Category: 2017 Yukon & Alaska

Day 29 of Lupe’s 2017 Dingo Vacation to the Yukon & Alaska!

6:47 AM, 37°F, Skyscraper Mountain pullout off N Palmer Willow Road near Hatcher Pass – Yesterday evening’s lucky stars kept their promise!  Clear and calm.  An absolutely fabulous day for the Reed Lakes trail and an attempt on mighty Lynx Peak.  Lupe had promised to take care of any wildcats along the way.  All SPHP had to do was manage to struggle up the mountain.  If SPHP could do it, so could the American Dingo.

The turn off N Palmer Fishhook Road onto Archangel Road was only a few miles away.  The G6 hit 100,000 miles on the 2.5 mile long stretch on Archangel Road to the Reed Lakes trailhead.  After breakfast, paying the $5.00 daily parking fee, and final preparations, Lupe was on her way.  (8:08 AM, 35°F)

Archangel Road continued across Archangel Creek from where the G6 was parked.  Lupe trotted across the bridge.  Archangel Road veered off to the L.  Lupe kept going straight, passing few more parking spots on this side of the creek before reaching the Reed Lakes trail.

The first part of the Reed Lakes trail was a snap.  The path was wide, smooth, and level.  The trail stayed W of Reed Creek, and somewhat above it.  Lupe was traveling through a long valley leading toward a headwall 1.5 miles away.  The valley gradually curved from N to NE.

Shortly before reaching the headwall, Loopster came to several good wooden bridges over a couple of creeks.  First she crossed Glacier Creek.  Another bridge took her over Reed Creek.

After crossing the creeks, Lupe saw a sign about beaver ponds.  The ponds were lower in the valley, not far from the base of the headwall.  A side trail led down to them.  Lupe stayed on the main Reed Lakes trail.

The trail began to climb steadily.  Soon Lupe was ascending a series of switchbacks.  The Reed Lakes trail was no longer a wide, smooth path.  The switchbacks ultimately led Loop to higher ground toward the N end of the headwall.

Above the headwall, the terrain leveled out quite a bit.  This area was wilder and rockier than the lower valley had been.  At first, the trail was still a good single track easy enough to follow.  The trail headed for a narrow gap about 0.25 mile away.

As Lupe approached the narrow gap, the Reed Lakes trail disappeared.  The gap was full of large boulders.  Some were as big as cars or even trucks.  Scrambling over the huge rocks was a time-consuming process.  Underneath it all, Reed Creek could often be heard and sometimes seen.

Lupe worked her way past the boulders taking whatever route seemed expedient.  Although there were few indications of where the trail was supposed to be, it was clear Looper had to get through this gap.

The last obstacle Lupe had to get by was a huge boulder next to Reed Creek.  Once she was beyond this boulder, she had effectively made it past the gap.  The Reed Creek trail reappeared, and the terrain was no longer littered with boulders.  Lupe followed the trail N on the W side of Reed Creek.

The Carolina Dog was now in a gorgeous mountain valley.  Crystal clear Reed Creek flowed smoothly through shallow ponds in a nearly level area.  Between ponds the stream rippled down gentle slopes.  Lush light green vegetation grew near the creek.  The lower mountain slopes were green, too, highlighted by stands of bright red plants.

Lupe and SPHP lingered in this gorgeous area before pressing on.  When Lupe did continue, the trail began climbing steadily again at a moderate pace.  0.75 mile from the narrow boulder-strewn gap, Lupe reached the top of a rise.  Nearby, tucked at the foot of a towering mountain, was the most exquisite lake ever!

The astonishing lake was mirror smooth.  The surface displayed an amazing translucent turquoise color so clear, and so perfectly reflecting the surrounding mountains at the angle from which Lupe first glimpsed it, the lake appeared ethereal.  Yet the incredible, nearly invisible lake was undeniably there, a gem among gems, a wonder among wonders!

Lupe had reached Lower Reed Lake.

Lower Reed Lake was practically invisible at the angle from which Lupe first saw it, but as she followed the trail N to higher ground near the lake’s W shore, the surface became less translucent and displayed a more brilliant turquoise color.

The trail climbed steadily as it went past Lower Reed Lake.  Beyond the lake, the terrain steepened, and the trail angled NW.  Here Lupe entered a realm of waterfalls.  The roaring waterfalls plunging toward Lower Reed Lake only heightened the awesome impact of the magnificent mountain display.

The last waterfall Lupe came to was the highest and most spectacular!  When Loop reached the top of this waterfall, she had a final fabulous view of Lower Reed Lake from more than 300 feet above.

Once Lupe reached the top of the highest waterfall, a more level valley again greeted her as she continued on the Reed Lakes trail toward still unseen Upper Reed Lake.  At first the trail closely followed Reed Creek as it slowly turned E, but eventually was some distance N of it.

For the first time today, Lupe could see Lynx Peak (6,536 ft.).  The sight was daunting.  Whether the American Dingo would have to tangle with wildcats, or not, SPHP immediately feared Lupe would never make it to the top of Lynx Peak.  The mountain looked more rugged and challenging than anything the Carolina Dog and SPHP were used to taking on.

May as well keep going, though.  Even if Lynx Peak was a lost cause, Lupe still wanted to see Upper Reed Lake.

Upper Reed Lake isn’t much more than a mile beyond the lower lake.  Lupe was perhaps a little more than 4 miles from the trailhead when the upper lake came into view.  Upper Reed Lake with Lynx Peak towering beyond it was certainly an impressive sight!  However, as beautiful as it was, Upper Reed Lake, though larger, didn’t seem quite as spectacular as Lower Reed Lake had been.

When Lupe reached Upper Reed Lake, it was time for a break.  While Lupe relaxed and had Taste of the Wild, SPHP had a bite to eat, too.  A couple from Georgia, who had briefly caught up with SPHP a little before Lower Reed Lake, but had fallen behind again, soon reappeared.  Upper Reed Lake was as far as they were going, so they also stopped for lunch.

Tom couldn’t believe Lupe intended to climb Lynx Peak.  No trail existed.  How was she going to get up there?  Lynx Peak looked rugged.

How, indeed?  SPHP was wondering the same thing.  Maybe Loopster should just forget about Lynx Peak?  SPHP described to Tom what looked like the only possible route.  Lupe would go up long boulder fields aiming for the lower W (L) end of a dark ridge where the mountain was solid rock.  The dark ridge appeared to be partially concealing a ramp or gully just behind it.  This gully might provide a steep path up to a small lone patch of snow seen high on the mountain.

Above the snow, SPHP simply didn’t know what might be possible.  Lupe would still need to gain several hundred feet of elevation to reach the summit.  The terrain above the snow looked very steep, but maybe the Carolina Dog could find a way to the top?  Trip reports SPHP had read on Lynx Peak seemed to match up with this plan to some degree.  None of the reports had mentioned any technical climbing, but it was hard to tell if this was the route others had used.

Tom was skeptical.  He wasn’t the only one.

By the time the Georgians left Upper Reed Lake to head back down the trail, it was already 1:00 PM.  If Lupe was going to climb Lynx Peak, she had better get on with it.  A trail continued E along the N shore of Upper Reed Lake toward the base of Lynx Peak (6,536 ft.).  Looper and SPHP followed this trail part way, but left it well before getting past the lake.  Lanes of vegetation on the slope N of the lake appeared to offer a potentially easier start up than heading directly for the boulder fields.

The early climbing maneuver proved unhelpful.  From below, it had looked like more level terrain might exist higher up.  SPHP hoped Lupe would find a relatively easy route closer to Lynx Peak.  The terrain did level out to a degree, but the whole area was nothing but rock.  Boulder fields all the way!  It would have been better to have stuck with the path down by Upper Reed Lake however far it went.

Well, it wasn’t all boulder fields all the way, but close to it.  Lupe finally did come to small patches of vegetation, but nearly this entire route was simply a long, slow boulder hop.  The good news was that Loop now had a better view of the steep gully or ramp leading to the patch of snow.  Though steep, it did appear possible to go that way.

Loop traveled E gaining only a little elevation.  Eventually she was close enough to Lynx Peak to turn N.  She headed up the slope leading to the lower end of the gully hidden by the dark ridge.  The American Dingo climbed and climbed.  She succeeded in reaching the start of the gully.

The gully was even steeper and full of broken rock, but Lupe found she could continue higher.  Loop managed to get above all the obstacles she encountered.  The patch of snow was somewhere higher up, beyond the end of the gully, but wasn’t visible yet.

When Lupe was almost as high as the ridge separating Upper Reed Lake from the Bomber Glacier, it was time for another look around.

SPHP consulted the topo map.  The lowest part of the ridge separating Upper Reed Lake from the Bomber Glacier was at 5,500 feet elevation.  Loop was almost even with that.  She still had more than another 1,000 feet to go to the summit of Lynx Peak!

It was 4:00 PM already.  3 hours had gone by since Lupe had left Upper Reed Lake.  Clearly, at the pace SPHP had been going, Lupe wouldn’t be able to get to the summit and back down before dark.

So what do ya think, Looper?

Oh, it’s the same old thing!  I’m all worked up about defending you from all the wildcats on Lynx Peak, but we get here and there’s nary a lynx anywhere in sight.  Don’t know what I was thinking.  Happens every time.  We go to Caribou Mountain, and there aren’t any Caribou.  Elk Mountain, no elk.  Cathedral Mountain, no cathedral.  Humans name things completely at random, don’t they?

Well, we can’t name every mountain Rock Mountain, that would be too confusing.  So, maybe there was a lynx here once upon a time, and maybe there wasn’t.  It’s still a cool name for a mountain.  Anyway, that’s not what I meant to ask you.  The question is, are you willing to keep going, or not?  I don’t know if we will get back by dark the way things are looking.

We did see a deer on Deer Mountain once though, if I remember right.

Loop!  Forget about the lynxes for a minute.  Do you want to keep going to the summit of Lynx Peak even though we might not make it down by dark?

Do we have to?  This mountain is kind of scary steep, don’t you think?  I don’t like it much.

No, we don’t have to, but I can about guarantee we will never have this chance again.  Lynx Peak is a glorious peak – higher than any other you’ve ever climbed in Alaska.  Maybe we can, and maybe we can’t get to the top, but at this moment we still have the opportunity to try.  Are you game or not?  It’s now or never, Loop!

Oh, I suppose.  I can see and sniff well enough in the dark.  How are you going to manage, though, SPHP?

With the headlamp or the flashlight, if necessary.  Alright then, let’s see if we can get there.  Puppy, ho!  Onward!

Up, up, up!  Lupe led the way.  SPHP was the holdup, of course, but went as fast as possible.  The chute or ramp or gully, or what ever you want to call it was even steeper than before, but Loop was still making progress.  Finally, SPHP paused for yet another breather.  Looking around, there it was – the snowbank!  Lupe was already a little above it.  She’d past it a little to the N.

Still a few hundred feet to go.  The views were so fearsome, even Lupe was getting nervous.  She begged SPHP to stop and pet her.  SPHP did, but never for more than a minute or two.  Nothing had stopped the American Dingo yet.  On the strength of each brief reassurance, Lupe continued higher.

Loop finally reached a ridgeline.  The was Lynx Peak’s upper SW ridge.  Large rocks covered with black lichens dominated the area.  Fortunately Looper is a good scrambler.  She climbed NE along the ridge.  SPHP followed as fast as possible.  The ridge wasn’t nearly as steep as what Lupe had already come up, and soon started to level out even more. The top of the mountain couldn’t be much farther away.

Lupe reached the summit ridge.  Perhaps 150 to 200 feet long, it was quite level, but rough.  The highest rocks were opposite from where Lupe came up at the far N or NE end.  The Carolina Dog made her way over there.  She’d done it!  Lupe stood on the highest rocks atop mighty Lynx Peak (6,536 ft.)!

After photos at the summit, Looper wanted to relax.  She found as comfy a spot as she could to lay down.  While Loop rested, SPHP surveyed the tremendous views in all directions.  One of the most interesting views was looking more than 1,000 feet down on the Bomber Glacier.

The Knik Arm of the Pacific Ocean off Cook Inlet could be seen far to the SW.  SPHP could identify Hatch Benchmark (4,811 ft.) where Lupe had been only yesterday, as well as Government Peak (4,781 ft.).

The 360° views from Lynx Peak were simply stupendous!

Unfortunately, Lupe wasn’t going to be able to rest long.  A lot of time had ticked by.  It was at least late, late afternoon already.  Furthermore, the morning’s sunny skies had vanished.  Yesterday evening’s lucky stars had kept their promise for a nice day today, but a repeat performance didn’t seem likely.

Even so, it was hard to pull oneself away from these glorious sights!

After her rest, Lupe sprang back to life.  She was clearly feeling better.  The Most High Exalted Dingo of the Arctic Sisterhood was ready to report in from mighty Lynx Peak.

After 30 minutes on the summit of Lynx Peak, it really was time to go.  What?  Something like 3 hours before the sun would set?  Looked like it.  Seemed like that ought to be time enough to at least get back to Upper Reed Lake.  Maybe not, though.  Lupe had 2,300 feet of very steep, very rocky terrain to go down.  SPHP was terrible at that sort of thing.

There was only one way to go, which was back down the way Lupe had come up.  Looper and SPHP started down Lynx Peak’s SW ridge.  SPHP couldn’t remember exactly where to leave the ridge to begin the descent to the patch of snow.  Naturally, SPHP went too far before realizing the error.  Nothing to do, but climb back up.  Not good.  Fortunately, Lupe didn’t have to regain too much elevation.

After leaving the ridge, SPHP was awfully slow!  Down, down, trying to hurry, but be careful too.  Loopster was nervous as rocks clattered down the long slopes.  Facing the dramatic, massive elevation loss ahead was intimidating.  Lynx Peak was pushing the limits of what the Carolina Dog was willing to do.  Loopster begged SPHP to stop.  She wanted to be held, comforted, petted.  Many times SPHP did just that, but the stops had to be brief.  Time was slipping away.

Lupe went by the patch of snow again, then down the long gully.  The worst was over when she reached the lower end of the gully.  Looper still faced nearly 1,300 feet of elevation loss on mostly steep terrain littered with rocks and boulders.  Yet what was ahead wasn’t as frightening as what Lupe had already been through.  Her confidence returned.

Lupe and SPHP left the gully heading down toward Upper Reed Lake.  On and on.  Light was failing.  Unexpectedly, shortly before sunset, the sun briefly broke through the gray cloud cover to shine weakly on the highest portions of Lynx Peak’s SW ridge.

10 minutes later, sunlight had vanished from the ridge.  A colorful sky lingered in the W, but soon faded as well.  Loop continued her descent.  Twilight turned black.  Upper Reed Lake was gone.  Everything was gone.

SPHP paused to put on the headlamp.  It was small, it was weak, but it sufficed.  Lupe sniffed around in the night, returning frequently to the edge of the gloom surrounding SPHP.  The long descent continued.  No stars.  No moon.  Nothing to go by except the tiny light and the need to get lower.

Progress was super slow.  Black as midnight, it was no longer possible to pick out a best route.  Whatever Lupe came to, she just had to deal with.  Sometimes the terrain was fairly level, sometimes surprisingly steep.  Rocks and boulder fields were everywhere.

And then, from the black void, a light!  The little light was red at first, and looked surprisingly far away.  Lupe saw it, too!  The light changed to white, and scanned the area where Lupe and SPHP were.  Had to be someone else with a headlamp somewhere down by the E end of Upper Reed Lake.  That someone must have seen SPHP’s headlamp.  For a few minutes, the light shined right at Loop and SPHP.

Then it went out.

Onward!  Whoever that had been, they were still a lot lower than where Lupe was.  Slowly, slowly SPHP picked a way down.  Lupe continued her explorations, sniffing the air frequently.  Who knew?  Lynxes might be prowling around under cover of darkness.

Half an hour later the white light reappeared.  Once again it scanned the mountain to rest upon Loop and SPHP.  The light came and went several times.  Finally a voice.

You, OK?

Yes.  Thanks for asking.

Have enough food and water?

Out of food, but plenty of water.  We’re fine.

You should be down to the lake before long.

Figured we must be getting close.

Are you camped down here?

No.

Where at then?

We’re heading out.  On our way to the trailhead.

Silence.  Then after a moment.

Now?  Seriously?

Yes.  We’re fine.

OK, then.  Good luck!  If you don’t need anything, I’m going to sleep.

We’re good, thanks!  Appreciate your concern.  Sweet dreams!

It still took longer to get to Upper Reed Lake than it seemed like it should have.  At last, Lupe was on relatively level ground again.  She found what appeared to be a faint trail.  Even so, progress remained slow.  The trail had a lot of rock.  SPHP suspected Lupe must be very close to the shore of the lake, so close that SPHP feared accidentally walking straight into it.  The night was so pitch black, the lake couldn’t be seen at all.

Shortly after the Carolina Dog reached invisible Upper Reed Lake, it started.  Rain!  Oh, joy.  Last night’s lucky stars had only promised one nice day.  Time was up!  Loopsterella had stayed too long at the ball.  Her luck had just run out.  SPHP stopped long enough to put on the plastic rain poncho.

The rain began as only a few scattered drops, but Loopsterella was soon enduring a steady downpour.  Once past Upper Reed Lake, the trail wasn’t so rocky anymore, but muddy instead.  Loopsterella prowled around in the night, while SPHP splashed along the trail.

Visibility was bad.  As the rain continued, the trail became harder to discern in the headlamp’s weak glow.  Sometimes there was a single track.  Other times there were 2 or 3 separate tracks.  Sometimes it all simply disappeared.  SPHP lost the way repeatedly.  Loopsterella usually found it again without having to search too long.

The sound of running water came from everywhere.  Rivulets poured down the mountainsides.  When the roar became louder and the trail steepened, SPHP knew Loopsterella must have made it to the waterfalls above Lower Reed Lake.  The steeper trail was bad news.  Despite going super slowly and carefully, SPHP began to fall.  The trail was so muddy and slick, traction gave way without warning.

The first 3 times SPHP fell, no real damage was done, except that the rain poncho was becoming progressively more ripped up.  By the 3rd fall, the poncho was in tatters.  Only the hood kept the rest of it from falling to the ground.  A dry head was better than nothing, and much better than the complete drenching poor Loopsterella was enduring.  She was soaked to the bone and cold, so cold to the touch.

On the 4th fall, SPHP landed awkwardly, painfully.  Wrenched back.  Loopsterella offered encouragement while SPHP sat in the mud trying to shake it off.  Many sweet licks did the trick.  After a few minutes, SPHP managed to stand again.  It hurt, but SPHP could limp slowly onward.

An eternity went by.  SPHP knew only that Loopsterella was still on the trail, still moving.  She must have made it past Lower Reed Lake a while ago.  It inevitably had to happen, and finally did.  Loopsterella reached the gap.  The gap full of huge boulders.  Exactly as anticipated and feared, the trail vanished.  The way forward was hidden in the night.  On one side Loopsterella was hemmed in by gigantic boulders.  On the other, by Reed Creek.

The creek was deep here.  At least waist deep on SPHP.  Way over the American Dingo’s head.  Try fording that?  Carrying a Dingo in the rain, in the dark, with a pack, already cold, weary, and injured without even being able to see the far side?  Never!  SPHP searched and searched, revisiting the same spots multiple times.  No route could be found around the boulders.  No way across the creek.  Nothing!

Loopsterella had made it around this place somehow on the way to Reed Lakes, but SPHP couldn’t remember how she’d done it.  If she could get past these massive boulders, the rest of the gap would still be challenging, but not as bad as this choke point.

SPHP finally decided it might be possible to climb up the narrow space between the two largest rocks.  However, whatever was on the opposite side was hidden from view.  Between the rocks, a scary deep opening dropped into a pool of dark water below the boulders.  If Loopsterella fell into that black hole, she might not be able to get out.  SPHP might not be able to rescue her, or get out of it, either.

Not much choice.  Loopsterella would need help getting past the space between the boulders.  SPHP climbed partway up and got wedged into position to help her.  It was awkward, at best.  Encouraged to come, Loopsterella refused.  No!  Uh, uh.  Absolutely not!  SPHP came back down.  She was right.  In any case, certainly no chance of success without the Carolina Dog’s cooperation.

Stuck then.  No way forward.  Nothing to do, but wait for dawn.  Who knew how many hours that would be?  SPHP sat cross-legged on a small patch of wet vegetation, back propped against a rock.  Loopsterella curled up on SPHP’s lap.  She was totally soaked and cold, but still not shivering.  Sitting wasn’t going to be good.  Moving had kept the blood moving and created warmth.

The rain ended as Loopsterella and SPHP sat together.  That helped, but without movement SPHP was soon shivering anyway.  Cold, and getting colder!  Only SPHP’s lap was warm where Loopsterella, though cold and wet herself, functioned as an effective Dingo oven.

May as well save battery life.  Off went the headlamp.  In total darkness, SPHP stroked Loopsterella’s wet head.  The long wait began.

Was it possible?  After only 20 minutes, SPHP could see a vague outline of nearby rocks.  Perhaps with the headlamp off eyes were adjusting to what had seemed to be utter darkness?  5 more minutes went by.  No, that wasn’t true.  It actually was getting lighter out.  Night was ending.  Dawn was on the way!

Soon it was light enough to see a way forward.  SPHP shimmied over a boulder in the stream.  Beyond it were more rocks to hop across.  Loopsterella made it across on her own.  Piece of cake!  Moving again!  Such a wonderful feeling.

The boulder fields in the gap were more extensive and harder to get through than SPHP remembered.  Beyond them, SPHP suddenly saw a new threat.  Someone was standing on a hillside overlooking the rest of the valley.  Someone sternly motionless, and strangely dressed.  A foreigner wearing an old style Chinese hat and a robe – a Chinese witch!

As Loopsterella proceeded toward the witch, SPHP limped along behind staring in fascination despite a sense of dread.  Who?  Why?  It made no sense.  Loopsterella took no notice of the witch.  No.  Not a witch.  Only an illusion.  Only rocks.  Other figures appeared, though not as clearly.  They were all illusions, all rocks.  Must be losing it.

When it got bright enough, the illusions ceased.  Loopsterella seemed recharged, the night’s ordeal behind her.  The rain clouds were gone.  Another nice day in store.  The mountains were gorgeous!  SPHP was oblivious to them.  Just keep moving, keep following that curly tail.

8-29-17, 9:05 AM, Reed Lakes trailhead – Still wet, too tired to eat more than a little Alpo, Loopsterella, the Most High Exalted Dingo of the Arctic Sisterhood, climbed onto her pile of blankets and drifted off to Dingo dreamland.  Thanks to SPHP’s torpid pace, at 24 hours, 57 minutes she probably held the record now for the slowest day hike ever On the Reed Lakes Trail to Lynx Peak and a View of the Bomber Glacier.

She’d made it, though, all the way to the top of Lynx Peak.  And if she had instead set the record for the fastest time, it wouldn’t have been any more memorable a feat.

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