Bird Ridge – Anchorage, AK

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