Other great hikes in Alaska
Posted: Wed Jul 06, 2011 10:24 am
I've hesitated to start this thread for a while for fear folks here might see it as some sort of sacrilege but I've decided to give it a go.
The Stampede Trail is a remarkable hike. It's challenging (length and river crossings) and it's rewarding (you get to SEE THE BUS.) It's also not the worst scenery in the place; to be honest I don't think there really is an ugly patch of Alaskan wilderness. That said, I think there are definitely some much MUCH more beautiful trails and hikes to do in Alaska. Now I'm not suggesting that you abandon your plans to go see the bus in favor of a different hike BUT if you have extra time, if you already live in Alaska, or if your bus trip gets cut short by a flooded Teklanika river, I'd like to suggest some other hikes you might be interested in that are absolutely spectacular.
For right now I've got two I'd like to talk about. I'll post more later, and I would LOVE for you guys with some experience up in AK to chime in and list off some of your favorite Alaskan hikes.
1) Reed Lakes / Bomber Glacier
photo credit: Jeremy Egger
photo credit: robertlroyall
http://www.flickr.com/photos/erikhalfacre/galleries/72157627004697579/ (PHOTO GALLERY)
This hike is great. It's a hair under 5 miles one way and an elevation gain of about 4000 feet. You start out along a creek, pass an old mine shack, go up some switch backs and then across a boulder field. Next up is lower Reed Lake. It's deep turquoise water comes from the Upper Reed Lake, seperated by a short stream and a large waterfall cascading over bare rock. From upper reed lake it's a short climb up a scree slope to a ridge line and then out onto the glacier itself to the wreckage of a WWII era bomber, crashed there many decades ago. There are great spots to camp at upper reed lake. I myself have not actually made it to the bomber. I got turned around in a dense fog/rain and ended up having to put it off til 2012.
2) Crow Pass
photo credit: Jeremy Egger
photo credit: Jeremy Egger
http://www.flickr.com/photos/erikhalfacre/galleries/72157627004629909/ (PHOTO GALLERY)
http://vimeo.com/15531767 (VIDEO)
This hike is 24 miles one way, and is best done as a thru hike. It goes from Girdwood to Eagle River (or vice versa) over Crow Pass on the historic Iditarod Trail. This trail I have no experience with, but it is at the top of my list of to dos for next year. The photos I have from friends' trips, and the photos in the flickr gallery I linked to, are STUNNING. Another thing that makes this hike great for folks coming from out of state, is it's proximity to Anchorage in the Chugach State Park. There's a parks cabin at the top of the pass that you can reserve/rent if you book it in advance, as well as views of Raven glacier (or you could make a side trip and walk right up to it.) Definitely worth checking into if you're going to have some free time in AK.
So everybody, what hikes have you done/really enjoyed in Alaska in addition to the Stampede Trail?
The Stampede Trail is a remarkable hike. It's challenging (length and river crossings) and it's rewarding (you get to SEE THE BUS.) It's also not the worst scenery in the place; to be honest I don't think there really is an ugly patch of Alaskan wilderness. That said, I think there are definitely some much MUCH more beautiful trails and hikes to do in Alaska. Now I'm not suggesting that you abandon your plans to go see the bus in favor of a different hike BUT if you have extra time, if you already live in Alaska, or if your bus trip gets cut short by a flooded Teklanika river, I'd like to suggest some other hikes you might be interested in that are absolutely spectacular.
For right now I've got two I'd like to talk about. I'll post more later, and I would LOVE for you guys with some experience up in AK to chime in and list off some of your favorite Alaskan hikes.
1) Reed Lakes / Bomber Glacier
photo credit: Jeremy Egger
photo credit: robertlroyall
http://www.flickr.com/photos/erikhalfacre/galleries/72157627004697579/ (PHOTO GALLERY)
This hike is great. It's a hair under 5 miles one way and an elevation gain of about 4000 feet. You start out along a creek, pass an old mine shack, go up some switch backs and then across a boulder field. Next up is lower Reed Lake. It's deep turquoise water comes from the Upper Reed Lake, seperated by a short stream and a large waterfall cascading over bare rock. From upper reed lake it's a short climb up a scree slope to a ridge line and then out onto the glacier itself to the wreckage of a WWII era bomber, crashed there many decades ago. There are great spots to camp at upper reed lake. I myself have not actually made it to the bomber. I got turned around in a dense fog/rain and ended up having to put it off til 2012.
2) Crow Pass
photo credit: Jeremy Egger
photo credit: Jeremy Egger
http://www.flickr.com/photos/erikhalfacre/galleries/72157627004629909/ (PHOTO GALLERY)
http://vimeo.com/15531767 (VIDEO)
This hike is 24 miles one way, and is best done as a thru hike. It goes from Girdwood to Eagle River (or vice versa) over Crow Pass on the historic Iditarod Trail. This trail I have no experience with, but it is at the top of my list of to dos for next year. The photos I have from friends' trips, and the photos in the flickr gallery I linked to, are STUNNING. Another thing that makes this hike great for folks coming from out of state, is it's proximity to Anchorage in the Chugach State Park. There's a parks cabin at the top of the pass that you can reserve/rent if you book it in advance, as well as views of Raven glacier (or you could make a side trip and walk right up to it.) Definitely worth checking into if you're going to have some free time in AK.
So everybody, what hikes have you done/really enjoyed in Alaska in addition to the Stampede Trail?