Canada Geese mating.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Back to Flattop
Looking Toward Cook Inlet from Flattop
Today I went back to Flattop for my second trip in four days. Today I wasn't on a time restriction. I just had to be sure to be down before dark!
I was hoping for clearer skies today, and this morning looked promising. But by the time I got to the trailhead there was a lot of haze in addition to some very high thin clouds. The clouds were fine since they add interest to the skyscape, but the haze was coming from a large fire down around Homer and I found myself coughing badly by the time I'd reached the summit.
Still, I found an alternate path that allowed me to bypass the first set of stairs and I made the trip to the summit in an hour and 37 minutes compared to the hour and 8 minutes it took to get to the second saddle last Sunday.
Along the way I got to see some blooms of Spring.
Wooly Lousewort
There was still quite a bit of snow along the ascent from the second saddle to the summit. And it a few places it was a bit treacherous. I was very glad to have my ice axe with me!
Wildflower Kaleidoscope
On the way up I saw a young hiker (male of course), glissade down the very steep slope just to the south of the trail. On Sunday I'd thought that might make a fun trip, but then realized that the snow is melting quickly and in many places is only just barely covers the rocks. To hit a rock glissading down that slope could easily be disastrous. And avalanches on that chute have killed several people over the years. But today I watched a fellow make it safely down to the saddle despite these danges. However, his faithful dog had more sense than he had and only made it some 20 feet down from the summit before deciding that going any further made no sense to him at all. No amount of cajoling from his owner could convince him to proceed.
Eventually the dog, showing great intelligence, worked his way back up to bare rock and across to the trail while his owner was slogging back up the trail to rescue his dog. Hopefully his owner learned a lesson too!
Monday, May 11, 2009
Hike to Flattop, 10 May '09
Despite the fact that I've lived in the Anchorage Municipality since 1993, I have never before attempted Flattop. Which is strange in a way since it is THE most visited peak in the State of Alaska!
Why this omission? Pure provincialism it was.
When I was transferred to Alaska by the Air Force in 1993 I chose to live in Eagle River, about 18 miles NE of downtown. I chose Eagle River while still stationed in North Dakota by studying topo maps of the area and looking for a location that would allow me a semi-rural environment and easy proximity to wilderness recreation yet still be within a 30 minute drive to the base hospital where I would have to be on call from time to time. Eagle River filled the bill with its small town ambiance, beautiful river valley (likened to Yellowstone by the original government explorers) and many trails leading into Chugach State Park.
For 14 years I lived in Eagle River and never tired of its beauty and challenging hikes. There was so much to see and do there, at any time of year, that I was rarely tempted to venture beyond its boundaries to explore new territory. But in 2006 I sold my home and moved into Anchorage proper so I could more easily work temporary assignments and spend much of each year cruising. After that move I began to explore the Anchorage bowl and Turnagain Arm. I did a bit of snowmobiling and snowshoeing in the Glen Alps area near Flattop, but never hiked it in the summer or climbed up to Flattop itself. So this week I decided to give it a go.
The Stairway on the Trail
Sunday, the 10th, I headed off from the trailhead just after 1 pm carrying only a day pack with water, snack and warm jacket, and my trusty ice axe (a very handy tool for mountain hikes in Alaska). I wanted to reach the top, but had plans to meet a friend to see the new Star Trek movie later in the day although we didn't have a firm time set. I was about halfway along the trail when my cell rang and my friend Gil said he wanted to meet about 4 pm. That made it certain that I wouldn't have time to reach the top. But I did make it to the second saddle after an hour and eight minutes. Definitely slow compared to most the folks on the trail, but I'm still deconditioned from about a year on the boat and little chance to hike ashore.
View to the East from Second Saddle
There are some great views from many points on the trail even before reaching the top. From the second saddle you can see all of Anchorage and the entrance to Turnagain Arm which was given its name by Captain James Cook while searching for the Northwest Passage. Today, unfortunately, was quite hazy so good photos of the wide vistas just weren't to be had. But there will be another day this week for me to try this hike and maybe then the haze won't be so bad.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Backpacking on Bird Ridge, Alaska
Campsite along Bird Ridge
After a 15 month absence I finally returned to my home in Anchorage for a summer work assignment. I arrived at the end of what we Alaskans call "Breakup" and the weather was typical -- near freezing, occasional rain, lots of dust and dirty cars.
But last week, for five glorious days, it was really Spring: Clear blue skies, warm (about 62•F), and snow free trails. Best of all, I actually had a couple of days off work to go and enjoy it! What I didn't have was any camping or backpacking gear.
But luck was with me and I managed to catch REI on the first day of their annual spring sale and save myself a couple of hundred bucks on some new lightweight gear -- a two person tent, three season down bag and medium sized backpack. All together the new gear weighs in at under 10 pounds. Much better for backpacking than my old gear, most of which is on board Aphrodite down in New Zealand.
On Saturday, May 2nd, I set out to try an exploratory hike up Crow Creek Trail. But the road to the trailhead was closed and it was obvious that there was a lot of snow along the road and that the trail would still be covered. So, I went to Plan B, i.e., Bird Ridge on the north side of Turnagain Arm and just a short drive from Anchorage. This trail is on a south facing ridge and clears fairly quickly come Spring.
But before I could start up Bird Ridge I needed a nice spot to camp for the evening. The answer was to be found near Portage Glacier. This glacier formed Turnagain Arm over many thousands of years. From its ancient exit near Anchorage it has receded over 30 miles. It can just be seen in the photo below.
Portage Glacier as seen from the north side of Turnagain Arm at low tide.
Evening Camp on Portage Creek
My campsite on Portage Creek, being only about three or four miles from the glacier, was rather chilly -- about 20•F in the wee hours of the night. I was quite glad of my new REI down sleeping bag. I certainly pushed it to the limit of its 25 degree rating, but it kept me pretty comfy despite the cold. I did wish I'd had more padding. Not so much because the ground was still frozen only a few inches down, but because my old bones just don't do so well sleeping on hard ground any more. My crystal ball tells me there is a new sleeping pad in my future.
So, after spending a somewhat restless Saturday night camped along Portage Creek I headed for the Bird Ridge trailhead. Along the way I stopped for this photo of a building ruined by subsidence after the 1964 earthquake:
The hike up Bird Ridge is steep and strenuous. It's about 2.5 miles to the first peak and another 4 miles to the highest lookout. I didn't make it to the first peak. In fact, I think I only got a bit over a mile. Now, I did climb over 1200 feet with my 40 pounds of gear, but it did take me almost 5 hours. And I was completely exhausted when I stopped. All I can say is that I'd spent most of the last year on a sailboat and didn't have much opportunity for hiking, AND my last backpacking trip was in 1998! So you could say I am a bit out of shape.
Being a beautiful blue sky day, and a Sunday to boot, I expected to see other folks on the trail. But I wasn't prepared for what turned out to be a veritable turnpike with runners and day hikers constantly going up and down the trail. I am not exaggerating when I say there were hundreds of people on the trail. That didn't bother me. In fact, I welcomed each opportunity to stop and let people pass me by. I needed the rest stops! What did bother me, was that many of the hikers and even some of the runners looked to be older than my 62 years. Very embarrassing it was to see an older runner pass me on the way up to the summit and then again an hour or so later pass me again on their way back to the trailhead while I had only progressed a short distance along the trail. Well, maybe by the end of the summer I'll be doing a bit better. One thing's for sure, my next trip up Bird Creek will be a simple day hike carrying nothing more than water and lunch!
Entrance to Turnagain Arm from Bird Ridge at Low Tide
Looking South Across Turnagain Arm from Bird Ridge
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