hiking my hiney

So the last couple of weeks in Alaska seemed to have packed a whole summer amount of fun. It was almost like each day was trying to one up the one before. After I got off my last full shift on the trail, good times instantly began. Thursday, the park service in its recurring nature, had a potluck to say goodbye to a couple of the supervisors who are leaving to go work for the NPS in Hawaii, hence the party had an Alaskan/Hawaiian theme. The house where the party was held seemed to be decorated in coordination with the theme, including several fish on the walls, a lamp that highlighted moose silhouettes, and various other Cabella’isque furnishings. However, I am not sure if the hostess did it on purpose or if was by coincidence. Nonetheless, it provided an appropriate background for a bunch of people sitting around in bathrobes and gaiters.
The next day my friend Tim and I decided to hike to Upper Dewey Lake and Devil’s Punchbowl. These are two of the highest hiking destinations in the area. Though the elevation is not much to boost of the elevation gain from sea level is noteworthy, in 3 miles you gain about 4,500 feet. Why Alaskans do not believe in switchbacks is an eternal mystery. For the hike we didn’t have much sunshine, but we were lucky the rain stopped just long enough to leave a muddy path and clear the clouds. Once you pass through the meadow, you arrive at the lake that is set right in the middle of the mountain range. You don’t think that it could get any better till you reach Devil’s Punchbowl which sits about a mile above Upper and is formed by glacier water. Both provide a bird eye’s view of Skagway and the surrounding area. One of the highlights was seeing a little marmot near the lake. He was coy enough to come out of his little home just long enough to allow a picture to be snapped before he would slip back in and then repeat the process. We spent about 15 minutes being amused by the little guy, as we pretended that we were the first ones to ever see this guy, when in reality he probably plays the same game with everyone who passes by in hopes of getting treats. Eventually, after swapping cameras and taking one too many pictures, including a live recording of the “fresh Prince” theme song on top of some boulders, Tim and I headed down the mountain and onto dance night at the Red Onion, where the combination of bad music, bright lights and drunk Alaskan seasonals and locals equals quality YouTube material.
The next day, Tim and I decided on a whim that instead of climbing to go hike to Lost Lake and camp out. Neither of us had been there but we heard the trail was sort of gnarly and that there might not be many places to camp. Sounded like an adventure to us. We packed our stuff and drove to the trail. Now when I say trail, I mean the 1 flat mile road that leads up to the 2 mile, 75 degree vertical, jungle forest bushwhacking path that leads to the lake. About half a mile from the lake, the trail places you at an amazing lookout of the whole Dyea valley. When we did finally reach the lake, we were both more than pleased. Tucked in among thick trees, the whole area was almost silent. We looped around the lake and found a great campsite. We setup our tent, ate my makeshift dinner, and hung our bear packs up in the tree. As we sat on the rocks, brushing our teeth, we realized the lake was perfect for the echo game. After we got done shouting silly things into the echo chamber, we matured about 6 years and headed into the tent, eventually falling asleep. The next morning, we woke up really early and headed out. On the way out, we collected a whole nalgene bottle full of blueberries. Just as we were finishing we spotted a little black bear sprint away. Apparently he had the same idea, but wasn’t in the mood to socialize. We got back into town, showered and headed to church. That night after church, I went to the local rec center to play a game of pickup soccer. It was mostly guys off the cruise ship who didn’t really speak English but with my friend Marc, our team managed to get a few goals.
Monday I had plans to do something other than hiking to break up the 12 day streak I was on, but then I got invited by my friend Rosie and Nicole to go to Goat Lake, the one hike I have wanted to do. Goat Lake is not actually an official hike. It is located just past American Customs as you head into Canada. The trail follows the Goat Lake pipeline, which uses hydroelectricity to power parts of Skagway. You can see the pipeline go all the way up the mountain from the road. As a result, the hike is kind of a choose your own adventure event. Trying to figure out how to climb up boulders, through alder, and up rocks, makes you almost forget you are hiking. Finally after clearing the tree line and passing the waterfall, we leveled out and reached the lake. The lake itself is one of the most breathtaking I have seen yet in Alaska. The color of it faded from green to turquoise to blue and back again. It was perfectly placid and we were blessed with a rare sunny day. As you look east of the lake you can see some of the highest peaks in the area along the Sawtooth ridge. Once the sun went down, we decided it was time to race back. When I got back, I had no need to worry about what I was going to eat because some guy from work brought over almost 20lbs of fresh King Salmon to grill and bake. (The salmon are currently running down the river in town to the ocean) So, as to be expected, the park service crew pulled together a potluck complete with salads, rolls, desserts, grains, and soup. It was the kind of meal that makes people who say they don’t like salmon, like salmon.
The next day I stayed strong to my resolve to do something other than hiking my last day before work. Luckily, after finding some guy in town who owns a golf cart and trailer, my friend Marc and I were able to go kayaking. We got dropped off at the small boat harbor, planned our journey and took off. I have done quite a bit of sea kayaking but not in a hard-shell kayak. At first I thought I was going to tip myself over and get tangled in my kayak skirt, but by the end I felt more comfortable in the kayak then walking on land. Marc and I took our time getting out of the harbor and preparing ourselves for the waves. We got into a flow and cruised on down along the coast. Along the way we saw some seals lying on the rocks and two bald eagles swoop by to their perch. After about an hour and half we ended up at Sturgills landing for lunch. After lunch, just as we were getting back into our kayaks we saw a giant whale flip its tail in the area and splash it town just in front of us! We watched as it continued on, both knowing it is one of those really cool experiences you can tell people but never explain how awesome it really was. We decided to just get back in our kayaks and go in search of the only nature experience cooler, seeing two bears fight... kidding. Instead, we crossed over the inlet to Burrow Creek, which is the recently closed last privately owned fish hatchery in Alaska. It’s pretty interesting because all the tools and infrastructure are still in place. As you hike up the trail you pass several waterfalls and wading pools. It had a bit of an eerie feel to it all. Eventually, we decided to end our nature journey before the waves got too large. As we hit the harbor, the once cloudy day became sunny. Great timing. So we made some delicious dinner, as I packed my bag for the trail and watched a movie.