Granite Park to Many Glaciers

 Granite Park to Many Glaciers, 7.2 miles one way, via Swiftcurrent Pass, easily one of the most beautiful hikes I've ever done, we ran out of superlatives about two miles in and had to tell each other to shut it. See Map, more info.

Image: 5D Mk III, 16-35 f2.8 L II

The destination, Swiftcurrent Lake

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Image: 5D Mk III, 70-200 f4 L IS
Early morning light on Many Glaciers Hotel and Swiftcurrent Lake
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Ross

Images In Light

Cracker Lake, Glacier National Park

Image: 5D Mk III, 16-35 f2.8 L II, 24mm, 1/15 sec at f16.
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Cracker Lake, 12.2 miles round trip, elevation gain 1,400 feet. Unlike other hikes in Glacier this trail is a little less used, one reason is it starts as a heavily used horse trail, another is perhaps the scenery is not as dramatic as some of the other hikes at the beginning. See Map.

5D Mk III, 70-200 f4 L IS, 70mm, 1/320 sec at f7.1.

But it makes up for that with towering cliff walls, wildlife and plenty of time to explore a less visited area, only 3 campsites allowed in the cirque.

 From my sleeping bag in the tent

Ross

The Winds

The Cirque of Towers was an amazing place, due to smoke from fires in surrounding states there was limited opportunities for doing landscape photography, never the less it was truly impressive. Jackass Pass kicked our butts going in, but once in, the views where truly inspiring. A climbers mecca, the Cirque has a lot to offer to any one interested in the the outdoors, from 1000 foot walls of rock to clear, trout filled lakes and streams.

Image: 5D Mk III, 70-200 f4 L IS

Me and Ducky at the Cirque

Image: 5D Mk III, 16-35 f2.8 L II

 Our camp in the Cirque

Image: 5D Mk III, 70-200 f4 L IS, f11, 1/200th sec.

Steeple and East Temple. The Wind River Range, Wyoming.

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Image: 5D Mk III, 70-200 f4 L IS, f11, 1/40th sec.

Clear Lake. The Wind River Range, Wyoming.

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Image: 5D Mk III, 70-200 f4 L IS, f7.1, 1/640 sec .

Steeple and East Temple. The Wind River Range, Wyoming.

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The Wind River Range, Wyoming. I have had a chance over the past couple of weeks to see some of this country's most beautiful back country. The Wind River Range in Wyoming, it is an incredible place to hike, you feel a real sense of isolation and awareness of your surroundings, its remote and wild, one morning we woke to moose foraging for willow near camp, trout swim in the open shallow waters of Lonesome lake, almost as if you could reach out an grab one.

12,600' East Temple and Steeple peaks tower above Clear and Deep lakes beckoning climbers, Wolfs Head and Pingora Peaks in The Cirque of Towers: see Fifty Classic climbs of North America

 Pingora's shoulder with Wolfs Head behind

Not a place to visit only once

Ross

Images In Light