Tag: chugach

Where the Clouds Parted: A Knoya, Kanchee and Nunaka Ridge Walk

by Rebecca Charles, posted in Alaska Peakbagging
May 31, 2025
Knoya: 4600′ – FR #17
Kanchee: 4393′ – FR #20
Nunaka point: 3780′
Mileage: ~14 Miles
Elevation Gain: ~5000′

The summer wasn’t summering, and I was suffering from a bout of springtime depression that only sunshine and warm weather could cure. I dragged myself to the Klutina Trailhead to meet Jason. We left one vehicle there and carpooled up to our starting point at Stuckagain Heights—neither of us particularly excited to hike in the fog and rain. After a bit of complaining, we checked in on the JBER RecAccess website for the areas we’d be hiking and set off toward The Dome.

Within two miles, we had already passed a variety of freshly blossomed wildflowers and the Long Lake Trail. Not long after that, we were above the treeline and deep in the fog. As we trudged along in our respective gloomy stupors, craving warmth and sunlight, little glimpses of blue sky would peek out from behind the thick clouds, offering slivers of hope.

A solitary ptarmigan perched on a boulder welcomed us to the top of The Dome, where we paused for a quick bite before continuing up the ridge toward Knoya. The low ceiling of clouds persisted as we ascended the jagged ridge. From a distance, the ridgeline looks deceptively daunting, but once you’re on it, the walking is fairly straightforward with no scrambling required.

The true summit of Knoya is tucked away from the main ridgeline, so as we approached what seemed to be the peak at around mile 4.8, we veered just south of the intersection of the ridges leading to The Dome and Kanchee, traversing the south-facing slopes. There’s little risk here, aside from the jagged rocks—one of which managed to slice through my shoe when I misstepped. Thankfully, my Topos took the damage and my foot was fine.

Knoya’s actual summit came into view less than a quarter mile to the east, at the far end of the south-facing slope. Tikishla and the surrounding peaks were still hidden in clouds, and as we stepped onto the summit, it began to snow—typical for late May or early June, and far more tolerable than the rain we’d started in.

We snapped a few summit photos and turned northwest toward our next goal: Kanchee Peak. While many GPX tracks on Gaia and Peakbagger show a direct ridge route to Kanchee, we chose to retrace our steps about a quarter mile and follow a less exposed, less scrambly path along the north slope of Knoya’s false summit. The snow stopped suddenly, but the clouds lingered.

While walking the ridge toward Kanchee, I stopped to add snow to my water bladder—2 liters wouldn’t cut it for a 15-mile hike. I took a long swig of ice-cold water just as one final snow squall passed over us. We climbed over a small rock outcropping, and then the sky began to brighten. A patch of blue appeared, and the clouds below us rose, revealing all of Snow Hawk Valley. Peaks 1216 and Ship Creek Hill came into view, sparking fond memories of our recent hike there in gale-force winds.

The sky continued to open up, and the little blue patch grew. We spotted a small cabin down in Snow Hawk Valley. I’ve heard of people using it, but since it’s on JBER land where overnight stays aren’t permitted, I haven’t found any official resources explaining how to legally use the shelter. I wouldn’t recommend attempting an overnight trip there without written permission from JBER officials—you don’t want to lose access to military land hikes.

Kanchee’s grassy slopes made for an easy climb, and so far, we hadn’t faced any real challenges along the ridge. As the sky continued to clear, we reached the summit of our third peak of the day. The views into Snow Hawk Valley were magnificent—Temptation, Tikishla, and Knoya were now fully visible. Our crappy moods were finally cured. Although there were a couple of odd markers at the top, we didn’t find a summit register.

Now six miles in, with three summits and over 4,000 feet of gain behind us, we paused to put on our tall gaiters. Deep snow clung to the ridgeline and northwest face of Kanchee. I voiced concern about the ridge route due to unconsolidated snow and a sheer drop-off to the east (I’m always irrationally paranoid that my dog might leap off a cliff), so we descended via Kanchee’s west ridge to a point where crossing the snowfield felt safer.

Even 700 feet below the summit, we were still postholing through knee-deep snow. I eventually chose to slide down the final few patches to the base of Nunaka. Two hundred feet above us stood the summit of Nunaka, the last peak in the ridgeline series—seven miles into our hike now. The clouds returned as we walked up the grassy slopes, and by the time we reached the top, the views had vanished again.

One last summit selfie, and then we descended the ridge toward Snow Hawk Road. It was an uneventful descent—except for Jason finding a nice pocketknife and me discovering a great snow slide.

We were on the road within an hour, heading toward the Bulldog Trail and back to the Klutina Trailhead, only stopping to watch a good-sized porcupine climb a tree. The lower we got, the sunnier and hotter it became—a fine reward for a day that had started so dreary.

I took one last look back at the ridgeline I’d long wanted to hike, filled with that deeply satisfying feeling of truly knowing a place.

The Dome, Knoya, Kanchee, Nunaka Point Peakbagger Links:

The Dome Peakbagger

Knoya Peakbagger

Kanchee Peakbagger

Nunaka Pt Peakbagger

Read More Trip Reports

Just the Tips:

  1. There is very little exposure on this ridge walk, but the weather can change quickly. Be prepared.
  2. Be bear aware.
  3. Sign into JBER RecAccess before entering military land. Sign into all areas you plan to access. No overnights are permitted. These areas are closed between 11pm and 6am.
  4. Knoya’s peak is set back from the U-shaped ridge, heading towards Tikishla. Don’t make the mistake of thinking you’re at the top when you are less than a quarter mile shy of the true summit.
  5. Parking at Klutina and Stuckagain are limited. Get there early to grab a spot and respect the neighborhoods by not parking like an asshole and by carpooling, if possible.

Recent Trip REports:

Where the Clouds Parted: A Knoya, Kanchee and Nunaka Ridge Walk

May 31, 2025 Knoya: 4600′ – FR #17 Kanchee: 4393′ – FR #20 Nunaka point: 3780′ Mileage: ~14 Miles Elevation Gain: ~5000′ The summer wasn’t summering, and I was suffering from a bout of springtime depression that only sunshine and warm weather could cure. I dragged myself to the Klutina Trailhead to meet Jason. We…

Rebecca Charles's avatar by Rebecca Charles

Chasing the Wind: A Long-Awaited Victory on Peak 1216 and Ship Creek Hill

April 26, 2025 Peak 1216 AKA 3990: 3990′ Ship Creek Hill: 3842′ (chugach Front Range Peak #24) Mileage: 15 Miles Elevation Gain: 5,700′ The majority of the Southcentral Alaska winter of 2024-25 was uncharacteristically warm and relatively snow free, but here we were in April, with record breaking snowfall around Anchorage. The ridges and peaks…

Rebecca Charles's avatar by Rebecca Charles

Restless Trekker

Legal

Pedals, Peaks and Thunderstorms: Bike and Hike Mount Margaret in Denali National Park

by Rebecca Charles, posted in Alaska Peakbagging
May 25, 2025
Mount MArgaret: 5069′
Denali NAtional PArk
Mileage: 4.6 Mile Bike/4.6 Mile Hike/4.6 Mile Bike
Elevation Gain: 2,750′

This year’s annual mother/daughter camping trip in Denali National Park looked a little different from our normal stay at Riley Creek Campground. The Labor Day prior, we decided our next trip would be to Savage River Campground, 13 miles up the Park Road from the Parks Highway.  This was a great opportunity for me to take a day to bike and hike Mount Margaret, a broad mountain just beyond the Savage River.  

I had been eyeballing this summit since our first trip in 2019.  In 2020 I was still ignorant to doing route research and made an attempt from the east, via the Savage River Loop Trail, with my 9-year-old in tow.  The 40+ mph winds were so strong she could barely stand up, so we turned around, and although we didn’t make it even close to the top, we did have the amazing experience of finding ourselves within a stone’s throw to two big, handsome Dalls sheep.  A fine consolation prize. 

The weather all weekend was decent, but I waited for the day with the least chance of thunderstorms to head out on my adventure.   After looking back at the photos of my first steps on Mount Margaret six years prior, I am sure the off-trail route from the east would have gone, but this time I decided to approach from the south, giving me the opportunity for a nearly 15-mile RT bike and hike.

It was one of those overcast mornings that has potential to turn into a really nice day, so I ate breakfast and set off before 11am on my bike, headed west into the park.  Not even ten minutes into my ride, I saw one of the tour busses stopped with its hazards flashing; a sign that there was wildlife nearby.  Sure enough, three caribou were grazing along the Savage River, to the south of the road.

Two miles from Savage River Campground and the Savage River bridge where the road closes to public traffic and to go any further you must be human powered (bike or hike) or ride one of the park busses (during the winter you can ski and mush dogs, as well).  This was where, almost 5 years ago, my daughter and I turned off the Park Road for our first attempt on Mount Margaret.  This time I was by myself; my now 14-year-old wise to my claims that it would be “fun” and “not too hard.”

I stopped at the Ranger Station and the Park Rangers made sure that I had paid my entry fee and that I was familiar with protocols for allowing the busses to pass, as well as making sure I had bear spray with me.   They asked if I had ever used it before and I assured them that it had been effective in the few times I had used it in my 21 years in Alaska.  I advised them that I would be hiking Mt Margaret and if anyone reported a bike abandoned on the north side of the road near there, it was just me and I would be back down in a few hours.  They gave me a Denali Bike Safety Sticker to show they had done their spiel, and I was off!

But not for long.  As I began pedaling uphill, away from the Ranger station, I noticed two park busses moving very slowly towards me with their hazards on.  I saw something small and furry in front of them, also moving towards me, and for a second I thought it might be small bear… I jumped off my bike and grabbed my bear spray from the side pocket of my pack before realizing it was just a beautiful red fox.  It trotted right past me, the buses slowly rolling behind, and, looking into the windows, I felt immense gratitude that there wasn’t a pane of glass between me and Mr. (or Mrs.) Fox. 

I continued, now warm from the sun and the effort to ascend the 600 feet to where I would stash my bike and start my hike.  I passed by an overlook where busloads of tourists were using the bathroom and taking a break from sitting in the bus to stretch their legs.  I opted to avoid people and marked my territory in the woods right around the corner where I stashed my bike.

I didn’t see any trailhead, and hadn’t expected to, so I dragged my bike through the alders as far as I could off the road, hiding it as much as possible as the Rangers had asked of me.  Having firsthand experience, I knew bears have a penchant for chewing on rubber and plastic, and I took a last look at my bike and helmet with a wish that they would be in one piece when I returned. Turning uphill, I started bushwhacking through the tangled and leafless branches. 

Just when I was getting annoyed with the lack of bootpath (about 30’ in), I stumbled onto a path!  It looked like my great day was getting even better when it became obvious that the path would lead me right to where I wanted to go… up one of the south ridges.  I was passing by the last of the brush, when two ptarmigans, a female in her brown plumage, and a black-headed male still wearing most of his white suit.  They made their ga-ga-ga-ga-ga-ga clucking sounds, I’d assume pairing up for the season.

Now that I was above treelined, I took out my Three Bears Special walkie talkie and hoped that it would reach my “base camp,” about 4 or 5 miles away, as the crow flies.  The reply from my daughter was a monotone and apathetic response to my excitement over my ascension on such a beautiful day. 

I noticed that Denali was peeking out from the clouds, towering above the foothills below.

The bootpath continued on, up a gradual slope to an overlook, past patches of snow growing in size and frequency.   I had hiked 1.5 miles from just over 3100’ on the Park Road to 4500’ where I came to a wide plateau covered in white.  From any perspective below this point, it was not obvious that this half mile wide tableland exists.  At first the snow was patchy, so I pressed on in a direct line towards the base of the summit, the trail having disappeared into the marshy grass.  The wind had begun to pick up and I needed my warm jacket.

The snow patches became wider and more frequent, and I began postholing thigh or crotch deep. I looked to the west and the east to see if it would be worth my time to retreat and circumnavigate the snow, but I was on a mission now and had no time to waste.  There were ominous clouds all around, some forming into thunderheads, although I remained bathed in sunshine besides the infrequent passing of a cloud in front of the radiating sunshine.  I knew my time to safely retreat without getting struck by lightning was shrinking, so I pressed on as fast as I could, opting to crawl for the last 100 yards. 

My feet firmly back on the alpine tundra, I walked up a steep mini draw that, after only a short distance, brought me right to the summit block.  As I crested to the top of Mount Margaret, I gasped in awe at the flat-bottomed cumulonimbus clouds releasing shafts of rain called, “virga,” precipitation that falls from clouds as rain, but evaporates before it hits the ground.  The dry air of Interior Alaska was drinking all of the moisture before the ground got even a drop.

Mount Margaret has a long fin of a summit ridge, the summit proper being a natural pile of jagged rocks.  I hopped up on it and scanned the horizon for 360 degrees to take in the view before snapping a couple dozen photos and videos to save the memory of an incredible summit day.  As I radioed my “base camp,” I spotted two people approaching the summit from the southeast and although I was disappointed to not be the only person on the mountain that day, I was excited to get a perfect summit photo that wouldn’t have been possible without their help! 

We chatted for a few minutes about their backpacking trip; they had come from Savage River and were continuing towards Mt Wright in the west.  Although I wanted to ask if they had approached via the same route my daughter and I had attempted in 2020, the clouds were building, and I wanted to try to get back to camp before a deluge came down.  It was possible that none of us could afford to lose the time to a drawn-out conversation. Plus, the wind was not letting up and I was ready to descend towards dinner.

I snapped a few pictures for them and then headed down the mountain, this time following the southeast summit ridge.  I figured it would add a little bit of distance, but I would avoid the majority of the snow, saving me time.  I already had soaked feet, but have never been too bothered by that.  I sloshed along across the plateau and quickly met up with the trail I had ascended. 

A little over two miles later, at 330pm, on the dot, I broke out from the alders and onto the Park Road, having followed the trail all the way down.  Now that I knew where it was, I noticed the hidden entry, but I could see how I missed it.  I walked about 20 yards west on the road and then into the shrubs where my bike was hidden.  I was relieved when I saw that nothing had decided to take a taste of my tires or anything else I had stashed.

The 3 miles back to Savage River Bridge was cruiser as I clocked along at 25+ mph, trying not to ride my brakes knowing I had already waited too long to change my pads.  Two more miles up a gradual incline brought me back to Savage River Campground.

Before long, my wet socks and shoes were hanging up to dry and I was eating quesadillas made by K in a cast iron pan over the open flame of our firepit. 

Energized by the beauty and solitude of the day, I began packing up our camp while it was sunny, the forecast being not so great for the following morning (our departure day).  The sun stayed out long after I crawled into my nook of the camper and poured over maps to figure out what my next Denali adventure would be.

Mount Margaret Peakbagger Link:

Mount Margaret DNP

Read More Trip Reports

Just the Tips:

  1. Make sure you pay your Park entry fee. The best way to take care of this fee is to stop at Riley Creek Mercantile on the way into the Park.
  2. In most circumstances, you cannot drive beyond mile 15 on the Park Road. To go beyond the gate, you can take a tour bus, flag stop bus, bike or hike. You can also drive beyond the gate if you have reservations at the campgrounds beyond Savage River.
  3. Be bear aware. Always carry bear spray or other bear protection while traveling by foot or bike in DNP.
  4. Do not harass wildlife. Respect the serene environment. Don’t approach or feed animals and leave the Bluetooth speaker at home.
  5. Parking is available at Savage River at Mile 15, but it is a small parking lot that fills up quickly.
  6. Unlike many other national parks, off-trail travel is allowed in DNP. Choose your own adventure!
  7. Dogs are not allowed to travel off of the Park Road and must always be on a leash 6′ long or shorter.

Recent Trip REports:

Misty Miles and Mountain Birds: A Storm King Scramble to Mitty Peak

April 20, 2025 Olympic NAtional Park, WA Mitty Peak 2674′ Mileage: 4.4 Miles RT Elevation Gain: 2400′ After 25 years, I finally had the opportunity to fly down to Seattle from Alaska to see one of my favorite bands of all time, Phish. I can’t travel without checking out a new hike, so I also…

Rebecca Charles's avatar by Rebecca Charles

Beyond Bird Point and Into Technicolor Solitude: Bird Ridge Overlook

September 7, 2024 Mileage: 13.5 Miles Elevation Gain: ~6700′ BRO (4625′) Chugach 120 #98 Bird PT (3505′) CHugach 120 #120 Permits: CSP Parking Fee The 2024 Alaska State Fair had come and gone, a sure sign that the dark winter was going to be closing in soon. Even though it was another rainy summer and…

Rebecca Charles's avatar by Rebecca Charles

Restless Trekker

Legal

Chasing the Wind: A Long-Awaited Victory on Peak 1216 and Ship Creek Hill

by Rebecca Charles, posted in Alaska Peakbagging
April 26, 2025
Peak 1216 AKA 3990: 3990′
Ship Creek Hill: 3842′

(chugach Front Range Peak #24)

Mileage: 15 Miles
Elevation Gain: 5,700′

The majority of the Southcentral Alaska winter of 2024-25 was uncharacteristically warm and relatively snow free, but here we were in April, with record breaking snowfall around Anchorage. The ridges and peaks that were almost ready to be climbed were now blanketed in multiple feet of fresh snow. The avalanche danger had increased, and the Chugach turned into a hiker’s postholing hell.

My adventure partner, Jason, and I had made a handful of successful peakbagging forays since February, but had also experienced firsthand how challenging it was in the enduring winter weather of the mountains. We had postholed through waist deep snow, dealt with 30+ mph winds and trudged through multiple snow squalls.

We had some big traverse goals for the summer and needed to keep moving, even when the weather was continuing to fight us. The winds were forecasted to be gusty for the weekend, but we figured it couldn’t be any worse than when we climbed Rainbow Peak, just the month prior.

The only peak we hadn’t yet climbed that was not completely white just happened to be a mountain that had been obsessed with for the past couple of years. For some reason I was laser focused on marking Ship Creek Hill off my list… maybe because it is such a visible feature when driving north from Anchorage or maybe because I knew it was so rarely hiked due to a supposed schwackful trail up Snow Hawk Valley, or a long approach from The Dome or Snow Hawk Road.

Poor Jason never heard the end of it… when we were camped at Long Lake for my birthday (“we gotta do Ship Creek Hill”), when we were sitting out flash floods along the Kalalau Trail in Kauai (“I bet Ship Creek Hill would be fun”), and I think even as far back as when we walked the ridgeline from Triangle Peak to Mt Gordon Lyon (“There’s Ship Creek Hill. We have got to do that soon”).

We had made a pact that this year we would get up there, but it would have to be before the buds popped on the trees, since we had experienced more than enough bushwhacking in the last couple weeks on our Snutnadzeni (Bear Pt) Traverse and on our route finding forays to figure out how to cross Thunder Bird Creek.

Snow Hawk Road was looking dry, the buds were just starting to appear, and we were on a mission to get in some substantial miles, so we decided to go for it the long way. We opted to go point to point, starting at Klutina Drive → Bulldog Trail → Snow Hawk Road → off trail across Snow Hawk Valley → up Peak 1216 → Ship Creek Hill → out via Snow Hawk Valley Trail.

We had been skunked on Nunaka Point and on our backup plan of crossing Snow Hawk Valley exactly two months prior (to the day) due to chest deep snow. That day we hiked up to Snow Hawk Moutain, which, for the second time in a year, became an enjoyable and pleasant backup plan. Nothing was going to stop us this time, and when we had finished shuttling vehicles to the two trailheads, we strapped snowshoes and knee-high gaiters onto our packs and proceeded with a no quit attitude. Today would be the last day that I would obsessively bring up Ship Creek Hill and my intense desire to stand on its summit for the first time.

*I made sure we were checked into the correct open areas on JBERs RecAccess website (previously iSportsman). * The entirety of this hike is on military land and may be closed some or all days of the week for artillery or jump training. Not following this protocol or respecting the closures may result in severe injury, death, revocation of use privilege and/or prosecution for trespassing. There is no use allowed overnight (11pm-6am) so be sure to plan accordingly.

The Klutina Road trailhead is in a quiet neighborhood and no more than 2 vehicles fit in the designated parking zone. Please be respectful of neighbors and do not block the gate. We followed a narrow path for a little more than a quarter mile out to the Bulldog Trail where we turned left and followed it for about a mile and half. The Bulldog “Trail” is actually a wide road used by the military for access and training. Signs warning of unexploded ordinance warn of the danger of traveling off trail on military land.

As luck would have it, we had to leave the road to avoid a not yet angry, but very large female moose. She didn’t chase us down and we weren’t blown up, so we took that as a good omen for the day.

We came to the rudimentary roundabout and turned right, up the steep and winding Snow Hawk Road, which can be seen hugging the south side of Snow Hawk Mountain from the lowlands of the city of Anchorage. This road suddenly appeared on the mountainside back in 2020 and the access was restricted for years due to building and maintenance, but now, is a great alternative to climbing over The Dome to access the valley surrounded by Snow Hawk, Nunaka Point, Kanchee, Knoya and The Dome.

We trudged up the gravel road for a little more than 4 miles, ascending about 2300′ in the process. The tall buildings of downtown Anchorage were now only suitable for ants, and the small planes and helicopters (always helicopters… everywhere we go) were flying well below us. As it started to lightly snain, dozens of camouflaged ptarmigans made their gutteral, clucking courtship calls, sometimes visible as they flew toward a potential mate.

Rounding the corner on the back side of Snow Hawk Mountain, Ship Creek Hill and Peak 1216 came into view… and the wind appeared with them. We put on our warm gear, pulled out our sandwiches and pressed on, eager to see how much snow was still filling the valley between here and there. The wind continued to pick up… 20mph or more, a flashback to Rainbow, and we talked about skipping Peak 1216, quickly bagging SCH, and getting out of this wind sooner rather than later.

A short section of waist deep snow momentarily frustrated us, but the remainder of the walk down into Snow Hawk Valley turned out to be fairly pleasant.

We picked our way down the grassy hill, finding more ptarmigan, some still delicious, overwintered, high bush cranberries and then Snow Hawk Creek, which was easily crossed with no wet feet. We were in the lee of the wind and opted for a sit-down break before heading up to what we were sure was going to be a gusty couple of hours.

From here, Peak 1216 looked close and we decided it would be a travesty to not also tag the top of her. We had already traveled 6.5 miles and nearly 2400,’ but were feeling strong and were both excited to look down on Ship Creek Valley.

We ascended a mile and a half up grassy slopes dotted with patches of snow, low pine, and leafless trees. The wind returned, stronger than ever, and by the time we reached the rounded summit of Peak 1216, it was gusting more than 50mph. We were both thrilled to be there, but had a difficult time standing up, let alone taking in the view, so we got a couple of photos then hustled down the snow covered slope towards Ship Creek Hill.

For a moment, we were protected from the wind and took a moment to look down on SC Valley and across the valley to the “our” ridge between Triangle and Arctic Valley. We had always been proud of connecting that entire ridge and now we were achieving another goal that felt just as good.

After quickly tagging the overlook point to the west of 1216, we continued towards SCH, walking along the broad, pathless ridge to what, from this perspective, looked like an anticlimactic mound. Arctic Valley road visible to my right, I climbed around on the myriad of mini summit blocks to ensure I had hit the actual high point.

The wind was not letting up and I was being blown off my feet, but we weren’t letting up either.

After bagging the two peaks, we aimed towards the last goal; a point at the far end of SC Hill’s western ridge. The weather was getting even worse and the wind was stronger than ever. After a moment of looking down on the Anchorage bowl, we both agreed it was time to get out of there and began descending directly down the steep, yet snow free, southern slope.

Now protected from the wind, tucked between the shoulders of SCH and 1216, we stopped for a snack break, now 11 miles into our day. As we rested, the sun began to burn through the clouds and although it never fully succeeded, the filtered rays warmed us up.

Knowing we still had what could be the most challenging section ahead, we packed up our gear and descended back down to the creek, a mile downstream from where we had crossed earlier in the day, and ascended a small, but steep, grassy slope. All I knew is that there was supposed to be some semblance of a trail, although very overgrown, that would lead us back to the Ship Creek bridge where Jason’s car was parked.

Snow Hawk Valley Trail is notorious for being overgrown and muddy, sometimes impossible to find, but our experience was quite the opposite. Very soon after reaching the top of the slope, Jason found a lightly worn footpath complete with trail markers. Although we had to climb over some deadfall and do some minor trail finding, it was a pleasant walk. We found an old, burned down cabin, and, in the small section of mud, the sizeable track of bears, wolf, coyote and moose.

The grass was laid down and dead and the leaves were not open; not even a bud in sight, and although I could imagine this trail being difficult to navigate in full bloom, it was nothing like the horror show that most people report. We weren’t lucky, we were smart to have planned to go before the leaves opened and I would recommend the same timing for anyone who wants to explore this area.

The last mile and a half were easy walking. Someone had come through with a chainsaw and cleared out the downed trees. Nearly 15 miles in, we were thrilled to not have to do anymore climbing or straddling. Suddenly, a chain link fence appeared meaning we were just above the Ship Creek Dam and, after a short bushwack through the alders, we were on Oilwell Road, only a mile from the parking lot.

Turning back for a look at SCH and the now obscured and camouflaged trailhead, I proudly acknowledged another goal met, and two more peaks climbed. Ship Creek bridge and then Jason’s car appeared like an oasis in the desert, and we sunk exhaustedly and victoriously into the car seats, already trying to decide what our next peak would be.

PEak 1216 and Ship Creek Hill Peakbagger Links:

Ship Creek Hill

Peak 1216

Read More Trip Reports

Just the Tips:

  1. Make sure to check for open zones in JBER RecAccess. It is $10 annual for an account. Be sure to sign in before entering. Do not trespass or camp illegally or it could mean the end of access for those of us who respect the rules.
  2. If you are going up or down Snow Hawk Valley Trail, do so early or late in the season. It is reportedly very difficult to navigate in the middle of the summer.
  3. There is an insane amount of wildlife in this area. Carry bear spray and be bear/wolf/coyote/moose aware. Make lots of noise when traveling below tree line.
  4. There is no camping in this area. All recreators must be off of JBER land between 11pm and 6am.
  5. Do not touch anything that could possibly be military ordinance (bombs, shells, ammo, missiles, etc.). If you find anything that is potentially unexploded, report it to the JBER authorities.

Recent Trip REports:

Lost and Found on Rainbow Peak

March 31, 2025 Mileage: 6.2 Miles (Including Northeast Ridge to Unnamed Point) Elevation Gain: 3700′ Chugach 120 #118 Chugach Front Range #25 Summit Elevation: 3543′ Rainbow Peak is a fun, scrambly hike that starts at sea level and tops out at 3543.’ This one is big bang for your buck if you’re looking for an…

Rebecca Charles's avatar by Rebecca Charles

Brocken Spectres and Nike Missiles: Rendezvous Ridge → Muktuk Marston Loop

September 21, 2024 Mileage: 8 Miles Elevation Gain: 2592′ Peak 1112 (3648′) Little Teton (4006′) Peak 3891 (3891′) Permits: Arctic Valley PArking PAss or Membership Pass It’s now the end of March 2025, and as I start planning for this summer’s adventures, one of my top mellow day hikes is definitely the Rendezvous Ridge/Muktuk Marston…

Rebecca Charles's avatar by Rebecca Charles

Racing the Termination Dust: A Fall Ridge Walk from Lazy Mtn to Peak 4199

September 29, 2024 Mileage: 8.6 Miles Elevation Gain: 4815′ Lazy Mountain (3740′) Peak 4199 (4199′) Permits: Mat-SU Borough Parking Pass REquired at Lazy Trailhead It was the second to last day of September, and the weather was holding out for one more low ridge traverse, though the termination dust had crept down close to the…

Rebecca Charles's avatar by Rebecca Charles

Restless Trekker

Legal

Postholing and Bushwhacking on Snutnadzeni (AKA Bear Point) Ridge: Peters Creek to Thunderbird Falls

by Rebecca Charles, posted in Alaska Peakbagging

April 15, 2025

Snutnadzeni Point: 3140′
Total Mileage: 5.7 Miles
Total Elevation Gain: 2,057′
Permits: AK StatE PArks Annual Parking Pass
Read More Trip Reports Here

Just when we thought it was almost time to be back up in the big mountains, Mother Nature decided it was time for snow and wind. The ridges and peaks that had been close to being melted off were now blanketed in multiple feet of fresh snow, so we decided to do something new; something that we thought would be a walk in the park. It surely was not!

Earlier in the week, we had been hiking the ridge below POW, and while looking across the Valley at Bear Mountain, we did what we do best… planned an uncommon hike. The north ridge of the mountain looked totally doable, with almost no snow, and I was sure we could meet up with the trailhead at the top of the Thunderbird neighborhood. We decided that, on the next nice day, we would hike from Peters Creek, up Bear Mountain and down the north ridge to Thunderbird.

The weather finally cooperated and gave us a beautifully sunny and wind free day. This time, Jason didn’t forget his shoes, and we were both almost on time to meet at the Thunderbird Falls parking lot at 930am. Leaving Jason’s car, we headed towards the Peters Creek Trailhead.

Bear Point is a well-known mountain, a hulking mass right next to the main (and only) highway between Anchorage and the Valley. The roadside, west face is steep and foreboding, numerous chutes cut into the massive wall, but the main ascent route is via the southwest face, a moderately steep, but not extremely challenging trail.

It didn’t take us long to climb the 1.5 miles and 1,800′ to the top, although we were very happy to have made it before the ice melted, when the trail would become a muddy mess.

The top of the mountain is nothing like what the daily commuter sees from below, spreading out flat and broad, a field of patchy snow and tundra. In the fall, this entire area is covered in blueberries and blueberry pickers, but for now, we were alone, ceilinged by wispy clouds and a full circle sun dog.

We walked along the top of the west face towards the true summit, half a mile and less than 100′ higher, while admiring the height of the vertical drop to our left. The summit of Snutnadzeni Point (AKA Bear) is anticlimactic, a small pile of rocks denoting the highest point, but the views make up for the bore of summit. Mirror and Edmonds Lakes are far below, and Chugiak just an ant colony in the distance.

The ridgeline we would be following down towards Thunderbird looked promising from the summit, snow blanketing the west face, but the wide ridge looking relatively snow free. We set off into the unknown, recording some new tracks on our gps apps.

Initially, we had no issue with snow and enjoyed an easy tundra walk, but the conditions quickly changed as we descended to the north. The footpath disappeared and was replaced with waist deep, breakable crust snow. We floundered along, not willing to turn back and call this a failure. We could see the snow would peter out in less than half a mile, so we continued on.

The deep snow turned to alders, the trail now completely gone, and it was obvious that no one had walked here in a very long time. Jason did find signs of humans, though, when he came across an emergency blanket and a hand warmer frozen to the ground amongst the alders. We wondered what had happened here and packed up the trash to haul out.

When the alders opened into grassy fields, we were relieved… until we took our first steps. The grass had grown and matted over many years, completely covering hidden leg breakers… downed trees. We gingerly picked our way through the grass minefield and only once did I fall into a hole and nearly cry from what would surely be a fine bruise on my shin.

We desperately needed a lunch break and some time to regroup. Bushwhacking is both physically and emotionally draining and we were ready to sit down for a few minutes. We had an amazing view of Mt Eklutna and, my favorite, Peak 1222, while we ate our sandwiches, and soon we felt revived and ready to go.

Onward we descended, alder bashing and crossing “danger grass.” Three eagles came to visit us, circling overhead, and we wondered if they were the same ones we had seen just a few days prior near POW. We began to notice that many trees, some multiple feet in circumference, had been blown down over the winter, in some areas nearly 40% of the trees were no longer standing. The new danger became widow makers, AKA dead heads. We gingerly chose our route over and around them to ensure we would not be killed by a silly mistake.

Just when we thought we had reached the end of the alder bashing and leg breaking grass, we came upon the last thing we wanted to see… Devil’s Club. Fields of it. We pushed on through, collecting thorns in our body, but grateful that we weren’t doing this in the middle of the summer. The dead, thorny branches are much easier to deal with than the fully blooming plant!

We were aiming directly for Thunderbird Creek, just bashing our way through anything in front of us, and somehow, I looked down at just the right time to see a bird’s nest sitting on the ground. Remnants of eggshells inside, I wondered if the babies were healthy and grown or if the wind or a predator had cut their existence short.

Suddenly, we came to a path, the one I had hoped would be there, and we took a right turn up towards Thunderbird Valley to do some recon for crossing on a future hike we had planned. Only a few hundred feet up the trail, we came to a narrow ridge leading to a point overlooking Thunderbird Creek. A sign marking “Trail’s End” made an obvious statement, as the point dropped off precipitously, more than 50′ down to the water.

Backtracking along the trail, very grateful for an established footpath with no sharp or thorny sticks in the way, it only took a few minutes to travel the .3 miles to the trailhead on Raven Court in the Thunderbird neighborhood, and not much longer to reach the parking lot, another mile down the road. We looked back up the west face of Bear and laughed at how ignorant we were to think that would have been easy, and how happy we were to have filled in another ridgeline on the map.

Jason drove me back up to the Peters Creek Trailhead to pick up my truck and then we celebrated with dinner at Bella Vista, seated with a perfect view of the mountain we had just traversed.

Just The Tips:

  1. Be Bear Aware. Carry bear spray and know how to use it.
  2. If you choose to follow the route mentioned above, be aware that there can be many variables depending on the season. Deep snow can persist into late spring and the bushwhacking can become impossible once the vegetation grows in. Be prepared to not have a trail to follow and rely on traditional navigation skills to find your way.
  3. Peters Creek Trail has both motorized access and trapping during the winter. Take care when hiking with pets along this corridor.
  4. Parking at the Peters Creek Trailhead is limited. Please respect the neighborhood and park in a way that does not restrict emergency vehicle access.
  5. The trail up to Bear Point can be very muddy or icy. Wear proper shoes/carry microspikes.

Snutnadzeni (AKA BEar Point) AllTrails & PEakbagger Links:

Read More Trip Reports

u003cbru003e

Exploring Eklutna Lake: A Winter Bikepacking Adventure

Eklutna Lake, Chugach State Park, Alaska March 8-9, 2025 Total Mileage: 17.6 Total Elevation Gain: ~1,000′ Permits: AK StatE PArks Annual Parking Pass The Plan I was going absolutely stir crazy. I hadn’t been camping since getting back from the Kalalau Trail at the end of January and I knew I was becoming unpleasant to…

Rebecca Charles's avatar by Rebecca Charles

Five Days of Heaven on the Trans-Catalina Trail

Catlina Island, California December 3 – 8, 2023 Total Mileage: 45 Total Elevation Gain: ~12,000′ Permits: Included with Campsite REservations The Plan It was summer 2023 and I was ready to make a plan for my next backpacking trip Outside of Alaska. The Kalalau Trail had traumatized me earlier that year, so I was looking…

Rebecca Charles's avatar by Rebecca Charles

Kalalau Trail: A Hiker’s Redemption Journey

January 26-29, 2025 NaPali Coast, Kauai, HI Mileage: 23 miles Out and Back Elevation Gain: ~6500′ Permits: Wiki Permits Rated by Backpacker Magazine as one the most dangerous hikes in the US and often considered one of the top 20 most dangerous hikes in the world, the Kalalau Trail is not for the faint of…

Rebecca Charles's avatar by Rebecca Charles

Restless Trekker

Legal

Beyond Bird Point and Into Technicolor Solitude: Bird Ridge Overlook

by Rebecca Charles, posted in Alaska Peakbagging
September 7, 2024
Mileage: 13.5 Miles
Elevation Gain: ~6700′
BRO (4625′) Chugach 120 #98
Bird PT (3505′) CHugach 120 #120
Permits: CSP Parking Fee
A person stands on top of a mountain peak looking at the mountains in the distance. The sky is partly cloudy, partly clear and the vegetation is bright with the fall colors.

The 2024 Alaska State Fair had come and gone, a sure sign that the dark winter was going to be closing in soon. Even though it was another rainy summer and a very busy work season, I had crammed in as many hikes as I could and was hoping for at least one more big one. Jason and I decided to head down the Seward Highway to the Bird Ridge Trailhead to finish something we had started.

April 2024 – Failure

We had been there earlier this year, in April, but had turned around less than a tenth of a mile from the summit of Bird Point because of snow, high winds and, frankly, mostly laziness. Throughout the summer, we frequently talked about our silly decision to fail to summit this easy peak… while having coffee at our camp at Hanging Valley Lake, while walking up the saddle above Long Lake on our way to summit Koktoya, and while sitting around the fire at our bikepacking camp at Eklutna Lake… It continued to eat at us all summer.

Preferring to avoid busy trails, I had only been up to Bird Point once before, but the conditions couldn’t have been more different from the day we turned back.

August 2020 – My First Time

On August 20, 2020, during the height of the pandemic and the beginning of my peakbagging passion, I had snuck away from my home office to meet up with my friend, V, to hike to iconic Bird Point. It was one of those incredible summer days that makes you forget about winter. We were treated to a view of the bore tide rushing up Turnagain Arm during a break on the ascent to the ridge, and an incredible sunset on our way down. Pure perfection.

SePtember 2024 – BEyond the Point to Bird Ridge Overlook

As is my style, if I fail, I make the next goal ten times bigger. This time we wouldn’t just be summitting Bird Ridge Point, where most hikers turn around, we would be continuing on along the ridge for another 5 miles to the summit of Bird Ridge Overlook. I had been obsessively pouring over beta and maps of this hike since April, and it was finally time. We had an incredible weather window, and it was a go!

I picked up Jason and we chatted away excitedly as we drove to the trailhead. We had been looking forward to redemption all summer and today was finally the day. We were ready to put the embarrassment and self-loathing of our April failure aside forever with this hike.

By 830am, we were already ascending through the trees, taking some time to look over at Indianhouse Mountain (Jason had just climbed it a couple of weeks prior) and Penguin Peak (the Penguin Traverse is on our list for 2025). Although we had brought jackets, it felt more like July than September, and we were in t-shirts before we had even gone a mile.

Bird Point Trail to the ridge is fairly steep, a direct uphill climb, and within a mile and half and in less than an hour, we were above the trees and at the bench, a memorial to a young man who had been mauled and killed by a bear during a mountain race in 2017. We had a long day ahead, but spent a moment paying our respects and making sure our bear spray was handy.

A half mile later we had reached the ridge, and although we were still a little less than half a mile from our first objective, the summit of Bird Ridge Point (3505′), we only had another 300′ to ascend to bag the first peak. The walking here was easy and comfortable, a big change from the snow covered, corniced, wind drifted trail we had trekked on in April. The weather on this day was pleasant and windless with some blue sky poking through high clouds.

Within two hours and 2.5 miles, we had reached the summit of Bird Point and a glance back towards Turnagain Arm, 3500′ below, made me appreciate the extent of the elevation gained. I don’t recall if we talked about our redemption, but I know we both felt much better now.

We continued along the ridge towards Bird Ridge Overlook, now visible about 4.5 miles in the distance. I was relieved to see that it appeared to be a “walk up” peak with gently sloping shoulders, the ridge meeting the mountain very close to its summit. I had read many trip reports and poured over topo maps so I had the impression it would be a relatively easy ascent, minus the long walk, but you never know until you go. From here, I could see that there was no extreme exposure or steep steps on the approach side of the summit, and I regretted not bringing my dog, Goose.

The trail beyond Bird Point is now one of my favorite hikes, an easy walk along the ridge that undulates gently up and down; tundra and rocks bordering the rarely used path. Besides one ~300′ “step” midway and the final section to the summit, it was gradual elevation gain, a truly gentle ridge.

I often had to jog to catch up with Jason after being hypnotized by the mountains surrounding us. I would imagine the tracks I would take up each mountain that I hadn’t yet summitted… North Yuyanq’Ch’ex, Homicide, South Powerline, Penguin, Nest, Esbay… and flashed back to memories of climbs I had done that I could now see from the perfect perspective… South Yuyanq’Ch’ex, The Ramp and Wedge, South Avalanche. I hadn’t set foot on any of the mountains to the east yet, but I would make sure that wouldn’t be the case by the end of the next season.

As the trail dropped just below the east ridge, just shy of ascending the midway “step,” we were treated to an explosion of color; vivid red, yellow and green tundra, a sure sign of the approaching winter, but also cementing this as a perfect fall hike.

We climbed up an easy 300,’ following the bootpath that traversed just below the rocky top of the midway step. The vegetation turned to muted tones of red and yellow, the black alpine lichen and chossy rock now dominating the hillside. The last couple of miles to the summit of BRO was now completely visible, the path meandering along the east side of the ridge, one more patch of vivid red lichen to traverse before cutting below the summit towards the southeast ridge. Only a couple of small patches of snow were still hanging in there on the south facing slopes, a testament to the previous winter’s deep snowpack. Again, I regretted not bringing Goose… no one loves summer snow more than he does.

I continued to be mesmerized by the surrounding mountains, more peaks making themselves visible the further we walked, and before long we were traversing below the summit of BRO. As we reached the southeast ridge, we were stopped in our tracks by a pair of ravens who were very interested in us, circling and cawing. I noticed one of them had white tips on its wings and took a moment to appreciate being here at this moment and feeling gratitude that this unique raven had decided to pay us a visit.

I turned uphill, the path now gone, and picked my way through the rocks and patches of tundra for the last 400′ to the summit. Although there is no trail, ascending was quick and easy, a choose your own adventure to the top.

As I summitted Bird Ridge Overlook, I audibly gasped. The view was incredible, with much of the Chugach Range in view. Countless mountains I had climbed surrounded us and I geeked out, naming as many as I could, from South Yu to South Avalanche to Koktoya to Rendezvous/Triangle Ridge and even as far out as Harp, Eagle River Overlook and Vista Peak. To the northwest, I traced the route we had taken on my birthday hike a couple of years before; up The Wedge and The Ramp, down into Ship Lake, around the NE ridge of the Avalanches and into Ship Creek Valley, turning south towards Indian, the trail then disappearing behind the smaller mountains below us.

To the north, I looked down into a valley, protected by a long ridge to the west and a short ridge to the east. The summit of BRO drops off steeply on the north face and a large teal blue no-name lake glimmered below, smaller lakes dotting the valley. I planned out my 2026 birthday backpacking trip then and there, a trek into this rarely seen valley from Indian to make camp, a perfect base for day hikes up 4055, Bidarka, 3505, Shaman Dome, The Wing, 4300… as many as we could get. I hoped for nice weather the week of July 4, 2026.

Jason and I took turns getting photos standing on a high, rocky outcropping, with an incredible backdrop of the backside of the Front Range. Jason found the summit register, a small, black pvc tube filled with soaked paper and leaky pens. I settled for submitting to the Peakbagger electronic register and we tucked the pvc tube back under the rock where it was found.

A final look at my new favorite view and I turned back to the south, Bird Ridge looking welcoming, an easy walk back to the summit of Bird Point. We decided to descend directly down the south/southwest ridge instead of following our ascent route and it went nicely, joining back up with the trail less than half a mile from the summit.

As we strolled along, backtracking on our footprints from earlier in the day, the sun began to shine, and the blue sky became brighter through the high clouds. The reds of earlier were now even more incredibly bright, a technicolor dreamscape.

Upon our return to the “step,” we decided to follow the ridge to its high point, veering off from the sidehill trail we had taken on the way out. I looked back at BRO and the path we had taken as the slopes of the ridge became bathed in full sunshine. Turning back towards Turnagain, Bird Point became visible, the fully treed northwest slope indicative of its lower elevation, with an 1,110′ difference between the two peaks.

We descended the step and made excellent time back to Bird Point, more than 11 miles into our hike. As we began to run into other hikers, I was silently (and sometimes not so silently) feeling smug about our accomplishment, having made it further on the ridge than anyone else that day. I have no shame when it comes to being proud of achieving new summits, especially those that are beyond the well traveled trails.

As we descending the final couple of miles to the parking lot, the clouds began to return, although a god ray shone down on the low tide of Turnagain Arm. Entering the tree line, we both checked for our bear spray and began making mention of how sore our legs and feet were… the easy ridge had spoiled us, the steep descent became the biggest physical challenge of the day.

We finally reaching the paved pathway and, soon after, the truck. We both happily peeled off our shoes and socks for the relief of sandals and drove away with both redemption and future plans.

BRO/BRPT AllTrails and Peakbagger Links:

Bird Ridge Point AllTrails

Bird Ridge Overlook AllTrails

Bird Point Peakbagger

Bird Ridge Overlook Peakbagger

Read More Trip Reports

Just the Tips:

  1. Be Bear Aware. This is prime bear country. A young man was fatally mauled by a black bear during a running race in 2017. Take a moment to rest at the memorial bench located about halfway up to Bird Point. Carry bear spray and know how to use it.
  2. Although I had left my dog at home because I wasn’t sure what the trail was like, this one is great for dogs. No exposure until the very summit of BRO. Remember, though, it is a long hike and there are no water sources along the way. Carry plenty of water for yourself and your pup.
  3. It is likely that there will be no other hikers beyond Bird Point and there is limited or no cell phone reception. Carry an InReach and know how to use it, especially if traveling alone.
  4. Leave No Trace. Pick up any trash you may see along the way.

Recent Trip REports:

Alone in the Grand Canyon: Cowboy Camping Under the Stars

Day 5 – Cottonwood To Cremation canyon 12 Miles, -2000′, +1600′ December 3, 2024 I started the day by packing up my sleeping bag, pad and inflatable pillow while thinking about how my choice of sleeping gear had been perfect so far. I’ve had the same sleeping bag for over a decade, an absolute workhorse.…

Rebecca Charles's avatar by Rebecca Charles

Restless Trekker

Legal