Hiking Glacier Lake Trail in the stunning Kachemak Bay State Park in Homer, Alaska is not for the faint at heart. While the hike itself is easy and the views are serendipitously surreal, remember that you are in the wild. Be prepared for seeing a lot of fresh bear poops. (We counted 12 !). The remoteness of the park. and getting there is half of the adventure, making this day hike one of the best in the area.

We rose a little past seven at our glorious Airbnb rental in Homer, Alaska with a disappointing layer of fog blanketing Kachemak Bay. Just the night before, we had clear skies and watched the late evening sun cast a magical spell of pinks, purples, and blues on the snowcapped peaks across the bay. We desperately hoped that the clouds would lift as the day went by yet knew that weather in this part of the world was always a gamble.

We gathered our rain gear and backpacks for the day and made sure to toss in a can of bear spray borrowed from our gracious Airbnb host who never leaves home without it. We had been in Alaska for three days and had yet to see a bear, however, had heard many stories already about recent bear sightings and encounters along the trails. The last thing I wanted to do was run into a mother bear with cubs and be empty-handed.