Continued from the previous page . . .

PRETTY WILDFLOWERS

Lots of wildflowers were blooming all along the trail, from the shadier parts between 1,000 and 2,200 feet elevation to the sunnier spots above that.

I saw purple asters; blue-purple lupines; blue geraniums and mountain bluebells; white cow parsnips, daisies, bunchberries, sandwort, and yarrow; bright pink fireweed; lighter pink wood (prickly) roses and mountain cranberries; dark red columbines; cream-colored Indian paintbrush; yellow daisies and dandelions; and more:

 
Blue geraniums

Mountain bluebells

These lupines are "leggier" than the ones in our campground.

Nice collage of columbine, geraniums, yarrow, Indian paintbrush, and other pretty flowers

Northern yarrow

Cow parsnips, with one of the "Twins" peeking out from behind a cloud

ABOVE THE 2ND BENCH:  AN ALPINE PANORAMA

I would have continued beyond the official end of the trail even if I hadn't seen some other hikers going that way. I had time and that's just how I'm wired.

I'd seen photos of Eklutna Lake and Glacier from an overlook that is about half a mile farther on and I was determined to get there. You can't see the lake or down into the valley from the second bench near East Twin Pass. You've got to get up higher and/or farther south around the shoulder of the mountain to get those views.

Another motivation to keep going into the alpine meadows was finding what else there was to see from the ridge above me. Wandering around in the tundra -- any tundra -- is one of my favorite things to do. I love being above timberline in mountains so I can see grand vistas.

This view of Twin Peaks from the tundra is one of my favorite shots today.

You've got several hiking options beyond the second wooden bench if you want to keep climbing higher:

• head north toward the Twin Peaks and climb one or both of them,

• go cross-country or follow some faint game trails up to the long ridge or East Twin Pass above you to the east,

• or curve around to the south and continue on a more obvious-but-narrow trail on the mountain's shoulder that leads more directly to an overlook above the lake.

I chose the third option, which took me up to 3,340 feet. The overlook is about 3.1 miles from the trailhead if you go this way. It's the second gravel-y overlook and it's obvious; you'll know it when you get there because the whole lake and valley are visible below you.

When you reach this gravel overlook, keep following the trail (arrow) to see the lake.

After I sat on the bench eating a sandwich I started up the sometimes-gnarly trail through the tundra, hoping to get up to the long ridge above me. I could see five guys ahead of me and figured if they could get up there, so could I.  <grin> 

Two men went straight up to the ridge. The father-son trio appeared to follow the path heading toward the south side of the mountain overlooking the lake. I occasionally saw them in the distance when they were on high spots on the path, which went mostly up but had some dips.

I just kept following the dad and kids on the main path to see where they ended up. I was facing the sun going mostly south; my photos facing the other direction through the alpine area are more colorful.

Cody is highlighted as I followed the father-son trio (barely visible in distance,
above Cody) toward the overlook above Eklutna Lake and valley.

The trail is steep and rocky in places, smoother and flatter in others. The next photo looks back through pretty flowers toward the pass and down to the tree line:

For the next half mile past the bench I was walking away from the jagged Twin Peaks but turned frequently to look at them, hoping to see the rocky summits when the clouds briefly moved on.

Finally they were more visible above the clouds and I got some good pictures of them:

 

 

I was happy when the trail swung around the south side of the mountain enough that I could see more of the valley and even the water in Knik Arm far to the west.

I took this picture from the first gravel-y overlook; the arrow points to Knik Arm:

A CHUGACH MOUNTAIN HIGH

I followed the trail just a little higher and all the way around to the south part of the mountain until I reached the overlook I was aiming for and could see the whole length of Eklutna Lake below me:

Now that's just awesome! The views from up here are so worth the effort to hike three miles to see them.

The dad and his kids were just leaving when I got to the overlook. I stayed there alone for a few minutes to admire the panoramic views and watch a bald eagle circling overhead.

The Chugach Mountains around the lake were more visible than they were the day Jim and I rode our bikes on the Lakeside Trail and I could see farther into them from this elevation. It was interesting to visualize where Jim and I had been, although I couldn’t see the trail itself from my vantage point (trees mostly line the north and east side of it). The Lakeside Trail follows the shore to the left in these photos.

I could also see farther into the mountains at the southeast end of the lake. I like their names -- Bold, Bashful, Baleful, Bellicose, Benign . . .

Eklutna is just one of many glaciers in that range.

According to the Garmin GPS map track the unnamed mountain I was on reaches 4,500 feet. I couldn’t see the summit from my location. I thought the ridge right above me was the top but it was another 1,100 feet higher and apparently out of my sight.

If I ever hike this trail again I'd like to explore farther up the ridge. Who knows what I might see to the north and east??

TUNDRA PLANTS

As I transitioned from sub-alpine to alpine terrain on the steep grade just above the bench I saw some of the same kinds of wildflowers I saw farther down but they were shorter up here:

Wild geraniums, Indian paintbrush, and other wildflowers are very pretty a few hundred feet above the bench.

Even 500 feet in elevation at this latitude makes a big difference in the length of the growing season.

As I climbed past 3,000 feet elevation the tundra was covered in lichens, pink and green grasses, and short alpine flowers:

Scenic view of the Twin Peaks from the tundra

CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?

There was no Verizon cell reception along Lake Eklutna Rd. or on the Twin Peaks Trail until I was in the tundra and facing southwest toward Eklutna, Eagle River, and Anchorage; I had two signal bars up there:

I was able to leave a message for Jim to let him know I was running a little late (as usual -- I tend to underestimate the time it will take to complete a hike) and was on my way down.

I also called when I got to the freeway so he’d know I was safe. He was concerned about bears.

THE DESCENT  

I knew the descent in the tundra would be slow and tricky with Granny Knees. It's much easier on my knees to climb up than down. I took just one trekking pole so I’d have a free hand today.

Here are a few more photos I took going back down to tree line and a little past it:

 

 

 

 

I got down the steep, loose, narrow trail without incident but my knees were sore by the time I reached the truck. I had a lot of total descent today.

I enjoyed the trail, though, and I’d like to do it again someday. The views, especially from the high ridges, are well worth the climb.

For more information, this page from the Alaska State Parks website describes Twin Peaks and other trails in Chugach State Park. This one is a little more specific to the trails at Eklutna Lake. I haven't found a good map of the entire trail and I'm unable to show you my GPS track (long story).

HIKING WITH YOUR DOG ON THIS TRAIL

Cody did fine on the Twin Peaks Trail. He was off-leash the entire time except in the parking lot.

As mentioned earlier, both Cody and I were wearing bear bells. If any bears heard us coming, they remained hidden or left the area. All we saw was bear scat in one location.

If Cody or I had spotted a bear, I would have put him on his leash. That happened once on the west side of the Tetons a few years ago. His whole demeanor changed (hair bristled, nose rapidly scanned the air, came to a complete halt in front of me) and I figured out pretty fast that he smelled a bear. Less than a minute later another hiker coming toward me warned me after seeing a black bear.

Cody doesn't chase large game, fortunately, even deer. But I don't entirely trust him not to chase a bear if he sees one. If you hike this trail with a dog that might give chase, keep it leashed for its safety and yours.

Low-growing bunchberries AKA dogwood in the tundra

In addition to the risk of a bear encounter the Twin Peaks Trail has no water for dogs to drink, at least at this time of year. There might be some earlier in the season when there is snowmelt or more rain.

I was hoping we’d be near one or more creeks but there was no water at all for Cody. Keep that in mind if you hike with your dog on this trail. I had 100 oz. of water in my Camelbak bladder so I was able to give him water 3x (he also had more in the truck).

Next entry:  the unique spirit houses and old Russian Orthodox buildings at Eklutna Historical Park

Happy trails,

Sue
"Runtrails & Company" - Sue Norwood, Jim O'Neil, and Cody the ultra Lab

Previous       Next

© 2012 Sue Norwood and Jim O'Neil