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adam
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adam
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PostSat Aug 27, 2005 11:56 am 
Recently someone asked about accessing the PCT via Alaska lake or Joe lake, in the Gold creek valley. I think I wrote something like "the trail to alaska lake is great, it would be straightforward to the PCT from there". It was straightforward, but no hint of a trail, at least that I could find, which surprised me. TR follows, here's the short version: Trail to alaska lake: good. Trail to Joe lake: easy to follow, but brushy, rough, and steep. No trail connection between Joe or Alaska Lakes and the PCT. Huckleberries in excellent form, but blueberries disappointing. I got an alpine start of 11am yesterday, biked the gated road to the Gold Creek trailhead (key for this hike-- saves a mile or two of dirt road walking through private houses), then hit the trail. Took an hour to the creek crossing, which wasn't an issue at all-- barely any water-- then about a half hour to the junction with the alaska lake trail. This is just before the trail goes into a big slide area, and is marked with a little cairn on the left. Trail up to alaska lake is surprisingly mellow, given that it's all uphill, and not very brushy. About 30 min from Gold creek. After a swim at alaska lake, I figured I'd find the bootpath up to the pct, but none was to be found (at least by me), so I went up the ridge to the south of the lake. This was about 15 minutes of bushwacking-- although not very bad bushwacking-- then about 45 min of heather and small blueberries and sparse forest up to the PCT, much of it along a faint animal path. At least where the bushes were bad, they were full of good Huckleberries. Someone more intent on getting to the PCT, especially the northern side, could probably put together a good route up the talus slopes and gullies on the N side of AK lake. The talus slopes at the head of the lake, on the other hand, looked steep and loose. From the PCT I went to the Katwalk-- about 15 min each way-- and then proceeded around Alaska lake, past Ridge lake (full of campers), and on to Joe Lake. Again, no trace of a trail from Joe lake to the PCT that I could find. I continued on to the flats on the NE shoulder of Huckleberry Mtn and ate my last sandwich. I had plans to climb chickamin peak, but it was already 5pm, so I headed back to Joe lake. Grassy slopes, then open forest, and just a little bit of brush made for a straightforward connection between the outlet of Joe and the Huckleberry mtn. part of the PCT, but again, no trail. I didn't know what the trail from Joe would be like, but since there were two groups camped there I figured it wouldn't be too bad. It was easy enough to follow, but extremely steep and rough descending from Joe lake-- sort of like Price lake, or the beginning of the Snowking trail. The Joe creek cut a surprisingly impressive gorge, with many nice waterfalls-- unfortunately there was only a trickle of water in them now. When the steep descent stopped, the brush began. All the way back to the Junction with the AK lake trail was a slide alder tunnel, or brush wade. About an hour from Joe lake to the AK lake junction, which is where the Gold Creek "trail" could be said to end. I had noticed some flagging tape across the trail on my way in, and wondered what it might be for. A few seconds after thinking "maybe a yellowjacket nest" on the way out, I had my hypothesis confirmed with a sting on the calf. Perhaps the ensuing sprint was just the jolt I needed to get back to the bike and then car without having to break out the headlight. According to TOPO, it was just under 18mi, and 5000' of elevation. I don't know if I'd do this again, but if I did, I'd probably try a loop from AK lake to the PCT trailhead, and then bike back to the car. Would mean walking the road to Gold creek, though.

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Slim
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Joined: 31 Aug 2004
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Slim
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PostSat Aug 27, 2005 4:25 pm 
Good advice on biking the first part of the trail. I was there last summer and it was a drag walking the gravel road past people barbequeing steaks and washing their cars. Sounds like a good time. Any pics? -R

"Lean mean money-making-machines serving fiends"
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adam
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adam
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PostSat Aug 27, 2005 6:50 pm 
sorry, no pics. left the camera behind. It'd dry as a bone there-- no snow anywhere, many of the high meadow ponds all dried up. Fall colors are just beginning to come out. Both Joe and Alaska lakes are your typical near-but-not-above-treeline Alpine Lakes lakes. This goes to show that if a picture's worth 1000 words, these few dozen words are worth just a couple hundreths of a picture...

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wildernessed
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Joined: 31 Oct 2004
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PostSat Aug 27, 2005 7:06 pm 
I had a great view of Alaska from the summit of Alta Mtn. a couple weeks ago. I think it was Alaska. hmmm.gif

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