Glacier National Park 4K (2021): Hiking The Cracker Lake Trail [Bears, Cubs, Moose, +] (short form)

This is the short-form, highlight centric cut of our Cracker Lake day hike. This is the penultimate day of our 6 Part noBear 2021 Glacier National Park trip.
We specifically left our itinerary flexible so that we could choose the best weather days for Cracker Lake and the Grinnell Glacier Trail. It was a little nerve wracking that the weather seemed as though it would be the best for these trails on our last 2 days in The Park. It didn’t leave much room for error. This holds even more true if you know what it’s like trying to predict the weather in this park. We call Glacier’s weather patterns the “Bi-Polar Park”. It can be sunny and perfect, without a cloud in the sky, one moment… only to have it be hailing, thundering, & lightning within 3 minutes. We know, because it’s happened… multiple times. Suffice it to say, we took the forecast with a grain of salt. The one thing we will say about Glacier’s weather, however, is that if it’s a pretty crappy day and you think your plans might get washed out… just wait 15 minutes. Chances are, you’ll get sunshine at some point during your adventure. And frankly, sometimes the rain and hail can cool you off and even add an element of danger and excitement.
That all said, the weather on this day (though a little all over the place on the hike to & from Cracker Lake) was gorgeous for the bulk of the day. And when it counted… the sun lit up that lake in a way that words, pics, nor video could ever explain.
Some info about the hike…
If it’s rained heavily before you head out on trail, be weary. We have never seen so much horse sh!t in our life. And it all sits in the middle of the trail. There were long stretches where we literally had to hike straddling the edges of the trail. If you’re wearing trail runners/boots that you care about… maybe grab a pair that you don’t. That said, there is a hose at the Many Glacier Hotel stables, right off of the trailhead that you can use to wash them off.
Secondly, this is a VERY doable hike for most fitness levels. As long as you’re ok walking 12.5 miles. It’s not a hard trail at all, and the elevation is nominal.
Third… try to go on a weekday. We had the whole trail to ourselves. We saw TWO people the entire time. And if it’s a perfect day, perhaps consider Cracker Lake instead of Grinnell Glacier and save that hike for a different day. So many people choose Grinnell, and sleep on Cracker. The trailheads are within a mile of each other. And you can’t go wrong with either.
Lastly… if you can score an overnight permit for this place, DO IT!! There are very few easily accessible backcountry campsites in The Park with a payoff like this one. Waking up in your tent, and looking out on this Lake & mountain cirque in the morning would be a bucket list experience. Just keep in mind, it can be windy and this is a high frequented Grizzly area.
Some notes on the rest of the day…
This was a killer wildlife day, as you’ll see. After the Cracker Lake hike, we head down to Fishercap Lake (about a mile & a half from The Cracker Lake Trailhead) on the off chance that we might see the moose that has called that lake home for years.
When I tell you that we rounded the corner to that lake, to the moose standing in the water right in front of us, that’s literally what happened. It was magical. We watched her for a half an hour with no one around.
Then, on the way back to the car, we scored a sow black bear encounter with her cub. Again, we must’ve been less than 50 feet from them.
Finally, less than a quarter mile from there… a Fox with a Pika in it’s mouth!!
It was wild. We basically hit the wildlife jackpot, all within a mile… and all within an hour. This is why Glacier will always be noBear’s 1st love. There’s no place like it.
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As always,
Love & Respect to the Baby Mama/Papa of Your Future or Current Children,
noBear