September 7, 2024

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:

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: