Forum Index > Trip Reports > Chugach Mts. AK, 6 days of sweet!
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UpNover
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Joined: 26 Jul 2007
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UpNover
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PostMon Sep 22, 2008 4:31 pm 
My hommie from back home (Olympia) came up to visit me in Anchorage for a few weeks. Our goal was to do the ultimate backpacking excursion and still like each other afterwards! I wont go into detail but basic gear included: Tent - Mega-lite, 2 lbs Kitchen - WhisperLite / Pocket rocket (hot drink stove) Sleeping pads - Exped SynPad FOR THE WIN. Food - TONS and no Mt house meals. We ate like kings with fresh fruits, veggies, meat, pancakes, bacon, you name it!
ScreeTrip 007
ScreeTrip 007
Ok so. The trip started at the Indian Valley Trail Head which is along the seward highway. Maybe 30 minutes from home (a tent) in Anchorage. We cruised up the 6 miles of dense shrubs and trees until breaking tree line at Indian Pass. We camped here the first night. There is a camp site at the very crescent of the pass that is awesome!
ScreeTrip 036
ScreeTrip 036
We spent two nights here to lighten up our packs and explore some high country. We found a lake that wasn't on any of maps and there we ran into our friend the grizzly bear! We scared the sh## out of him and he took off running DIRECTLY up 2000 ft of vertical gain and disappeared in about 2 minutes! Glad he ran that direction! Later that day we climbed Bedirka Pt. a small peak close to camp.
ScreeTrip 077
ScreeTrip 077
Day 3: So deeper we went into the belly of the beast! We took a no name valley that branched off of Indian and followed it to a pass, where we camped at these SWEET lakes.
The boot shot of the no name valley we went up
The boot shot of the no name valley we went up
No name lake, in no name pass! I love alaska
No name lake, in no name pass! I love alaska
Chillin out at camp, the no name pass we used in background
Chillin out at camp, the no name pass we used in background
Werd
Werd
Day 4: the next day we went over the pass and desended into N. Fork of ship creek. From here it was about 8 miles of NARLY bush whackin'. Alders willow, Devils Club, Cowsparsnip. Nasty and tiring. Our goal lay at the end of the valley: Grizzly Bear lake! A beautiful remote lake high in the chugach.
Unnamed pass and me through the axe
Unnamed pass and me through the axe
Sweet storm down valley
Sweet storm down valley
My Black Diamond Promo shot (notice the mega mid in the corner)
My Black Diamond Promo shot (notice the mega mid in the corner)
Lateral Moraine
Lateral Moraine
Day 5: From here we continued past the lake into the high moraine pass.
N. Fork of Ship Creek and Grizzly Bear Lake
N. Fork of Ship Creek and Grizzly Bear Lake
Moraine Pass
Moraine Pass
We thought the pass would be the hard part of the day, we were SO wrong. From the pass we descend camp creek, which basically flows into Eagle River. But getting down was a REALLY HARD. We had been off trail for the last 3 days but nothing could prepare us for the bushwhack ahead. We couldn't just follow camp creek because it cliffed out big time at the end and so we stayed high, way high above the brush. We came to our spot that we were gonna just drop straight down from, but instead of being flat tundra (like it said on the map) it was THICK HUGE NASTY willow, alder, and all the other crap you don't wanna go through. Except we had to go DOWN through it.
How do we get down there?
How do we get down there?
SO we just went straight down. Using shrubs as ropes we inched our way down through the densest, steepest, brush covered slope I have ever tried. When we finally got to the bottom we were torn apart and soaked (not raining) Only to find that the raven "creek" was actually a raging glacier fed river. Luckly we found a spot to ford, still scetchy, and intersected the Eagle river/ crow pass trail. The Eagle river ford was easy, if you do it in the right spot.
Fording Eagle River
Fording Eagle River
On the way to camp we ran into a Black bear and had another come see what we were cooking at camp that night.
Me and Moosan After a LONG DAY
Me and Moosan After a LONG DAY
The final day we cruised the 11 miles out of Eagle river and hitch hiked the rest of the way back to my tent/home in anchorage. All and all the best Backpacking trip I've ever had. If you want a better description of the route or any detail of the trip feel free to ask. I can help plan out this trip if anyone wants to do it. I HIGHLY recommend the area! If you want the off trail experiance, did I mention we didn't see a soul until the last day?

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bobbi
stillaGUAMish



Joined: 13 Jul 2006
Posts: 8012 | TRs | Pics
Location: olympics!
bobbi
stillaGUAMish
PostMon Sep 22, 2008 4:33 pm 
great TR but maybe it's my computer but no photos frown.gif

bobbi ૐ "Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting. So…get on your way!" - Oh, the Places You’ll Go! By Dr. Seuss
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Tom
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Tom
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PostMon Sep 22, 2008 4:33 pm 
Looks like you tried to drag the pics into your TR. You need to click on them not drag.

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UpNover
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UpNover
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PostMon Sep 22, 2008 4:44 pm 
Working now?

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Tom
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Tom
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PostMon Sep 22, 2008 4:49 pm 
Yep

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bobbi
stillaGUAMish



Joined: 13 Jul 2006
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Location: olympics!
bobbi
stillaGUAMish
PostMon Sep 22, 2008 4:58 pm 
okay......what a fun trip for two hommies! glad you two made it safe and sound down the bushwhack and fording the glacier wash/river. please be careful especially with the bears!

bobbi ૐ "Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting. So…get on your way!" - Oh, the Places You’ll Go! By Dr. Seuss
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Roald
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Roald
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PostMon Sep 22, 2008 5:17 pm 
And to think that the whole time you were no more than maybe 15-18 miles, as the crow flies, from Anchorage. You gotta love that country (although the thwacking part of your trip does not sound like fun). Thanks for the TR!

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Go Jo
of the lykkens



Joined: 08 Jun 2003
Posts: 2248 | TRs | Pics
Location: Around The Bend
Go Jo
of the lykkens
PostMon Sep 22, 2008 5:34 pm 
UpNover wrote:
My hommie from back home (Olympia) came up to visit me in Anchorage for a few weeks.
Me and Moosan After a LONG DAY
Me and Moosan After a LONG DAY
I wouldn't mess with these Olympia homies packing pepper spray heat if I was an Alaskan Griz... oh wait, yeah, maybe I would. Great pics, sounds like true adventure!

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Movenhike
\m/..mmmmetal\m/



Joined: 16 Apr 2007
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Location: Leavenworth, WA
Movenhike
\m/..mmmmetal\m/
PostTue Sep 23, 2008 9:35 am 
Awesome, great beta and pics. I've seen that trip in the Chugach 55 hikes or whichever. Enviable to say the least. nice job.

"Make it your Friend" -John Bull
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grateful2ski
escape the desk!



Joined: 11 Aug 2008
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Location: Tri-Cities, WA
grateful2ski
escape the desk!
PostTue Sep 23, 2008 10:52 am 
thanks for the post, it was a great read...how is it to live in anchorage? alaska has always interested me, and i wouldn't mind living there at some point (as long as it isn't dark ALL the time)

Its me whos gotta die when its time for me to die, so let me live my life the way I want to
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UpNover
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UpNover
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PostTue Sep 23, 2008 6:45 pm 
Anchorage is only cool because of all the sweet outdoor opportunities that are so close, but the city it itself, in my opinion, sucks! The people are all in a big hurry, drive like maniacs, and can be really rude. But at the same time you get bears walking down the street so its not all bad. But overall I really like it. ALways something to do, if you like the outdoors.

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mgd
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mgd
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PostTue Sep 23, 2008 7:20 pm 
Quote:
We ate like kings with fresh fruits, veggies, meat, pancakes, bacon, you name it!
hungry.gif burger.gif up.gif up.gif
Quote:
2000 ft of vertical gain and disappeared in about 2 minutes
eek.gif souse.gif Nice trip report!

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ChrisSJI
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ChrisSJI
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PostFri Sep 26, 2008 10:44 am 
Great TR. I love the Chugach. So close to Anchorage with great opportunities for a true escape. Gosh I miss it there. It may be a bit late this year, but try exploring the Talkeetnas some time. They have some great opportunities.

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UpNover
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UpNover
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PostMon Sep 29, 2008 5:43 pm 
I have actually done a few trips in the Talkeetna's. I did a T.R. for the 10 day trek I did around the Jack River and Caribou Pass in the Northern Talkeetna's.
They are great but I highly favor the Chugach, but I also have much spent much more time finding the sweet spots of the Chugach.

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