Butte Climb

 It's a beautiful day and I just needed to get out for some sort of a hike. It was pretty late in the day so I didn't have time for anything big. But there's always the short 3 mile 850 foot elevation climb of the Butte. The trail is in awesome condition. No mud, no ice, and no snow. Not many other people either. The views of the glacier were really nice too. It wasn't terribly cold but was still below freezing. A nice workout clears the cobwebs from my brain when it is cluttered with so much nonsense floating around. It was a nice Halloween solo hike.

Mt Baldy

I did a nice leisurely hike with the Valley Wanderers up Mt Baldy then down the Homestead Trail today. The trail up is fairly steep but we took the more gradual route, on the switchback trails. It's a little longer but not quite as strenuous. The trail was totally dry with no snow, but the ground was quite frozen, so we didn't have to deal with slippery mud. It was a beautiful nearly clear day and not terribly cold either. There were 8 of us in our group. We spent a little time on the top admiring the view. Even Denali was visible in the distance. Although my phone doesn't really do justice to it when I have to zoom all the way in. But I'm including the photo in this post just to show how clearly it was visible. If we had more time, it almost looked possible to continue on up Blacktail Rocks. But there is a lot of snow and we might have encountered a lot of ice if we had tried. Instead, we walked down the gentle Homestead Trail. On the lower portion, we did encounter some very long stretches of ice. During warmer temperatures, water had actually flowed down the trail. There was no reasonable way to circumvent the ice so we finally had to resort to wearing our ice grippers. Pretty soon this entire trail will be covered with snow, and we'll need our snowshoes. But today it was a nice pleasant hike. We had a nice Mexican lunch at a local restaurant in Eagle River after our hike.

Blacktail Rocks

Denali

Eklutna Lakeside Trail

Today was an absolutely beautiful day. It was chilly, around 20 degrees, but totally clear and calm. I hiked with my friend Pam to the Bold Creek Bridge and back along the Lakeside Trail. We made a short visit to the spot where my little dog Baby was taken from us. The little butterfly mementos that I left on the trees are all still hanging there. Pam and I plan to come back each year on May 28th to commemorate Baby's short but wonderful little life. I still miss her so much. I'll never be able to hike this trail without thinking of that sad day that I lost her. But I do always feel that her spirit lingers here, as in all of the many mountains and trails where we used to hike.

The lake was so calm and the reflections were amazing. So far there is no ice on the lake. It is usually one of the later lakes to freeze. We walked a total of 10 miles, just past the 5 mile marker at the Bold Creek Bridge, then back to the parking lot. A very enchanting place.

Rendezvous Peak

 Our original plan was to hike the Muktuk-Marston Trail, a gentle trail that starts from the parking lot at the Arctic Valley Ski Area. But some of our little group of Valley Wanderers wanted to do the loop that climbs Rendezvous Peak, then heads down to Hunter Pass, and from there, go down the Muktuk Trail. We knew we would encounter some snow and ice, but felt it might be better to go up Rendezvous first then plan the long downhill descent on the gentle trail. Once we got to the saddle between Rendezvous and Mt Gordon Lyon, we found a lot of snow. We all started up but as it got steeper and more difficult, one of our group decided to turn back. Another joined her and they both climbed Mt Gordon Lyon as the rest of us kept on with our climb. It seemed to get steeper and steeper but was never dangerous. I was glad I had bought new winter hiking boots yesterday though, because they kept my feet nice and warm. We did end up doing a little bit of post-holing, but could often stay on top of the wind packed snow. And, yes, there was wind, lots of wind. It had warmed up from yesterday's teen temperatures, but was still in the low 20's. I kept my face covered with only my nose sticking out of my balaclava most of the time. When we got to the top of the mountain, the views were spectacular. But we found there was no trail leading down to the pass. Only Chris, our adventurous solo male member, decided to head out alone and find his way down to the pass. That route is quite steep even without snow, so the rest of us turned back the way we had come. Not everyone was excited about breaking trail through a couple of feet of windblown snow.

When we got down to the parking lot we walked a mile or two up the Muktuk Trail because a couple of the group had never hiked it. The lower part of that trail was free of snow. But we didn't want to take the time or effort to go all the way to Hunter Pass. It was nice and calm there too. Nothing like the biting winds up high. Our total mileage was 6.8 miles

Me on top of Rendezvous Peak 4084' 

Government Peak

 I climbed Government Peak today with the Valley Wanderers. It was a most spectacular day, as well as the coldest day yet this season. It was only 14 degrees when we started. I was totally bundled up. By the time we reached the picnic table I took off my down jacket but kept my windbreaker on. I was so glad I chose to wear my mittens rather than just gloves because my hands were still cold. My feet were cold almost all day. That is annoying since, for the most part, the rest of my body was quite comfortable. The ground was frozen on the way up and grippers were very important. We encountered snow for at least the last 1500 feet, but most of it was easy to negotiate. We did do a small amount of post holing, but in a lot of places the snow was so wind-blown that my feet didn't even break through. I've decided that my winter mountaineering boots might be a little too stiff for this season. The soles really don't flex at all. That makes it difficult when climbing up over rocks and rough areas where mud has frozen into huge footprints. I was having a lot of pain in my right ankle most of the way down. But it was tolerable. When I got home I was happy to see it wasn't swollen. My feet stayed cold the whole way. So tomorrow I'm planning to go on a winter hiking boot hunt. In spite of some discomfort, it was a beautiful hike with the most spectacular views of the snow-covered mountains in all directions. Government Peak is 4781 feet high and the elevation gain on the trail is about 3700 feet. It is very steep most of the way. Always a nice challenge.

National Ski Patrol

I got a nice surprise at our local Ski Patrol meeting last night. The National office sent this lovely mounted certificate to my patrol leader, commemorating my 50 years on the Ski Patrol. It all started in the fall of 1973 which consisted of just basic first aid class plus ski training in those days, in Mount Shasta California. When the Ski Shasta Ski Area was destroyed by an avalanche I moved to San Diego. There, I patrolled up in the mountains out of Wrightwood, California as Pro Patrol at Holiday Hill, which is now part of Mountain High Ski Area. When I moved to Alaska I started at Alyeska, then switched to Arctic Valley Ski Area when I moved to Palmer. A few of us started the Pioneer Ski Patrol out here in the Matanuska Valley and we still patrolled up at Arctic as well as some Nordic backcountry patrolling. Now our Pioneer Patrol takes care of the new Skeetawk Ski Area up in the Hatcher Pass area. I'll keep patrolling until I take my final ski run!

Me and Ron Orbeck, two of the original Pioneer Ski Patrollers

  

Lazy Mountain Climb

 Our Valley Wanderers group planned to flag the Lazy Moose Trail from the picnic table halfway up Lazy Mountain down to where the official markers stop. In the winter people tend to give up and turn back because they can't find the trail past the official markers. We like to hike and snowshoe in the winter, so flag trails with survey tape to help people find the trail once it is snow covered. Our plan was to go at our own pace and meet at the picnic table at noon. I really like to go all the way to the top of the mountain instead of just to the halfway point, so I left at 8:30 am before the sun was officially up, and climbed to the summit alone. It was 28 degrees but nice and calm. There is a little snow on the upper mountain but the trail itself was mostly clear. It was a beautiful clear day, just perfect for the climb. I got to the top at 11 and had plenty of time to beat everyone else to the picnic table on my way down. From there we walked the 3 miles down the Lazy Moose Trail putting orange flagging on the trees to mark the trail. The hike up had been nice and frozen and easy hiking, but Lazy Moose had warmed with the sun and turned to mud. I kept my ice grippers on to keep from slipping and sliding all the way down. It was a delightful 6.6 mile hike and I was so happy I chose to go to the top. I love the view up there.

Long Lake Kayak

 I've had my eye on Long Lake, the lake I so often hike around, as a potential place to kayak. But there is no easy way to access it. There is a short but very steep trail that identifies itself as the Long Lake Public Access. But it is far too steep to transport a normal boat. My kayak folds up and can be easily carried, so I have been considering giving it a try. The trail is just a little bit longer than 1/10 mile, but it is very steep up to the hiking trail, then much steeper down to the lake. Right now the whole trail is very wet and slippery, plus covered with wet leaves. I had no trouble at all carrying the boat to the lake. There is a fairly flat spot just before the lake where I was able to assemble the kayak. It was very slippery and a bit difficult but I was able to do it. Then I let it down to the water gently while stepping down three wooden steps. I was able to step right in and be on my way. A short distance on the water I reached for my brand new iPhone 15 pro that I had placed in the waterproof container that I always wear around my neck when on the water. To my horror, the phone was not in it. I discovered that the bottom had split out, which meant that the phone fell through when I put it in. I scrambled back to my put in spot and found it lying in the dirt, thank goodness, not in the water. That plastic holder is now rendered trash. After that, I paddled the entire perimeter of the lake. The water was completely calm, and even though it was only 37 degrees out, I was never cold. Half of the lake was in the shade and the other side was nice and sunny. I was surprised to find a man in a tiny inflatable raft out there fishing. I've never seen any kind of watercraft on that lake. He looked as surprised to see me as I was to see him. I had lovely views of the mountains, that I never see while hiking the loop trail around the lake. On the trail the trees tend to obscure the view. I startled a few ducks but otherwise it was just a calm and restful little adventure out on the water. 

When I got back to the trail, I had quite a time getting out of the boat. The dirt was wet and slick and nearly vertical. I ended up tying the boat to a tree, and pulling myself up by tree branches until I was able to scramble up to a large wooden beam that was secured at the side of the trail. I was quite covered with mud by then but at least my boat and I were secure. I ended up pulling the boat up to the wooden beam by its rope. The trail was so slick that I could hardly climb up it. I really needed spikes on my shoes. But I carefully made my way up, simply pulling the boat behind me by the rope. It was too slick to try to fold the boat back, so I left it fully open. I put the paddles in it, and was able to finally reach the main trail where it was dry and flat. It was kind of a crazy little adventure but still a very enjoyable way to spend a couple of hours. It was about 2.85 miles around the lake. I'm not sure I'll bother to do it again, at least not when the trail is slick mud. But it was worth the effort.

Matanuska Peak Reflection

Lake access point

Stonehenge Trail Maintenance Hike

 I hiked with the Valley Wanderers back up to Stonehenge via the steep, narrow rough trail we marked last week. Our goal was to make certain that our previous markings were still there and that they were visible and easy to follow while climbing up. We had marked it heading in the downhill direction. That is such a steep trail! It took everything I had to keep up with the others. But I do like being back there on the back side of Lazy Mountain. It has a beautiful view of Matanuska Peak and the entire valley. It was cold and windy at Stonehenge, but there was a bit of sunshine and it wasn't raining or snowing. Temperature wise, it was actually fairly warm in the low 40's. The fall colors are gone and it is starting to look a whole lot like winter, just without the snow. The peaks and the ridges are covered with snow though. It won't be long before we are doing this trail wearing snowshoes.

Gold Cord Lake

 Finally a beautiful sunny day! I couldn't decided what to do today. I loaded my kayak into my car and also brought my hiking boots. Sometimes when I'm totally undecided like this, I just put everything in my car and start driving until I seem to end up somewhere. It was really cold, only about 33 degrees when I left home. I just felt too chilly to consider getting wet and getting into the water. I drove up to Hatcher Pass, thinking maybe I would hike one of the trails. But nothing seemed to catch my interest. Once I got all the way to the upper parking lot, I just decided to start walking. The sun was really bright up there, especially since everything was covered in snow. The gate is closed to the mine so if I wanted to get up there I needed to walk a mile or so up the closed road. I started up, wondering if it would be possible to find the trail up to Gold Cord Lake. By now it was of course snow-covered. When I reached the trailhead, I saw that others had walked there so the trail was obvious. I had my spikes on because I knew things could get very icy up higher. I made it to the cabin easily and started up the steeper rocky section. The trail wasn't as heavily packed anymore but there were still footprints to follow. When I reached the steeper rocks, the trail stopped. I thought that might be the end of the line for me. But after looking around, I was able to figure out where the actual trail likely was. I started breaking trail and it became more and more obvious. Just before I reached the long obvious traverse, a dog ran past me. His owner was right behind me with a teenage boy. they finally passed me and we all made it to the lake. It was so spectacular up there. The lake is ice-covered but it doesn't look very thick yet. With the clouds and areas of fog and the sun reflecting off the ice, the whole place was magical. I'm so glad I decided to do this little 4 mile adventure. Everything is more amazing when covered in snow. Gold Cord Lake is one of my favorite places.

The lake is just over the ridge below the saddle in the middle of this picture

Twin Peaks Trail

 This was my first time to lead a hike with the Valley Wanderers. I wondered what kind of obnoxious weather we might encounter, considering it was fogged to the ground and raining at my house. But there were 11 of us who chose to give it a chance. We carpooled up to Eklutna Lake, where it was foggy in places but at least not raining. We hiked up the Twin Peaks Trail. At the first bench, the view was amazing, in spite of the fact that you couldn't see the water of Eklutna Lake at all. It was completely covered in fog. But it was quite beautiful with the mountains showing above the lake. Unfortunately, the tops of the mountains were mostly also obscured. We decided to move on to the second bench and encountered some fog but finally broke out and could see the twin peaks. At the second bench we were now in a few inches of snow at which point only 5 of us continued on up the steep rocks to the ridge, hoping to enjoy the even more amazing view of the lake we always see up there. Sadly, the view there was basically the same as at the first overlook. But it was lovely to look out above the clouds in the valley below. We had all added our micro spikes to climb up to the ridge. They were essential but they were also a pain because snow and mud kept building up in huge globs beneath our feet. We would take a few steps then need to kick all that mess off our feet at each bare rock. I do think they kept us from slipping but they certainly made the hike more challenging. Next summer I hope to finally go to the top of Pepper Peak, where this section of the trail eventually leads. But right now that would be a very snowy adventure. I wish the lake had been visible, but the fog made the view very fascinating. So it was a wonderful 6 mile hike.