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.