April Bowl Hike (Hatcher Pass) - July 28, 2013

When I found the Meet-Up Group that was doing the kayaking, I also found that a different group had a hike on their calendar. It sounded like a hike I could handle and I had the day off again, so I signed up. It was cloudy down in the valley, but the trail head was above the clouds, so it was quite beautiful!

A view from the parking area

Looking over another parking area near the one we used. That's the Alaska Range way off in the distance... the snow-capped mountains out there.

That's where we parked...

A couple photos that one of the other hikers took...

There are the clouds that we got above as we drove toward the trail head.

We stopped to have lunch and I enjoyed watching the clouds ebb and flow around the valleys while we sat in the warm sunshine.

Another photo that one of the other hikers took. I have no idea what was so funny, but clearly something was! It was the perfect spot to rest and refuel.

A golden mushroom!

More awesome views, with the Alaska Range a little clearer now way off in the distance. Denali is one of those peaks out there!

Clouds are breaking up in the valley now.

Back down at the bottom, looking at the trail. There were quite a few people out hiking that day... I don't blame them! It's a great trail with awesome views.

Driving back home, even more awesome views.

I hope to get out for more hikes next summer... they can be pretty intense here in Alaska, but surely there are more that are suitable for me. Consider it a goal! 'Til next time...

Next hike... Longer and Not Quite So Steep...

Second hike in a week! This time, I opted for a flatter but longer trail.  The friend I went with this time suggested the South Fork Eagle River hike, which is 10 miles round trip and only climbs about 800 ft.  It is pretty open, although the trail is fairly narrow for much of the way. Aside from the mountain views you get all along, the real treat is when you get to the lakes at the end. There are medium-sized boulders to work your way across for about 1/4 mile, and then there are two lakes... Eagle Lake and Symphony Lake. We got to Eagle Lake and I decided that was a good place to turn around. Symphony Lake was only another 1/4 mile or so away, but that was across more boulders, and I knew the 4.5 or so miles back to the car on top of what we had already done would be a challenge for me since I don't quite have my AK hiking legs yet. So in all, we completed a 9.5 mile hike.  Here are some of the photos from that hike... it's just pure torture to have to deal with this scenery everyday! ;)



Our view as we start our hike.





South fork of Eagle River





Eagle Lake



A panoramic view at Eagle Lake.  Symphony Lake is off to the right... over more boulders. :)

Checking Out Anchorage's Water Supply... A Glacial Lake!

I've been itching to go on another hike, so despite a steady rainfall much of the day, a friend and I went for a hike and were treated to some beautiful views. This hike is at Lake Eklutna, which is where Anchorage gets its water supply. Glacier water... yum! It's a beautiful lake... I've heard a lot about it since I moved here, but this was my first time actually seeing it.  There is an easy trail at the edge of the lake, but we decided to take a trail that goes up into the mountains around the lake. I admit that I was thankful to see that this trail is rated "difficult" when I looked it up later... much of it is quite steep! That made me feel a little better about being sore for the next couple days. :) All in all, we traveled 4.5 miles and climbed 1600 ft.

There's a lake out there, can't you see it?  Trust me...




Some mountains on the far side of the lake start to come into view...




See?  A lake!  Not the whole thing, but at least you can see there IS a lake there!




While we were standing there taking in the view, it was starting to clear out pretty quickly.  This is about as clear as it got... but still, what a view!





Lupin... Love it!




Another view along the hike...





So many layers of clouds... :)



Bluebells... another great abundant flower around here.