Cracker Lake

July 2012  |  Glacier National Park, Montana

Our first backpack trip in Glacier National Park was a one-nighter to Cracker Lake, in the Many Glacier area. This is easily one of the most spectacular mountain cirques I’ve ever had the pleasure of camping in, with a 3-4,000 foot sheer vertical wall encircling the milky turquoise glacial lake and green grass meadow slopes. And the mountains here have such an intriguing character, which their complex patterns in the eroded sedimentary rock.

Hiking to Cracker Lake, Glacier National Park, Montana.

Hiking to Cracker Lake, Glacier National Park, Montana.

Our tent at a spectacular camp spot at Cracker Lake - July.

Our tent at a spectacular camp spot at Cracker Lake - July.

A resident mountain goat surveys the scene at Cracker Lake.
Mountain Goat Watcher

A resident mountain goat surveys the scene at Cracker Lake.

There was a resident mountain goat at Cracker Lake. Oftentimes mountain goats are uninhibited to the point of annoyance, but this guy was really friendly and mellow. He’d stand on the rock and gaze out over the scene for long periods of time, seemingly just appreciating the landscape as much as us. He’d follow us around, and lay down near us. He even slept right next to our tent for most of the night, like a loyal guard dog. In the morning he followed me up to this overlook and posed for the photo.

A mountain goat at Cracker Lake at dawn.
Cracker Lake Dawn

A mountain goat at Cracker Lake at dawn.

Morning reflection at Cracker Lake.
Cracker Lake Reflection

Morning reflection at Cracker Lake.

I could have spend days here, but alas we had to leave after one night, for more adventures in these mountains!