{"id":8400,"date":"2017-05-25T08:10:53","date_gmt":"2017-05-25T14:10:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/?p=8400"},"modified":"2021-06-10T20:24:26","modified_gmt":"2021-06-11T02:24:26","slug":"lazy-mountain-chugach-range-alaska-9-1-16","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/?p=8400","title":{"rendered":"Lazy Mountain, Chugach Range, Alaska (9-1-16)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Day 34 of Lupe’s Summer of 2016 Dingo Vacation to the Canadian Rockies, Yukon & Alaska<\/em><\/p>\n

Pepper Peak<\/a><\/span> (5,381 ft.)<\/span><\/strong> had been a stupendous day and a glorious summit, but Lupe and SPHP hadn’t really recovered yet\u00a0from yesterday’s huge 4,500 feet of elevation gain.\u00a0 No matter.\u00a0 Feeling it or not, Lupe was climbing one more mountain today.\u00a0 The calendar now said September.\u00a0 After 3 fabulous, unforgettable\u00a0weeks in Alaska, this was the American Dingo’s\u00a0last full day in the Land of the Midnight Sun.<\/p>\n

Lazy Mountain<\/a><\/span> (3,740 ft.)<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0was destined to be the last peak Lupe and SPHP would climb together in Alaska in 2016, or maybe forever.\u00a0 Tired or not, it was time to begin (9:55 AM, 48\u00b0F).\u00a0 At least\u00a0Lupe had\u00a0another\u00a0clear, bright\u00a0day.\u00a0 She was guaranteed some great views of Palmer, the Matanuska River valley all the way to the Knik Arm off Cook Inlet, and mountains in all directions.<\/p>\n

Right away, Lupe had a choice to make.\u00a0 Two trails diverge near the trailhead parking lot.\u00a0 They both\u00a0go about halfway up Lazy Mountain to where they meet again near a picnic table\u00a0situated on a\u00a0point with a view.\u00a0\u00a0A single combined trail goes the rest of the way to the summit.\u00a0 The old Lazy Mountain approach was supposed to be the steepest.\u00a0 The newer Lazy Moose trail is an easier climb, but winds around a bunch on switchbacks that add considerable distance.<\/p>\n

Even though energy levels were low, Lupe and SPHP started straight up the Lazy Mountain trail.\u00a0 The reports were no joke.\u00a0 The trail started out steep.\u00a0 It didn’t stay that way long.\u00a0 It soon got steeper, and then<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0stayed that way.\u00a0 Whoever named Lazy Mountain must have realized what they were in for, and decided they were too lazy to even attempt it.\u00a0 Otherwise, the name makes no sense at all.<\/p>\n

As usual in most of Lupe’s Alaskan trail experiences, the Lazy Mountain trail started in a forest.\u00a0 Gradually the forest thinned, and tall bushes started to dominate.\u00a0 The forest had thinned out considerably, by the time Lupe reached the picnic table near the intersection with the Lazy Moose trail.\u00a0 It had been a long, hard climb with frequent rest breaks, but Lupe was halfway up the 3,000 feet of elevation gain needed to reach the summit.<\/p>\n

At the picnic table, SPHP chatted for a little while with a guy who came running (yes, running!) up the same Lazy Mountain trail Lupe and SPHP had just staggered up.\u00a0 He said he lives in Palmer, and runs this far up Lazy Mountain 3 times a week.\u00a0 He plays in a Christian music band, and was very surprised to hear that Lupe lives in South Dakota.<\/p>\n

Why he was flying to Sioux Falls, SD tomorrow to play in a big concert there!\u00a0 He had been with his band to South Dakota many times, including Pine Ridge and Lupe’s Black Hills.\u00a0 South Dakota was a hot spot for his kind of music.\u00a0 He wished Lupe and SPHP well, before running off down the longer Lazy Moose trail.<\/p>\n

Small world.\u00a0 Sort of.\u00a0 Lupe still had another 1,500 feet of mountain climbing left to do in Alaska.\u00a0 Somehow it still loomed large, not small.\u00a0 Lupe’s trek resumed.\u00a0 Still steep, but perhaps not quite as steep as before.\u00a0 Tall bushes dominated, but most of the trees were gone.\u00a0 On and on.\u00a0 Up and up, for a while longer.<\/p>\n

Finally, Lupe was past the bushes.\u00a0 She was up in the tundra zone.\u00a0 Some places were devoid\u00a0even of the tough, beautiful, little\u00a0tundra\u00a0plants.\u00a0 Bare dirt and small rocks were exposed.\u00a0 Lupe had made a lot of progress up the mountain by now.\u00a0 For a\u00a0while, the trail\u00a0leveled out.\u00a0 There was even a completely\u00a0flat section!\u00a0 A high point that might be the summit was in view ahead.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Getting there! Lupe climbing Lazy Mountain. She’s already up above tree line here. Only scattered clumps of bushes and tundra remain. Photo looks NE.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
For a while, SPHP wasn’t sure which high point might be the true summit of Lazy Mountain. It turned out to be the one on the L that the trail is heading for. Photo looks NE.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The trail soon started climbing again, but never as steeply as earlier on.\u00a0 Below a ridge, Lupe passed a second picnic table.\u00a0 The built-in benches were in good shape, but nearly all the boards forming the table part were missing.\u00a0 Lupe did not stop.\u00a0 She kept on going.\u00a0 Her final climb in Alaska was dead ahead.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Lupe on her final climb in Alaska. The top of Lazy Mountain is in view only a short way ahead. Photo looks NE.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Lupe gained the summit ridge.\u00a0 It wasn’t terribly long, maybe 100 feet.\u00a0 At the far NE end, was a smaller\u00a0ridge of solid lumpy-looking rock.\u00a0 The true summit of Lazy Mountain was perched at the far end of the little ridge, perhaps an extra 20 feet above the main ridge.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Lupe rests in the shade at the base of the lumpy rock ridge at the far NE end of Lazy Mountain’s main summit ridge. Matanuska Peak is the high point in the background. Photo looks SE.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Lupe scrambled up to the highest point at the far end of the lumpy rock ridge.\u00a0 She was done mountain climbing in Alaska!\u00a0 This was it, the true summit of Lazy Mountain<\/a><\/span> (3,740 ft.)<\/span><\/strong>!<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Lupe perched at the true summit of Lazy Mountain, having just completed all of her mountain climbing in Alaska in 2016. Photo looks NNE.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Lupe could not be persuaded to stay up at the highest point on Lazy Mountain when SPHP tried to back down off the lumpy ridge for a more distant shot of her at the summit.\u00a0 There was quite a bit of exposure up there, and not a lot of room to maneuver.<\/p>\n

It was OK, she had made it to the top for a good close up.\u00a0 Not to mention all the many other dramatic peaks she had climbed on her Summer of 2016 Dingo Vacation!\u00a0 If\u00a0the Carolina Dog\u00a0felt better a little lower down, she had certainly earned a reprieve from posing at the top of precipices.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Lupe on the lumpy rock ridge. The true summit of Lazy Mountain is on the L. Lupe couldn’t be persuaded to remain at the high point long enough for SPHP to scramble back down for a more distant photo of her up there. The high point had a lot of exposure and not a lot of room. Photo looks ENE.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
Matanuska Peak from Lazy Mountain. Photo looks SE.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Mountain climbing in Alaska was over.\u00a0 Time to take a look around at what Lupe could see from her last Alaskan mountain.\u00a0 Unlike most of the mountains\u00a0Loop had climbed, where the most impressive views were of other mountains, Lazy Mountain’s most dramatic views were down toward the Matanuska River valley.<\/p>\n

More than 3,000 feet below Lazy Mountain, the braided confluence of the Matanuska River and Knik River could be seen to the SW near the start of the Knik Arm of the North Pacific Ocean off Cook Inlet.\u00a0 Bodenburg Butte<\/a><\/span> (886 ft.)<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0rising more than 600 feet above\u00a0immediately surrounding terrain, looked like a little hill.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
The Matanuska River (Center) flows toward the Knik River (L). They have a braided confluence near the Knik Arm seen on the upper R. Bodenburg Butte(L) looks like a little hill from Lazy Mountain. Photo looks SW.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The most dramatic mountains Lupe could see from Lazy Mountain were very\u00a0far away to WSW, in the direction of Mount Susitna<\/a><\/span> (4,396 ft.)<\/span><\/strong>, also known as Sleeping Lady.\u00a0 (The Legend of Sleeping Lady<\/span><\/strong><\/a>)<\/em>\u00a0 Well beyond Mount Susitna were impressive white mountains on the edge of vision.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Mount Susitna (Sleeping Lady) is the long blue ridge, subject of a local legend. Photo looks WSW from Lazy Mountain using the telephoto lens.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
High, white mountains could be seen faintly very far away beyond Mount Susitna. Photo looks W using the telephoto lens.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Considerably closer, it was possible to see\u00a0several smaller\u00a0peaks with snow and ice\u00a0on them in other directions.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Unknown peak with snow in view from Lazy Mountain. Taken using the telephoto lens.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\"\"<\/a>Matanuska Peak<\/a><\/span> (6,093 ft.) <\/span><\/strong>to the SE was easily the most impressive of the nearby mountains.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Matanuska Peak (L) was easily the most impressive of the mountains nearby. Photo looks SE.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
Matanuska Peak through the telephoto lens.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Even including the larger summit ridge, and not just the small,\u00a0final lumpy rock part\u00a0leading to the true summit, there wasn’t much exploring to be done up on Lazy Mountain.\u00a0 Lupe could see virtually the entire summit area\u00a0at a glance.\u00a0 However, there was plenty of room to move around some from one end to the other, gaining slightly different vantage points.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Except for the highest lumpy rock part where the true summit is, most of Lazy Mountain’s summit area is in view here. The town of Palmer is below, mostly on the far side of the Matanuska River. Mount Susitna can be made out on the far horizon. Part of the Talkeetna Range is seen on the R. Photo looks W.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Lupe found a shady spot close to the lumpy rock ridge where she could doze a bit.\u00a0 SPHP relaxed gazing off first in one direction, then another, seeing dazzlingly beautiful Alaska, possibly for the last time, from the top of a mountain Lupe had climbed.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Lupe dozes a little below the true summit. Photo looks NE.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
Looking NNE toward the Talkeetna Range.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Lupe stayed up on Lazy Mountain for 45 minutes.\u00a0 The time came to start thinking about moving on.\u00a0 Despite the rigors of the steep trail up, the perfect day and wonderful views at the top had made Lupe’s final climb in Alaska a lovely, memorable experience.\u00a0 Now only the return trip down the mountain remained.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Lupe ready to leave the mountaintops of Alaska. The lumpy rock ridge and true summit of Lazy Mountain are on the R. Photo looks NE.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
Looking down on the town of Palmer, situated mostly on the far side of the Matanuska River. Photo looks WSW.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
The Matanuska flows away toward the Knik Arm. Photo looks SW.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
Starting down the trail. Several peaks of interest are seen along the far ridge. Straight up from Bodenburg Butte, the little hill in the valley at (Center), are 3 dark wavy peaks. The two on the\u00a0L are East Twin Peak<\/a><\/span> (5,840 ft.)<\/span><\/strong>(L) and West Twin Peak<\/a><\/span> (5,472 ft.)<\/span><\/strong>(R). To their L across a gentle saddle is a seemingly unimpressive hill in sunlight. That hill is actually Pepper Peak<\/a><\/span> (5,381 ft.)<\/span><\/strong> where Lupe had such a tremendous adventure only a day earlier. The high point of the dark peaks to the L of Pepper Peak is Pioneer Peak<\/a><\/span> (6,398 ft.)<\/span><\/strong>. Photo looks SW.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

When Lupe got down close to the first picnic table, she took the Lazy Moose trail instead of the Lazy Mountain trail.\u00a0 The Lazy Moose trail was considerably longer, but not nearly so steep.\u00a0 The trail had markers along it, which seemed to represent feet traveled along the trail, starting from the lower end.<\/p>\n

The first marker Lupe came to said 15,800, implying that Lupe was about 3 miles from the trailhead.\u00a0 The markers were about 1,000 feet apart on the higher part of the trail.\u00a0 Lower down, they were consistently 200 feet apart.\u00a0 The Lazy Moose trail had lots of switchbacks and general winding around.\u00a0 The markers told the story of Lupe’s progress down\u00a0her last Alaskan\u00a0mountain.<\/p>\n

Lupe enjoyed trotting and sniffing along the easier trail.\u00a0 Late afternoon on the first day of September was comfortably sunny and warm.\u00a0 Lupe led SPHP down Lazy Mountain, exploring for only a little longer the fabled\u00a0Land of the Midnight Sun (4:23 PM, 72\u00b0F).<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Loop on the Lazy Moose trail, Lazy Mountain, Chugach Range, Alaska.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Directions to the Lazy Mountain Recreation Area trailhead:<\/strong>\u00a0 From the Glenn Hwy in Palmer, go E on Arctic Road (Old Glenn Highway) for 2.5 miles.\u00a0 Take a L on Clark-Wolverine Road, 0.5 mile after crossing the Matanuska River.\u00a0 Proceed 0.5 mile to a T intersection.\u00a0 Take a R on Huntley Road, following it to the end.\u00a0 Stay to the R going down to the trailhead parking lot.<\/em><\/p>\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 Prior Adventure<\/span><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Matanuska Peak, Chugach Range, Alaska (9-5-19)<\/strong><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Want more Lupe adventures?\u00a0\u00a0Choose\u00a0from Lupe’s 2016 Canadian Rockies, Yukon & Alaska Adventure Index<\/strong><\/span><\/a>, <\/span><\/em>Dingo Vacations Adventure Index<\/strong><\/span><\/a> or Master Adventure Index<\/strong><\/span><\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0Or subscribe free to New Lupe Adventures<\/span><\/span><\/b><\/a><\/span><\/em>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Day 34 of Lupe’s Summer of 2016 Dingo Vacation to the Canadian Rockies, Yukon & Alaska Pepper Peak (5,381 ft.) had been a stupendous day and a glorious summit, but Lupe and SPHP hadn’t really recovered yet\u00a0from yesterday’s huge 4,500 feet of elevation gain.\u00a0 No matter.\u00a0 Feeling it or not, Lupe was climbing one more … Continue reading Lazy Mountain, Chugach Range, Alaska (9-1-16)<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8395,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","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":[726],"tags":[704,105,106,773,26,772,104,958],"class_list":["post-8400","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-2016-canadian-rockies-yukon-alaska","tag-alaska","tag-american-dingo","tag-carolina-dog","tag-chugach-range","tag-dingo-vacations","tag-lazy-mountain","tag-lupe","tag-palmer"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/IMG_2736.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\/8400","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=8400"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8400\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":34468,"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8400\/revisions\/34468"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/8395"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=8400"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=8400"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=8400"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}