Bella's Anniversary Hike

 Today Bella and I are celebrating one whole year of her being part of my family, and my adventure buddy. Together we have tried to climb every mountain and hike every trail. She is the best of the best in hiking buddies. To commemorate this special day we hiked one of my favorite trails, The Twin Peaks Trail at Eklutna Lake. It was so beautiful at the lake with frosty trees all along the road. The lake finally has its first thin layer of ice. I doubt it is thick enough to walk on yet. The Twin Peaks Trail looked so inviting with a nice layer of snow. But after just a few steps, I found that the 1 or 2 inches of snow were just disguising a much thicker layer of solid ice. My micro spikes are very dull and they were of very little help in negotiating that underlying ice. But we pressed on and with care I was able to keep from slipping. A couple of other hikers passed us as they descended and warned us that above the first bench, the ice was much worse. I had hoped to make it to the second bench, but decided we might be just fine only reaching the first bench overlook. The last hundred feet to the first bench is very steep and I was beginning to wonder if I would even make it to the overlook. I ended up grabbing onto branches and walking off the trail on rocks and bushes to finally reach the bench. I can't imagine it being much worse, so called that our final destination. It's always a beautiful view up there but today was extra gorgeous. The sun was so low that there were touches of sunset color in the few clouds. I spent some time relaxing on the bench just enjoying the view. We had a couple of snacks then Bella started to head up the trail. I called her back and we started our slippery descent. In some places I was even able to run, but most of the way I took my time and was able to remain standing all the way back to the car. I kept Bella off her leash the whole time, and she ran ahead and back, likely covering twice the distance of my 3.5 miles. It's been a wonderful year with Bella!

Mat-Su Moose Range Yarrow - Xarrow Trail

 There are several entry points to the moose range and I'd like to explore all of the options and all of the many trails. I've started at Wendt Road many times and Murphy Road several times. But I decided to check out a couple of others today. The Mat-Su Borough Map shows entrances off of Yarrow Road and Boyd Road. I decided to try to find Yarrow Road today. What a lovely trail it is from there. It really is an old road and it was very smooth and the snow was well packed down from ATV activity. There were numerous other narrow trails leading away from the obvious main trail but I had no trouble finding the correct route. I also had my phone navigating my track in case I got mixed up and couldn't find my way back. Once off the main trail and into the swamp area, there were many odd options and it could be easy to take a wrong turn. I did end up on a trail blocked by private property at one point, and had to turn around. Our total hike was 5 miles out and back. The borough map of the whole moose range area shows an old car as a permanent landmark. One of my goals today was to find that old car. It should have been on a smaller trail but the ATVs had made their trail go right by the car. So I found it easily. I can't believe it was never removed! I guess now that it's on the map it's required to stay there forever! I only saw two other people on the trail, two ladies on fat tire bikes. One of them was one of my running friends, Teri Buck. After returning to my car, I drove to Boyd Road (not shown on the Borough map). l now have all the trailheads programmed into my car GPS.  I'll be doing a lot more exploring out there. It's so peaceful, and surprisingly, I've never seen a moose out there!

The Old Car

A small section of the map showing most of the trail and the old Car location

Whole Map

Mat-Su Moose Range Grizzly Traverse

Today Bella and I jointed a few of the Valley Wanderers and returned to the Moose Range for a nice sunrise hike. Yesterday I started from Wendt Road on the west side of the area. Today we started from a trail on the east side from Murphy Road off Buffalo Mine Moose Creek Road. If we had enough time it is possible to traverse the whole area by leaving a car at each trailhead. One day I would like to do that. We did a 4 mile out and back trip. There was a bit more snow on this side than what I found yesterday. This section is a little higher elevation. But we still did fine just wearing micro spikes and snowshoes weren't needed. The ATV traffic has made all of the trails perfect for walking. Not quite so much for skiing though, due to the big ruts their tires make. We had 3 dogs with us and they had a grand time. Bella tried to pick a fight with the others but she quickly settled down. Pumba is a huge dog and Julia keeps him muzzled in case he decides not to play well with others. Both Bella and Charlie would come out on the short end in a fight with Pumba! By the end of the hike, Bella and Charlie were best buddies and seemed to really enjoy chasing after each other. It's so desolate out there that we never needed to worry about letting them run loose. We never saw anyone else the whole time. We met at the trailhead at 10:30 am and got to enjoy watching the sunrise along the trail. We only have about 5 hours of daylight this time of year. It was very cold, at only 7 degrees Fahrenheit at the start. I don't think it got much warmer by the time we got back to our cars either. The sun doesn't get very high right now. It seems to just travel along the southern horizon from east to west. The mountains were gorgeous as we hiked because the sky was bright blue and the sun turned everything to gold. We are past winter solstice now so our days are getting longer everyday by a few minutes. 

Mat-Su Moose Range Walk

 Normally at this time of the year, this area is beautifully groomed for skiing. But even though it appears to have been groomed once, it was pretty chewed up by ATV's and not in the best condition for skiing. We need a lot more snow around here. So I just had a nice hike instead. There isn't a lot of snow but at least there is enough to cover the ice from the recent rains we've been having. I wore my micro spikes on my boots but may have done fine without them. Bella and I walked out to the main swamp but we encountered some serious open water so turned around. Instead of crossing that, we followed a nice ATV trail that was well packed and easy to follow. I went farther than I ever have on that trail.  When Bella reached the Wasilla Creek Bridge, she came to an abrupt halt, turned around and gave me a perplexed look. The bridge is metal with an open steel mesh. Her tiny feet would likely go right through the openings. It was getting late and we were running out of daylight so rather than carry her across the bridge, I chose to turn back. We covered 4 miles round trip. It was fairly warm and still lovely in spite of the clouds and an occasional snowflake. The bridge is really nice. I'm glad I got to see it. That area is basically the headwaters of Wasilla Creek. From there that meandering creek  seems to cross every road and trail in the entire area. 

Archangel Road Cross Country Ski

 There hasn't been much snow so far this winter, but at least I did find some splendid skiing conditions along Archangel Road in Hatcher Pass. Bella assisted as we skijored about 5 miles round trip to the Reed Lakes Trailhead and back. The snow was perfect for skiing. There were quite a few people on the trail and just as many other dogs. Bella did a very good job of not pulling me to my death as she tried to chase every one of them. I managed to remain upright the whole way. We definitely need a lot more snow though. It was very odd to not have a white Christmas in Alaska!

Gold Mint Trail

 We have so few hours of daylight right now that I knew I couldn't plan anything very long. It was so dark this morning that I wondered if I would even get out of bed. I didn't leave the house until after noon. Today is officially the first day of winter and the shortest day of the year. The wind is blowing about 30 to 50 mph at my house, and also down in Palmer. I knew I didn't want to hang around outdoors anywhere near either of those places. I drove up to Hatcher Pass. For some reason, that area seems to miss the extreme north winds when they blow. The wind blowing across Fishhook Road was so strong that I almost had trouble controlling my car. But once into the park area, it calmed right down. There were only a couple of cars in the Gold Mint Trail parking lot, so as soon as we got away from the trailhead, I turned Bella loose and let her lead the way. She seemed quite delighted. The trail was in great condition, with soft snow that was well packed. I wore my spikes but really didn't need them. We had to jump over a couple of little creeks that crossed our path, but they were easy to cross. We ran into a couple of dogs and I just picked Bella up and let them pass while she barked her head off like a raving lunatic. I notice that all other dogs simply pass buy quietly while she turns into a Tasmanian Devil. About mile 1.7 we came upon an elderly man who had been just standing on the trail for a few minutes. He was just leaning onto his hiking pole and his shoe was untied. We talked a little and he enjoyed visiting with Bella. But I thought he looked really tired. I asked if he was ok and he said he was, but I felt a little concerned so took note of our location. We went on for another half mile then turned back to avoid losing daylight. I was happy to see we didn't run into that man again, so I knew he was probably not in any distress. He got to his car just seconds before I got back to mine and found he was parked right next to me. I always pay attention to other hikers in case anyone is in any trouble. I was glad to see he looked fine and had made it back safely. That trail is pretty isolated and it was getting late. We only walked a total of 4 miles. But it was a lovely little hike. 

Bella with a beard of snowballs!

Bodenburg Butte Climb

 Bella and I hiked to the top of the Butte today. At first she refused to walk. I had put on her warmest jacket because I figured it would be really windy and cold up there. But it was very calm, and I suspected she was just not comfortable. So I took off the coat and now she was willing to walk. But she was still being very hesitant. It didn't seem like she was cold, but she was just being obstinate. I unleashed her since there was only one car in the parking lot, which made it unlikely that we would have met many other hikers. She immediately took off running. I know, she has me trained! But I do like her having the chance to just run at her own pace. I let her go and she was great. She came whenever I called her, if she got too far ahead. We both had a great time and made it all the way to the top with the trail all to ourselves. It was delightful up there with only a whisper of wind. I gave her some treats and took a few pictures with my phone. We did meet a few people on our way down, but they all seemed delighted to meet her. The little kids all wanted to pet her, which she always loves. One couple called her Chewbacca, because she does have that look. I guess she doesn't get quite as cold as I do, because she was perfectly happy without her winter coat. I would have preferred to be wearing my warmer coat myself. But I was never really cold. It was right around 20 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Eklutna Lake Again

 I went back to Eklutna Lake again today after looking at my old photos from when we had the memorial for my dog, Baby. I easily made it back to the correct spot where I found the butterflies yesterday. I finally decided I had found the correct tree, but was surprised that the hook that held the little birdhouse was not there. Upon closer inspection, I found a tiny hole in the tree that was obviously not natural. It was the hole where the hook had been. I suppose it's possible that the wind was so strong that it ripped the house and its hook completely off the tree. But I really don't think that happened. I suspect that someone, likely the park ranger, saw the house, realized it was not natural and was offended by it, so removed it. I won't plan to put up another one. But at least the butterflies still mark the spot. They are very hard to see, so didn't catch the eye of whoever removed the birdhouse. I may put a couple more butterflies in obscure places to add to the memorial.

It was a beautiful day to be up there. Bella enjoyed running all over the place exploring every bush and tree. It's so beautiful in winter before the lake freezes up because the reflections are still visible. 

Eklutna Lake

 Short hike up at Eklutna Lake with Bella. I did bring my skis but I found the parking lot and trail were basically glare ice, but with a thin 1 inch cover of snow. That made for extremely slippery conditions. So I put my spikes on my boots and we walked about 3 miles round trip. We walked to the spot where my dog, Baby was killed. I did a lot of searching and finally did locate the two butterflies I had attached to the trees in the area. But the little mini birdhouse was still missing. I wasn't sure which tree I'd hung it on. But once home, I looked at old pictures and now I know what kind of tree to look for. I may be able to find the original hook if the tree is still there. It does appear that a couple of trees in that spot have either fallen or been cut down. I'll check again soon. I would like to find the little house or replace it if I can find that tree and hook. That trail is usually very busy, but today there were only 2 cars in the parking lot. The owners of those 2 cars passed me heading out in the first half mile. So I let Bella off her leash to run free. I could tell she liked that.

Echo Bend Hike

I joined the Walkabouts hiking group today for a hike at the Eagle River Nature Center. I carpooled with Pam. I was happy to see that my friend, Alice also joined our hike. It was snowing so hard at my house and on my way down the road that I didn't feel safe driving into Eagle River, so I agreed to let Pam drive. The snow soon stopped so it would have been just fine. But I really had trouble getting down Wolverine Road due to such poor visibility, that by the time we met up, I'd had it! I had so much stuff to drag from my car to her car, that I managed to leave a couple of things behind. The oddest one was that, now on the Glenn Highway, I noticed Bella no longer had her harness on! I couldn't imagine how that could have happened since I had just walked her in the parking lot. But somehow she escaped from it. I wondered all day whether it was on the ground or still in my car. Fortunately, Pam had an extra very large collar for her dog and I was able to make it work for Bella. When we got to the Nature Center, I noticed I had left my micro spikes back in my car. It was solid ice everywhere and I knew I was doomed at that point When the Nature Center staff heard me telling Pam, they saved me by telling me that had a box of grippers and I could borrow some. That sure was a relief. 

Bella wore her big puffy snowsuit, which usually works great. But today she kept getting one foot out of it. I finally realized it was due to not having her harness on. I took the suit off and she was fine the whole 6.2 miles out and back. She was off her leash most of the way so she was fine even without a harness. But I did want her on the leash near the trailhead. She enjoyed running back and forth with Dahla, Pam's dog. Alice didn't bring her trekking poles, so I loaned her one of mine. The trail is mostly flat so one pole was all either of us really needed. But it was helpful with the whole trail being mostly glare ice. I was happily surprised that the huge snowstorm happening at my house never reached us. We had a cloudy day but no snow. It was beautiful even with no sun and fun visiting with the rest of the group. 

Back at my car, I found Bella's harness was still hooked into her car seat. That little escape artist had extricated herself from it while I was putting things in Pam's car. I love how that harness is labeled as escape proof! It's not.