Whistle Ridge, Alaska (8-27-19)

Day 23 of Lupe’s 2019 Dingo Vacation to the Yukon & Alaska!

Early on the Denali Highway after crossing the Maclaren River – Ai-yi-yi!  The Carolina Dog was having a conniption fit!  Directly ahead, 3 caribou trotted away right in front of the G6, steadfastly refusing to leave the road.  What was wrong with these caribou, anyway?  Were they deaf?

The excitement was more than a Dingo could bear!  For a tortuously slow mile, complete pandemonium reigned in the G6.  By the time the caribou finally had sense enough to abandon the highway for the bush, Lupe was a complete foaming-at-the-mouth frazzle.

Nothing like a little excitement to start the day, aye, Looper?

For pity sake, SPHP!  Why didn’t you gun it, and run over those caribou?  So easy!  We would have been up to our necks in caribou steaks the rest of this Dingo Vacation!

No hunting license, Loop.

You didn’t need one!  You’ve got a driver’s license, right?

Of course.

Well, then use it!

No amount of explaining was going to make any difference, so SPHP changed the subject.

Maclaren Summit is just ahead.  As soon as we get there, Whistle Ridge will be right around the corner.

Oh, are we going to explore Whistle Ridge, SPHP?

Yup.  It’s a little different from Crazy Notch Ridge (4233 ft.) yesterday.  Two separate summits, Peak 4716 and Peak 4850, 4 or 5 miles apart.

Are we peakbagging Peak 4850 then, since it’s the highest?

Both actually, since they are real close to the highway.  We’ll come to Peak 4716 first.  After that, we’ll just drive to Peak 4850.  Easier than trying to travel the entire ridge and back.

9:44 AM, 45ºF, pullout on the N side of the Denali Highway at MP 35.2 –  Looked simple enough.  The N face of Peak 4716 was directly across the highway from where the G6 was parked.  A moderately steep slope led up to an unseen summit some 650+ feet higher.  Cake!  Lupe crossed the highway, scrambled up an embankment, and was on her way.

By angling SW, the American Dingo was able to avoid a bushy region.  Climbing steadily, Lupe headed for the top of the mountain’s NW ridge.  The slope went from mostly grass to tundra, then rock.  In less than 10 minutes, it appeared she was on the verge of reaching the ridgeline.

Not true.  Upon reaching the supposed ridgeline, a rockier slope that wasn’t as steep as what Loop had just climbed led to another apparent ridgeline higher yet.  Onward!  Loopster kept going.

This time when Lupe got to the top, she really was up on Peak 4716’s NW ridge.  Turning SE toward the summit, she traveled a broad slope higher, eventually arriving at a big shelf partially occupied by bushes.

Toward the N (L), there were fewer bushes.  Loop got through without difficulty.  A 30 to 40 foot high embankment comprised almost entirely of rock was next.  Climbing it, she came to another big shelf.  This one was more barren than the one below.  Hardly any bushes, just hillocky grasses and tundra.

Again a rocky climb was ahead, but the summit couldn’t be too much farther.  Lupe scrambled the rocky slopes, crossing a smaller bench or two on the way.  Soon she was at the top.

Before her was a huge circular-shaped summit region, perhaps 10 acres in size, elongated and somewhat lower to the SE.  The terrain was open and flat.  Low grasses, tundra, and blocky-shaped rocks of moderate size dominated the landscape.

Loop had come up at the NW end.  The topo map showed a “Boulder” survey benchmark somewhere out in the middle.  The Carolina Dog wandered out there, sniffing around the highest ground, but neither she nor SPHP encountered any sign of a marker.

Might be anywhere, or completely gone.  2 rusty cans and a piece of wire were all that turned up.  The summit was so vast, SPHP was soon ready to forget it.  May as well take a break.  Loopster wanted to lay down.  SPHP sat beside her.

Overhead, the sky was blue.  Hardly any of yesterday’s haziness except to the S.  Crazy Notch Ridge (4,233 ft.) where Lupe had such a grand time yesterday looked like a little hill from here.

20 minutes was enough.  Lupe was ready for action again.  Still keeping an eye out for the Boulder survey benchmark, a counter-clockwise tour of Peak 4716’s summit region commenced.

Quite a few cairns, seemingly of little significance, were scattered across Peak 4716.  Many of the biggest ones were concentrated along the SW edge.  A few more big ones were farther SE where the summit region was definitely somewhat lower.

Virtually everywhere to the S and W, a huge expanse of lowlands dotted with numerous small lakes separated Peak 4716 from distant ridges.  At the far SE end of the summit region, Lupe came to a slightly raised grassy spot, which stood out from the rest of the terrain.

To the E, the rest of Whistle Ridge stretched away for miles clear over to Peak 4850.  Whistle Ridge seemed small and insignificant compared to the Alaska Range to the N, yet a trek all the way to Peak 4850 from here did look like an appealing march.  Lupe would love it!  For a while, SPHP didn’t rule it out.

Lupe had saved the best for last!  The most spectacular views from Peak 4716 were to the N.  Beyond another flat expanse full of small lakes, lower peaks of the Alaska Range were in sight.  Clouds permitted only tantalizing glimpses of several gleaming white monsters lurking deeper into the range.  Lupe could see part of the Maclaren Glacier, although it was many miles away.

To the NE, the S end of Glacier Gap Lake was in view.  Off to the NW, Looper could see the Maclaren River valley, Crazy Notch Ridge, and the Clearwater Mountains.

Exploring Peak 4716 had been fun, but over an hour had already shot by up at the summit.  The Carolina Dog couldn’t stay.  Peak 4850, the true high point of all of Whistle Ridge was calling!

Lupe started back down the NW slope.  Half an hour later, she was back at the G6.  (12:28 PM)

A relaxing mid-day drive was a nice respite, but even at only 30 mph it wasn’t long before Lupe was approaching the E end of Whistle Ridge.  The Denali Highway curved S, and SPHP parked the G6 down in a big pullout situated below the E side of the road.  This pullout was just S of the MP 30 sign.

Peak 4850 was in sight across the Denali Highway, but it was only 12:45 PM, so Lupe had lots of time.  Lunch, then a Dingo nap!  A parade of dump trucks raised dust as they rumbled by carrying loads of gravel for road construction going on somewhere E of here.  One went by every few minutes.

1:54 PM, 53ºF, pullout at MP30 of the Denali Highway NE of Peak 4850 – Oh, it was on again!  Whistle Ridge, Phase 2 commenced.  Crossing the Denali Highway, Lupe traveled S down in a 40 foot wide ditch next to the road where the vegetation appeared to have been disturbed a few years back.  Nearing the point where the highway veered E, she turned SW heading for Peak 4850.

During the first part of the trek, Lupe explored a gently sloping region full of yellow bushes.  The bushes were chest high on SPHP, and tended to concentrate in large stands separated by less dense growth.  Animal trails and the less shrubby areas kept the slow climb easy.

The grade increased as the American Dingo got closer and closer to the base of Whistle Ridge.  Up ahead there was a high point snazzed up by a stand of short orange bushes.  By the time Lupe got there, the terrain had steepened a fair amount.

Snazzy Orange Bush Ridge turned out to be just a flat spot at the lower end of a steeper slope going SW up the mountain.  The bushes thinned out as Lupe continued higher.

Looper gained quite a bit of elevation before finally coming to a large grassy amphitheater flanked by steep rock slopes to the S.

Following narrow lanes of grass and tundra, Lupe began a steep trudge up the rocky slopes above the amphitheater.  She stuck with the slopes to the SE, which didn’t appear as challenging as those to the SW that went directly up to Peak 4850.

Higher and higher!  The views were improving rapidly.  Almost due N was a great view of Glacier Gap Lake.

At the last patch of tundra on the way up, Lupe paused for a break.

A little Taste of the Wild, a little water.  Then onward and upward!  Not much farther now, 50-75 feet?  Nothing but rock the whole way.

Turned out to be somewhat farther than it looked.  Close to the top, Lupe turned WSW.  She came up at the NE end of a huge saddle between two large, flat high points.  Across the wide saddle, the high point to the W was her ultimate destination, Peak 4850.  The American Dingo didn’t venture that way yet, though.  Instead she turned SE.  Climbing another rocky slope a few tens of feet higher, Loop reached the top of a big flat region strewn with rocks and tundra.

This was HP4745, the last major summit at the far E end of Whistle Ridge.  It looked a lot like Peak 4716.  The top was about 10 acres in size, flat yet rough, being even rockier than Peak 4716 had been.  Once again, way over at the far SE end, Lupe could see a small grassy mound unlike anything else up here.  How odd!

Loopster went to see it.

Was the grassy mound even natural?  It didn’t seem to be, although the mound looked undisturbed for a long time.  A cairn sat S of the mound.

HP4745 ‘s grassy mound was bigger than Peak 4716’s grassy spot, but otherwise they were very similar.  Their significance remained unclear.  The only thing for certain was that Lupe liked it here.

The grassy mound was soft and comfortable.  Soon Loop was putting on her best innocent, tired puppy act.  Bleary-eyed she squinted at SPHP as though completely exhausted.  Lupe wanted to be petted and loved, and responded by enthusiastically licking SPHP’s hand.

Who could resist?  She got to stay.

Again 20 minutes was enough.  SPHP was still relaxing propped up by the grassy mound, when the American Dingo sprang back to life.

Alright, already!  Onward then!  Puppy ho!

Before leaving HP4745, Lupe explored over to the NE edge for a look at Glacier Gap Lake, then it was W back to the saddle leading to Peak 4850.

Crossing the huge saddle didn’t take long, nor did the roughly 150 foot climb up to the top of Peak 4850.

Greatly resembling the tops of both Peak 4716 and HP4745, Peak 4850’s summit region looked familiar.  10 or more acres of flat ground covered with rocks and tundra.  No grassy spot or mound, though, to the SE or anywhere else.  Lupe could see two cairns, a big one along the N edge, and a smaller one by the S edge.  She visited the N cairn first.

Crossing the center of the summit region, Lupe briefly visited the cairn along the S edge, too.  She then traveled NW along the SW rim.  Most of Whistle Ridge was in sight the whole way, with Peak 4716 now at the far end.  It was all so beautiful that SPHP was sorry Lupe hadn’t traveled the entire length of the ridge.

In the end, Lupe spent most of her time on Peak 4850 relaxing near the big N cairn enjoying a stunning view of Glacier Gap Lake flanked by two mountains both much higher and far more rugged than where she was now.  Snow-capped peaks glimmered faintly beyond Glacier Gap.

Sort of makes you wonder what’s through that gap, doesn’t it, SPHP?

There’s a big lake, Loop.  Sevenmile Lake.  In fact, we passed a trailhead just S of Glacier Gap Lake a mile or two before we got to where the G6 is now.  No peakbagging involved, but would you like to see if we can make it through Glacier Gap to Sevenmile Lake tomorrow?

Sounds like fun!  A lake would be something different for a change.

No promises.  Don’t really know if we can actually get there, Looper.  Our topo map only shows a trail as far as Glacier Gap Lake, but even that looks like a fabulous destination.  Wouldn’t take all that long, either, if that’s as far as we make it.

Maybe we ought to go see if there’s any information at that trailhead when we get back to the G6?

Sure, Loop, why not?  Makes sense.  Maybe we’ll learn something?

The time came to leave Peak 4850.  Lupe headed E going back down to the huge saddle leading to HP4757 again.  She crossed the saddle, but did not return to HP4757 and its soft grassy mound.  Instead, she turned N starting down the long rocky slope.

Partway down the N slope of Whistle Ridge’s HP4757, suddenly Lupe did hear a whistle!

A marmot!  The formerly poor, weary, bleary-eyed Dingo was instantly transformed.  Off like a shot!  SPHP was left to trudge the rocky slope alone.  300 feet lower a Carolina Dog raced here and there across the grassy tundra, weaving frantically in and out among the bushes.

The rest of the return was marvelous!  Lupe’s delight was obvious.  Roaming free and feeling strong, the Carolina Dog ran hither and yon in wild Alaska chasing the exhilarating scent of adventure.  (End 5:47 PM)

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