April Bowl Trail

Hi there!

It was forecasted to be bright and sunny, albeit slightly cold, so I grabbed my gear and Fly and I picked up TheNurse and Kona and we drove to Hatcher Pass.  Fly and I haven’t ever done any hiking up in this area this deep into winter, because I like to avoid avalanche areas like the plague.  Hatcher Pass receives a ton of snow in the winter and is a popular destination for people looking to do winter recreational activities.  It is near town and easy to access. 

There was a flurry of activity down on the lower road, with skiers, sledders and snowboarders exiting the runs and idling vehicles waiting to take adventurers back up to the top of the run.  I used to sled and snowboard here all the time, back in high school: we would convince a couple of adults, often including my dad, to be our chauffeurs and shuttle us back up the mountain.  However, it was also common practice to hitch a ride with a passing truck, or pile into the bed of any truck idling at the bottom, regardless of whether you knew the driver or not. When the truck bed was full of passengers, the driver would leave and drive up to the top of the run for all the fun to begin again.  I imagine it was rather dull to be a chauffer: driving up and down the mountain over and over again all day.  Thanks, Dad.

Caught in action.

Anyway, because of this practice, I stopped the truck (right in the middle of the road) and let a snowboarder climb into the bed.  Up the mountain, he knocked on the truck at his desired stop and I again stopped in the road and he went on his way.  Be forewarned if you drive this road in the winter: don’t be in a hurry to get up to the top parking lot, the drive will be slow because of the possible random vehicle stops along the way.  This is just winter life in Hatchers.  Eventually, we managed to find a parking spot in the overflowing parking lot at the end of the plowed road leading to Independence Mine.  There were tons of people.  A sledding slope had been established not far from the lot, so families and their pets swarmed the area.  Snowmachiners had taken over the lower lot to park their trucks and trailers and I noticed that Search and Rescue had also set up there for the day.  I guess if needed, they are closer at hand this way.

The end of the road and the parking lot.

The road through Hatcher Pass is not maintained in the winter and the gate was closed.  This does not stop snowmachiners and other people from using the road: it is just closed to cars and trucks.  There was so much snow it was impossible to see where the road was anyway.  I left my snowshoes in the truck, because the snowmachines had packed a decent road for us to follow and we set off down the road and climbed up onto the unplowed pass road.

It was simple hiking, but the 6 miles round trip made for quite the workout.  Snow isn’t very easy on which to hike and the road was never once downhill or flat – it was always up, up, up.  I had to take off a jacket layer, because I was so hot in the 8*F temperature.  Kindly, the people on snowmachines would slow down as they passed us, so as to not throw snow up at us, or accidentally run over Fly and/or Kona.  The girls were good and didn’t chase the machines, so we hiked without fear. 

The moon!

We did hike past a small avalanche!

When we finally reached to top of the road and arrived at Summit Lake (elevation 3,885ft) we began looking for the trailhead for April Bowl trail.  TheNurse and I have both hiked April Bowl trail, though never together, and never in the winter.  Apparently, neither had anyone else this winter, because there wasn’t a trail, just a bunch of pure white snow.  We circled around the side of the mountain, where I know there is a waterfall somewhere under all the snow, and we found that a snowmachine and some brave soul on skis had climbed straight up the mountain from this side.  The summer trail has switchbacks – lots of them – but not today.  Today, we were going straight up that beast.  To say it was steep would be a gross understatement.  I had to put on my microspikes and even those didn’t keep me from sliding back down hill with each step; even Fly found it difficult to gain traction in the steep snow covered slope.

Straight up, yo!

After we gained the false summit, it was a gentler incline leading up to the lakes that dwell in April Bowl.  To my disappointment, they were buried under many, many feet of snow.  Someone visiting the area for the first time wouldn’t even guess that there were lakes in the area.  We trudged across them and postholed our way up to the ridge that leads to Hatch Peak.  I’d wanted to continue on to the peak, but Kona’s feet are apparently better suited to water than to snow and we knew we couldn’t continue.

Posthole walking is difficult - wish I had my snowshoes now.

Above Summit Lake

So, I retrieved the stove, pot, mugs, water, and snacks I had in my pack and made us some hot chocolate.  It was a glorious view from up there – looking down the valley that we had spent the better part of three hours climbing.  To my pleasant surprise, the wind wasn’t so very bad on the ridge, because I know sometimes it can get pretty fierce in that spot.

Watching snowmachines far below us.

We began our descent about the same time the sun began its own descent, so we were treated to beautiful golden alpenglow for the remainder of our hike back to the truck.  Ah, how easy it was to go down the valley!

That alpenglow!

Why walk when you can slide?

Summit Lake

 Most of the snowmachiners began making their way back as well, so we were in good company.   A low flying airplane dipped its wings at us to say hello in response to our waving arms.  There was a feeling of camaraderie that is so often achieved when likeminded people are out in nature together doing things that make them happy.  As if to emphasize my sentiment, a girl on a snowboard said “Best day ever!” as she slid past us and we wholeheartedly agreed.

 

Cottonwood Creek Trail

Hi there!

The cold weather we’ve been having has created some beautiful frost on the trees here, so Fly and I drove over to the Cottonwood Creek area of the Palmer Hay Flats.  I was hoping to be able to take nice frosty photos, but when we arrived in the parking lot, I could see that the wind had knocked off most of the frost from the trees and we were left with only a hint of the former splendor.  Oh well, it was nice to be outside in the fresh air anyway.

We hiked the 1.25 mile loop of Scout Ridge Nature Trail, instead of heading down onto the Flats, because there were two psychotic black labs barking and running amuck down there and the Nature trail beckoned to us with with quietly whispered solitude.

 

Last week’s warm temperatures, however, coupled with the current 7 degrees Fahrenheit, meant that the trail was icy, icy, icy.  Fly was unafraid and scampered and slipped her way along the trail; I was equally undeterred with microspikes securely attached to my new winter boots (more about those after I’ve had a chance to assess their performance).

Icy trail

There was a really nice overlook station right near the beginning of the trail that was wheelchair accessible, and the view is worth the work of pushing or rolling a chair-bound sightseer up to the top for a look-see and photo-op.  

But, the hike must go on, and the trail awkwardly continued behind the overlook and paralleled the ridge for quite some time, though the view was never as good as it was at the overlook.  There were a ton of tree roots reaching up to grab my feet in an attempt to trip me, so be aware of the uneven, rough hewn terrain.

Trees veil the view.

Lots of roots

Periodically the trail branched, but there were little trail markers tacked on trees denoting the correct path to follow.  Speaking of the trees, they were mostly birch and spruce, no surprise there, and the woods were sparse enough to make me feel that I could adequately see my surroundings and Fly darting here and there, but not too thinly treed that I didn’t feel we weren’t hiking in the woods.

Brown trail marker above Fly

We deviated off the trail to take photos of two Bald eagles that were perched in a tall tree: they were calling and chattering away to each other like a couple of gossiping teenage girls.  One finished what it had to say and flew off just as we arrived near the base of the tree, so we only got a photo of the one remaining “glorified vulture,” as Teddy Roosevelt once called them.

When the trail looped back and we were headed in the opposite direction, the trees changed to mostly spruce and the trail widened. I started keeping my eyes out for moose and the improbable bear (I can’t help looking for bear, even in the winter, it’s just a habit).  The feeling of the woods on this side of the loop seemed to be so different from the ridge side of the loop.  Do this hike and tell me if you sense that it feels different in this section too. 

A lake was visible through the trees on our right hand (paw) side, so we eagerly took the spur trail that led down to the lake.  It’s a typical swampy Alaskan marsh lake, from what I could tell in its currently frozen situation.  We wandered out on it and Fly took the opportunity to eat a bit of ice and stand around posing while I sat, microspikes removed by this time, and enjoyed the coolness of the ice.  Naturally, since Fly had just taken a bath yesterday, she needed to roll around in the snow a bit to remove any trace of cleanliness still left on her body.

Oh yeah...much better.

The light was fading, so we hurriedly trotted along the trail back towards the parking lot.  On the way, we spotted a birdhouse affixed to a tree – evidence of Boy Scout presence, no doubt.  Keep an eye out for the trail marker informing the side trail to take back to the parking lot, otherwise, the main trail will end at the road and you’ll either have to backtrack or wander down the road to your vehicle.

All in all, it was a nice, easy, short hike.  If done in the winter, chances are good that it won’t be crowded with other people and dogs.  We will be doing this one again in the summer, just to see how it looks then.  I bet the overlook view will still be fantastic in summer colors!

Hiking with a Karelian Bear Dog

Hi there!

Hiking with a Karelian Bear Dog is not like hiking with any ol’ dog or another human.  It is a hybrid: part companion, part tool for protection.  I know I am secure with a KBD around me.

The first bear I ever encountered with a Karelian was sudden and insightful.  We were hiking along a very brushy section of the woods, toward late afternoon/evening and were passed by a trail runner and his medium sized shorthaired mix-breed dog.  They ran on past us and out of sight.  About 5 minutes later, we passed the spot where I had seen them go around a bend and my KBD suddenly darted off the trail to the right.  He was blindingly fast and I was rather surprised.  Even more surprised when a black bear leaped up from behind a bush about 5 feet from the trail and ran farther into the woods, being chased by my fearless dog.  Both were silent, except for the crash of twigs and leaves under their speeding paws.  I had two simultaneous thoughts: “That bear was waiting for us.” and “My dog is going to chase it for miles.”  However, just as fast as he had taken off, the Karelian stopped – he was about 30 yards off the trail, with the bear another 10 yards beyond him – and the bear stopped.  The bear then spun around and faced him, but my KBD barked and the bear stood still.  Then my dog glanced back at me, backed up a step in my direction, and barked again at the bear.  I got the message and sidestepped down the trail, past where the bear had been, while the dog kept himself between the bear (who didn’t look like it was enjoying the experience and just wanted to leave, but was afraid to move) and me.  After I’d gone another 10 yards, I called my dog and he slowly backed his way to me and we carried on with our hike.  My nerves and adrenalin were in full force and I kept glancing behind me every few steps, but the Karelian was as calm as ever: he just resumed his casual saunter down the trail, as if nothing had happened.

  

That trail, Crow Pass, is 23 miles long (which I’ll write more about later).  We encountered 4 more black bears before we were finished; each time the bears were either on the trail or close to it and each time the KBD swiftly, efficiently, and quietly pushed the bears off the trail just far enough for me to safely pass.  Seriously, it was awesome.

Fly and I hike on leash in populated areas and off leash when we are out and away from crowded trails.  Karelians are natural roamers and will go out from you searching and exploring while keeping loosely with you, if that makes sense.  This is easier in the alpine, where I can see Fly from a great distance away.  In the woods, I like to have her in front of me on the trail, so she can push bears or get to whatever may be in the trail ahead of me.  Fly is learning to go in front, but stop at bends in the trail until she sees me again and then continue.  We are also working on her going out from me and then coming back to me, over and over again throughout our hike.  She gets a treat each time she returns to check-in with me.  Regardless, don’t expect a KBD to follow along at your heels while hiking – that’s not how they operate.

The reason I don’t like to have Fly on a leash is that I need her to be ready to protect me at any moment.  If I would have had my KBD on a leash that late afternoon, he wouldn’t have been able to immediately and proactively push the bear away from the trail.  A leash could get caught in the underbrush, tangle around legs, and hamper the dog’s ability to be agile enough to stay out of harm. 

Take away lessons:

·        Karelian Bear Dogs are hyper aware of their surroundings, even if they look relaxed.  That trail runner and, more importantly, his dog totally missed the fact that they ran within claw’s reach of a very large black bear.

·      Karelians will act swiftly and without being told.  They will take charge.  That’s ok with me, since I was temporarily frozen in fear.

·      My KBD wasn’t trying to harass wildlife, just push it safely away from me: exactly what I need/want. 

·      He didn’t keep running and chasing for miles.  Nor did he run, tail between his legs, back toward me when the bear turned and faced him: he stopped, barked, and stood his ground.  The last thing I want is for my dog to lead an angry bear back to where I’m standing, so I can get mauled.

·      Karelians will roam up, down, and around the trail.

·      Leashes can be useful, but they can also be a potentially harmful hindrance.

*I’m not saying you shouldn’t have your dog on a leash, please use common sense, follow rules, and know your dog’s level of training.

Crevasse-Moraine Trail

Hi there!

With all this new snow on the ground, I was able to convince TheMother to put her casserole in the fridge instead of the oven and join Fly and me for a late morning/early afternoon hike along Crevasse-Moraine trail.  We’d received the new MSB annual day-use parking pass in the mail, so with the window sticker in place, we parked next to the only other car in the lot and chose our trail.

The trails have names as well as numbers for the loops and letters for the junctions.  We decided to take the Outer Loop to begin and ended up hiking loops 1-8 for a total of about 5 miles.

Right at the beginning of the trail system there is a big sledding hill, with a pavilion for festivities down at the bottom of the slope.  The picnic tables were upended for winter, but I’m sure they get a lot of use during the summer.

There were a lot of junctions and paths to follow, but the trail markers were plentiful and easy to follow.  Naturally, we ended up doing the challenging stuff by accident.  Ugh.

Since I’ve packed my microspikes the last few trips and didn’t need them, I foolishly left them, along with my poles, at home this trip.  However, underneath the 4 inches of fresh snow, the trail was pure ice.  Fly slipped, TheMother slipped, and I fell more than I have over the past four years combined.

This trail is filled with hills.  Icy, icy, icy hills.  One of them was so slick we decided it was better to just sit down and slide to the bottom of the hill.

I’m not kidding about the hills though - even the signpost writers were keenly aware of all the hills. 

Moose seem to enjoy the area and one of them took advantage of a newly fallen willow tree across the trail and ate the tips and stripped the bark as a snack.  Yum yum.

The scenery was lovely with all the fresh snow, but it’s probably enjoyable at anytime of year.  The trees are nice and it looks like there’s a variety of shrubbery, such as devil’s club, highbush cranberry, and ferns.   The only downside to all the tall trees is that they block the glorious mountain views.  Keep your eyes up for brief peeks of the peaks.

  

We returned by way of the trails named Subway and Expressway.  By the time we reached the sledding hill, it was filled with a couple dozen adventurers pulling assorted sleds and innertubes; a few brave souls slid down with nothing but their bodies on the icy slope, like penguins.

There are other trails that we had neither time nor energy to tackle on this hike, so Fly and I will definitely be making a return visit to Crevasse-Moraine.