Album: gallery:20090808-20090816 Alaska

Alaska Trip 8 August - 16 August 2009

Peak 3805 and Mount Eklutna
Over the south side of Bear Mountain (whose summit we skipped this time) toward Chugiak and Turnagain Arm.

Peak 3805 and Mount Eklutna
Lump on the ridge and Bear Mountain's summit from the summit of Peak 3805.

Peak 3805 and Mount Eklutna
Looking from the summit of Peak 3805 toward Mount Eklutna.

Peak 3805 and Mount Eklutna
Jon on Peak 3805 with Peters Creek behind him.

Peak 3805 and Mount Eklutna
Robin on Peak 3805 with Mount Eklutna behind her.

Peak 3805 and Mount Eklutna
Jon on Mount Eklutna with Peak 3805 behind him.

Peak 3805 and Mount Eklutna
Robin on Mount Eklutna.

Peak 3805 and Mount Eklutna
Looking down at Peters Creek.

Peak 3805 and Mount Eklutna
Looking back at Turnagain Arm, Bear Mountain, and Peak 3805.

Peak 3805 and Mount Eklutna
East along the ridge past Mount Eklutna. Someday...

Peak 3805 and Mount Eklutna
Looking east into a side valley of Peters Creek. The map shows an old road an a cabin somewhere down there.

Peak 3805 and Mount Eklutna
West back toward Mount Eklutna.

Peak 3805 and Mount Eklutna
Down into the valley with the Mount Eklutna trail.

Peak 3805 and Mount Eklutna
Looking south as we descend.

Mt. Gordon Lyon and Rendezvous Peak
Robin in the fireweed on our way up to the saddle between these peaks.

Mt. Gordon Lyon and Rendezvous Peak
Up the trail toward the saddle.

Mt. Gordon Lyon and Rendezvous Peak
Jon on the saddle.

Mt. Gordon Lyon and Rendezvous Peak
Looking up toward Mt. Gordon Lyon.

Mt. Gordon Lyon and Rendezvous Peak
Robin on the rocky sub-summit of Mt. Gordon Lyon.

Mt. Gordon Lyon and Rendezvous Peak
Jon on the summit of Mt. Gordon Lyon.

Mt. Gordon Lyon and Rendezvous Peak
Looking across Eagle River at Mile Hi Saddle, Mount Magnificent, Baldy, Blacktail Ptarmigan Rocks, and Roundtop.

Mt. Gordon Lyon and Rendezvous Peak
Looking up the South Fork of Eagle River.

Mt. Gordon Lyon and Rendezvous Peak
Highland Mountain.

Mt. Gordon Lyon and Rendezvous Peak
Robin on the summit of Mt. Gordon Lyon.

Mt. Gordon Lyon and Rendezvous Peak
Down the rocky ridge toward Hiland Drive.

Mt. Gordon Lyon and Rendezvous Peak
West from Mt. Gordon Lyon.

Mt. Gordon Lyon and Rendezvous Peak
Southeast from Mt. Gordon Lyon.

Mt. Gordon Lyon and Rendezvous Peak
East from Mt. Gordon Lyon.

Mt. Gordon Lyon and Rendezvous Peak
Way off into the Chugach.

Mt. Gordon Lyon and Rendezvous Peak
Looking back from the flank of Rendezvous at Mt. Gordon Lyon.

Mt. Gordon Lyon and Rendezvous Peak
Along the side of Rendezvous Peak, on our way up.

Mt. Gordon Lyon and Rendezvous Peak
Robin on Rendezvous Peak.

Mt. Gordon Lyon and Rendezvous Peak
Jon on Rendezvous Peak.

Mt. Gordon Lyon and Rendezvous Peak
East from Rendezvous Peak.

Mt. Gordon Lyon and Rendezvous Peak
Heading down toward the ski lifts.

Mt. Gordon Lyon and Rendezvous Peak
Looking back up the ski lift and valley toward Rendezvous Peak.

Lazy Mountain and Matanuska Peak
Heading up the Lazy Mountain Trail. This trail is steep!

Lazy Mountain and Matanuska Peak
Heading up to Lazy Mountain, looking back at Pioneer Peak.

Lazy Mountain and Matanuska Peak
Pioneer Peak and fireweed.

Lazy Mountain and Matanuska Peak
Jon's smiling because he gets to take a break from walking up the very steep Lazy Mountain trail.

Lazy Mountain and Matanuska Peak
Looking southwest from the Lazy Mountain Trail.

Lazy Mountain and Matanuska Peak
Our first view of Matanuska Peak since the start of the trail.

Lazy Mountain and Matanuska Peak
Looking southwest again.

Lazy Mountain and Matanuska Peak
Fireweed.

Lazy Mountain and Matanuska Peak
Matanuska Peak from the one semi-flat spot on the Lazy Mountain Trail.

Lazy Mountain and Matanuska Peak
Looking southeast toward the Knik Glacier.

Lazy Mountain and Matanuska Peak
Matanuska Peak in the distance.

Lazy Mountain and Matanuska Peak
Jon on the one flat spot on the way to Lazy Mountain.

Lazy Mountain and Matanuska Peak
Getting closer to the top of Lazy Mountain. It's still steep.

Lazy Mountain and Matanuska Peak
First view of the false summit. This did have our hopes up for just a little while.

Lazy Mountain and Matanuska Peak
The summit of Lazy Mountain with Pioneer Peak, Twin Peaks, Goat Mountain, Mount POW-MIA, Mount Eklutna, and Bear Mountain off in the distance.

Lazy Mountain and Matanuska Peak
Jon at the summit of Lazy Mountain.

Lazy Mountain and Matanuska Peak
Looking back at the summit of Lazy Mountain from the far side.

Lazy Mountain and Matanuska Peak
Along the ridge after Lazy Mountain.

Lazy Mountain and Matanuska Peak
Along the ridge. The little flag marks part of the Matanuska Peak Challenge, which is slightly longer, and has much more elevation gain, than what we did.

Lazy Mountain and Matanuska Peak
Along the ridge, looking back the way we came.

Lazy Mountain and Matanuska Peak
Jon on the ridge.

Lazy Mountain and Matanuska Peak
Along the ridge, looking north toward the Talkeetnas.

Lazy Mountain and Matanuska Peak
Along the ridge. After climbing the lump behind Robin, we had to then descend hundreds of feet to the ridge that leads to Matanuska Peak.

Lazy Mountain and Matanuska Peak
Getting closer...

Lazy Mountain and Matanuska Peak
Looking back along the ridge to Lazy Mountain. At this point, the ridge gets sharper and changes direction to head mostly south to Matanuska Peak.

Lazy Mountain and Matanuska Peak
Continuing up with Lazy Mountain behind.

Lazy Mountain and Matanuska Peak
Heading up still.

Lazy Mountain and Matanuska Peak
Looking along our chosen ridge all the way to the summit.

Lazy Mountain and Matanuska Peak
"We're going up that?"

Lazy Mountain and Matanuska Peak
Along the final ridge, looking at the imposing (and probably quite loose) north face of Matanuska Peak.

Lazy Mountain and Matanuska Peak
Looking north across Peak 3800+ into the Granite Creek valley in the Talkeetnas.

Lazy Mountain and Matanuska Peak
Looking all the way back along the ridge toward Lazy Mountain and Palmer.

Lazy Mountain and Matanuska Peak
Only a short bit of ridge-walking to go before we start up the steep scree and then boulder slope to the summit.

Lazy Mountain and Matanuska Peak
Looking down into McRoberts Creek.

Lazy Mountain and Matanuska Peak
Jon is pondering our location...

Lazy Mountain and Matanuska Peak
...when Robin says, "No, no, no. We're going up, that way."

Lazy Mountain and Matanuska Peak
On the steep scree slope. On the horizon is the giant prominent gendarme that can be seen very clearly all the way in Chugiak. As we approached this, both of us refused to believe we were as close to the summit as we actually were, but were pleasantly surprised once we got there.

Lazy Mountain and Matanuska Peak
Past the scree slope, into the talus.

Lazy Mountain and Matanuska Peak
One more loose slope to go as we traverse toward the south flank.

Lazy Mountain and Matanuska Peak
Heading up the south flank of Matanuska Peak, looking at the ridge of the McRoberts Creek Cirque.

Lazy Mountain and Matanuska Peak
A bit higher up the south flank.

Lazy Mountain and Matanuska Peak
Looking at the east side of the McRoberts Creek Cirque. There's a trail over the saddle at the bottom left.

Lazy Mountain and Matanuska Peak
Looking over the other side of the saddle at a glacier-fed lake.

Lazy Mountain and Matanuska Peak
Heading up the talus field to the summit.

Lazy Mountain and Matanuska Peak
Up the talus field...

Lazy Mountain and Matanuska Peak
Getting higher. Looking south at the Knik Glacier.

Lazy Mountain and Matanuska Peak
Looking southwest as we get higher.

Lazy Mountain and Matanuska Peak
Up we go, pausing for pictures.

Lazy Mountain and Matanuska Peak
The summit of Matanuska Peak with the northern Chugach in the distance. Robin is happily in her element here.

Lazy Mountain and Matanuska Peak
Looking over the edge at Matanuska Peak's steep North Face.

Lazy Mountain and Matanuska Peak
On the summit.

Lazy Mountain and Matanuska Peak
The top of the giant gendarme from the summit.

Lazy Mountain and Matanuska Peak
McRoberts Creek and Palmer.

Lazy Mountain and Matanuska Peak
South from the summit.

Lazy Mountain and Matanuska Peak
Jon on the summit with the register.

Lazy Mountain and Matanuska Peak
East from the summit with a grand view of a tiny selection of the peaks of the Northern Chugach.

Lazy Mountain and Matanuska Peak
Northeast from the summit toward Wolverine Creek.

Lazy Mountain and Matanuska Peak
North and slightly east from the summit.

Lazy Mountain and Matanuska Peak
North from the summit.

Lazy Mountain and Matanuska Peak
Looking into McRoberts Creek Valley, with Lazy Mountain off to the right.

Lazy Mountain and Matanuska Peak
Looking north into the lower Wolverine Creek valley, with the red Peak 3800+ on the other side.

Lazy Mountain and Matanuska Peak
Looking north along the ridge we hiked with the Matanuska River beyond.

Lazy Mountain and Matanuska Peak
Starting down. One of the orange trail markers is just visible.

Lazy Mountain and Matanuska Peak
A closer view of the unnamed glacier to the east that is the source of Wolverine Creek (Wolverine Glacier?).

Lazy Mountain and Matanuska Peak
One last view south toward the Knik Glacier.

Lazy Mountain and Matanuska Peak
Heading down as the clouds blow through the pass immediately south of Matanuska Peak.

Lazy Mountain and Matanuska Peak
Looking back at the clouds that have enveloped Matanuska Peak.

Lazy Mountain and Matanuska Peak
Heading down to the head of McRoberts Creek valley.

Lazy Mountain and Matanuska Peak
Watching the rain soaking Palmer and heading our way.

Lazy Mountain and Matanuska Peak
Looking back up Matanuska Peak.

Lazy Mountain and Matanuska Peak
The rain's a comin'!

Lazy Mountain and Matanuska Peak
Looking across Lazy Mountain toward the Talkeetnas. Hmm, it looks sunny up there...

Lazy Mountain and Matanuska Peak
Looking back at Matanuska Peak from the McRoberts Creek valley.

Lazy Mountain and Matanuska Peak
A couple of moose that very very unimpressed by our presence.

Lazy Mountain and Matanuska Peak
Looking back at Matanuska Peak from farther down the trail.

Lazy Mountain and Matanuska Peak
Heading down the trail.

Lazy Mountain and Matanuska Peak
Fireweed.

Lazy Mountain and Matanuska Peak
Robin in the fireweed.

Lazy Mountain and Matanuska Peak
Looking back up McRoberts Creek valley toward Matanuska Peak.

Lazy Mountain and Matanuska Peak
Down the trail with Pioneer Peak and friends in the distance.

Lazy Mountain and Matanuska Peak
One last look at Matanusak Peak.

Blueberry Picking
Above the clouds.

Blueberry Picking
Just getting started.

Blueberry Picking
Above the clouds.

Mount Magnificent
Just above Mile-Hi Saddle, looking back toward Eagle River.

Mount Magnificent
A view back at Baldy.

Mount Magnificent
Our first look at Blacktail Ptarmigan Rocks.

Mount Magnificent
The very steep path that leads east from Mile-Hi Saddle.

Mount Magnificent
Getting higher above the saddle.

Mount Magnificent
Our first view of Vista, with Blacktail Rocks at left.

Mount Magnificent
On our first lump after Mile-Hi Saddle.

Mount Magnificent
Looking east from the lump.

Mount Magnificent
Looking toward Anchorage from the lump.

Mount Magnificent
Looking up the Eagle River valley from the lump.

Mount Magnificent
Looking back over Mile-Hi Saddle at (L-R) "Mount Tit", Point 863 (which has a nice overlook), and Baldy.

Mount Magnificent
Robin in front of Blacktail Rocks.

Mount Magnificent
Mount Gordon Lyon, Hiland Peak, and the Nike site.

Mount Magnificent
A closeup of Blacktail Rocks.

Mount Magnificent
Looking from the first lump on the ridge toward the second.

Mount Magnificent
Jon on the first lump.

Mount Magnificent
On our way along the trail.

Mount Magnificent
Looking back at the first lump from the second.

Mount Magnificent
Over the last of the small rises, looking at blueberry city (where we foraged for an hour or so), and the next steep lump on the ridge.

Mount Magnificent
Vista again.

Mount Magnificent
Going down again before blueberry city.

Mount Magnificent
Looking up Eagle River valley from farther along.

Mount Magnificent
Jon along the trail. The strip of land just above Jon's head is a drop zone. The day we were there, two C-17s were practicing heavy drops.

Mount Magnificent
Meadow Creek valley with Blacktail Rocks above, and Roundtop just peeking over the ridge.

Mount Magnificent
Angling along a hillside, approaching marmot city.

Mount Magnificent
Going up another steep hill, just after eating a bunch of blueberries. Yum.

Mount Magnificent
Along the way after our blueberry grazing. The high point at left is a false summit. Mount Magnificent is on the other side of that, past yet another saddle.

Mount Magnificent
Looking down one of the steep side-valleys toward Eagle River.