Peters Creek Trail

 This was a beautiful hike with my friend Pam.  My dog was not quite as happy as I was about it , so once again she was a backpack rider all the way to the spot where we decided to turn back.  I wasn't feeling too good myself.  I just seemed exhausted, which is very unusual for me on a fairly easy hike like that.  I had my first Covid-19 shot just two days before so Pam and I both came to the conclusion that it was having some sort of influence over my energy.  Normally I feel like I can walk indefinitely.  But not today. I was quite happy when we turned around.  I was also happy that Baby got tired of riding and wanted to do her usual sprint back to the parking lot.  Taking 8 pounds of dog off my back certainly didn't hurt! 

When we got back to Palmer, I realized I had dropped one of my very expensive Kahtoola spikes by the place where we had parked.  When I bought some new ones in Wasilla and found out they now cost $70, I decided it was worth the 22 mile drive back to the trailhead to see if I could find it.  To my delight, some kind person had found it and hung it on the trailhead sign.  I was happy to be reunited with it.  I had wanted to get a second pair, so I didn't mind that I ended up buying the new pair.

Gold Mint Trail

 A beautiful hike with Baby along Gold Mint Trail.  It was pretty cold so Baby was a rider in my backpack heading outbound. But she got restless at the turnaround point and raced me all the way back to the car. She gets cold when heading out, not knowing for sure how far we will be going.  But once I turn around, she knows the way and sprints like a cheetah on the way back.  

Gold Mint Trail Hike

 I tried going to Gold Mint yesterday but it was so cold that even with Baby in my backpack, we were both freezing.  I gave up after about half a mile.  But today was much better.  It was 10 degrees at home, but down in Palmer it was only 3 degrees.  So I figured there was a temperature inversion and climbing higher would be better than doing anything down in the valley. Clouds were quickly rolling in, but it looked better towards the Talkeetnas than towards Eklutna.  So I gave Gold Mint another try.  Baby just didn't seem into it today.  She was lifting her feet from the cold and trying to go back to the car.  So I put her in my pack and carried her in the front configuration.  That is so hard on my back though.  I like that I can see what she is doing when I carry her that way, but it is so uncomfortable that after the first mile, I gave up and switched it back to a backpack. Suddenly I was enjoying the hike a lot more.  It was getting pretty late so I turned around when I reached mile 2. Soon I felt restlessness coming from my back, so let the dog out to try to walk again. I could tell it was warmer than at the start, but not that much warmer.  She always likes to run all the way back and quickly forgets that she was cold at the start.  She ran us all the way back to the car.  It was a great workout and very pleasant.  There were few people considering it was the tail end of a holiday weekend.  We did encounter a couple of fat tire bicyclists and couple of skiers, and their dogs. But we mostly had the trail to ourselves.   I'm on a roll for making my Alaska State Parks pass pay for itself in the first 12 days of the new year!