[billiam]

On perhaps the last clear day for the next week I was able to get up to Alaska Lake. I got a late start, arriving at the Gold Creek Ponds at around 11:50. After a quick bike ride down the private road leading to the trailhead I finally hit the trail at around noon. I high-tailed it down the trail through some nice fall colors and along the very low creek. I made it to the crossing at around 12:50. Just as I was lowering my head into a nice and cool pool I heard the sound of jet engines blazing up the valley. I looked up and there was an extremely low flying fa-18 or some such aerial assault weapon. It tore up the valley while going into a slow starboard roll and banking to the right. It was terrifyingly awesome. I stood there dumbfounded and finally yelled 'that was coooool'. that seemed to sum it up so i took off on the trail again. I crossed paths with some nice ol'timers coming back down the trail. I made it to the end of the maintained trail (the killer bees as reported in an earlier TR were nowhere to be found, thank goodness) and busted off to the left up and up and up to the lake. The fall colors on the open slopes were very nice. I got to the lake and immediately noticed some good rises so I set out on the raft to reach the far end of the lake, along the talus with the big rocks. As I was getting into the boat, I used a log that was sticking into the lake as a sort of dock. I soon found out that the log was less of a dock and more of an unstable floating log. As I stepped out onto the end sticking out over the water it rapidly tilted down into the water bringing me with it. I got soaked nearly waist high. Brrr. Good thing I have quick drying clothes. I paddled out to the end of the lake. After all the unintentional swimming and inflating I looked at my watch and saw that it was getting near 4 PM. Consequently I only had about an hour to play around with the fishies. The wind started picking up and the clouds were quickly spreading. So I called it a day and started making my ways back. I made it to the trailhead in enough dark that I cursed myself because I thought someone had stolen my bike which was hidden in some bushes. Of course, I had simply hidden it a bit too well. I made it back to the parking lot by 7:30. A good trip overall, however next time I will take off earlier.

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Alaska Lake

Alaska Lake

[Backpacker Joe]

Thanks for the report and pics. Is that a Curtis raft you're using?

[billiam]

You're welcome. I have a Sevylor Trail Bateau as it says on the side. I bought it years ago before I heard about the Curtis raft. And I am a starving student.

[touron]

Like the wave ripple action in the last shot.

[Mtn Dog]

Those jets are totally awesome! I will never forget the time I dayhiked to Big Heart Lake and on the last half mile back to the TH I heard this low whine and sudden deafening roar. Two AE-6 Intruders were buzzing the valley and came right over me just a few hundred feet up. Like the sign says at Naval Air Station Whidbey, it's the sound of freedom!