{"id":27047,"date":"2020-05-15T08:10:24","date_gmt":"2020-05-15T14:10:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/?p=27047"},"modified":"2020-06-08T20:20:58","modified_gmt":"2020-06-09T02:20:58","slug":"swede-mountain-alaska-8-29-19","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/?p=27047","title":{"rendered":"Swede Mountain, Alaska (8-29-19)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Day 25 of Lupe’s 2019 Dingo Vacation to the Yukon & Alaska!<\/em><\/p>\n

6:29 AM, Denali Highway approaching the Tangle River from the NW<\/em> –<\/p>\n

That’s it already, SPHP?<\/em><\/p>\n

Yup.\u00a0 Tangle Lakes Peak dead ahead, Looper.<\/em><\/p>\n

Doesn’t look like a very good day for it, does it?<\/em><\/p>\n

Hard to say.\u00a0 Still early.<\/em><\/p>\n

Actually, Lupe was right.\u00a0 The situation didn’t look encouraging.\u00a0 Floating above and beyond a moat of fog down in the Tangle River valley, a huge hill was ahead.\u00a0 Even above the fog, the atmosphere was all white.\u00a0 The hill appeared nearly featureless.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Approaching Tangle Lakes Peak<\/strong>. Photo looks SE.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

At the Tangle River, SPHP turned off on the road to Round Tangle Lake.\u00a0 Might as well have a look at the river!\u00a0 The Tangle River was shallow.\u00a0 Bits of foam sailed downstream.\u00a0 In the fog it all seemed mysterious and sad.\u00a0 A plaque along the road about long forgotten prehistoric people who once lived here added to a sense of gloom.<\/p>\n

\"\"
By the Tangle River<\/strong>. Photo looks upstream (SW).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"
Plaque posted along the road to Round Tangle Lake.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Returning to the Denali Highway, SPHP turned E crossing the river.\u00a0 A couple more miles, and it was time to start looking for a place to park.\u00a0 Almost immediately, a paved pullout appeared along the S side of the highway.\u00a0 Sweet!\u00a0 Right across the highway, a dirt road headed up a small hill.\u00a0 More parking up there.<\/p>\n

According to the map, the summit of Tangle Lakes Peak was 3 miles due S.\u00a0 The morning haze was a problem, but maybe it would burn off?\u00a0 The real worry was vegetation.\u00a0 Small trees and tall bushes dominated the scene.\u00a0 A long trackless bushwhack would render an attempted ascent an ill-advised endeavor.<\/p>\n

I don’t know, Loopster.\u00a0 Kind of looking like a no-go.<\/em><\/p>\n

Well, we’re here, SPHP.\u00a0 Let’s at least check it out.<\/em><\/p>\n

Unbelievable!\u00a0 A path left the pullout!\u00a0 This was a trailhead.\u00a0 A few feet into the bushes a single sheet of information was posted behind a cloudy piece of glass or plexiglass.\u00a0 A registry was also present.<\/p>\n

Hah!\u00a0 I guessed wrong, Lupe.<\/em><\/p>\n

About what?<\/em><\/p>\n

The name of this mountain.\u00a0 The topo map doesn’t show any name for it.\u00a0 Since it’s only a few miles from the Tangle Lakes, I’ve just been calling it Tangle Lakes Peak.\u00a0 It actually does have a name, though.\u00a0 Says here, this is the trail to Swede Mountain<\/span><\/a> (4,660 ft.)<\/span><\/strong>!<\/em><\/p>\n

Oh, so we’ve got a trail to the top?\u00a0 That changes everything, doesn’t it?<\/em><\/p>\n

Yes, indeedy!\u00a0 According to this, the trail doesn’t go to the top, though.\u00a0 It only goes as far as the alpine.\u00a0 Probably just as good!\u00a0 If it gets us above the bushes, Swede Mountain ought to be a cinch!<\/em><\/p>\n

Despite yesterday’s expedition up East Glacier Gap Mountain<\/span><\/a> (6,060 ft.)<\/span><\/strong> and back, SPHP had slept poorly.\u00a0 Plenty of time.\u00a0 How about a nap while waiting for the air to clear?\u00a0 The American Dingo was willing.<\/p>\n

10:21 AM, Swede Mountain trailhead along the Denali Highway<\/em> – Better!\u00a0 At least the nap had done some good.\u00a0 The air, however, remained hazy.\u00a0 Looking more and more like smoke again from forest fires much farther W.\u00a0 Even so, with the encouraging news about the existence of a trail, the Carolina Dog might as well take a stab at Swede Mountain.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Swede Mountain<\/strong> from the Denali Highway. The G6 is parked at the trailhead pullout. Photo looks SSW.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

As soon as SPHP was ready, Lupe hit the trail which headed S into the bushes.\u00a0 After passing the trailhead display, a swamp was soon visible in a low spot off to the E (L).\u00a0 The trail went down a minor embankment to lowlands, then turned SW along the base of the higher ground.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Setting out on the Swede Mountain trail<\/strong>. Photo looks S.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"
The swamp near the trailhead. Denali Highway<\/strong> (L). Photo looks E.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Within 5 minutes, Lupe came to an unmarked fork.\u00a0 To the R, the trail continued into an area overgrown with large bushes.\u00a0 To the L, it veered toward more open territory.\u00a0 The trail to the L looked more recently used, but Lupe went R.<\/p>\n

SPHP had assumed that the trails joined up again after getting by the bushes, but they didn’t.\u00a0 The branch Lupe had taken was already fading as she reached a low spot.\u00a0 What remained of the trail appeared to be heading for a small hill fairly close by, so the American Dingo kept going.<\/p>\n

The top of the little hill turned out to be an open sandy region, a mix of tundra and low bushes.\u00a0 However, there were no tracks up here and no sign of the trail.\u00a0 This hill was the N end of a ridge that extended quite a long way SSW.\u00a0 The rest of the ridge did not look sandy and open.\u00a0 More and more bushes!\u00a0 Chest high, too.\u00a0 Even if Lupe made it to the far end of the ridge, she would have to drop down into a distant bushy lowland, then travel quite a way E or SE to reach a forested slope leading up Swede Mountain.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Looking back toward the start from the sandy hill. The trail had come around the base of the little rise seen beyond Lupe before fading on the way here. Photo looks NE.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Not liking this setup, Loop.\u00a0 Where’s the trail?\u00a0 I’m not seeing it.<\/em><\/p>\n

Gone, SPHP.\u00a0 I’m not picking up anything, either.<\/em><\/p>\n

Hmm.\u00a0 We can keep following this ridge, but it looks like the farther we go, the more of a bushwhack it will become.\u00a0 I doubt we can even cross that low region to get to the mountain.\u00a0 I read some of the comments at the trailhead registry.\u00a0 No one mentioned getting lost or any bushwhacks.<\/em><\/p>\n

You’ve got a rare talent, SPHP.<\/em><\/p>\n

Don’t I, though?\u00a0 Not even 15 minutes from the start and already lost.<\/em><\/p>\n

Maybe we ought to go back to the fork and try that other branch?<\/em><\/p>\n

Yeah, seems like the only sensible thing to do.\u00a0 If that one dead ends, too, Swede Mountain just isn’t happening.<\/em><\/p>\n

The L branch at the fork had been the way to go.\u00a0 Less than 30 seconds after striking out on this grassy route, the trail curved E and crossed a plank bridge.\u00a0 The trail then turned S toward Swede Mountain.\u00a0 Lupe found herself following a series of plastic grids embedded along the path.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Walking the planks. Photo looks E.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"
Following the plastic grid. Photo looks S.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The plastic grids went on and on crossing a low region that must be wet in a typical year.\u00a0 In places the grids were completely overgrown.\u00a0 Lupe gradually gained elevation as the grids led straight for Swede Mountain.\u00a0 By the time the grids ended, Loop was at the edge of a stunted forest where the terrain steepened.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Past the grids near the start of the stunted forest. Photo looks S.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Beyond the wetlands, the trail gained elevation more rapidly, but with occasional level stretches, too.\u00a0 The spruce forest gave way to tall bushes, and even relatively open spots.\u00a0 As the Carolina Dog climbed, the trail eventually began to trend SE.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Among the alders. Photo looks ESE.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"
In a relatively open spot. Photo looks ESE.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Near the end, the route steepened.\u00a0 The trail had been going E when it suddenly veered SW.\u00a0 A set of stone steps led higher.<\/p>\n

\"\"
On the stone steps. Photo looks SW.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Above the steps, the trail went E again.\u00a0 Lupe was now up on the rim of the long slope she had been climbing.\u00a0 She soon came to a cairn perched on a big rock.\u00a0 This appeared to be the end of the official 1.5 mile long Swede Mountain trail.<\/p>\n

Despite the annoying smokey haze, the views to the N weren’t bad.\u00a0 Round Tangle Lake, Peak 6200<\/span><\/strong>, Sugarloaf Mountain<\/span><\/a> (5,341 ft.)<\/span><\/strong>, and Tangle Benchmark<\/span><\/a><\/strong> (5,715 ft.) <\/span><\/strong>were all in sight.\u00a0 A big bare spot down along the Denali Highway marked the approximate location of the G6 back at the trailhead.<\/p>\n

\"\"
At the official end of the Swede Mountain trail<\/strong>. Round Tangle Lake<\/strong> (L), Peak 6200<\/span><\/strong> (Center), Sugarloaf Mountain<\/strong> (R), and Tangle Benchmark<\/strong> (far R). Photo looks N.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Loopster might have reached the end of the official Swede Mountain trail, but she was still miles from the top of Swede Mountain.\u00a0 Gently rounded slopes led toward a huge high point way off to the S.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Still a long way to go! Photo looks S.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The description of the Swede Mountain trail back at the trailhead had promised to get Lupe up to the alpine.\u00a0 True enough, the region right around the boulder where the cairn sat was mostly low tundra, yet the vegetation hadn’t generally changed that much.\u00a0 Trees were scarce, but bushes chest high or more dominated the enormous long slopes ahead.\u00a0 A bushwhack through this dense jungle was a daunting prospect.\u00a0 It would take forever.<\/p>\n

After pausing briefly to enjoy the views at the end of the official trail, Lupe checked out the prospects for success.\u00a0 The American Dingo had barely started higher when she came to a second smaller cairn no more than 100 feet away from the first one back at the big rock.\u00a0 Beyond this second cairn a readily discernable path continued into the bush.<\/p>\n

\"\"
This way, SPHP!<\/em> Lupe by the 2nd cairn. Photo looks S.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Prospects brightened considerably with the discovery of this informal trail.\u00a0 How far it might go was unknown, but if it went far enough, Loop would eventually get above and beyond the bushes.<\/p>\n

\"\"
On the informal trail. Photo looks N.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Trending steadily N, the very direction the American Dingo needed to go, the trail went on and on.\u00a0 Sometimes it faded, but never so badly that Lupe couldn’t follow it.\u00a0 Now and then wildlife trails intersected.\u00a0 What choice to make wasn’t always clear.\u00a0 With no significant breaks in the bush empire, Loop had to rely upon SPHP.\u00a0 Except for the trail itself, she really couldn’t see much of anything.<\/p>\n

\"\"
A particularly good section of the unofficial trail. Photo looks S.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

For a long way the situation hardly changed.\u00a0 By the time the trail began to fade away for good, the outline of a small ridge had appeared only a little farther on.\u00a0 40 minutes after leaving the small cairn, Lupe popped up onto the ridge.<\/p>\n

This ridge was the NE edge of a 30 or 40 foot deep drainage cutting SE\/NW across the long slope Lupe had been ascending.\u00a0 The bottom of the drainage appeared to be choked with flourishing alders.\u00a0 The top of the ridge was more open than any spot Looper had come to along the unofficial trail.<\/p>\n

\"\"
On the little ridge on the NE side of the drainage. Photo looks S.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Which way?\u00a0 The ridge Lupe had reached sloped up to the SE, and could be seen curving toward a distant higher ridge that looked like a decent route to the top of Swede Mountain, but that higher ridge was still a long way off.<\/p>\n

Going NW didn’t make any sense.\u00a0 Loop would lose elevation, NW was the wrong direction, and the drainage appeared even more choked with alders that way.\u00a0 However, not too far away another drainage could be seen coming down out of the SW to join the drainage Lupe was next to.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Looking SE up the drainage. The distant slope (R) appeared to be a good route to the top, if Lupe could get to it.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"
The second drainage<\/strong> (L) joining the one Lupe had reached. Photo looks NW.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Heading SE might well have worked, but seemed like a huge detour.\u00a0 Pacing back and forth along the ridge, revealed an animal trail slicing down into the ravine at a point where there were hardly any alders.\u00a0 An easy way across the drainage!\u00a0 That was the ticket!<\/p>\n

Minutes later, Lupe was through a thin line of alders climbing the SW side of the drainage.\u00a0 Still lots of bushes ahead, but patches of tundra, too.\u00a0 Things were starting to open up.\u00a0 The Carolina Dog kept going, now angling SW or even WSW.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Beyond the ravine. Still quite a trek ahead. Photo looks S.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"
The incredible tundra.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The plan was to try to get to the edge of the second drainage that had been seen joining the first one, hoping that the edge would have fewer bushes to contend with.<\/p>\n

Worked pretty well, too!\u00a0 Upon reaching the second drainage, the edge actually was easier traveling than charging straight through the bush would have been.\u00a0 Lupe was already on the correct (E) side and didn’t need to cross this smaller ravine.\u00a0 The American Dingo simply followed it higher.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Following the second drainage. Photo looks SW.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

By the time Lupe reached the upper end, the sea of bushes was finally giving out.\u00a0 Those that remained were too short to present much of an obstacle.\u00a0 Abandoning the ravine, the Carolina Dog turned SSE heading straight for Swede Mountain<\/span><\/a> (4,660 ft.)<\/span><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Heading for Swede Mountain<\/strong>. Photo looks SSE.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A feeling of elation swept in as Lupe sniffed and explored her way up the long, colorful slope.\u00a0 The terrain was an easy, featureless trudge higher.\u00a0 Seemed inevitable now that the Carolina Dog would soon be standing proudly at the top of Swede Mountain!\u00a0 Two big hills were ahead, and she was gaining on them with every step.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Heading up the first big hill. Photo looks SSE.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"
SPHP is such a worrywart! Swede Mountain is easy!<\/em> Photo looks S.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Reaching the top of the closest hill revealed a couple of surprises.\u00a0 First of all, the hill wasn’t really a hill, just a slope leading to a wide flat plain.\u00a0 The second hill wasn’t too far away now.\u00a0 It no longer appeared to be a hill, either, just a slope leading to yet another plain a little higher up.\u00a0 A big rectangular box sat up there close to the edge.<\/p>\n

Whatever that big box was, it had been visible from way down on the Denali Highway.\u00a0 From there the box had appeared to be perched on top of Swede Mountain.\u00a0 Not true!\u00a0 Lupe could now see an even higher hill farther S.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Up on the plain at the top of the first climb. Mysterious rectangular box<\/strong> (L). Photo looks SSE.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Naturally, the mysterious box had to be investigated.\u00a0 Crossing the plain, Lupe climbed the next slope.\u00a0 The box turned out to be the Tangle Lakes repeater station owned by Copper Valley Telecom.<\/p>\n

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At the Tangle Lakes repeater station<\/strong>. Photo looks SE.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It hardly bears repeating that the Tangle Lakes repeater station was not<\/em> at the top of Swede Mountain.\u00a0 The summit now appeared to be a 15 minute march S of the repeater.\u00a0 With her repeater station inspection complete, Lupe headed for it.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Looking S from the repeater station toward the apparent summit.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"
Oh, we’re getting close now!<\/em> Photo looks S.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Reaching the top of the next rise, Lupe discovered she still wasn’t at the top of Swede Mountain.\u00a0 Across a plain was a two-tier hill.\u00a0 Well beyond the two-tier hill, another hill could be seen that looked potentially higher yet.\u00a0 Hardly seemed possible the summit could still be that far away!<\/p>\n

\"\"
Ack! Still farther to go!<\/em> Photo looks S.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Two large rocks stood out among all the others scattered across the plain leading to the double-tiered hill.\u00a0 The first one stood on end, and was the smaller of the two.\u00a0 The second rock was a boulder 8 or 9 feet high.\u00a0 SPHP dubbed it “Disentangled Boulder” in honor of being in the Tangle Lakes district, and somehow having managed to disentangle itself from the rest of the mountain to bask in luxurious sunshine.<\/p>\n

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On Disentangled Boulder<\/strong>. Photo looks SSE.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

From Disentangled Boulder, it wasn’t much farther to the base of the two-tier hill.\u00a0 A short climb got Loop up to a smaller plain leading to the last bump higher.\u00a0 Lanes of vegetation provided a choice of easy routes to the top among the only collection of big rocks resembling anything that might be called an actual rock formation that Lupe had seen anywhere on Swede Mountain.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Crossing the final plain leading to the highest bump of the two-tier hill. Photo looks S.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"
The rocky approach to the top of the bump. Photo looks S.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The top of the bump greatly resembled the plains the Carolina Dog had crossed to get here.\u00a0 A 3 acre summit region was liberally strewn with blocky gray rocks decorated with black lichens, a patchwork of red, tan, and gold tundra interwoven among them.\u00a0 The N end where Lupe had come up was a little lower than the S rim.<\/p>\n

This was it – the summit of Swede Mountain<\/span><\/a> (4,660 ft.)<\/span><\/strong>!\u00a0 The distant hill seen from the plain where the Disentangled Boulder rested was in sight, and clearly lower.\u00a0 Loopster didn’t have to go all the way over there.<\/p>\n

\"\"
On top of Swede Mountain<\/strong>. Photo looks SSE.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Strange!\u00a0 Although Lupe had never been to Swede Mountain before, something familiar was here.\u00a0 Like on Peak<\/span> 4716<\/span><\/a><\/strong> and HP4757<\/span><\/strong> back on Whistle Ridge a couple of days ago, over at the SE edge of the summit area a single grassy mound stood a few feet higher than anything else.<\/p>\n

What did it mean?\u00a0 Why was it there?\u00a0 Loop went over for a sniff.\u00a0 On Whistle Ridge, SPHP had the impression that the grassy mounds there might have been man-made.\u00a0 Not here.\u00a0 The mound on Swede Mountain looked completely natural.\u00a0 Maybe the ones on Whistle Ridge were, too?\u00a0 But what created them?\u00a0 3 big hills with large summit regions, each with a single grassy mound of similar size noticeably different from the rest of the terrain, always along the SE edge.\u00a0 No possible explanation came to mind, yet there it was.<\/p>\n

\"\"
On the grassy mound, the true summit of Swede Mountain<\/strong>. Photo looks SSE.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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One of the wonders of the natural world, and now you’ve seen it, too!<\/em> Photo looks E.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The SW rim of the summit region was almost as high as the grassy mound, and offered views of nearby lower hills to the S.\u00a0 A rest break was in order, so Lupe and SPHP went over there to relax.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Peak 4540<\/span><\/strong> (L) and Peak 4600+<\/span><\/strong> (R) from the SW rim of Swede Mountain<\/strong>. Photo looks S.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Would have been so much better on a clear day!\u00a0 The smokey haze was worse than ever.\u00a0 Sadly, the intricate Tangle Lakes which ought to have been on display in the lowlands a few miles W were scarcely visible.\u00a0 Only the outlines of Whistle Ridge and East Glacier Gap Mountain were detectable.\u00a0 In all directions, anything anywhere close to the horizon was an indistinct smudge.<\/p>\n

Yet it was still incredible to be here with Lupe.<\/p>\n

40 serene minutes flew by.\u00a0 Better take a tour before time was up!\u00a0 Going counter-clockwise around the summit’s perimeter, Lupe returned to the grassy mound, the true summit of Swede Mountain.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Tangle Benchmark<\/span><\/a> (5,715 ft.)<\/span><\/strong> (L) and Peak 5210<\/span><\/strong> (R of Center). Photo looks NE.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"
Looking NW.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Continuing on, a rocky slope went E down to a giant golden shoulder.\u00a0 Paxon Mountain was seen faintly on the horizon.\u00a0 From the N edge, Lupe gazed down on the final plain she had crossed to get here.\u00a0 She would soon be crossing it again.<\/p>\n

\"\"
View to the ENE. Paxon Mountain<\/strong> (Center) faintly on the horizon.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"
The uppermost plain from the N edge. Photo looks NW.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

To the W, the Tangle Lakes could now be seen with the naked eye, but the camera couldn’t pick them up.\u00a0 Having gone full circle, Lupe reached the S rim again.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Back at the S end. Photo looks S.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

And that was it.\u00a0 The Carolina Dog headed N cutting across the middle of Swede Mountain’s summit.\u00a0 Near the N edge, she paused.\u00a0 One last look back.\u00a0 There was the puzzling grassy mound she would never see again.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Grassy Mound<\/strong> (Center) from close to the N edge. Photo looks SSE.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The American Dingo lingered as SPHP started down.<\/p>\n

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Last moments on the summit. Photo looks SSW.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The return trip was marvelous!\u00a0 A quick stop at Disentangled Boulder, then an easy downhill grade crossing one plain and slope after another, all while reveling in the beauty of this isolated Alaskan peak.<\/p>\n

\"\"
On Disentangled Boulder<\/strong> again. Photo looks NNW this time.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Progress was rapid.\u00a0 Lupe raced about the tundra enjoying the freedom complete solitude brings.\u00a0 Evening now.\u00a0 The air seemed to clear a bit, as the sun slid toward the horizon.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Hey, there’s Upper Tangle Lake<\/strong> (Center) now!<\/em> Photo looks SW.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"
Round Tangle Lake<\/strong> (L) with Peak 6200<\/span><\/strong> beyond it. Sugarloaf Mountain<\/strong> (R). Photo looks N with help from the telephoto lens.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"
Tangle Benchmark<\/strong> (L) in shadow. Peak 5210<\/span><\/strong> (Center) in sunlight. Photo looks NNE.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

All went well.\u00a0 Down by the second drainage Lupe had followed on her way up, she came to a stretch of amazing purple-red tundra.<\/p>\n

\"\"
On royal tundra near the second drainage. Photo looks SW.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Lupe found the same exact spot to cross the first drainage, and made it up onto the little ridge where she’d originally encountered it.\u00a0 SPHP grew uneasy.\u00a0 The unofficial trail ended somewhere not too far S of here, but where?<\/p>\n

Loopster!\u00a0 Do you remember where the trail picks up?\u00a0 All these bushes look the same.<\/em><\/p>\n

We can’t be far from it, SPHP.\u00a0 If you don’t see it, try an animal track.\u00a0 We’ll probably come to it.<\/em><\/p>\n

Criminitly!\u00a0 I should have marked where the trail ended somehow, so we could find it again.\u00a0 Guess we don’t have any choice.\u00a0 Find us an animal track, and let’s scoot<\/em>.<\/p>\n

The trail the Carolina Dog chose looked promising enough, but it soon became apparent this wasn’t the same trail she had followed up the enormous slope.\u00a0 This place was a maze!\u00a0 SPHP tried to use intersecting trails to weave back and forth E and W across the slope looking for the right path.\u00a0 Looper made good progress down the mountain, but the bushes kept getting taller and taller.\u00a0 Chaos!\u00a0 Trails began dead ending, or intersecting at weird, unhelpful angles.<\/p>\n

Eventually visibility was lost.\u00a0 The bushes were way over SPHP’s head!\u00a0 They’d never been this tall on the way up.\u00a0 Crashing through the brush, Lupe finally came to a genuine dead end.\u00a0 Oh, joy!<\/p>\n

What’cha think, SPHP?\u00a0 Which way?<\/em><\/p>\n

I suspect we’ve crossed the right path at least once without recognizing it.\u00a0 If I had to guess, and it looks like we do, I think we’re too far E.<\/em><\/p>\n

There was a trail that went W only a little way back.\u00a0 Should we go back and try it?<\/em><\/p>\n

Yeah.\u00a0 I don’t know what else to do.\u00a0 We have to try something.<\/em><\/p>\n

The trail going W went uphill a short distance.\u00a0 It was enough to get out of the super tall bushes.\u00a0 And suddenly, there was Looper standing on an adjoining trail that sure looked promising.<\/p>\n

Fabulous work, Lupe!\u00a0 I think you found it.<\/em><\/p>\n

She had.\u00a0 The correct trail actually hadn’t been far from that hopeless tangle down at the dead end.\u00a0 Whatever.\u00a0 Saved now!\u00a0 5 minutes on the unofficial trail, and there was the little cairn, followed quickly by the cairn on the big rock at the end of the official trail.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Safely back at the end of the official trail. Round Tangle Lake<\/strong> (L). Photo looks NNW.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

All’s well that ends well.\u00a0 The American Dingo headed down the stone steps.\u00a0 Her Swede Mountain<\/span><\/a> (4,660 ft.)<\/span><\/strong> adventure was about over.<\/p>\n

Back at the Denali Highway (6:27 PM)<\/em>, SPHP moved the G6 to the dirt parking area up on the little hill across from the paved pullout.\u00a0 Dinner facing W.\u00a0 Way over there, the sun was sinking between two new friends, Whistle Ridge and East Glacier Gap Mountain.\u00a0 Now Swede Mountain was a friend never to be forgotten, too.<\/p>\n

\"\"
End of a fabulous day.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"
Whistle Ridge<\/strong> (L) at sunset.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"
On Swede Mountain<\/strong>, Alaska 8-29-19<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Links:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Next Adventure<\/span><\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Prior Adventure<\/span><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

The Denali Highway<\/span><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

W<\/em>ant more Lupe adventures?\u00a0\u00a0Choose from Lupe’s 2019 Dingo Vacation to the Yukon & Alaska Adventure Inde<\/strong>x<\/strong><\/span><\/a>,\u00a0Dingo Vacations Adventure Index<\/span><\/strong><\/a> or Master Adventure Index<\/span><\/strong><\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0Or subscribe free\u00a0to\u00a0new Lupe adventures<\/span><\/strong><\/a><\/em>.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Day 25 of Lupe’s 2019 Dingo Vacation to the Yukon & Alaska! 6:29 AM, Denali Highway approaching the Tangle River from the NW – That’s it already, SPHP? Yup.\u00a0 Tangle Lakes Peak dead ahead, Looper. Doesn’t look like a very good day for it, does it? Hard to say.\u00a0 Still early. Actually, Lupe was right.\u00a0 … Continue reading Swede Mountain, Alaska (8-29-19)<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":26931,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1210],"tags":[704,105,106,1240,26,104,11,1250,1251],"class_list":["post-27047","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-2019-yukon-alaska","tag-alaska","tag-american-dingo","tag-carolina-dog","tag-denali-highway","tag-dingo-vacations","tag-lupe","tag-peakbagging","tag-swede-mountain","tag-tangle-lakes"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/IMG_5239.jpg?fit=1651%2C1238&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27047","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=27047"}],"version-history":[{"count":43,"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27047\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":27909,"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27047\/revisions\/27909"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/26931"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=27047"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=27047"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=27047"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}