Mentasta Mountains

Just back from a weeklong trek along the Nabesna Road in north Wrangell St Elias.  When I left last Sunday, forecast was rain rain rain.  Guess what?  It rained rained rained.  One really sunny day on Wednesday but rain on all others.  Sigh.............Alaska.

HEALY OVERLOOK

Tuesday's weather was just the ticket to get us moving outside once again.  Our destination - Healy Overlook.  This hike is one of the few in Denali National Park where there actually is an established trail.  From the railroad tracks where we parked, its about 6 miles roundtrip with an ascent of 1700 feet to the overlook.  The trail starts pretty easy, but quickly jets upward and gets steeper and steeper as you near the summit. The trail is well maintained, but loose rocks cover the upper portion. The hike is moderately difficult, but would likely be ranked easy by most Alaskan hikers. Once at the summit you realize that all the hard work was well worth it.

We've been here many times but Tuesday was the first time the wind wasn't howling along the ridge. Having done all the hard work to reach the ridge, we extended this hike about a mile and a few more hundred feet by hiking the ridge line toward Mt Healy proper. Beautiful views and lots of Arctic ground squirrels and marmots to keep us company!

Nancy rocks

Arctic ground squirrel

Marmot

Mt Marcus

Trailside looking south up Riley Creek

Whose there?

DENALI HIGHWAY

Last weekend our Carlo Creek backpacking plans were thwarted by the rainy weather.  So we gassed up the Ford and headed east on the Denali Highway.  The 134-mile-long Denali Highway links Paxson on the Richardson Highway to Cantwell on the Parks Highway. Winter snow closes the highway to through traffic from about October to mid-May.  The first 21 miles of the Denali Highway from Paxson and the first 3 miles from Cantwell are paved. Maclaren Summit, the second highest highway pass in the state, represents the only significant grade on the highway.  When the Denali Highway opened in 1957, it was the only road link to Denali National Park and Preserve (then Mount McKinley National Park) until the completion of the Parks Highway in 1972. (Prior to 1957, the national park had been accessible only by railroad.)

Camping is allowed pretty much anywhere along the road but as the day was rainy we were in no particular hurry to stop and set up.  Instead we contented ourselves with driving all the way to Paxson, and then turning around.  We made many stops along the way, visiting with the loons and other birds that return to the area every year.  We saw a Moose with a new calf, a fox, swans, gulls, ducks in addition to our favorite, loons.
Camp was a pullout about 30 miles from Cantwell.  The rain stopped long enough to set up the tent and eat, then it was bedtime.  Ptarmigan serenaded us as we fell asleep, happy to be out of our cabin and out in the wild Alaska countryside.  An intermittent rain drumming against the tent soon worked its magic, sending all of us to a restful slumber

TRIPLE LAKES TRAVERSE

Tuesday evening we hiked the Triple Lakes Trail.  Hiking it north to south made it seem a new experience even though we hiked it last year.  Trail crews are still at work on this relatively new trail and their hard work shows.  Saw a moose on the way to the trail, and a few squirrels along the way.  Almost nine mile in 3 hours and 20 minutes.  We were moving!

Me demonstrating how to call a stick to you

Mr. Tree

Road goes on forever...

You looking at me?

FLOWERS

Seems like just yesterday everything was covered in snow.  Now, its flowers everywhere you see.

KESUGI RIDGE

Friday afternoon Champ and I loaded up the pack and drove north to the Ermine Hill Trailhead about 160 miles from Anchorage on the Parks Highway.  Lots of traffic as it seems everyone was eager to get the long holiday weekend started.  We reached the trailhead about 6:30 and by 9 pm we were setting up camp just above the Ermine Hill/Kesugi Ridge trails intersection. 



ERMINE LAKE



                                                                                                                                                                                    

Had a total of nine tents in our little city by Saturday at noon.  Only ones sharing a tent were me and Champ.

TENT CITY

Cool Looking rocks

Little did we know, but the several hours we spent here Friday night waiting for the rest of the gang to arrive was the only dry weather we would have for the next two days. By Sunday, a very wet group headed down to the cars.