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
No comments:
Post a Comment