Thursday July 6, 2006
Hikers: Jodie and Pat
Weather: 50-60s, In the clouds
Miles: 5+
Elevation Gain: 3200 ft
Duration: 3.5 hrs
We had to drive south from Anchorage, back towards Whittier, to reach the Bird Ridge trailhead, but it was a short drive. We started hiking up the trail around 10am. The trail begins climbing in earnest and maintains a steady steep grade with minor fluctuations. The trail is a dirt path with some short scree-like sections. I find this type of path much easier than the rocky paths of NH (where the size of your next step is often determined for you by the size of the rock in front of you). I shifted into low gear, taking small relatively quick steps, and ascended the trail. I wasn’t climbing particularly fast, but it felt good and I felt like I could have kept going all day. Jodie was doing well too and seemed to be enjoying the hike much more than in Sitka. Though it was cloudy, we were still getting breaks and could see a little bit. There were many flowers all around the trail. The trail was mostly through grasses and sparse, short trees; it was an alpine trail.
Soon it became quite obvious things were not going to clear as we got higher; it was getting worse. Jodie’s legs started to get tired and she wanted to head down. I convinced her to drop her pack and continue for a while with out it. I really wanted to get to the top of the ridge, partly to say we climbed the whole thing, partly so I’d know what elevation we reached, and partly so we could see what the ridge was like when it leveled off. I wondered how narrow and rocky or grassy the ridge was going to be.
We continued for about fifteen minutes without Jodie’s pack. We made it to a relatively large level point, and I hoped it was the top, but after I ran a short ways ahead, I saw the ridge climbing steeply again. At the base of this next climbing portion was an 8 to 10 ft snowdrift. I went back and told Jodie about the snowdrift and we decided to make that our turn around point.
The hike down went quickly. It was steep and tricky in a few places because of the loose gravel on the trail, but not too difficult.
Though this was a relatively short hike, it had more elevation gain than most of the trails in the White Mountains. The Alaskan Mountains rise straight from the ocean.
Quote of the Day
“Lets go to Anchorage and show them the New Hampshire way! We’ll drive with courtesy and shop like there’s no sales tax!” – Pat driving back from the hike
Monday, July 17, 2006
Sea Kayaking and Portage Glacier Trail – Whittier, AK
Wednesday July 5, 2006
Paddlers: Jodie, Pat, Kelly(guide), another couple, and a family of three
Weather: 60ºF, Cloudy with breaks of sun
We had called from the ship and booked ourselves on the 1:00pm Alaska Sea Kayakers tour, so we had a bunch of time to use before the tour. We decided to hike out of town towards the tunnel and then up the Portage Glacier Trail. It was a very nice little hike. We climbed up to a small overlook where we could see across the valley to the glacier. We enjoyed the nice view for a little while and saw a couple marmots. We returned to town and had lunch at the Whittier Inn.
After lunch, we hung out at the kayak place for a while before our tour started. We found out there was going to be another couple and a family of three on the tour, making an odd number. The guide asked us, since we had previous experience, if one of us would mind going in a single kayak. We preferred to go together, but since no one else was willing, we’d split up. The family of three had a young 10-year-old girl. The girl wanted to go with her mom, but the guide suggested she go with her dad to make things a little more even in paddling strength. Despite several suggestions from the guide, the family decided to have the girl and mom in one kayak and the dad go with Jodie. I was in the single kayak. As the guide expected, the mother and girl went at a very slow pace, the girl didn’t paddle for very long. Jodie said it wouldn’t have made much difference if the dad was with the girl because he was “dead weight” in her boat, but I think he would have learned how to paddle if he needed to.
The kayak trip was straightforward; just around the end of the inlet, but it was still fun. I enjoyed using the single kayak. We saw about 5,000 nesting black-legged Kittiwakes (seagulls) at one location in the inlet as well as a pair of oystercatchers (more birds). The water was murky with glacial silt and about 40 degrees F, which is quite different from the clear, warm waters of Ketchikan. I think the tour covered less distance than normal because of the family, but we were on the water a long time. It was about 4:45 when we got back on land.
Paddlers: Jodie, Pat, Kelly(guide), another couple, and a family of three
Weather: 60ºF, Cloudy with breaks of sun
We had called from the ship and booked ourselves on the 1:00pm Alaska Sea Kayakers tour, so we had a bunch of time to use before the tour. We decided to hike out of town towards the tunnel and then up the Portage Glacier Trail. It was a very nice little hike. We climbed up to a small overlook where we could see across the valley to the glacier. We enjoyed the nice view for a little while and saw a couple marmots. We returned to town and had lunch at the Whittier Inn.
After lunch, we hung out at the kayak place for a while before our tour started. We found out there was going to be another couple and a family of three on the tour, making an odd number. The guide asked us, since we had previous experience, if one of us would mind going in a single kayak. We preferred to go together, but since no one else was willing, we’d split up. The family of three had a young 10-year-old girl. The girl wanted to go with her mom, but the guide suggested she go with her dad to make things a little more even in paddling strength. Despite several suggestions from the guide, the family decided to have the girl and mom in one kayak and the dad go with Jodie. I was in the single kayak. As the guide expected, the mother and girl went at a very slow pace, the girl didn’t paddle for very long. Jodie said it wouldn’t have made much difference if the dad was with the girl because he was “dead weight” in her boat, but I think he would have learned how to paddle if he needed to.
The kayak trip was straightforward; just around the end of the inlet, but it was still fun. I enjoyed using the single kayak. We saw about 5,000 nesting black-legged Kittiwakes (seagulls) at one location in the inlet as well as a pair of oystercatchers (more birds). The water was murky with glacial silt and about 40 degrees F, which is quite different from the clear, warm waters of Ketchikan. I think the tour covered less distance than normal because of the family, but we were on the water a long time. It was about 4:45 when we got back on land.
Gavan Hill - Sitka, AK
Monday July 3, 2006
Hikers: Jodie and Pat
Weather: 60s, Overcast, in the clouds, Undercast
Miles: 6
Elevation Gain: 2500 ft
Duration: 3.5 hrs
Jodie and I decided to hike up Gavan Hill because it is an easy walk from town; the trial starts at the end of Baranoff Rd. The trail reaches the summit of Gavan Hill at 2505 ft in about 3 miles. We were surprised to find the majority of the trail to have wooded boardwalks and wooded steps, even the higher portions. The trail climbs steeply and steadily up the hillside via numerous switchbacks. Jodie was tired from the early wake up at 6:30 and just wasn’t feeling the need to hike up this mountain. The skies were overcast and we were hiking through the clouds. I encouraged her to keep going and enticed her with the possibility of hiking above the cloud level. But she didn’t buy it, at home it is very rare to hike above the clouds, and she decided to turn back, though she agreed to let me continue for a little while.
Shortly after Jodie headed down, I reached the top of the ridge and could see the clouds thinning. I was hopeful that the ridge would climb high enough to break above the clouds and it did. Soon, I was above a sea of whiteness standing on a small mountain island in bright sunshine. It was the strangest feeling. For a while I couldn’t figure out what the feeling was, but then I realized that I felt like I was flying. I was on a narrow ridge above the clouds experiencing what most people only experience in flight. The stillness of the air was amazing; not a breath of wind. There were swarms of bugs; thick clouds of bugs, but luckily they weren’t biting. There were steep, pointy mountains all around. It was the most amazing experience! I was so glad I had decided to keep going after Jodie turned around, but I was sad she didn’t get to experience it too.
Hikers: Jodie and Pat
Weather: 60s, Overcast, in the clouds, Undercast
Miles: 6
Elevation Gain: 2500 ft
Duration: 3.5 hrs
Jodie and I decided to hike up Gavan Hill because it is an easy walk from town; the trial starts at the end of Baranoff Rd. The trail reaches the summit of Gavan Hill at 2505 ft in about 3 miles. We were surprised to find the majority of the trail to have wooded boardwalks and wooded steps, even the higher portions. The trail climbs steeply and steadily up the hillside via numerous switchbacks. Jodie was tired from the early wake up at 6:30 and just wasn’t feeling the need to hike up this mountain. The skies were overcast and we were hiking through the clouds. I encouraged her to keep going and enticed her with the possibility of hiking above the cloud level. But she didn’t buy it, at home it is very rare to hike above the clouds, and she decided to turn back, though she agreed to let me continue for a little while.
Shortly after Jodie headed down, I reached the top of the ridge and could see the clouds thinning. I was hopeful that the ridge would climb high enough to break above the clouds and it did. Soon, I was above a sea of whiteness standing on a small mountain island in bright sunshine. It was the strangest feeling. For a while I couldn’t figure out what the feeling was, but then I realized that I felt like I was flying. I was on a narrow ridge above the clouds experiencing what most people only experience in flight. The stillness of the air was amazing; not a breath of wind. There were swarms of bugs; thick clouds of bugs, but luckily they weren’t biting. There were steep, pointy mountains all around. It was the most amazing experience! I was so glad I had decided to keep going after Jodie turned around, but I was sad she didn’t get to experience it too.
Denver Glacier Trail - Skagway, AK
Sunday July 2, 2006
Hikers: Jodie, Pat, three guides, and 12 others from the ship
Weather: 60-70, Sunny
Miles: ~5
Elevation Gain: 500 ft
Duration: ~2.5 hrs
Jodie and I signed up for the “Hike and Rail” shore excursion offered through the ship. It was $114 per person. The “Hike and Rail” sounded really good. We were expecting to take the train up to White Pass, do some hiking, and then take the train back to town. Unfortunately, it wasn’t what we expected. The excursion only took the train six miles to the Denver Glacier Trail. We had to catch the same train back to town, so we didn’t have a lot of time to hike.
Needless to say, Jodie and I were pretty bummed after getting off the ship and finding out the excursion wasn’t what we expected and several of the people going on the hike were very out of shape. Particularly after the fun we had with Corey in Juneau, it looked like this hike was going to be a big let down. Fortunately though, it did turn out pretty well. There were three guides for our group of 14 cruise ship people, and the first guide set a very quick pace. His job seemed to be to separate the faster hikers from the slow ones. That was nice because it allowed Jodie and I and four others to get ahead and see some more of the trail. We made it all the way to a waterfall lookout, which is about .75 miles farther than their typical turn around spot. The guide said the trail continued to climb for a little while after the waterfall and then leveled out near the Denver Glacier. It would have been cool to see the glacier but we had to be back to catch the train at 11:30.
The hike was nice; I would have liked to see more, but hiking with a guide has some advantages. The guides pointed out several plants and facts about the area. The trail was very alive. The dirt underfoot is soft, dark, and full of nutrients. There is moss on almost everything, new trees growing directly out of the fallen trees, and devil’s club with its huge leaves. Hiking through such an area makes you feel more alive.
Hikers: Jodie, Pat, three guides, and 12 others from the ship
Weather: 60-70, Sunny
Miles: ~5
Elevation Gain: 500 ft
Duration: ~2.5 hrs
Jodie and I signed up for the “Hike and Rail” shore excursion offered through the ship. It was $114 per person. The “Hike and Rail” sounded really good. We were expecting to take the train up to White Pass, do some hiking, and then take the train back to town. Unfortunately, it wasn’t what we expected. The excursion only took the train six miles to the Denver Glacier Trail. We had to catch the same train back to town, so we didn’t have a lot of time to hike.
Needless to say, Jodie and I were pretty bummed after getting off the ship and finding out the excursion wasn’t what we expected and several of the people going on the hike were very out of shape. Particularly after the fun we had with Corey in Juneau, it looked like this hike was going to be a big let down. Fortunately though, it did turn out pretty well. There were three guides for our group of 14 cruise ship people, and the first guide set a very quick pace. His job seemed to be to separate the faster hikers from the slow ones. That was nice because it allowed Jodie and I and four others to get ahead and see some more of the trail. We made it all the way to a waterfall lookout, which is about .75 miles farther than their typical turn around spot. The guide said the trail continued to climb for a little while after the waterfall and then leveled out near the Denver Glacier. It would have been cool to see the glacier but we had to be back to catch the train at 11:30.
The hike was nice; I would have liked to see more, but hiking with a guide has some advantages. The guides pointed out several plants and facts about the area. The trail was very alive. The dirt underfoot is soft, dark, and full of nutrients. There is moss on almost everything, new trees growing directly out of the fallen trees, and devil’s club with its huge leaves. Hiking through such an area makes you feel more alive.
Mendenhall Glacier - Juneau, AK
Saturday July 1, 2006
Mountaineers: Bria, Kent, Floyd, Laura, Corey, Jodie, and Pat
Weather: 50-60s, Overcast, colder on the glacier
Miles: ~5
Elevation Gain: 1000 ft
Duration: 7 hrs
Our day in Juneau was great! We met Corey, our friend from UNH, at the cruise ship docks and he took us around Juneau and up onto Mendenhall Glacier. Corey works as a Glacier guide for two different companies that bring tourists onto the glacier, one brings clients to the glacier via the helicopter and the other lets them hike up, so he was able to borrow all the necessary boots, crampons, and ice axes from his work.
Corey had a meeting at work for a little while, so he dropped Jodie and I off at a coastal park near the airport so we could walk around and at least see some things. We saw some bald eagles and a bunch of people walking dogs, but nothing too interesting. We went back to the beginning where we were supposed to meet Corey and waited a while for him to show up. We joked that he had just dropped us off and stole all our stuff because he had told us we could leave everything in his car. He eventually showed up and we were off to his house.
At Corey’s house we met up with his friends Kent and Bria and their friends Floyd and Laura. Floyd and Laura were visiting from Tacoma, WA and wanted to get out on the glacier too so the timing, Corey had the day off, worked out for everyone. The trailhead is about 5 minutes from Corey’s house; he lives in “the valley”. We hiked up the trail at a brisk pace since it was mostly flat. The last portion of the trail climbed over some bare rock and had one steep section.
At the foot of the glacier, we took a break to gear up; put on our boots, crampons, harnesses, pants, and jackets. The lower part of the glacier we were on was a dry glacier, meaning there was no recent snow. We walked around the glacier for a while and then Corey set up a top rope on a large protrusion from the glacier for us to ice climb. We all took a turn climbing, though it was hard, the upper portion was overhanging. It was fun and I’m glad we got the chance to go climbing. Jodie did really well with everything. She even liked it a lot. She climbed as high as I did.
After the ice climbing, we explored more of the glacier. There were tons of huge crevasses and streams draining through the glacier. At the very end, Corey took us down a small tunnel that went to the bedrock below the glacier. We walked around under the glacier and then came out another tunnel. The tunnel under the glacier was made by water, though the first part we took down didn’t have any water in it currently. It was very fun exploring the glacier with Corey. We were out for about seven hours. The hike in and out was about an hour each way.
After the hike, Corey took Jodie and I to a place where we could hike out to a point on the ocean. It was neat. It was after 9pm, it was still light out, salmon were jumping everywhere, and we even saw a few porpoises.
Quotes of the Day
“Why do I feel like I’m a tourist attraction?” – Pat walking around Lido Deck getting some breakfast in hiking gear.
“What are you some kind of a tourist?” - Corey answering Pat’s question on why the glaciers are so blue.
“Whewww! What elevation are we at?” – One of Corey’s favorite client questions after taking clients up to 1500ft on the Mendenhall Glacier in a helicopter.
Mountaineers: Bria, Kent, Floyd, Laura, Corey, Jodie, and Pat
Weather: 50-60s, Overcast, colder on the glacier
Miles: ~5
Elevation Gain: 1000 ft
Duration: 7 hrs
Our day in Juneau was great! We met Corey, our friend from UNH, at the cruise ship docks and he took us around Juneau and up onto Mendenhall Glacier. Corey works as a Glacier guide for two different companies that bring tourists onto the glacier, one brings clients to the glacier via the helicopter and the other lets them hike up, so he was able to borrow all the necessary boots, crampons, and ice axes from his work.
Corey had a meeting at work for a little while, so he dropped Jodie and I off at a coastal park near the airport so we could walk around and at least see some things. We saw some bald eagles and a bunch of people walking dogs, but nothing too interesting. We went back to the beginning where we were supposed to meet Corey and waited a while for him to show up. We joked that he had just dropped us off and stole all our stuff because he had told us we could leave everything in his car. He eventually showed up and we were off to his house.
At Corey’s house we met up with his friends Kent and Bria and their friends Floyd and Laura. Floyd and Laura were visiting from Tacoma, WA and wanted to get out on the glacier too so the timing, Corey had the day off, worked out for everyone. The trailhead is about 5 minutes from Corey’s house; he lives in “the valley”. We hiked up the trail at a brisk pace since it was mostly flat. The last portion of the trail climbed over some bare rock and had one steep section.
At the foot of the glacier, we took a break to gear up; put on our boots, crampons, harnesses, pants, and jackets. The lower part of the glacier we were on was a dry glacier, meaning there was no recent snow. We walked around the glacier for a while and then Corey set up a top rope on a large protrusion from the glacier for us to ice climb. We all took a turn climbing, though it was hard, the upper portion was overhanging. It was fun and I’m glad we got the chance to go climbing. Jodie did really well with everything. She even liked it a lot. She climbed as high as I did.
After the ice climbing, we explored more of the glacier. There were tons of huge crevasses and streams draining through the glacier. At the very end, Corey took us down a small tunnel that went to the bedrock below the glacier. We walked around under the glacier and then came out another tunnel. The tunnel under the glacier was made by water, though the first part we took down didn’t have any water in it currently. It was very fun exploring the glacier with Corey. We were out for about seven hours. The hike in and out was about an hour each way.
After the hike, Corey took Jodie and I to a place where we could hike out to a point on the ocean. It was neat. It was after 9pm, it was still light out, salmon were jumping everywhere, and we even saw a few porpoises.
Quotes of the Day
“Why do I feel like I’m a tourist attraction?” – Pat walking around Lido Deck getting some breakfast in hiking gear.
“What are you some kind of a tourist?” - Corey answering Pat’s question on why the glaciers are so blue.
“Whewww! What elevation are we at?” – One of Corey’s favorite client questions after taking clients up to 1500ft on the Mendenhall Glacier in a helicopter.
Sea Kayaking Tatoosh Island - Ketchikan, AK
Friday June 30, 2006
Paddlers: Jodie, Pat, two guides and nine other people from the ship
Weather: 60s, Bright Blue Sky
Miles: 4.0
Duration: 2 hrs
We had a great day in Ketchikan! The guidebook says that if you’re in Ketchikan more than a couple hours it will rain, but we had one of the rare sunny days. The bus driver said the locals call that kind of weather “severe nice”. Ketchikan averages over 13ft of rain a year.
We went sea kayaking at Tatoosh Island with Southeast Exposure (booked through the cruise ship). It was expensive at $144 per person, but it was great. We met a bus at the docks that took us up the 15 miles of road (the only road, it goes about 15 miles in each direction from city center – the only way in and out of Ketchikan is by plane or boat) to the kayak center. At the kayak center, we got on board a motor boat that took us out to the island. There we had a quick lesson and then hit the water. Jodie and I were in a double kayak together. I was in the back steering and she was in the front setting the pace. It was great! The water was surprisingly warm (~60°F) and we saw a lot of starfish (purple, orange, and a few red) and bald eagles. At first, we thought we were lucky to see the eagles, but then we kept seeing them. They are as abundant as crows at home. The kayaking guide said there is an average of one bald eagle for each mile of Alaskan coastline in Southeast Alaska. We paddled for about two hours and then it was time to head back to town.
Paddlers: Jodie, Pat, two guides and nine other people from the ship
Weather: 60s, Bright Blue Sky
Miles: 4.0
Duration: 2 hrs
We had a great day in Ketchikan! The guidebook says that if you’re in Ketchikan more than a couple hours it will rain, but we had one of the rare sunny days. The bus driver said the locals call that kind of weather “severe nice”. Ketchikan averages over 13ft of rain a year.
We went sea kayaking at Tatoosh Island with Southeast Exposure (booked through the cruise ship). It was expensive at $144 per person, but it was great. We met a bus at the docks that took us up the 15 miles of road (the only road, it goes about 15 miles in each direction from city center – the only way in and out of Ketchikan is by plane or boat) to the kayak center. At the kayak center, we got on board a motor boat that took us out to the island. There we had a quick lesson and then hit the water. Jodie and I were in a double kayak together. I was in the back steering and she was in the front setting the pace. It was great! The water was surprisingly warm (~60°F) and we saw a lot of starfish (purple, orange, and a few red) and bald eagles. At first, we thought we were lucky to see the eagles, but then we kept seeing them. They are as abundant as crows at home. The kayaking guide said there is an average of one bald eagle for each mile of Alaskan coastline in Southeast Alaska. We paddled for about two hours and then it was time to head back to town.
Grouse Mountain - Vancouver, BC
Tuesday June 27, 2006
Hikers: Jodie, Pat
Weather: 70s, Clear, Slightly Hazy
Miles: 4.0
Elevation Gain: 3000 ft
Duration: 3.5 hrs
Grouse Mountain is a popular tourist peak and ski area. It has a tram to the top and a visitor center at top and bottom. The tram and visitor’s center aren’t on the true summit, but close. We took buses all the way to Grouse Mountain from our hotel. Vancouver has a good public transit system.
Jodie and I began our climb up the Grouse Grind Trail around 10:00am. The trail was a heavily used series of steps that climbed steeply up the mountain. We found out later that the trail climbs 2800ft in 1.8 miles. It did not take about 40 minutes as a hiker told us the previous day, but about an hour and 15 minutes. It was almost a stressful hike because there were so many people hiking up the trail. It was a constant stream of people, not back to back, but within 50 feet of each other. At the top, we found out there is a way to time yourself up the trail. Most people we saw didn’t carry anything with them except maybe some water; it appeared that many of them were doing the trail solely for exercise. The fastest time of the day so far was 42 minutes and the fastest female all year was 39 minutes, so the hiker who told us it was about 40 minutes was clearly underestimating the time.
The true summit is a few hundred feet above the tourist area. We hiked up a steep dirt road to make it official. The views of Vancouver were much better from the true summit anyway.
Hikers: Jodie, Pat
Weather: 70s, Clear, Slightly Hazy
Miles: 4.0
Elevation Gain: 3000 ft
Duration: 3.5 hrs
Grouse Mountain is a popular tourist peak and ski area. It has a tram to the top and a visitor center at top and bottom. The tram and visitor’s center aren’t on the true summit, but close. We took buses all the way to Grouse Mountain from our hotel. Vancouver has a good public transit system.
Jodie and I began our climb up the Grouse Grind Trail around 10:00am. The trail was a heavily used series of steps that climbed steeply up the mountain. We found out later that the trail climbs 2800ft in 1.8 miles. It did not take about 40 minutes as a hiker told us the previous day, but about an hour and 15 minutes. It was almost a stressful hike because there were so many people hiking up the trail. It was a constant stream of people, not back to back, but within 50 feet of each other. At the top, we found out there is a way to time yourself up the trail. Most people we saw didn’t carry anything with them except maybe some water; it appeared that many of them were doing the trail solely for exercise. The fastest time of the day so far was 42 minutes and the fastest female all year was 39 minutes, so the hiker who told us it was about 40 minutes was clearly underestimating the time.
The true summit is a few hundred feet above the tourist area. We hiked up a steep dirt road to make it official. The views of Vancouver were much better from the true summit anyway.
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
Alaska and Vancouver Hiking
Jodie and I did some hiking in Alaska and Vancouver during our honeymoon. I'll do some short posts on specific hikes when I get a chance, but for now you can see the pictures online.
http://picasaweb.google.com/PatMcLaugh
http://picasaweb.google.com/PatMcLaugh
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