Awwwww...the end of another work week !! You know what they say "red sky at night...sailors delight".
We started our weekend with the forecast calling for the best chance of rain since we arrived in Alaska. However, the old saying proved more true for when we woke, there was no rain, only high clouds. So, we decided that we should hike Mt. Riley. The trail-head is on the coast just 3 miles out of town so we threw some lunch, water and dog food in our pack packs and drove on out.
The trail to the summit is steep and climbs 1,800' over 3 miles through thick, lush forest. The forests here get so much water from the rain and snow that the roots are very shallow and often exposed at the surface. They make the hiking difficult as you have to always watch your step carefully. They often form stairs along the trail giving your legs a real workout.
After coaxing ourselves up switchback after switchback and standing on top, it suddenly seemed painless. The view was breathtaking !! We could almost see Russia from up there. Seriously, we had a 360 degree view for miles.
The trail to the summit is steep and climbs 1,800' over 3 miles through thick, lush forest. The forests here get so much water from the rain and snow that the roots are very shallow and often exposed at the surface. They make the hiking difficult as you have to always watch your step carefully. They often form stairs along the trail giving your legs a real workout.
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| Lori and Spaz on top with Haines below |
After coaxing ourselves up switchback after switchback and standing on top, it suddenly seemed painless. The view was breathtaking !! We could almost see Russia from up there. Seriously, we had a 360 degree view for miles.
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| Self timer portrait of the 3 stooges Mt. Riley and Haines are on a peninsula with the peak about 5 miles from the tip. We could see Haines below us nearby to the west with the Chilkoot valley on one side and the Chilkat valley on the other. To the north, up the Lynn canal you could see Skagway, 14 miles distant. To the west, down the canal the view disappeared towards Juneau and the pacific ocean. Across the canal to the south we had a spectacular view of the Rainbow Glacier and waterfall. |
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| We were looking down on the bald eagles for a change |
After eating the best peanut butter and jelly sandwiches ever (with crunchy Cheetos of course) and enjoying the summit all by ourselves, we headed down.
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| Yes, those ARE red Alaska suspenders (you want my pants to fall down??) |
By the time we got down, even Spaz was wiped out. We celebrated our conquest with a soft serve vanilla/chocolate ice cream from the "Hungry Moose" (a trailer drive thru in town). Later, we grilled some fat cheese burgers and had a few beers with Rob and Megan, some nice Alaskans that were camped next to us. The next day (our Sunday) was a little rough so we took it easy and had a "I don't feel like doing anything" day. We blamed it on being over-served by Rob & Megan but it might have been cause we are old, stiff and sore from Mt. Riley...naaaaw...we were over-served.
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| SPAZ WAD (Wilderness Alaska Dog) on the trail |
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