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