trail running shoes which are NOT waterproof (rookie mistake, Shana! you're better than that!) and because my pant legs were soaked from brushing against all the rain-soaked foliage lining the narrow trail. Check it out.
Fortunately, I met a party of four about a mile in. They promised me the trail gets better, that it's only gross during this first mile (turns out, the first TWO miles). So I persisted and oh my gosh, I'm so glad I did.
Here are some prettier views along the way:
Here's that same mountain a little closer:
This picture shows the clouds starting to break:
The trail passes through prime grizzly habitat. The dense vegetation lining the twisty-turny trail makes for great hiding spots, so I kept my bear spray unlocked and in hand the entire trail. Thank goodness I never had to use it!
Also, I just need to point out again how Glacier National Park smells like Christmas. I love the natural smell of pine all around me!
The photo below doesn't begin to capture the anticipation. Those mountains in the background are the backdrop for the teal-colored Cracker Lake. And the clouds are constantly shifting, creating an ever-changing view of light and shadow. It was gorgeous.
Here's a video of my first view of the aqua-colored water. Incredible.
Some of my favorite shots of Cracker Lake:
I'm not a fan of rain while hiking. I've realized deep blue skies, especially if they are spotted with white fluffy clouds, are sometimes the difference between a hike and an incredible experience. And today, the rain nearly cost me a hike and also forced me to sludge through nearly four miles of muck.
But, I will say, the rain turned out to be a beautiful blessing for today's hike. Just yesterday, there was NO snow on the mountains. And now, the rain at these higher elevations left a beautiful coating of snow across the jagged peaks. It provides an awesome contrast where it would otherwise be flat gray rock in the picture. It definitely made the scenery all the more beautiful.
Hands down my favorite photo, below. I love how you can see the blue sky peeking through the moody clouds that constantly churned above me that day, and how the light casts highlights and shadows across the lake. The trail to the left tricks you into thinking the lake is just around that bend ... until you see the man at the lake's edge that provides the perspective to show just how incredibly huge those mountains are behind him and how far you still have to go to reach the lake's edge.
Today turned out to be incredible for so many reasons. I started out super bummed that I would be wasting an entire Sunday indoors, but then the weather suddenly cleared and I was able to do what turned out to be one of my top three hikes in Glacier National Park.
And one more AWESOME thing that worked out for me ... I found out from another hiker on the trail that the road to this trail closes for the season tonight at midnight, so I *just* made it under the wire! It's crazy how things just work out sometimes.
Total miles = 11.94
Total elevation gain = 1,680'
Peak elevation = 6,035'
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