Eklutna Lakeside Trail

 Just a short hike today with Baby, the little chihuahua.  She did great.  I did carry her for about half a mile in my doggie backpack, mostly to see how well she would ride in there if I needed to carry her.  She seemed quite comfortable. It was a really nice day.  We were both a little tired and decided to turn back at the 3 mile point on the Yuditna Creek Bridge. It was a good idea because a couple of bikers told me they had just seen a black bear up ahead.  That's definitely time to turn back.

Gold Cord Lake

I hiked up to Gold Cord Lake in Hatcher Pass with friend, Mark and my new dog, Baby.  It was kind of chilly and quite overcast, threatening to rain.  But we managed to reach the lake and return before the rain hit. Baby seemed to enjoy herself exploring all the interesting plants and chasing the ground squirrels. She let the other dogs on the trail know that she was boss, at least in her own mind, anyway.  That's a lovely little lake and not a difficult climb. The view of Independence Mine is wonderful. It's only a little over one mile to the lake but it's still a nice climb and a good workout.

 

Green Day Gallop

 This was originally a marathon, half marathon, 10K and 5K event in March to celebrate St. Patrick's Day.  But due to the COVID 19 pandemic it was canceled. AKtive Soles decided to put on a modified version of the race this evening, but with only the 5 and 10 K options.  I had originally registered for the marathon but was able to downgrade to the 10K since the marathon was no longer offered.  The race started at 5:30pm.  It was extremely windy but not terribly cold. I managed to complete the 6.2 mile in about one and a half hours.  I ran alone since there were few other runners. The course was similar to the Palmer Happy runners just repeated it for the 10K. 

They did give us a very cute hoodie and a nice little medal.  I got a good workout and was glad that I had decided to do it.  Many people didn't bother because it wasn't officially timed. 

Lane Basin at Archangel Valley

Time to take Baby on a real hike.  We went up to Archangel Valley Road, parked at the Reed Lakes parking area and walked the 2 miles to the the gate.  From there we took the trail to the right marked Lane Basin. It was just as lovely as I'd remembered it.  Nice gentle trail up the hill and behind the big rock that forms the Archangel where the rock climbers go. Passed by the little lake and followed the creek way up the valley.  I wanted to get to the old Lane Hut, but I've now heard it is no longer there.  There are two forks in the trail and I chose the one to the right.  I believe that was the wrong one if the hut was my destination.  It kept me on the wrong side of the creek.  Once we got to the waterfall the trail just disappeared and it became pretty swampy and undefined.  But the the weather was deteriorating and I knew rain was on its way.  We lingered by the waterfall for a while then turned back.  Baby did great.  She was a regular hiking machine today, with boundless energy. She practically ran all the way back to the car. 

Palmer Happy Run

This was my 10th Palmer Happy Run and I finally earned my 10 run T shirt.  It's a pretty nice one.  It was gigantic and I had to trade it in for the extra small the next day. But I know I will wear it again. Tonight's route was along the Palmer Airport then along the Old Glenn Highway and up to Clark Wolverine Road and back. I was still a bit sore and tired from Saturday's marathon so managed to be even slower than normal tonight.  But it was fun and not too hot. I had a nice visit with friends at the Palmer Ale House at the finish line.

Reflections Lake

This was my first hike with my new dog, Baby.  I had no idea how well she would take to hiking, so I picked a very short hike.  First we walked the 1 mile trail around Reflections Lake, then went on down to the shore of the Knik River and around a small portion of the lake again.  Baby seemed to really enjoy herself.  I didn't have to carry her at all.  

Archangel Marathon

This turned out to be a tough one for me.  I love that most of it is downhill, but that first mile-long hill that climbs 1000 fee was really difficult for me.  I pushed myself really hard trying to keep up with a friend on that first mile.  I was pretty winded by halfway up the hill.  I was feeling kind of out of shape and a little frustrated to already be last before reaching the first half mile.  I think I am totally out of shape.  It rained just a little for the first hour but then it just stayed mostly cloudy and was a good temperature.  It rained again during the last hour.  A rainstorm only experienced by me, because by that time everyone else had already reached the finish line.  I did feel fairly good until the last couple of miles.  By then I was just extremely tired.  A friendly dog ran with me for the last couple of miles. I try not to be, but I was embarrassed when I finally finished.  I don't mind being last but I wish I wasn't so far behind the other runners.  I am 10 years older than the next younger runner, but that's no excuse!