[Mtn Dog]

Spent a few days in Glacier NP with my wife and brother last month. Weather was looking more favorable for a hike on Tuesday as we started Monday with clouds and fog around Lake McDonald so we followed the Going to the Sun Hwy over Logan Pass looking for sun. We found it at St Mary Lake and the Many Glacier Hotel east of the Continental Divide. The road in was under construction and the hotel was closing at noon the next day for the season (unbeknown to us - timing is everything I guess). We took photos, visited the gift shop, watched a herd of bighorn sheep meander through the parking lot, and had lunch. With the afternoon open and fair skies we wanted to hike, but didn't want to join the crowds at the nearby popular trails and didn't have all our gear, but I had mine. So my wife took my trekking poles, my brother took the bear spray, and I took my lumbar pack with water, food, and the 10 essentials. We looked at Cracker Lake on a relief map in the lodge and thought the RT mileage would be about 9-10 miles with 1,400' elevation gain. We were right about the elevation but wrong about the mileage. The trail starts by traversing by the SW end of Lake Sherburne, which was really low by September. Horses are permitted on this trail and really tore up the lower section, leaving a small ditch littered with horse poop in the middle of the tread. The grade climbs gently through open forests and works its way along Canyon Creek, eventually crossing it further up. The valley opens with views of the surrounding peaks the further you climb. Vegetation gives way to rocky outcroppings and scree as you approach the lake basin. When I had walked about five miles I checked the GPSr to find that I was still over a mile from our goal. A very light rain fell briefly as we pressed on and left the valley with a stunning rainbow as soon as the sun reappeared. Before the lake, the trail crosses several slight ribs along the valley slope giving territorial views all around. When we finally arrived to the overlook, the lake stretched out below its cirque of vertical rock cliffs and had a stunning emerald blue color - much like Blanca Lake but perhaps even deeper in hue. We hiked out in 1:50 knowing we were limited for time before dark. There was a black bear across the valley from us after we started our return, visible from a distance. Another rainbow lit up the sky over Lake Sherburne near the lower trail later on. The trail had only a handful of other parties and most were just couples, plus a group of four horses were coming down as we were hiking up. We grabbed dinner at a wonderful restaurant in St Mary and then drove back over Logan Pass at twilight to our hotel. 12.7 miles RT, 1,575' Total ascent Start: 1:00 PM Lake: 3:30 PM Back at TH: 5:30 PM FWIW: My brother researched this lake after our trip and learned that in 1897 two prospectors, LS Emmons and Hank Norris, followed a mineral lead to the south end of the lake and left their meal of cheese and crackers under a rock for later but never retrieved them. The site became known as the "Cracker Lead" and eventually Cracker Lake. It was previously named Blue Lake. Prospecting was short lived as the site failed to produce much value.

Wynn Mtn

Canyon Creek's canyon

Canyon Creek

Crossing Canyon Creek

Valley ridge

Friend of the trail

A promise of sunny skies

Looking back down the valley

Valley for Cracker Lake

Cracker Lake

Lake Sherburne Rainbow

Low water at Lake Sherburne

Garmin Track Map

[zephyr]

Looks like a great day in beautiful country.

[RichP]

Very nice. We haven't seen a report from you in a while.

[the Zachster]

Cracker Lake was my first and last experience backpacking in grizzly country. It really is a spectacular lake to visit but knowing they were out there...it was a little too creepy for me. Thanks for the great photos!

[Mtn Dog]

We were at Logan Pass the next day and took a short hike up the Skyline Trail. I remembered it from when I was in Scouts, which was the last time I was at Glacier NP. They closed the Hidden Lake trail due to an adult male, adult female, and juvenile grizzly in that area. And an hour or two later started restricting hikers from the Skyline Trail as well because of another grizzly further up that trail. Goes with the territory I guess...