Seward, Alaska

August 29. Our first stayover was in Seward, Alaska for a couple of nights. It is a beautifully situated town, and was badly damaged by the huge "Good Friday" earthquake and tsunami of 1964. There were a dozen deaths from this catastrophe. The town is at sea level, but mountains rise up to a mile high from here - the height of the tallest mountain in Maine where I used to live. The visitor center for Kenai Fjords National Park is in the town. Here are some photos of the area:

Mount Marathon is right next to the town. From sea level, it climbs to just over 3,000 feet. Every Fourth of July, there is a race to the top and back - no trails, just right up the mountain. I actually met the 2005 winner about 10 days later. He won the thing in 47 minutes, round trip, which I cannot conceive of. I think it would take me a couple of hours just to get to the top of that mountain, and I am not in terrible shape. I think it is the second oldest US foot race, next to the Boston Marathon.

Beautiful mountain ranges and glaciers ring Seward.

We spotted this waterfall near the top of a mountain.

There are plenty of pleasure, working, and tour boats in the picturesque harbor.

The large cruise ship pulled into town during the night and left at the end of our first day here. It is with Holland America lines.

View from the rocky beach at the southern end of Seward.

What Good are Mosquitoes?

What good are mosquitoes? I’ve always asked that. Now, I know they are an important part of the food chain, being consumed by all manner of things such as bats, many birds, and many insects. But when you are being eaten alive by mosquitoes, and becoming part of the food chain yourself, that seems like a fair question.

Alaska is renowned for its mosquitoes. I saw few of them, other than these two, and I was lucky to escape with my life, let me tell you.
But other than that, mosquito season was pretty well past, although I was frequently nibbled on by animals that looked like black flies. They seemed to enjoy the experience far more than I did, although for a few of them, it ended up being their last supper.

But I did learn another purpose for mosquitoes, one that seems quite obviously valuable. At least in the tundra and arctic regions, they are a vital pollinator. The males eat nectar exclusively, and the females eat it except for after they have mated and need blood for their eggs to develop. So in the process of eating nectar, those untold billions of mosquitoes are pollinating all kinds of plants, such as blueberries, cranberries, and soap berries, which are all vital foods for grizzly bears and many other animals. There are bumblebees in Alaska, but I think honeybees are rare or absent – as they seem to be becoming in the lower 48. So the humble and annoying mosquito does serve an additional vital purpose in the web of life, at least in the far north, and I would guess down this way as well. After all, even here, they must be pollinating flowers in their quest for nectar. Maybe in the future, if bees continue to decline, mosquitoes will be vital to our food chain in commercial agriculture – who knows?

Hike to Exit Glacier

August 28. It poured all the way from Anchorage, Alaska to Seward down on the Kenai Peninsula. The drive down along the Turnagain Sound was still impressive. It felt amazing to be back in Alaska. Late in the day, the rain slackened and then stopped, and there was time to do a short hike to Exit Glacier in Kenai Fjords National Park. This one mile trail is the only part of this large park accessible by auto - watercraft is the means of transportation to see this park up close. It was amazing to be so close on foot to a large glacier. The glacier itself was named because it was a way for explorers to exit the vast Harding Icefield, the largest icefield that is completely within the United States.

As we drove along the road, we suddenly saw Exit Glacier a few miles away and took a couple of shots, zooming in for the second one:

Welcome to Kenai Fjords National Park, our first of three new national parks for us this trip!
The trail is about a mile long, and you don't see a lot of the glacier, until suddenly, there it is:
Exit Glacier has melted several miles back in the last 150 years. There are signs every so often marking the point that it reached in that year. Even in my lifetime, it has receded about a half mile, not to mention the lateral distance lost. Pretty sobering, whether you believe in global warming or not. By the way, most Alaskans I talked with definitely believe that the climate is warming sharply - keep in mind that Alaska is a very conservative state. But they are living with the evidence.
This was an interesting glacier high on a nearby (relatively speaking) mountain:

The Great Land

My one and only prior time in Alaska, in June, 2005, it was about 54 degrees F and pouring rain. At age 53 and as a 3 year cancer survivor, I did my first marathon in Anchorage that day, crossing the finish line 26.2 miles from the start with a smile that might have covered most of this huge state. It was maybe the proudest day of my life. But I was only there for two days and saw little beyond the marathon.

Saturday, August 28, 2010 we stepped off the plane in Anchorage. It was 54 degrees F and pouring rain. “Nothing has changed in five years,” I jokingly said to my wife, Mary.

So the last two weeks were spent in Alaska, “The Great Land.” I have so many photos to download and organize, so many memories and adventures to get my mind around and write about, that it will be several weeks before I get it all into my blog. But that is what is coming here in “Oh to be hiking” in the next few weeks.

We did some hiking, kayaking, a float trip, a trail ride, an all day boat ride in Kenai Fjords, explored a ghost copper mill town, watched sled dogs train, and did some touring by rental car and tourist buses. We went into three national parks. We reached the Arctic Circle. And we had a great time. And got home yesterday, totally worn out after coming in on the “redeye.”

Alaska is a huge and scenic state. It is bigger than the next three biggest states (Texas, California, and Montana) combined. If its eastern-most part touched the Atlantic in Florida, its western-most part would dip into the Pacific in California. It is closer to two other countries, Russia and Canada, than to the rest of the United States. In two weeks, we could see but a fraction of it – but we sure tried to see as much as possible. And around every bend, it seemed that there was another jaw-dropping vista that was more incredible than the last one!

For starters, here are the wildlife species we saw (in the wild) on the trip (* means first time ever seen by us). I may have missed a few, and may update this later when I cross-check my notes

Bald eagle
Sea otter*
Horned puffin*
Tufted puffin*
Dall’s porpoise*
Steller’s Sea Lion*
Fin whale*
Kittiwake*
Hump backed whale*
Beluga*
Moose
Gray wolf
Dall sheep*
Caribou*
Grizzly bear
Arctic ground squirrel*
Porcupine
Canada lynx*
Willow ptarmigan*
Silver salmon
Coho salmon*
Trumpeter swan
Some type of arctic loon*
Snowshoe hare
Various gull species
Chickadee
Junco
Red squirrel
Some type of cormorant
Magpie
Northern harrier
Raven

Taking a Blogger Holiday

No, I am not stopping my blog, but I am taking a little holiday until about mid-September, both from this blog and my other one: Racing for a Cure. I’ve been blogging continuously (especially on my “Racing” blog) for more than two years and would like to take a short break. Plus, the time off will give me a little time to think about what to write about next on that blog, now that my Seattle event is in the rear view mirror.

It’s possible I will post something before September 15, but I doubt it. I hope to do a couple of really interesting hikes between now and then, but I will probably just post them after my self-imposed blogger holiday. Anyhow, I wanted people who come here to know so they don’t see anything new for a while and assume that I gave up on this blog.

The Ideal Hiking Group Size

Between the extreme summer heat and just having too much going on lately, I have not been able to hike in about a month. And extreme computer problems have made it very difficult to blog. But today, I decided to write a post about hiking group sizes.

A while back, I got a question on this blog about whether I prefer hiking alone. The answer is (usually) “no.” I actually prefer hiking with other people, but more often then not end up making a last minute decision to go for a hike and just do it by myself. Of course, in Washington, I was there by myself once the race in Seattle was over and the rest of the team left, so I did all those hikes by myself. My original plan was to find a guided hiking group and hike Rainier NP with them, even if I had to pay the guide. But the only such trips I could find were about a week or so long backpacking trips, and I only had two and a half days. Plus they were later in the summer, once the snow was gone at normal elevations and the wildflowers were in bloom.

I believe three or four is the ideal size for a hiking party. You have companionship, but it is a manageable group and some possibility of seeing wildlife. If someone gets hurt, one person can stay with the injured party while the other(s) go for assistance. The longer and more remote the hike, the more important this is. I have not been on a group (six to 15 people) hike in a long time, but those can be a lot of fun too, although they tend to get noisy. Last year, I encountered a group of at least 50 people hiking together, which was amazing. That is too large, in my view.

There are advantages to hiking alone. You can select the pace without holding anyone up or going to fast, and I usually see wildlife at some point when hiking alone. But a lot of the reason for hiking is seeing beautiful sights or even the simple but wondrous things of nature, and it is human nature to want to share that experience with another person. Plus hiking alone can be risky in addition to feeling lonely at times.

Bottom line though, while I think it is best and more fun to hike with a few others, the important thing is to get out there and do it! Whether I am by myself or with 10 other people, I always enjoy going for a hike.

What do you think? I decided to try a poll. I will leave it up for a few weeks since I don’t get a ton of traffic stopping by. And of course, feel free to comment!

Annual Hike to Rip Rap Hollow

For a change, I made a decision to go hiking on Sunday around mid-week, rather than my normal last second type deal type of thing. On Thursday, anticipating the weekend, I happened to walk by the desk of a co-worker, Chris, and remembered that he likes hiking. In fact, he is planning on hiking as far as he can get in two months on the Appalachian Trail next spring, starting at Springer Mountain. “Hey Chris,” I said. “I’m going hiking in Shenandoah Sunday. Want to come along?” Chris took about 3 milliseconds to agree. “Where to?” he asked. “I was thinking about hiking up Rocky Mount,” I replied.

On Friday, Chris came by my desk. “Hey, you ever been to Rip Rap Hollow?” he asked. “One of my favorite hikes ever,” I said. “Well, how would you feel about doing that hike? I’ve always wanted to do it.” “Rip Rap Hollow it is,” I said.

I have hiked Rip Rap Hollow every summer since 2003, when it was my first hike of more than a mile after finishing chemotherapy the prior December. I do it every summer because I like the hike a lot, but more importantly, I do it to make a statement: “Cancer, you kicked my butt for 7 or 8 months, but I am still standing, and still capable of a tough 9 mile hike.” That is my statement, and I am sticking to it. I have made that statement with my feet and legs every summer since.

We got together at 7:30 Sunday morning, and had breakfast at the Silver Diner, then we made the two hour drive to the Wildcat Ridge trailhead. We did my traditional 9.6 miles loop in a counter-clockwise direction: Appalachian Trail to Rip Rap Hollow Trail; Rip Rap Hollow Trail down to the hollow, and past it to the Wildcat Ridge Trail after taking a dip in the stream; Wildcat Ridge Trail uphill for 2.4 miles to the car. It is a gorgeous hike and a really good cardio workout. Just like last year’s hike, I had a fantastic summer day. It was hot enough that the swim felt great once my heart started beating again, but not the 95 – 100 degrees we have had so much of lately.

We both had a great time. We did not see any wildlife, other than some nice brook trout in the stream. No bears, once again. No snakes. No turtles. No deer. Well, a deer back at the car, literally 15 feet away from where we exited the woods. Unlike some other times, the long, tough hike out of the hollow went smoothly for me. There are years that I have had to stop every five minutes and sit down. Not last year, and not this year. I could just continually keep hiking. I am in better shape than I thought. I guess all the hiking in Rainier National Park a couple of weeks ago – was it that recently – really helped firm up the legs.

This hike always renews my soul, if it needs renewing. It is good to be alive. It is good to be healthy. This is almost certainly the last hike I will take as a 58 year old. And it feels odd to think that a year from now, I will be turning 60 and my decade of 50-something – such an eventful one for me and with such milestones in my life – will be history. Carpe Diem!

Here are photographs from the hike in Rip Rap Hollow, my eighth as a cancer survivor.

Chris is fresh as a daisy as we get started, and as he hikes down the AT:

View down into Rip Rap Hollow, and to the Shenandoah Valley beyond, from the AT:

Hanging out at the Calvary Rocks; "I hope that rock you are sitting on it solid," Chris said. "Not as hopeful as I am," I shot back.

View from the Calvary Rocks

The first water seen on the hike is at Cool Spring Hollow

A highlight of this trip is the swim in the cold water on a hot day. A large group from the Washington area got here first.

Sunlight ripples on the water

No, I am not skinnydipping. This is way too popular a spot for that.

After all the swimmers have gotten out, the trout have the mountain pool to themselves.

Two dimensional topo map of the hike:

Three dimensional representation of the hike from DeLorme Topo USA:

The Grove of the Patriarchs

My last Rainier hike had the biggest trees - Western red cedars, Western hemlocks, and Douglas firs - that I have ever seen, outside of the redwoods at Muir Woods. The Grove of the Patriarchs nature trail wanders along the Ohanapecosh River, crossed the river on a cool “one person at a time” suspension bridge, circles through a small grove of giants, and returns the way it came. The trees are too large to get the full scope of them with a typical camera. The trail a mile and a half round trip and gains less than 100 feet in elevation. It was fairly crowded due to the jaw-dropping trees, the short length, and the easy trail conditions.

It is amazing to think that hundreds of years ago, this type of old growth forest would have covered thousands of square miles of this part of the world. Some of these trees are estimated to be 1,000 years old. They were gigantic when the Declaration of Independence was being signed.

In this case, pictures will do better than my words in describing the area, so here are a series of photos of the walk in, the river, the suspension bridge, and the Grove of the Patriarchs. After this point, I gave my emergency matches to someone, repacked my stuff, got out clean clothes to change into for the flight home, and started driving to the Seattle area. It was a great 2.5 days of hiking here, and of seeing Nature’s beauty in a new place.

Ohanapecosh Hot Springs and Silver Falls

Following my hike into Martha Falls, I started driving east again. I passed by yesterday’s Box Canyon trailhead and kept going. All along the way were scenic views of waterfalls, flowers, and mountains:
I passed the trailhead to the Grove of the Patriarchs, which would be my last hike of this trip, and headed south towards the very pleasant looking Ohanapecosh Campground. There, by a beautiful greenish river of the same name, was the start of the three mile loop trail to the Ohanapecosh Hot Springs and Silver Falls.
The hot springs used to be used commercially, but have since been restored to their natural state. They are a clear reminder of the area’s volcanic origins, and continuing volcanic activity. Their vivid colors reminded me a bit of the hot springs in Yellowstone which I saw in 2005.
From here, the trail continued on along the river at times and always through the forest towards magnificent Silver Falls. Most of the time, I could hear the river even when it was not visible. The trees were large and the path easy, with about 500 feet of climbing over a mile and a half, according to my GPS. Unlike some of my other hikes, there were lots of people walking to and from the falls.
I asked a few people if the falls were nice and they said they were beautiful. It was no exaggeration. My pictures cannot do them justice.

The Ohanapecosh shot through a lovely gorge just after Silver Falls. It was quite picturesque!

At this point, the trail continued for almost a mile along the river to connect with the Grove of the Patriarchs nature trail. I was so tempted to keep on hiking, but my late start and other hikes meant that I had barely enough time to finish this hike, drive to the Patriarchs trail, hike it quickly, and start heading for the car return facility near the Seattle airport. I had calculated needing to leave by 5:30 at the absolute latest to have a margin of error to get to the airport in time. So I reluctantly headed back along the return loop to the south, rather than the connector trail to the north. Oh, for just one more hour to hike here! I know from the guide description that it would have been beautiful! My return along the forested trail was in solitude. I encountered no one, and no wildlife, on the hike through the lovely forest.

Here is a topo map showing this hike (southern track) and my next and last Rainier hike, the Grove of the Patriarchs (northern track).

Martha Falls

After leaving Bench Lake, my intention was to drive to the southeastern corner of the park and do a long circuit hike that linked three separate hikes together. But as I drove, I stopped at a couple of roadside pull-offs to admire the scenery and flowers. The road had doubled back on the opposite side of a very steep and scenic canyon. I had lost a lot of elevation driving and there was no longer any snow anywhere nearby.
At one such stop, I suddenly spotted a gorgeous waterfall on the opposite side of the canyon and far below.I consulted my maps and hiking book, and found that it was Martha Falls, and that there was a very short and steep section of the Wonderland Trail that led right to the falls. It looked to be about a half mile hike each way, and maybe a loss of 500 feet elevation in that half mile. I had to see such a pretty spot close up, and so I turned the car around and drove back whence I came looking for the trail junction. When I found it, I put on my pack and headed down the trail.
The trail was steep, as indicated on my topo map, but I reached Martha Falls in no time. It thundered over the lip of its chute with a very pretty display.

There was a half-log bridge – so popular in this park – to cross the stream. The old, “permanent” bridge had been washed out and some of its remains was a big pile of rubble that was up on a bank high over the stream. I snapped photos from several vantage points,

chatted with a couple of guys who had hiked up to the falls the long way from near the Box Canyon, and then started the trudge uphill back to my car. The hike back up was more arduous than my hike down, as one would expect. But it was short and through scenic woods and with some occasional views, and passed quickly.
I am glad I made the unplanned detour into beautiful Martha Falls. It was well worth it.

Here is a 3-D Topo representation of the Martha Falls track (green) and my previous hike to Bench Lake (red).