Matanuska Lake Trails

 My intention was to hike the entire Long Lake Loop.  But the signs can be quite confusing on that series of trails.  Somehow I missed a turn that would have kept me on the loop.  I ended up at Johnson Lake.  At that point it was getting late and I had no choice but to retrace my steps back to the car.  The trail was almost all ice since we've had a few days of warming. Baby seemed to like walking on the ice, much more than on deep snow.  It was about 30 degrees, so fairly warm too. I didn't have to carry her at all.  She led us right back to the trailhead too.  Dogs have a much better sense of direction that some of us humans. It was a great little hike. Next time I come here I'm taking a map along!

Cross Country Ski on Eklutna Lakeside Trail

 The new snow was wonderful for skiing.  It was fairly warm too, so very pleasant. After the first mile, Baby, my little dog, got cold and I ended up putting her into my doggie backpack until it was time to turn around. Once she realized I was heading back, she started to squirm.  That's how she indicates that she's ready to get out and walk back.  She may have been partly inspired by a dog team that went racing by us.  I think the musher would have laughed to see a person skijoring with a chihuahua.  But she actually did really well.  She pulled so hard that I had to really push to keep up with her. She was giving me a bit of an assist also.  She ran all the way back to the car.  It's much nicer having a dog pull versus carrying an 8 pound dog on your back.

Snowy Hike on Gold Mint Trail

 Just a nice hike through the new snow on the Gold Mint Trail.  Baby wasn't sure how far she really wanted to go through all that snow, but we went out about one mile before she came to a screeching halt and made an about face, heading back to the car.  By then, it was also starting to snow.

But it was beautiful even if it wasn't a very long hike.

Archangel Road Ski

 It snowed here all night so I figured the skiing must be nice somewhere.  So Baby and I went up to Archangel Road to try the skiing.  She enjoyed watching me fight with my ski binding, which didn't seem to want to attach to my boot.  It was just a bunch of ice crammed into the bar on my boot.  I finally got my skis on.  Baby ran along for a while, but very soon decided she'd had enough and started heading back to the car.  It was such perfect snow and wonderful conditions that I didn't want to turn back.  So I tucked her into my backpack and she got to ride.  After some time, she started to squirm and let out a few squeals.  So I let her out. Now I was ready to turn back myself because daylight was fading fast. She ran all the way back, except for an encounter with another skier and a dog.  We had to deal with the usual dog argument, but we finally got past them.  They didn't go very far and ended up passing us heading back.  Baby started another argument but I managed to get her under control and headed in the right direction.  Once they passed us up, all was fine and she ran straight ahead all the way back to the car.  The conditions were perfect.  It was still snowing a little but not reducing the visibility at all.

Eklutna Lakeside Trail Hike

 Spectacular 6 mile hike at Eklutna Lake.  There is hardly any snow on the trail, not really enough to ski.  Only about an inch or two with a solid ice layer beneath it.  So I walked in my snow boots with my ice spikes.  Baby was doing great and I even let her off the leash for a while. But about one mile in she started climbing up my leg, her way of begging to be carried. So I put her in my backpack and she rode most of the way. She started squirming about a half mile from the car, so I let her out and she walked back to the start. The lighting was gorgeous today, with blue skies and dead calm water.  There are no signs of freeze up on the lake yet. The conditions made for amazing reflections. Plus the sky was already starting to have some hints of sunset with some pink and orange in the clouds. We got back to the car right at sunset, shortly after 3:30 pm.

Archangel Road Ski

 It was a bitter cold day but so beautiful and sunny once I got above the low fog down in the valley.  But it was only 4 degrees when I started out along Archangel Road on my skis.  Baby, my tiny dog would have no parts of it and was pulling hard to return to the car. But I scooped her up and put her into my doggie backpack inside of the three layer fleece liner bag inside of it.  Along with the coat she was already wearing, I'm sure she stayed pretty comfortable.  The snow was perfect and I stayed warm myself in the new down jacket I bought yesterday.  I did need some hand warmers inside of my mittens though because my hands were pretty cold, especially after struggling to squeeze a wiggling dog into a bag.  It was beautiful and sunny at first, but since it was getting late in the day, I lost the sun before I decided to turn around at the bridge over the Little Susitna River.  Sunset is at 3:35pm and it was after 4 by the time I got back to the car. But it was still light even though, technically the sun was down.  Now it was -1 degree Fahrenheit. Baby and I were both glad to be back in the car with the heater on. That 5 mile route is one of my favorite cross country ski treks.  It's always nicely groomed, not too crowded, not too steep, and always gorgeous.

Prospect Heights, South Rim Trail

 This was a tough trek with the Walkabouts. Amelia let the 6 of us, with two dogs. Baby was a backpack rider the entire time though. There were times when I wished someone could haul me in a backpack! The trail is quite narrow and had not been packed down much.  In most places it wasn't too deep, but we encountered more and more deep drifts as we climbed higher.  It got so bad that at times my entire leg would get buried. It was quite a challenge pulling myself out of the postholes when my other leg would try to bury itself just as deeply.  The added weight of the 8 pound dog on my back wasn't too helpful either.  We all worked up quite a sweat.  The original plan was to take a longer way back down but after all the struggling, we took the faster, more packed route down the Powerline Trail.  This whole hike was new to me.  I have done a few hikes out of Anchorage but this was one I had not done.  I loved the route and can't wait to do it in the summer.  It's really beautiful.  I'm going to try to always go on the Walkabouts hikes when I can.  I missed out on so many due to my pre-retirement work schedule and all the marathon travel I was doing prior to the pandemic.  Now I'm finally getting to adventure here in Alaska.   

Moose Range Boycott Black Friday Trail

 Last year, the Happy Malamutes marked a 2.6 mile loop through the moose range and held an 8 hour ultra from 8am to 8pm each of the three days following Thanksgiving. This event was called Boycott Black Friday Ultra.  Due to the pandemic, they canceled this event for this year. But they decided to go ahead and mark the loop trail for anyone who wanted to run, hike, snowshoe, or ski it unofficially.  First I tried to drive up to Hatcher Pass, hoping to ski Archangel Road. But I was quickly turned around when I found that the road had about a foot of snow on it, and it wasn't plowed.  I'm sure my Subaru could have made it up there, but it didn't seen worth the trouble.  Instead, I chose to try skiing the marked Moose Range Trail.  At first, Baby was wrapping herself around my skis and barking crazily at other hikers, skiers, and Christmas tree gatherers we encountered along the trail.  I quickly gave up and loaded her into my backpack.  About halfway around the loop, we lost most of the other people, and I let her out on her leash.  She did quite well in spite of the fairly deep snow.  It was really fun working our way along the trail and the markers were pretty easy to find.  By the time we got back to the start, we were both ready to get warmed up.  But I'm so glad I decided to do it.  It would have been very difficult to try to actually run it.  Some of the other runners tried a loop or two then finished up by running back on the road.  The snow was much deeper than last year. Baby does quite well leading when I'm skiing, but the conditions have to be good and it can't be too cold. 

Government Peak Trails

This hike was a bit of an adventure.  Initially I planned to go up to Hatcher Pass but I found that it was very windy and uncomfortable up there. Out of curiosity I decided to check out Government Peak.  I know there are nicely groomed ski trails there, most of which do not allow dogs. But I wasn't sure what other trails might be there.  I found a series of single track trails that did allow walkers, bikes and dogs.  so we headed up the Fireweed Trail, then came to a fork called the Connector, and took that one rather than continue the longer route along the Fireweed Trail.  There are maps of the routes at each of the junctions to keep people like me, who aren't familiar with the area, from getting lost.  Connector leads to the Fiddlehead Trail which ultimately leads back to the parking lot. These trails were really fun, with lots of small hills through the trees. They occasionally cross the bigger ski trails so you need to be careful not to interfere with fast skiers as you cross them.  Baby stayed on the leash the whole time, but looked quite worried because she could probably tell that I didn't know what might lie ahead any more than she did. There was quite a bit of snow, but not enough to make it impossible to walk with just my snow boots. Next time, though, I will wear my winter hiking boots and use spikes in case it gets icy. I loved this interesting trail.  Next time, I want to hike the entire longer Fireweed Trail. 

Matanuska Lake Trail

 Pam led this hike, with the Walkabouts hiking group. There were only 4 of us, and two dogs.  Baby was kind of intimidated by the fairly deep snow at first, so she rode in my backpack for the first mile.  But then she got kind of squirmy, so I decided to see if she would hike for a while, and give my back a rest.  Since the gate to the park was locked, there weren't any other hikers along the route. So I tried actually letting Baby off the leash for the first time, hoping it didn't turn out to be a gigantic mistake.  But she surprised me and did very well.  She preferred to be the lead dog and did run up ahead, but not too far.  She kept turning around to make sure we were still following her.  It was a really nice hike even though the weather was kind of dreary and cloudy.  It wasn't the best day for taking pictures. But it was mild temperatures and nice to hike with the other ladies. We maintained social distancing and wore our face masks just in case one of us was carrying the Covid-19 virus.  I'm getting comfortable hiking with a mask, although it was uncomfortable the first time I did it. In cold weather, it's almost nice because it keeps my face warm. 

Twin Peaks Trail

 Today didn't look very promising at first. The valley was totally fogged in but I was hoping I could drive above the fog and hike the Eklutna Lakeside Trail.  Once I got there, I found that the lake and that trail were also totally fogged in.  But I could see that there were spots of blue sky peeking through the fog up higher.  So instead of the Lakeside trail, Baby and I climbed up the Twin Peaks Trail.  The conditions above the first bench were not too good, so we turned around at that point.  I was glad I had my spikes on my boots because they were definitely needed.  It was a lovely hike and the clouds down on the lake made for some spectacular views.  Baby did really well and didn't need to be carried at all.  We hiked up, but ran the entire way down. I think Twin Peaks Trail is probably my favorite of all the local trails. It's hard to beat that view from the overlook. 

Eklutna Lakeside Trail

 Sometimes, I drive to town with no idea of where I plan to go. Once I visit the gas station and the post office, I just kind of let my car take me wherever it wants to go.  Today was one of those days where my Subaru decided it needed to go up to Eklutna Lake.  It seems to pick that place quite often.  I didn't even have my hiking boots, but decided the conditions were fine for just walking along in my snow boots.  Baby, the chihuahua and I trekked along for about 3 miles round trip.  It was spectacular weather with the usual gorgeous views. The lighting on Bold Peak was just amazing.

Archangel Road Ski

 First time this winter on my cross country skis.  I found it to be quite interesting skijoring with a chihuahua. She was good for about 1/2 mile then she was trying to climb up my leg, her way of asking to be carried.  So into the backpack she went.  She rode quite comfortably there.  The snow was excellent.  Such a gorgeous day to be out in nature. Now I'm looking forward to many nice days of skiing this winter.

Eklutna Lakeside Trail

 A beautiful sunny day to hike with my dog, Baby along the Eklutna Lakeside Trail. It did have some snow but not enough for skis. I just wore my winter snow boots because it was actually just an afterthought to drive up here and take a look.  We walked a little over 3 miles.

Rainbow Trail

Today was a bone chilling hike along the Turnagain Arm Trail from the Rainbow Trailhead to the McHugh Trailhead.  On my way to the trail I stopped at McHugh and nearly got blown away by the wind that must have been in the area of 50 mph.  I decided that I was not going to hike in that wind! Plus it was only 30 degrees without the wind chill.  But since I was almost to the trail and was meeting with the Walkabouts hiking group, I decided to go ahead and meet there.  It was about an hour and a half drive from home, so I hated to give up before even actually getting to the start.  I had my dog with me and knew there was no way she would want to walk for 7+ miles in those conditions.  As the others started arriving, I decided to go ahead and do the hike. But the dog made it perfectly clear that she wanted me to carry her.  So, I packaged her up inside a fleece bag, wearing two layers of doggie clothes and put her inside my doggie backpack.  She rode back there comfortably for the whole 7 miles about about 5 hours.  We found that the trees did a pretty good job of sheltering us from the wind most of the way.  But we stopped short of McHugh because we would have been forced to cross a steep rocky section that was quite exposed, party from loose rock, but also from wind that was almost enough to knock us over.  We turned back at that point.  But it really was a lovely hike, in spite of the wind and cold.  I always enjoy hiking with the others. Due to Covid 19, precautions we all kept our masks on the entire way.  At first I found it uncomfortable, but soon I got accustomed to it and nearly forgot I was wearing it.

Matanuska Lake Trail

I had to go to the Ski Patrol orientation meeting yesterday so couldn't go on the Walkabouts hike with my friends.  My friend, Pam was also tied up yesterday. So we got together for our own hike today. It snowed several inches last night so we had to scratch our original plan of hiking Gold Mint up in Hatcher Pass.  I have my studded snow tires on, but she doesn't. That road can get pretty slippery after a new snow.  So we just met up at Matanuska Lake and did the route around Long Lake.  There was snow on the ground and it was snowing quite hard the entire time.  Baby doesn't seem to mind hiking on the snow, but when it is snowing hard, she has a change of heart.  We didn't go more than 1/4 mile before she was trying to climb up my leg and begging to be carried. So I popped her into my backpack and she got to ride the whole way.  She seemed to enjoy the ride.  It's such a nice trail even in a snowstorm.  

They say there's no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing. I had my warm parka, waterproof jacket and good gloves, so stayed warm and dry.  Baby had on her warm coat and was wrapped up in her blanket keeping toasty warm inside my pack.  Winter has arrived.

 

Eklutna Lakeside Trail

My favorite place to just commune with nature and get away from the real world.  Just a lovely 6 mile hike along the lake with Baby. We went to the little beach where I like to have a snack while sitting on one of the many logs that have washed up there over the years.  The lake was extremely high due to all the recent rains.  We were lucky that there still were a couple of logs to sit on. Pretty soon it will all be covered with snow and I'll be doing this trek on skis.  But for now, it's dry and a nice comfortable walk.

 

Point Hope Climb

Today the Walkabout group was going all the way down to Hope to hike the Point Hope Peak.  I really wasn't planning to go but at the last minute decided to go for the long 2 1/2 hour drive down to Hope. I'm so glad I went. It has been over 20 years since I've even been to Hope. Every time I drive to the Kenai Peninsula, I pas that Hope turnoff and thing, yes, I should go there one day. That's why I decided to go to join the hikers today. The only other hike I have done there was the Resurrection Pass hike at least 20 years ago  I wasn't even aware there were other hiking trails in Hope.

This was a fabulous hike. There were 24 switchbacks before we hit the much straighter ridge walk that leads to the peak. The others had done the original trail which was more or less straight up the mountain. They pointed out many places where the old trail intersects the new trail. I think the new trail is much nicer and certainly much easier. The views of the inlet and the Chugach Mountains were extraordinary all along the way.  It was a real treat. Plus quite a workout! I was proud of my little dog who hiked the whole 9 miles without needing to ride in my backpack through any of it.  She is quite the athlete! 

Palmer Happy Run

It's been a few weeks since I've done a Palmer Happy Run, so I decided to go for it tonight. I took the dog and to my delight, she was willing to actually run the entire 5 miles.  I carried my doggy backpack just in case I would need to carry her, but I never needed too.  We did the Outer Springer Road route. By the time we got to the Palmer Ale House, though, it was really cold and windy.  I had Baby tucked into my jacket while we waited for them to announce the winners of the weekly raffle. As usual, I didn't win anything. With the pandemic still on, I'm hesitant to keep doing these runs. Not because of the actual runs, but because of the gathering at the restaurant at the end. Tonight they still met outdoors, but as the snow and darkness comes, I'm quite sure they will need to move indoors.  I may elect to head home rather than mix with so many people, if I continue to do the runs.  As it gets colder, it will likely be too much for the dog also. But it certainly was beautiful tonight with the gorgeous fall colors against the backdrop of snow-covered Pioneer Peak. 

Gold Cord Lake

I didn't actually plan to hike up here but once I drove up to see how things looked today, I just found myself walking up the trail with Baby on her leash. Gold Cord Lake is such a lovely little spot. It's such a short little hike, but steep enough that you really feel like you did something once you get there.  It's like a little well kept secret lake hiding up on the ridge.  Even if there are a lot of other hikers up there, it still feels like such a peaceful place.

 

Twin Peaks Trail

 A beautiful day to hike up the Twin Peaks Trail.  I was with our hiking group, the Walkabouts. We had planned to hike to Mt Eklutna, but when we arrived at the trailhead, we found dozens of hunters preparing for a big moose hunt on the trail we were about to hike.  It didn't take us long to decide that was not the best choice for today. The closest nice trail was Eklutna Lake so we all jumped in our cars and headed over there.  Several of us went all the way to the ridge above the second bench.  It was extremely windy up there so we only stayed long enough to grab a few photos. The fall colors were incredible.  The entire hillside was golden. There were a dozen Dall Sheep up on the hill below Twin Peaks.  This has to be my absolute favorite trail in this area. 

Skyscraper Mountain

 I've had my eye on this trail for as long as I can remember, but for some reason I've never given it a try. It starts out with an extremely steep climb up through loose dirt and scree on something that barely even looks like a trail. Since winter is coming soon and I had run out of new places to explore, I decided to give it a try.  It was an amazing hike! I was all alone the whole way. Once past that first steep section, it becomes a lovely ridge walk. It's such a steep drop off on either side as you walk the ridge, that I was even feeling a sense of height. At no time was there actually any danger though.  We did find a bit of snow here and there, but it was mostly snow free.  From the highest point I had a nice view down to Independence Mine in the valley below.  I am quite satisfied that I have finally scratched Skyscraper off my To Do List.

Baby was apparently quite anxious to get back to the car once we turned around.  I thought I'd kill myself getting down because she was pulling so hard on her leash.  In places it was quite slippery and since I don't have 4 legs, I managed to get pulled off my feet and land on my back in several places.  I wondered if she was enjoying watching me crash all the way down the mountain. 

Gold Cord Lake

I love this short little steep trail.  I see that the snow level is quickly creeping down the mountain. But so far there is no snow or ice here at the lake.  Baby enjoyed running all the way and sounding off in her high pitched squeaks at every dog and person we met.  She wants to make sure that everyone knows it is her trail. It was so calm and beautiful up there today.  Perfect reflections of the mountains that surround it. 

Gold Mint Trail Run

 Just a nice short run/walk with the dog along the Gold Mint Trail.  Lots of fall colors starting to show.  It was cloudy but fortunately no rain.  The trail was starting to get pretty muddy so we turned around before things got too messy. That trail tends to turn to a muddy wet bog with huge puddles after a big rain. But it's always one of my favorite trails.

Flat Top Climb

I hiked up Flat Top out of Anchorage today with Diane and our dogs, Baby and Tobi. It was a rather strange hike because we were in the clouds the entire time.  Not much of a view from the top, or anywhere along the way for that matter.  Baby got really cold so I ended up carrying her down in my backpack.  But she did make it to the top. At least we were lucky that there wasn't any rain or snow in all those clouds. It's a nice trail, not the one I've taken in the past.  This one has more switchbacks and isn't quite as steep.  I think it is a little longer though. Even totally in the clouds, it was a nice hike, and a good workout.

Twin Peaks Trail

 Just a short trek up the Twin Peaks Trail to the first bench today with Baby.  I might have gone a bit farther but another hiker I met told me he just startled a brown bear at the first bench, plus he saw a black bear near the second bench.  It was getting kind of late anyway, so I decided the first bench would be a great place to turn around.  The view was its usual spectacular, with the addition of golden trees.

Bodenburg Butte Climb

 Nice little climb up the Butte today.  I love the view out to the glacier.  What a perfect day for a nice steep short little climb with a majestic view. 

Eklutna Lake Trail

 What a gorgeous day to hike/run on the Eklutna Lakeside Trail with my dog.  We went to my favorite little spot on the beach past the first cabin and stopped for a little snack. Eklutna Lake never fails to be wondeful. 

Reed Lakes Trail

 I seem to be trying to hike every trail in Hatcher Pass this fall.  Today I gave the Reed Lakes Trail a try.  It's been many years since I've hiked this trail. It's so beautiful. I made it just below the first lake, but the path kind of disappears at that point and it was getting late.  It looked like rain might be on the way too. So Baby and I turned back past the waterfall. I want to make a point of coming back and going all the way to the last lake next time. Such a beautiful place. 

Gold Mint Trail

One of my favorite trails is Gold Mint Trail in Hatcher Pass.   I got kind of a late start today so didn't go very far. But at least I made it to the beaver ponds.  I always hope to see one of the beavers, but once again they were hiding from me. I'm hoping next summer when the days are longer, I can finally make it all the way out to the Mint Hut and camp. So far the farthest out I've been is to about mile 5.  Today I didn't even come close.  

Lazy Mountain Climb

 Beautiful day to climb Lazy Mountain. I walked the longer new route to the halfway point up the Lazy Moose Trail because there has been a lot of rain.  The old Lazy Mountain Trail is horrible when it's wet so I decided to take the longer more gentle route instead.  It's 2 miles longer but much more gentle with switchbacks instead of straight up the fall line.  My dog, Baby the chihuahua did great.  She is a great hiker. She made it all the way to the top. I decided to go ahead and slip and slide down the old trail instead of taking the long way down. I only fell about 4 times! 

Palmer Rail Trail Run

I ran along the Palmer Rail Trail today.  I'm starting to see little touch of fall color already.  I discovered that the trail actually goes across Eagle Street and is a narrow foot trail all the way to the old Glenn Highway. It lets out beside the Napa parking lot. I feel like I found a little secret trail. I'd like to put a car at Moose Creek and walk the whole route one of these days. 

Williwaw Lakes Trail

Today I went with the Walkabout's hiking group to Williwaw Lakes in the Chugach Mountains by Anchorage.  It was a cold and windy day but luckily we didn't get any rain. We had about 10 hikers and a bunch of dogs.  Baby tried to pick a fight with most of them but after a while she started to get along with them.  The wind got pretty brutal though. I finally decided to tuck her into my coat to keep her warm. It was nice to get out with the other hikers for a change instead of doing so much hiking alone. 

Red Shirt Lake Trail Run

 I walked to Red Shirt Lake years ago and decided it might be a nice change of scene from the same old trails that I do all the time.  The trail is so nice that I ran most of the way and so did my dog.  You can even rent a canoe there if you reserve it before the hike.  But I just wanted to hike to the lake again. 

It's a lovely place and there was no one else there. 

Eklutna Lakeside Trail

 Another nice hike to my favorite place, Eklutna Lake. I walked alone with my dog to about 3 1/2 miles out and stopped for a bite to eat on a tiny beach along the lake.  There are some nice big fallen logs there that make for a great place to sit for a few minutes. Baby did great and she walked the whole way.  I'm finding her to be a very good hiking buddy.

Gulkana River trail

 This was a fascinating little hike from the Richardson highway to the Gulkana River.  My friend Mark, and I wanted to get to the old suspension bridge that my neighbors told me about.  Mark had been there before but I had not. What a neat old bridge it was!  It was very shaky and it was comforting to be able to grab onto the cable as we crossed.  My dog, Baby was so small that I knew she could fall through the openings between the wooden panels, so I carried her across. I had the disadvantage of only having one cable to grab onto for security.  But it was fine.  It was a nice little hike with an interesting bridge at the end.

April Bowl to Government Peak

This was a fabulous trek. I've wanted to do this for quite some time. Plus it was also the suggested route for the August Valley Trail Race. So I got to count it for the race and fulfill my wish for doing that route.  It turned out to be much easier that I had expected. Even though we both hiked April Bowl to Hatch Peak last week, somehow Pam and I managed to totally miss Hatch Peak and ended up on the ridge between the two peaks without even realizing we were there.  We tried too hard to avoid an exposed section through the rocks.  But once up on the ridge it was easy sailing all the way over to Government peak. Technically there is no trail, but there was a pretty obvious beaten trail from so many people wanting to find the route.  Once on top of Government Peak it was a long trek down via the Blueberry Knoll route to the Parking lot where I had left my car, so we didn't have to backtrack to April Bowl. Pam's dog Abby and my tiny dog Baby did great.  Baby was getting stuck in the low brush down from Blueberry Knoll so I ended up tossing her in my pack for the last part down.

Pam and I on the top of Government Peak

Palmer Happy Run

 I mostly ran, but since Baby came along, we did a lot of stopping to sniff at various spots along the way.  I did have to carry her part of the time because it was kind of warm.  She's not quite up to running a full 5 miles yet. I ended up carrying her inside of my windbreaker, which was less than ideal.  She attracted lots of attention when we arrived at the Palmer Ale house where the Happy Runs finish.

Matanuska Lake Trails

 A beautiful day for a hike from Matanuska Lake around Long Lake and back, with my friend Pam and our dogs, Baby and Abby.  Abby enjoyed a dip in Long Lake, but Baby was happy just to watch!

April Bowl and Gold Cord Lake

 I hiked with the Walkabouts hiking group today.  First we hiked April Bowl to the top at Hatch Peak.  It was pretty cold at the start and very windy, but at least we didn't overheat climbing up there.  Everyone enjoyed the hike.  We had a large group, about 10 hikers and almost as many dogs.  It was quite an experience for Baby, my tiny chihuahua because she was so tiny compared to all those other dogs.  She did her share of growling, but actually got along pretty well with everyone.  That trail up the ridge is very rocky but Baby had no trouble hopping from rock to rock all the way to the top.  I never did have to carry her. The route climbs about 1000 feet but it's pretty short. We were back to the cars by 12:30 pm.  A few of us decided we needed more hiking, so we also hiked up to Gold Cord Lake, adding another climb and a couple more miles to the day.  It was a perfect day for both hikes.

Baby on Hatch Peak

April Bowl

Gold Cord Lake