Day 11 - Grayling Lake to Divide

Today I called a few friends, Ann and Letty. We went in at Grayling Lake Trailhead about 13 miles out of Seward. We made a loop hike to Divide Ski Area and back to the trailhead via the railroad tracks. This trail is relatively unknown and has no signage to assist the hiker. A matter of fact, we met to lovely ladies from Eastern Canada that were doubling back because they were not certain the trail would circle them back to their vehicles. This total route is about 5 miles and takes you up a beautiful, well used trail to Grayling Lake. You continue along a forested, lake filled, land bench to Leech and Golden Finn Lakes. The trail then hooks into Divide Nordic Ski Trails which can be followed to the highway. At that point you head north either along the road or railroad tracks.

Sorry - No pictures because I had a computer battery problem and lost uploaded images.

Day 10 - Potter Creek Trail

It's rained again! Man - what a wet summer. We get a lot of rain in this area but this summer is breaking records with the waterways full to their brims. I'm not sure - but I think we could be at flood warning status. So - I went to Anchorage with my husband to do our dreaded Costco shopping trip. And - it rained the entire trip. Swimming would have been a better avenue for exercise today but we did find a weather window later in the day and rushed on out to Potter Creek Trail, right on the outskirts of Anchorage. Potter Creek Trial can be followed quite a ways along the Seward Highway but we only hiked for a few hours towards McHugh Creek and back. The trail is pretty flat, which was appreciated after yesterdays backpack trip and it certainly felt good to get some fresh air after driving around in traffic and shopping all day.

Sorry - Another image lost due to computer problems.

Day 9 - Devil's Pass Trail

I had scheduled, six months prior, cabins to use on the Resurrection Pass all the way to Hope. Instead of going to Hope though, I went down Devil's Pass with the family to the car. The girls all had commitments and work while several of the other people that would have gone had last minute injuries or scheduling problems. We did meet a guy hiking alone that was very excited to use the cabins for me so it all worked out in the end.

Devil's Pass Trail is a10 mile long gentle trail out of the mountains following Devil's Creek. It's a popular trail with mountain bikers and we saw several people we know biking through. We followed some really large bear paw prints from the top section which was spooky. The tracks stopped in an orchard of alder bushes off to the side of the trail. I think that big brownie was probably watching us as we quickly went by. The trail actually is deceivingly long feeling because it goes down but then takes several miles to climb back up to the parking lot. It feels like the trail should end but instead continues.

Day 8 - Resurrection Trail: Juneau Lake to Devil's Pass

Pita enjoying the view.

Tarra and Valerian Flowers

Juneau Lake Cabin is the jewel of the Chugach - what a beautiful, perfect cabin with plentiful windows, incredible views, gorgeous, knotted pine siding and floor, lots of room, fire pit, and on and on. We didn't want to leave but the next visitors showed right at noon. We quickly finished cleaning up and took a last few canoe lessons from master paddler, "Dingy Bob" and were on our way up the switchbacks to Devil's Pass Cabin. Along the way are great views of Swan Lake and the Resurrection via Kenai Lake. The wildflowers are always amazing along this stretch of trail with everything in bloom from spring geraniums to fall Indian Paint Brush. We even saw gentian blues and chocolate lilies. Plant identification sure makes this section of the trail fun to hike and it leads right into the pass. The girls were so energetic they climbed a peak off the left and got some incredible views. Bob and I followed but only managed a knob off to the side - still good views and we watched a black bear across the valley. Devil's Pass Cabin would also be a real jewel if the kerosene stove ever worked. Judging from the cabin log, nobody gets that thing going. In addition the temperature dropped to about 45' F and a warm cabin would have been icing on the cake for a great day in the back country. 

Day 7 - Juneau Lake Cabin via Ressurection Trail

Juneau Lake View

"Kids Don't Float"

 

Today was another awesome backpack trip along the Resurrection Trail from Cooper Landing towards Hope. We used Beans Trail which cuts-off a few miles of switchbacks and ties into Resurrection Trail just above Juneau Falls. This is one of my favorite sections along the whole 70+ mile length because it is generally through aspen forest and over tundra in open areas with beautiful views of the mountains. The hiking is easy with gentle ups and lots of flat. There are several roaring creek crossings, all with wooden bridges. It's an excellent place to catch a view of a moose within a 30 year old experimental moose re-vegetation area. The Forest Service should put a little sign up posting the results. The weather was cloudy - a bit of showers but not rain thank goodness. The whole family went along as well as Tarra Swanson. It was our first complete family outing of the summer!

Day 6 - Vagt Lake

Still raining!

It's raining bad!

Wow - what a wet day. It was like buckets from being emptied from heaven but never fail - I hiked. The challenge is working in that I get out the door. Raining days are for short hikes so I went to Vagt Lake by myself assuming that walking outdoors through the puddles wouldn't be too high on most peoples list. I was soaked even though I wore my big, slicker coat and boots. Actually it was just my lower legs because I wore regular pants. My trusty companion, Pita the dog, whose smelling habit didn't seem to be diminished what-so-ever in the downpour, came along. Vagt Lake is probably all of 3-4 miles rt and best part is the diving platform that adventure seeking teen boys use on warmer, sunnier days.

Day 5 - Lower Russian Lake and River Area

The Russian Lakes Trail actually can be started or ended at the Kenai River - Russian River Campground and combat fishing area. So many people come to the Russian to bug and bother the reds that the fish actual bite the fly out of irritation. It's crazy, elbow-to-elbow and a great place to watch people (and bears). As for us we just hiked about 8.5 miles to the parking lot, still watching for bears and their scat while avoiding plant parts in the face and swatting mosquitoes. The closer we got to the Russian Rv the more people we meet - mostly fisherman, many hiking to see bears and fish jumping the ladder at the falls and an occasional backpacker. We met a longshoreman from Va. and a group going the other way - down to Seward. We missed the rain that goodness and drove straight to the pizza parlor, even before the hot shower.

Day 4 - Aspen Flats

Incredible grace and wood splitting form.

Tall, tall weeds! Watch out for that poop!

Aspen Flats is only 3 miles from Upper Russian Lake but it felt longer for some reason. The grass and pushki where above our heads. Every once in awhile you'd get whacked in the face with the over ripe, seed dripping flower tops - serious hay fever. Meanwhile our eyes where on the ground being sure to spot and step over the huge piles of berry-filled bear poop. We never did see a big brownie but we did hear a grunt. Needless to stay it was like walking in a grass tunnel with smelly, slippery obstacles every 200 yards. It was a relief to get to the underutilized, spruce tree Aspen Flats area. So few people use the cabin that the long book still had pages from 2007. It sure isn't a cute, comfy birch log cabin like Upper Russian but it's pretty good. The Russian River is right outside the front door, there's plenty of firewood available and it has a light, bright windowed outhouse. We got into each finding our own dead, downed tree to drag back to chop. We even had a splitting contest with the girls and got very creative in the best way to set-up for using the hand saw. Good thing we cut wood for the fire because the temperature continued to drop and the rain set in later that night.

Day 3 - Upper Russian Lake

Here we go

Lovely

We are just back from a fun but bear ridden backpack through the Kenai Peninsula wilderness. Six of us trekked from Cooper Lake down to Russian River Campground spending two nights in National Forest Service Cabins. Our first night was at Upper Russian Lake Cabin. According to Isabel to was a, "really nice trail and the cabin was super quaint and cute." The 9.5 mile trail rolls, generally down, by lakes, through bogs and next to streams. Tons of bear berry-grass type poop was on the trail and we even heard a grunt in the bushes as we all armed ourselves with bear spray and piled together screaming,"Go away bear." It did, of course. The cabin had a row boat but there was quite a bit of wind - white caps so going too far was not only difficult, it was a bit dangerous. Around the fire pit were carved benches, and carved sculptures on the wood shed and in the outhouse. The cabin itself has gorgeous birch logs and a beautiful view of the lake. With a fire going it was comfy. So comfy that the girls slept over 12 hours.

Day 2 - July 22,2010 - Dale Clemen's Cabin

Today was a typical busy day in our household with visitors from Fairbanks, a graduation party for my oldest daughter and packing for the backpack trip tomorrow. Plans kept changing and time kept ticking as I anxiously thought, "This is only the second day and already I'm going to blow the challenge!" But - my husband and I quickly dashed out the door to the nearby Dale Clemen's Cabin trail, a favorite for berry pickers, snow machiners, runners and my new favorite, sledders. It is actually the winter route from the south trail head of the Lost Lake Trail. The route is fairly steep in the old growth but wide due to snow machines in the winter and winds for about 2 miles with great views of Seward and Resurrection Bay once above tree line. Unfortunately we forgot a camera so instead I have posted an Alaska State Parks and Recreation photo. I figure I'll walk the trail from the Primrose side later on and repost pictures of the view.

Tomorrow we head to Upper Russian Lake and down the Resurrection Trail with backpacks - next post will be on Sunday.

Day 1 - Ptarmigan Lake

Day 1 and we hiked to PtarmiganLake; a gorgeous, turquoise blue beauty nestled in the high Chugach Mountains. The trail is about 4 miles one-way and can be a loop trail coming back via Fall's Creek or you can keep going on the edge of the lake another 4 miles towards Paradise Valley. We stopped at the lake and came back down. Still a good trail with tree roots and mucky dirt following Ptarmigan Creek.

Thirteen people came along for this first hike journey. The weather was unexpectedly

cooperative with sunshine occasionally breaking through the high clouds but no rain. The teen boys actually jumped in the water while the rest of us grabbed a snack and talked.

Nice Day at Exit Glacier

Introduction

Hi - my name is MaryLynn and I am turning 50 years old - wow, this year on September 8th! In anticipation of this huge life event, I've decided to hike a different trail each day for 50 days leading into my actual birthday celebration. I live in the pleasingly aesthetic and unusually wet community of Seward, Alaska. There are several world class trails here but what most people don't know is how many extremely good and varied trails exist in this tiny little fishing/tourist town. As a matter of fact many trails aren't publicized in any of the Alaska hiking trail books- but I won't be giving away their locations either. You'll have to live here before anyone will tell you where these trail heads are located.

I was a long distance runner in high school and college when high mileage was the norm. At this point I have no cartilage left in either knee (stage IV chondromalacia) and am kind of just waiting for a complete breakdown before having them replaced. Needless to say this little adventure will be challenging on the downhills for my creaking and crying knees. In addition I have three teenage daughters, one of which will start college this fall and two others that I feel absolutely need their number one fan at their high school cross-country running races. August 23rd I start work again as an elementary teacher and then there is all the life obstacles like dentist appointments and grocery shopping that may hamper my progress. So many of my hikes will be close to home, though I hope to squeeze in a few challenging long hikes as well.

What I hope to gain from the 50 hike challenge is adventure. I love the outdoors and physical activity but sometimes the weather and day-to-day activities keep me inside. It would be great to lose a few pounds and gain a few more muscles. And - last but not least, I sure hope friends and family join me for the hikes. Please call and let's go hiking!

The rules:

• I will start hiking on July 21st rain or shine and travel a different trail each day for 50 days.
• Most the trails will be in the Seward - Kenai area which will include Girdwood out to Northwestern Glacier. There is a chance that we travel to Denali Nat'l Park for a family trip before Allison leaves for college.
  
• Hikes can be any distance.
• Pictures will be posted showing the trail start and finish.
• Hiking will be fun even in the wind and rain.