Climbing Mountains: East Twin Peak

So this weekend I climbed a mountain and ate lunch in the clouds as I like to describe it.  BTW I added a new map to the right hand side... of mountains I have climbed in Alaska :)

After my epic trip across the western part of America, I returned home and realized how little I know about my own state. I mean, I think I hiked more on my trip than I have the whole time I have lived in Alaska. I realized that was a problem as far as I am concerned and have set about fixing that. At this point in the summer, I am proud to say this has been remedied. :)  However, for some reason, while I didn't mind hiking all over in the lower 48 by myself, I feel that most of the hiking I do in Alaska is best done with someone else. (with the exception of Flattop.... It is close enough to town, popular enough in general, and I am familiar enough with it that I will do that one by myself...) I guess I just feel like Alaska is so big, isolated, and wild that I really want someone with me should shit go down in a bad way.

So I have been searching (aka moreso being in the right places at the right times to meet people of similar interests) for people who want to explore Alaska with me.... and ideally know something about mountain safety so I can learn new skills and techniques to be safe. Unfortunately, I find that these sorts of people tend to be rather busy sorts of people so scheduling time to climb mountains can be difficult... But it is going well.. anyway... to the story of the weekend!

I took a 12 hour day hike with my co worker near Ekluta lake. He is really into ice climbing (which I am hoping to try some day) but has injured his shoulder and has thus had to content himself with hiking until it heals. We decide to do a day hike and come up with a few mountains and trails that sound interesting. We independently come up with the same 3 peaks and finally decide to go to Eklutna and hike the Twin Peaks. If you are familiar with the trail (which we were not) you know that the Twin Peaks trail does not actually go to a peak. Instead, it goes to a ridge where the trail kind of ends. You can then ascend 1000+ feet up shitty rock and all sorts of sketchiness to the actual peak if you really want to. Apparently, this is not recommended, though people do it, we found proof of this at the top.

Long story short: There are about 3 miles of well defined trail. Then there is about 2 of back country trails to the ridge line. Then it is anyone's game as to how to get to the top, which is another few miles.

After missing the turn off to Eklutna and ending up in Palmer, we finally arrive at the trail head. We have all sorts of food and tons of water with us. My stupid back pack weighs a ton. We head off on the first part of the trail. I have been on it again and am somewhat prepared for it. It is a lonnggg uphill. We stop a few times along the way and check out the view and rest.  Before I know it, we are at the start of the primitive trail.

We rest at the bench and then head off. We go steeply downhill for a while... well, this seems counter productive. This is pretty obviously the trail though..... We finally get to the bottom... and a creek crossing. Mark gets half way across and then jumps for it, barely making it. I then follow. I get half way across and then jump for it... and land in the water. Ugh. Great. I don't have extra socks. We stop so I can squeeze out my socks before continuing on.

The trail starts heading uphill. This is a good sign. The bad news is that we are not heading toward the peak like we thought the trail would. We are headed north with the peak to the east. We stop and check the map. Well, there is a trail that kind of loops around.... We keep following the trail. The plants along the way are pretty but are scratching my legs. Good plan Anna, wear shorts. I hate being too hot so I usually wear shorts. Unfortunately, this results in some minor bleeding along the way. Oh well, I am nice and cool at least. A little later, we are up on the ridge looking at the peak, maybe a half mile away.

We spend some time on the ridge. There is a really cool view of Palmer and the Knik river. There is also some really cool geological features and the clouds are literally rolling over the ridge right in front of us. Pretty sweet. At this point, Mark mentions that the path to the peak is pretty much non existent and not recommended for amateurs. Well, he is an experienced ice and rock climber and has climbed 14ers in Colorado... so he qualifies. I have climbed flattop and a few rock walls... I don't exactly qualify?  So we decide to hike along the ridge and go for it. It doesnt look thatttt far.

It is that far. After hiking along the ridge (which is a gorgeous walk and there are lots of cool rocks...)., we spend the next two hours or so ascending the final thousand feet to the summit. It is some serious rock scrambling. I follow Mark. He expertly taps the rocks to check their stability. I am glad he has some sort of idea of how to do this as safely as possible. We slowly pick the safest way we can find up the rocks, not wanting to think about how we are going to get down.  I am really glad I am not afraid of heights.We have to back track a few times. We stop multiple times. "oh, ten more minutes to the top!"  Wrong. There are multiple false peaks once we are actually up on the peak.

We finally make it to the top, soak in the view, take pictures, sign the register, and eat lunch. According to the register in the canister, we are only the third group to make it to the top this year.  Only a handful have even been there since 2008, when the dates start. I am feeling pretty accomplished. We look down on some clouds as they blow by, sometimes obscuring the view completely. Pretty sweet!

Now for the fun part... getting down safely. Neither of us are remotely interested in going down the way we came. We find a gully full of scree and decide to try sliding down it. It is super sketchy. At one point, I knock a largeish (1' at its widest) rock onto my ankle. Ow. It takes forever and I fill my shoes with rocks but we make it out of the rocky summit and to the alpine tundra safely. We are no where near the trail that we took up and see no trail that goes to where we want. There are goat trails going horizontally, but no trails going down. We decide to just wander down and make our own trail. We can see where we meet up with the established path.

On the way down, I wonder if we are the first people to have come this particular way. I see no signs of people having been here. I mean there is no "good" way down really and this is as good as any. I would guess someone has been there before at some point. However, after hikes like Flattop where EVERY inch seems to have been traversed at some point, I find this though (and slight possibility) pretty cool. 

As we head down, we see the mountain goats below us. ( I think they are goats and not sheep... They look more goat like than sheep like but I could be wrong here...) This is a new angle to see them from!  Usually I see them from below. Ha! Mountain goats! I am ABOVE you. :). We eventually make our way back to the creek. Mark makes it across with little problem. Again, I end up slipping, and falling in this time. Awesome. I am all wet now. Oh well, almost back to the truck.

An uneventful hour later, we are back to the trailhead, thankfully safely, and feeling quite accomplished. The hike itself was about 9 hours... 12 hours total from when I left home to when I got back.  Super fun day overall!  Time to co climb some more mountains.....  Oh, and some pictures!

 

The twin peaks!

View of Palmer from the ridge

The peak from the ridge

Flowers on at high elevation :D

Looking down at the lake through the clouds!

Signing the register!!!!!

Standing at the stick marking the summit!

Looking down on the West Twin Peak

See the goat?!?! (sheep?)

And now I am watching the Olympics. The end :)

I have Jet-Ski Envy

I spent a lot of time around water as a child. I spent all summer at the swimming pool and then we would go on vacation to the beach where I would swim or at my family's lake house, where I would also swim. It would be safe to say that I love water and find it an excellent source of entertainment. Hell, my first job was as a life guard.

Anyway, my family went to our lake house every summer that I can remember from the time I was born until I graduated high school. Most of those years we did not own a boat. Not to say I did not get my share of boating adventures from our friendly lake neighbors, I did. When I was 13, we bought a 18.5 foot Sea Ray speed boat. That thing was fun!  Now we could go out on the water whenever we wanted!  This opened the door to many days on the lake tubing, water skiing, and having a good time in general.

However, I must say that I always wanted to ride around on a jet ski. As a kid, I had dreams of one day buying my own jet ski to ride around the lake. I love the sound they make when they go over the lake. I just thought they were so cool. They looked like so much fun!

Anyway, a few years later, I was invited to my friend's cabin. I get there and they have jet skis! Which I was told I would be permitted to ride. I was soooo excited!  I finally get to go out on them and I must say, they were everything I had hoped and dreamed they would be, and more. I run around the lake like a crazy person.

I guess it is one of those rare times that something you really want really is as good as you dreamed it would be.

Making friends hiking Flat Top

So I read this lovely inspiring article the other day. Basically it was about how awesome it is to be outside, which I agree with. So when I get off work on Monday a lot earlier than I was expecting, I decide it would be a good idea to hike Flat Top. 

Well, I have a softball game at 7:30 and I had gotten off at 4... that gives me a good 3.5 hours to get to the trail, hike, and get back. I know some crazy people who can climb the mountain in half an hour so I figured it wouldn't be too hard to do.  

By the time I get through traffic and to my house, it is 4:30. I decide I should eat something and end up leaving to hike around 5. I get up the mountain around 5:30. Ok. 2 hours: ready: hike!

I get around the first part without much problem. I go the "wrong way" around blueberry knoll. We went this way when it was all snowy so why not go this way now?  I get to the back side of the knoll and see a trail up the mountain that I have not used before. I have seen people go up it in the winter with mountaineering gear. It looks like fun. I start up the trail and find a sign. "Old route up flat top. Extremely strenuous and unmaintained. Use new route" Hmmm, sounds like a good way to go.

I start up the trail and run into a snowy patch. It is super slippery and its steep. I slowly make my way across the snow to the trail up. This is not helping me make good time.... I look up the hill and it only gets steeper. Well, it's too late to turn back now; I don't want to go down that snow I just went up.... I continue to go up... on all 4s. It is way too steep to walk up. I scramble up the rocks and dirt using my hands and feet and finally make it to the bottom of the final ascent.

I start up the rocky grade and stop to catch my breath and look at the view. A few people coming down do the same. I somehow end up talking to them and taking a million pictures. I have them stand all over the place. No no, I think I can get a better shot if you stand there.... I wish them a happy hike and continue running up the mountain. I am going to be late to the game if I don't start moving!

I get the rest of the way up as fast as I can. It is starting to rain so the rocks are getting slippery... boo. Nevertheless, I make it to the post marking the top in 55 minutes. Ok! 6:30ish... game starts in an hour. Ready, go!

I start down the mountain. I pass a girl that I saw on my way up. She is moving slowly and safely down the rocks. She asks me how much I hike the mountain... a lot! We talk some and then I head off. Just a little further down the mountain I stumble upon some tourists debating if they should go to the top or not.  It is raining a little and the rocks are getting slick. Not to mention that visibility has been better... I encourage and convince them to head to the top. They are practically there anyway. We talk about their trip and how awesome Alaska is. I wish them a safe trip and continue on my way.

At this point, I am practically running down the mountain. Probably a bad idea. I hit a slippery rock and slide, barely catching myself. Some random dude walks by "woahhh, sweet slide! that was awesome!"  Why thank you random dude.

I make it down the top part of the trail and run into my picture buddies again. I say hi and we talk for a bit again. I check my watch... going to be late!  I run off down the mountain. It is more of a trail than a rocky climb at this point. I go the opposite way from my way up. I don't exactly remember the way down and end up on a very steep unofficial trail down. I stop running and walk at this point.  Too steep! Shit... I go plummeting down the trail and come to a skidding stop on the actual trail before, right before I would have gone over the edge and probably hurt myself. All of this is done right in front of a family on a hike. They applause and I get a "you go girl!". I feel super cool, smile, and continue running down the trail.

I run around almost to the bottom... and find more snow. Snow in july, seriously Alaska!?!?! I carefully tread across it. I end up way above where the trail should be. Oops. I look down and see some guys hiking on the actual trail. They see me. "Oh no! don't even think about falling on me!"  I hear. Don't worry dude, I wont!  I wait for them to pass. They don't. Apparently they are concerned for my safety and insist on helping me off the snow. "give me your hand, really!"  "I WILL fall on you if we do this..." "No no, it's fine!".  I grab his hand, and slide out of control down the snow before finally falling all over the place and knocking him over. He laughed and we all continue on our way.

I practically sprint the last part of the trail back to my truck in just under 25 minutes after reaching the top. 7:00. Perfect! I should make the game.  I set off down the road and a weird animal runs out in front of me. I stop and stare at it before realizing it is a lynx (or bobcat?) how do you tell those apart? AWESOME!

It ends up taking me longer to drive across town to my game than it took me to get down the mountain. Kind of sad, but I make it to my game in time. :D

The end!

See I do update this on occasion!  :)  Sorry for the lack of editing.....