"Earl" at Cracker Lake
Cracker Lake, Glacier National Park, Montana
On the way to Cracker Lake, my favorite backcountry spot in Glacier, some hikers heading out told us that a mountain goat, "Earl," would appear around the campsites at sunset. As if he were making a scheduled appearance, Earl did just that. He even stayed by the tents for several hours after sunset before departing some time during the night. Side note: The blue in the lake is from the scattering of white light by the glacial silt running down from the Siyeh Glacier, which sits on the shelf at upper left in this image from 2010. Further side note: The Siyeh Glacier was 2-3 times larger when I first saw it in 1997. If you haven't already, get to Glacier soon before its namesakes are gone. Photo © copyright by Greg Owens.