Resurrection Pass Trail

Hi there!

It's Trail Tuesday.

One of the hiking trails I have done at least 6 times is Resurrection Pass Trail.  It never disappoints, if you are someone who is ready for anything.  Each time I travel this trail, it is different: some years there is a ton of snow still in the pass, some years the streams and bridges are flooded, one year my usual watering hole was dry, it may snow or rain and be cold or be sunny and warm and dry.  You get the picture.  The three constants of the trail are: not many people, it is always beautiful, and there will be bears. 

***Bears, have I mentioned yet that I am terrified of bears?  Enter the Karelian Bear Dog (KBD) into my life.  But, we will save the whole bear fear and Karelian love affair for a future post.***

Anyway, back to the trail.  Resurrection Pass Trail, or Rez Trail, is located in Southcentral Alaska, on the Kenai Pensula.  It is a 38-mile thru-hike between Hope and Cooper Landing.  It can be hiked in either direction, but I like to start in Hope, because then I can hike down Devil’s Pass and not up it.  Some folks do it over a weekend, but I’m not a fast hiker and like to take 4 or 5 days so I can sightsee and take mini excursions after I set up my tent.  There are 8 public-use cabins along the way that can be rented ahead of time and at least 19 campsites for tent camping, but you could tent camp anywhere that suits your fancy, which is what I usually do.  Just be sure to use “Leave No Trace” practices, so things stay nice for future hikers.

The trail is well marked, though basic navigation skills are handy if there is a ton of snow in the pass and visibility is low or the trail is obscured.  Don’t let that dissuade you though, really, common sense should serve you well.  There is a parking lot at either end of the trail, so you’ll need to do some transportation planning.  Don’t plan on having any cell service at any point on the trail – you may get lucky, but I doubt it.

Okay, ready to hike?  Let’s go!

  

I usually do this hike in June, because any earlier and there is a good chance of running into deep snow in the pass.  The hike starts out in the trees at 300ft above sea level and road noise is quickly left behind as a forgotten memory.   The birch and evergreen trees are especially nice and there are a lot of ferns.  Be on the lookout for porcupine.

On that note: I now always carry a little pair of pliers in my backpack to pull quills out of my dog’s face, or my leg, or whatever.  Hiking with quills is not awesome.

There are a number of stream crossings, but unless it’s a year of flooding, there should be a bridge of some sort.

Then it’s a gradual up and down trek that slowly climbs to 2,600ft at the pass, where the trees are replaced by tundra.  If you listen, you will probably hear pika whistle as they call to alert each other of your presence.  The trail follows a shallow snowmelt stream, so stay to the right, on the slope, and avoid getting your feet wet.

Be prepared for snow in the pass if it was an especially snowy winter or if spring has been cold.  Here's a photo from when I was in high school and a group of us hiked in a ton of snow.

As I mentioned, there are cabins that can be rented.  If you’re willing to spend the money, a warm cabin is awesome after a few days of hiking.  I would recommend a cabin by a lake: either Swan Lake or Juneau Lake, both are gorgeous.

Now, remember I mentioned bears?  Yeah, this is Alaska and there are bears.  I’ve seen bears or sign of bears on this trail each and every year I’ve hiked it.  Be bear aware: have some sort of protection, cook and keep your food away from where you sleep, and don’t hike in silence.  Some people use bells, I hate them, so I just talk in a normal voice to my hiking partner.  Also, cast an occasional glance behind you as you hike – bears have been known to stalk follow behind hikers.  I had an especially memorable night with a bear and my KBD on this trail, but that story needs its own post, stay tuned.  There’s a good chance other wildlife could be spotted as well: sheep, beaver, moose, flocks of birds, and any number of squirrels.

There is a fantastic series of waterfalls, Juneau Creek Falls, about 4 miles from the Cooper Landing trailhead.  They are the perfect place to spend the last night, or to stop and have lunch.  Day hikers are likely to be seen on this last stretch of the trail, because of the falls, but after 5 days in relative solitude, it’s nice to see some people.  The trail begins to descend via a series of switchbacks and the highway can be heard the closer to the trailhead you hike.  This part is always bittersweet for me.

Resurrection Pass Trail is a must do, if you like to hike in the mountains, but don’t necessarily want a steep, super technical trek.  The length and variety of scenery make it very fulfilling.  It will always hold a special place in my heart and I hope you enjoy Rez Trail too!

Middle Fork Loop

Hi there!

Fly came to work with me, because we had a hike planned for the afternoon and we didn’t want to waste any time driving back and forth from the office to the house and then to the trail.   She spent the morning roaming the office, looking out my boss’ window at the passerby, and ruthlessly ripping the fluff out of her stuffed animal.  I made sure she had a hearty lunch to build her strength for all the energy I knew she would expend during our hike.

The weather was a chilly 7 degrees Fahrenheit and overcast.  Unfortunately, I’d remembered all my hiking gear except my snowpants!  Remember to pack your gear - don’t be me.  Fly and I drove over to TheRocketScientist’s house and we jumped into his warm truck and said hi to his two dogs.  I didn’t know what trail we were doing, so I was just along for the ride.  TheRocketScientist let me borrow a pair of his warm-up pants, but I stuffed them in my pack, because I wanted to see how I’d do sans insulated pants.  He navigated the icy, hilly back roads and told me we were going to hike Middle Fork Loop; I’d never heard of it and he’d never hiked it, so we were both newbies to this one.

As it turns out, the trailhead parking lot is actually the start of numerous trails.  There are signposts everywhere that list several trails and arrows pointing the directions hikers should follow for specific trails.  Fly and I were here last year when we hiked Wolverine Peak.

Once we were on the trail and had been hiking for a bit, I stopped to get a photo, but alas, my camera cruelly informed me that I’d forgotten to put the memory card back in the camera.  Doh!  Don’t be me, get your gear in order.  So, unfortunately, we will have to make do with phone camera photos for this hike.  As a side note, when we hiked Wolverine last year, I’d forgotten my camera battery and couldn’t take photos of that trip at all.  Seriously, don’t be me.

About a mile into our journey, it occurred to me that I didn’t know how long this trail was or where we were going.  Upon inquiry, TheRocketScientist casually informed me that the loop is 6 miles.  Oh boy, I wasn’t mentally prepared for such a lengthy afternoon hike, but hey, no going back now, so Fly and I marched along.

A very interesting smell coming from this area.

The trail was hard packed snow, not very slippery, and had an easy incline to it.  Fly busied herself with sniffing all the many rabbit tracks and moose tracks that crisscrossed the trail.  It was such a sunny day and I was moving at such a good pace, that I forgot about the cold and didn’t need those pants after all.  The clouds kept the sun from being direct and bright and made the snowy white landscape rather dreamy with diffused light.

After a more than mild uphill section of the trail, I had to pause and catch my breath; while I was looking about, I turned around and saw Anchorage far below us.  What a sight!  People say the city is large, but it always looks so tiny to me, with its few tall buildings and many green treed areas swirling around the city.  Mt. Susitna was visible across the inlet, as were the distant, enormous giants of the Alaska Range: Mt. Foraker, Mt. Hunter, Mt. McKinley, and Moose’s Tooth.  My pitiful phone just couldn’t capture their splendor, sorry.  I didn’t even attempt a photo of them.

Just a tad steep

Anchorage and Mt. Susitna (Sleeping Lady)

We hiked past three separate moose browsing in the willow shrubs.  The views of the mountains were 360* and they felt so near.  Actually they were near - we were in the mountains.  I particularly enjoyed the trail as we climbed farther above the treeline and into the alpine.

Williwaw trail is on my to-hike list!

There were several bridge crossings and I could tell that the area is pretty wet in the warmer months.  Not only were there bridges, but also quite a bit of the trail had planks and boardwalks, just visible under the snow, for hikers to keep their feet out of the mud and to protect the trail from too much foot damage.  We also had to navigate across wide ice flows, which were super slippery and fun.  They looked like large, iridescent pillows.

Boardwalk, just visible in the snow.

Ice pillows

Eventually, we crossed a bridge to the other side of the ravine that we had mostly been paralleling as we hiked and we flipped the U in our loop trail, so that the trail was now headed back toward Anchorage.  I really enjoy trails that are loops, because I get to see more scenery and don’t have to backtrack the trail home.  Loops are perfect.

The backside of Flattop, Peak 2, etc...

This arm of the U, or loop, runs along the massive powerline that cuts across the Chugach mountains and sends power to communities further South.  The walk was easy and all down hill.  We left the powerline as the trail diverged into a tall stand of evergreen trees  - it was really fun to hike through them.  We came across a sobering sign reminding hikers of bears.  Yep, bear country.  Happily, all those bruins should be slumbering or hiding from winter in some unknown home in the mountains, so we were safe.

Bearanoia - it's a thing.

I did enjoy this hike and can’t wait to return to the area and try a different trail to a different location.  The area is just so beautiful.  Oh, and TheRocketScientist sent me a text when Fly and I got home, informing me that the hike had been 8 miles!

Barn Hunt

Hi there!

Barn Hunt is a dog sport that is gaining popularity and attendance.  Fly started participating in Barn Hunt last summer.  It was our first organized dog activity of any kind, so we signed up for lessons at our local kennel club.  The four, 45 minute, once a week lessons, cost $40 and served as an introduction to the sport, the rules, and taught us strategies for success.  Knowing what I know now, I would say the introductory class isn’t necessary.  Read this post and you can save yourself some cash.  You will learn all you need to know by reading this and then taking your canine competitor to a practice session.

Not a bad weekend!

First, what is Barn Hunt?  Essentially, it is a sport that simulates dogs hunting vermin in a barn.  Animal lovers start to hyperventilate at this point in the explanation, fearing for the little vermin lives, but breathe easy my friends, all animals are safe and loved in this sport, even the rats.   As I was saying… hay bales are arranged in a small fenced in area (the “barn”) and pvc tubes are hidden in the hay – one tube (or more) holds a rat, one or more tubes have just rat bedding, and a few tubes will be empty.  The idea is for the dog to find the tubes that have live rats in them and ignore the other tubes.

There are levels of difficulty, with the number of hidden tubes and/or the hay course itself, as well as the time allotted to complete the challenge.  Not only does the dog need to find one or more tubes with rats, but the dog must also perform a climb up on a hay bale and go through a hay bale tunnel. 

Fly in action

Each dog competes in the “barn” alone with its human handler.  The human is not allowed to touch the dog as the dog runs and searches through the hay off leash.  When the dog finds a rat tube, the human says “Rat!” and if it is indeed a tube with a rat inside, the human can hold the dog while the tube with the rat in it is removed from the “barn” and the challenge continues.  If the dog guesses wrong and there isn’t a rat in the tube, the challenge is finished. 

This is a very spectator friendly sport.  People young and old quickly become engaged in watching each dog as it tries to find the rats, not the empty tubes, and complete the obstacle course in the allotted time.  It can be a rather “edge of your seat” experience at times.  Most spectators get to know the individual dogs and there are quite a few crowd favorites.  It is free to attend a BH competition, so if you’d like to just go and see how it all works, you have nothing to lose.

To participate, most people read the rule book (it isn’t very thick) and bring their dogs to practice sessions.  These sessions are run similar to an actual trial, meaning the human and dog do not know where the rats are hidden, but it usually isn’t timed and the people helping run the “barn” can talk to you and help you teach your dog what to do.  My club charges $5 for each run-through practice.

Fly had to get used to climbing and standing on top of a hay bale.  Those things wobble and some dogs need a bit of time to get used to the feel.  It took Fly a few attempts, but now she’s a pro.  Another challenge for her was going through a tunnel.  At first, she was like “Nope,” but after calling to her from the other side, and a lot of praise, she was all about the tunnel.  The basic tunnel is a short, straight tunnel, so it is easy for the newbie dog to learn.  Then the tunnels get more advanced with turns and such, so it keeps things interesting.  Fly practices her tunnel skills with dining room chairs covered with sheets, or a couple big cardboard boxes taped together.  Use what you have.  Fly also had to learn what she was supposed to be “hunting” by smelling a rat in a tube.  Then, instinct took over and she knew what she wanted to find.  That rat musk is irresistible!

Now, about those rats: they are owned by a club member and treated like pets.  Several members have pet rats, actually.  This possibly makes it easier to train the dog, during at home practice but I’m not convinced.  Fly hunts for the rats no problem, but we don’t own any.  Anyway, back to the rats. - the tubes they hang out in are of specific dimensions per BH rules, have lots of airflow, and have to be placed and handled with care.  There is even a maximum amount of time they can be kept “at work” before they must take a break and another rat gets the job.  In some cities where rats cannot be kept as pets, gerbils or hamsters are used. 

All types of dogs are allowed to participate: old dogs, tripod dogs, even deaf dogs, as well as any breed or mixed breed.  It is a good sport for elderly humans, since the human doesn’t have to be very mobile, though folks with respiratory issues might have difficulty with the rat musk and hay dust.  The dog must be friendly toward humans and other dogs: no fighting allowed.  In order to participate, your dog must have a BH registration number, which you apply for online and send in a one-time fee of $30.  There is no annual membership fee, but you do have to pay for each trial in which you want your dog to compete – prices range from $5-$25 depending on which level of competition your dog has achieved.

Dogs can begin at the Instinct or Novice level.  Technically, Instinct is lower than Novice and is less challenging.  Once a dog has passed and earned a title at a particular level, the dog cannot be entered for a lesser trial.  After Instinct and then Novice, dogs compete in Open, then Senior, then Master.  Each level becomes more challenging, of course, though some people say Senior is more difficult than Master. 

Fly has a very high prey drive, so she does well hunting for the rats.  We opted to not compete in Instinct, because it was too basic for Fly.  Instinct level does not hide the tubes and the dog simply has to indicate which tube contains the rat.  Easy peasy for Fly.  So, she started in Novice, where she had to hunt in the hay for the correct tube.  According to the official BH records, Fly is the first Karelian Bear Dog to ever win a Novice title!  Yay us!

Fly poses with the Judge after her Novice title win!

Winning titles progresses slowly for us here in Alaska, because there are only a limited number of trails in our area each year: nine days worth, to be exact.  This would be a lot, if we could attend all of them, but they are only held on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, three times a year, during the Spring and Summer.  I work on Fridays and two of those exact Saturdays, so we are really limited to only competing four days a year.  If we lived in the Lower 48, we could really cruise along and earn titles faster.  Oh well, it makes the wins so much sweeter, when we have to wait and anticipate and hope!

If you would like to learn more about BH, find a club, or get a registration number, visit the official Barn Hunt website.  It has been my experience that BH people are super friendly and willing to answer your questions, offer advice and tips for success, and everyone cheers for each other during trials.  It is a positive, supportive, and fun dog oriented community.  If you have a dog and you’re looking for an inexpensive, low stress, organized activity to do with your dog, give BH a try.  At the very least, go watch an event and I bet you’ll be hooked!

Stay tuned this summer to read about Fly's BH competitions.  The first trial is scheduled for April 6th; I'm hoping I can get approved for time off work.