WOLVERINE

Beautiful weather on Monday with a promise of more to come made me decide Wolverine Peak would be the perfect sendoff for my journey to Texas.  After all, the mountains in Texas are pretty few so I would be without for awhile.  So  Tuesday morning, after getting up at the crack of dawn and getting the winter tires put on, Champ and I were off to Prospect Heights trailhead. 

With only one other vehicle in the parking lot, we had a great swath of Chugach State Park to ourselves.  Twenty degrees at 10 am but the sun was out and no wind.  Great hiking conditions.  What little water in the trail was frozen, making even the muddy portions a breeze.  In no time at all we reached the notch atop the first steep climb.  A break for water and a few pics of Anchorage in the distance, and we were ready for the real climb to begin. 

A lot more slowly than before, we trudged up the approach to the ridge leading to Wolverine.  A brilliant sunny day had us sweating despite the cool temperature.  On gaining the ridge, we met the only other person we saw all day.  As we passed, he let us know that a band of sheep were just below the peak on the backside of the mountain.  Hoping that they would hang around till we got there, we plodded along enjoying the great views in all directions.  Nothing like ridge walking on a sunny windless day.

A few hundred feet short of the summit, the snow was abundant enough for us to put on our "crampons."  Then a quick push had us at the top.  As luck would have it, the sheep were still there, and graciously agreed to pose for pictures.  Champ felt sure he could join them as they perched atop a crag just below us.  I disabused him of that notion promptly.

My first time to the summit was worth all the effort.  In addition to the sheep, a raven and magpie joined us for brief visits.  I have to believe they enjoyed the majestic vistas as much as us.  Far in the distance, Long Lake could be seen on one side of a dividing ridge.  On the other, Williwaw Lakes.  Lots of snow covered these gems and it hardly seemed possible that we had backpacked there as recently as August.  Winter comes fast in Alaska.

TEXAS

Its been almost five years since I experienced a Texas summer so I was a bit worried about the heat when I ventured south for a visit.  Even though it was October, given the record setting highs and the persistent drought conditions, I feared the worse.  Fortunately, the weather cooled slightly on arrival and so far has been nice.  A "cold front"  Monday night dropped the temperatures into the 40's (just slightly), while the sun warmed things up during the day. 

Last saturday we attended a family reunion.  Lots of food family and fun. 











Later Nancy got to meet my Jr High friends.  Doc TJ Terry Becky & Tony.  Her week in Texas ended way too soon.  I stayed an extra week, spending part of that time back at the lake cleaning closets and rearranging things to my satisfaction.  Dad's dog Juneau was kind enough to accompany me and he seemed to like the change of scenery.  All too soon my own time was up and back to Alaska I headed.

SYMPHONY LAKES

INDIAN SUMMER DAY



Cindy

I know the snow is on the way but today was a beauty.  Cool this morning but sunny and the temperature kept climbing all the way to 50.  Had a great workout and then lunch and then the dogpark.  Tried to capture the mountain range across Cook Inlet but the pictures just don't do them justice.

SUNDAY IN THE PARK

Climbing up to the Overlook

We had such fun Saturday that we returned to Eagle River for another hike on Sunday.  While Champ and I were both a little stiff from the climbing the day before, we warmed up quickly as we joined Dave and a few others for a stroll out to Eagle & Symphony Lakes.  Once we reached the lakes, it was all uphill as we climbed to the Overlook.  A strenuous climb but we made it.

The hike down was way easier and in no time we were back to boulder field following the rock cairns across.  The views back from where we had been became increasingly beautiful as clouds rolled in and the sun changed position.

HARP MOUNTAIN AND RIDGE HIKE

Saturday's weather was perfect for a hike up Harp Mountain.  Champ and I left Anchorage under clear skies and met up with our group at the end of Hiland Road in Eagle River.  The hike up Harp is long and steep but we made good time as the leg muscles slowly warmed up.  We reached the top of Harp (5000 feet) and enjoyed awesome views of the surrounding area. 

Not surprisingly, the upper reaches of Harp were already dusted with snow, a sure sign that winter grows near.  Champ was certainly happy to reconnect with the white stuff.  He ate it and then rolled on his back sliding around and cooling off. 

After a quick snack and mandatory picture taking our group split up.  Half returned to the trailhead while the rest walked the ridgeline back above Hanging Valley.  Mostly good footing with only a few places where scrambling was necessary.  A few miles later we reached the saddle that sits above the end of Hanging Valley.  To our right well below us was a clear mouintain tarn, its waters shimmering  in the afternoon sun.  To our left, our destination  Lookout Point several thousand feet above us and covered already in snow.  On we marched.

As we walked upward the snow became deep enough for us to kick steps and ascend almost straight to the ridge above us.  The reward was incredible views in all directions.  Five thousand feet above Eagle River.  After a short rest, the wind finally appeared and my sweat soaked body started to get cold.  Once again the snow allowed us to make a quick descent back down to the saddle and then down to the floor of Hanging Valley.  As we lost elevation the wind died off and the afternoon sunshine soon had us peeling layers and glistening.  From there, it was a nice walk back to the trailhead, albeit we did do a bit of bushwhacking on the way.

EAGLE RIVER (SECRET CABIN)

Flag is redundant, this place screams Highlands

Saturday Nancy Champ and I headed to Eagle River where we met up with Donna and her two dogs (Chena & Kodiak) for a hike to a "secret cabin."  This small log cabin was built in the 1970's just before the land became Chugach State Park.  It's one room, very rustic and not well known.  A small cadre of friends/users maintain the place with no official sanction from the Park Service including our friend Donna who was kind enough to reveal the "secret" location to us.

Its a bit of a hike out the Crow Pass Trail from the Nature Center to reach the cabin.  I guess with the out and back and the exploring we did around the cabin our weekend mileage was 25 miles or so.  Pretty easy trail in most parts although we had to cross Eagle River, a cold portage even when the sun is shining.  Lucky for us we had sunshine and even found a log to bridge across one channel of the river.  A little bushwhacking is also required to reach the cabin but I'm confident I could find my way back unassisted.

Had to walk up a log to reach the bridge

We arrived about 5 pm.  Had a snack and then hiked to Raven Creek.  There's an old footbridge across this roaring glacier fed creek and with a little bit of repair work on the approach, we were able to get all the dogs and people across and back.










Burning Dog

 Enjoyed a nice fire back at the cabin.  Then dinner and a great night's sleep.