We hiked part of the Iditarod Historic Trail - Moose Pass Trail Section from the Victor Creek Trailhead to the Ptarmigan Creek Trailhead. We first met at Ptarmigan Creek Trailhead and positioned a couple of cars. Then drove to the Victor Creek Trailhead to start our hike. It was perfect conditions for hiking, and the trail is very well maintained. The ground was soft dirt without rocks and roots to trip over. It winds up and down through thick forest with heavy moss and lush vegetation. It reminded me of a rainforest. It was quite wet due to recent rains, but we didn't encounter much mud. Wet areas of the trail had nice wooden walks which really helped prevent wet feet. There was only 1 small creek crossing where I got my boots wet. Bella couldn't make it across that one, so I had to cross back and carry her over. All the other creek crossings were either very small or had nice sturdy bridges over them. After mile 4 we started a fairly steep climb for several miles. At the high spot we had gorgeous views of Kenai Lake far below. We took a couple of short side trips to check out one of the bridges and the Ptarmigan Creek Trail to get a better view of the creek. If we had more time and energy, it would have been lovely to continue on up the Ptarmigan Creek Trail to the lake. But we had to consider the daylight hours and our long 140-mile drive back to Palmer. I rode down with Pam. The others on the trip had all planned to spend the night down in Seward at a hotel. But they don't take dogs there, so we had to go home with our dogs or plan to camp. I'd like to go back someday and hike the whole length of Ptarmigan Lake. That looks like a beautiful place to visit. Our whole hike was 7.43 miles.
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| Bella on the trail |
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| Ptarmigan Creek |
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