The Chugach Mountains

Detailed Alaska Hiking Maps, Narratives, Trail Plans and Photographs.

Snow lay like a like a long, wide sheet over the surface of the still frozen lake below us. Snow lay like a discarded, crocheted shawl over the rocky facades and cloud piercing summits of the peaks above us. Snow-new snow, in fact-lay like a vast, white dust cover over the tundra all around us. The stagnating snows of spring had fallen once again in the high country, transforming the landscape into a vast, silent roomÑa museum hall of impersonal, static marmoreal repose.

But to one who had spent time in this room when the rippling waters lapped against the lichen covered rocks and soft breezes bent the tundra grasses and flowers with their breath, this room will never be truly idle or frozen. It will always contain a seed that can be sparked to life by the simple act of remembered. And some of us did remember.

I, for one, remembered being on this trail, the Rabbit Lake Trail, about five years or ago, before one lower section of it was bought with the surrounding acreage by a land speculator. He barred all travel across his property in the hopes that the state would buy the land back from him. The state never did.

 

 

 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction

Grading Trails

My Pack

New Snow, Old Memories
Walk-About Guide to Rabbit Lake Trail
Option A-Rabbit Lake Trail to the Summit of South Suicide Peak
Option B-Rabbit Lake Trail to the Summit of McHugh Peak
Option C-Rabbit Lake Trail to the Summit of Ptarmigan Peak

The Rarest Dream that e'er Dull'd Sleep
Walk-About Guide to Flattop Mountain
Walk-About Guide to Blueberry Loop Trail
Walk-About Guide to Anchorage Overlook
Option A-Flattop Mountain to Peaks Two and Three
Option B-Ridge Traverse from Flattop Mountain to Powerline Pass

A Different Kind of Fun

Two Sides of Summer
Walk-About Guide to Powerline Trail
Option A-Powerline Trail to the Summit of Avalanche Peak (also known as Powerline Pass Peak)

Some Endings are Beginnings; Some Beginnings are Endings
Walk-About Guide to Hidden Lake Trail
Option A-Hidden Lake Trail to Ship Pass
Option B-Hidden Lake Trail to the Summit of the Ramp
Option C-Hidden Lake Trail to the Summit of the Wedge
Option D-Circumnavigation of the Wedge
Walk-About Guide to O'Malley Peak

Ambulation Through a Circle's Evolution
Walk-About Guide to Middle Fork Trail
Option A-Middle Fork Trail to the North Fork of Campbell Creek
Option B-Middle Fork Trail to Ship Creek Overlook and Koktoya Peak

Labor has it's Rewards - Sometimes
Walk-About Guide to Middle Fork Loop Trail
Option A-Traverse from Williwaw Peak to the Ramp

Life is Meeting
Walk-About Guide to Wolverine Peak
Walk-About Guide to Near Point
Option A-Traverse from Near Point to Wolverine Peak

The Ying and Yang of it
Walk-About Guide to Tikishla Peak
Option A-Tikishla Peak via Near Point
Option B-Tikishla Peak via Middle Fork Trail

Hidden Ways
Walk-About Guide to Temptation Peak
Option A-Temptation Peak via Arctic Valley Road
Option B-Temptation Peak via Ship Creek Trail

The Democratic Mountain
Walk-About Guide to Rendezvous Peak
Option A-Rendezvous Peak via the South Fork of Eagle River
Option B-Traverse of Arctic Valley Skyline

Consistent Contrasts
Walk-About Guide to South Fork of Eagle River Trail
Option A-Eagle River Overlook
Option B-Tarns above Symphony Lake
Option C-Glacial Cirque Behind Cantata Peak
Option D-Base of Flute Glacier

What Would Socrates Say?
Walk-About Guide to Eagle River Trail
Walk-About Guide to Rodak Nature Trail
Walk-About Guide to Albert Loop Trail

Christmas but in Name Alone
Walk-About Guide to Black Tail Rocks and Roundtop
Option A-Black Tail Rocks and Roundtop via Baldy

The Comfort of Goodly Company
Walk-About Guide to Peters Creek Trail
Option A-Mount Eklutna
Option B-Circumnavigation of Mount Rumble

Taking Stock
Walk-About Guide to Thunderbird Falls Trail

Walking Makes up for in Width what it lacks in height. . . and Length . . . and Distance. . . and Speed . . . and . . .
Overview of Eklutna Lake Trail System
Walk-About Guide to Eklutna Lakeside Trail
Walk-About Guide to Eklutna Glacier Overlook Trail
Walk-About Guide to Twin Peaks Trail
Walk-About Guide to Bold Peak Overlook Trail
Walk-About Guide to East Fork Trail

New Year, Old Beliefs
Walk-About Guide to Pioneer Ridge Trail
Option A-South Summit of Pioneer Peak
Option B-Pioneer Ridge to Eklutna Lake Traverse

Appendix

About the Author

 

Copyright 1999 by Shawn R. Lyons

All rights reserved. No part of this guide may be reproduced in any form by means electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 99-62672 ISBN: 1-888125-47-0