My husband's first weekend off in three months led us to a Cooper Landing getaway last weekend. The weather was outstanding for hiking: in the 30's and 40's so things were mostly frozen and not mucky from our months of rain, and comfortable for hiking. We hadn't hiked the Carter Lake Trail a few miles south of the Seward Y on the Seward Highway, about 10 miles from Cooper Landing, for many years so we decided to check it out. It was a good choice; the hour-long uphill trek got us warmed up, but it wasn't so steep we were sweating. A light crust of snow at higher elevations made traction good. We made it to Carter Lake in an hour, though did not press on to Crescent Lake and the Crescent Creek Trail, which may have been possible at this time of year. Many times the trail through is overgrown with grass. Here's a photo journal of our hike.
Cat tracks in the snow....likely lynx. We saw 3 ptarmigan on the hike up to the lake, and saw them again on the way back down
I'm a sucker for pictures of bridges. Maybe because I love what they do for me (dry feet!)
Mid-range trail, right at snow line (the snow quite literally starts at one spot)
The lower trail--below snow-line and looking like fall
The other evening I was out walking on the spit around the Homer Harbor and was struck by the distinctive lighting and still water. Normally my pictures don't turn out as beautiful as the reality, but these pictures turned out well enough to share. The outdoor lamps almost look like moons at first glance, which adds to the interest of these photos. Somewhere in the picture (second row of boats) is likely the Time Bandit, famous for being seen on the TV show Deadliest Catch.
Not all wildlife in Alaska is "wild". Here's some photos and videos I've gotten in the past couple months of 'wildlife'.
Cute little squirrel hanging out on the railing of the Ship Creek trail in Anchorage
I came out of church in late September and was impressed by the squanking of sandhill cranes going overhead. What impressed me more is that they kept coming...hundreds of them, all heading north. The lady standing next to me was saying that sandhill cranes cannot fly over the water so have to migrate over the shore, so they head north, following the shoreline. It was a treat to witness this, and I was expecting more but that is the only time this fall I have seen sandhill cranes fly over.
We don't normally get bull moose with large racks in our yard, and we definitely do not get bull moose with a cow in the yard, but so it happened last week. The cow took the rosebush out front, and the bull took the raspberry patch. Each was quite systematic about their work of eating them!
This was a strange year for growing, seems to be the consensus among people that notice. The summer was cool and things seemed not to come at their usual time--like the berries! But then we have been spoiled for two years of exceptionally warm summers and July harvests of berries, so we're not sure if this is normal or late. So to pick blueberries mid-August seemed late; I used to always plan my girls' weekend of berrypicking Labor Day weekend. So mid-August is still early! June 26th when I returned from Michigan, my apple trees were still blooming. As of yesterday, look at them now! One hundred apples on my single tree. I thought I needed at least 2 trees to pollinate and when the rabbits took my two other trees and left me a single one I was going to cut it down too. But I left it and now it is producing a delightful crop!
Not sure what type of apples these are, but they are tasty and tart!
Pushki was blooming in July in places. Lupine was blooming as late as last week--a crop flower that should be done in July. Elderberries were later too, with the cloyingly sweet scent of the blossoms not happening till the end of June, when at times it has happened in late May. The lawn was going nuts and had to be mowed every five days, if we could squeeze it in between rains. In the garden the broccoli didn't form heads but the cauliflower was huge and early. In the greenhouse the tomatoes just finally started ripening the last week of August. The parsley is quite happy and growing prolifically. The root crops have done nicely. Carrots, potatoes and onions all were average crops, but are still growing. The slugs never arrived in my garden this year, despite the rain, which was a puzzler. No slugs and no wasps meant better raspberry and serviceberry crops since both of them feed on my berries. I'll admit I got tired of picking berries this year--a first in my life I think!--and so invited friends over for a berries, wine 'n' dessert event: pick berries, then drink wine and eat dessert. It was a hit!
Red and white potatoes contrast nicely with carrots
Summer temperatures were in the 60's almost every day and 50's almost every night. Since mid-August, the temps are now 50's during the day and 40's at night, here on the bench in Homer. Up top they've gotten a nip of frost already. We might have been nipped too--my cucumber plants were a bit droopy in the greenhouse, but I admit to being derelict in my duty and forgot to water for 5 days in September so that could be it also. With such moderate temperatures I'm not too worried about getting the last of the potatoes and carrots in. I've been harvesting enough to store in the fridge for a week or so. My favorite recipe at the moment is carrots, onions and potatoes cut into chunks, drizzled in olive oil and grated garlic and roasted in the oven for 25 minutes. Yum! I admit to having frozen kale left over from last summer still, so I've been making kale meatballs regularly to use that up. Zucchini keeps producing and I keep giving it away, eating it and freezing it. The kale keeps growing and I keep giving that away as well with my file of favorite kale recipes (kale chips, massaged kale). I thought my lettuce was done but it took off again so I can stop buying it and start eating it out of the garden again. Our dinner table is a reflection of the garden, and it is a favorite time of year for me to have such a bounty to choose from. The days are getting shorter and the trees are yellow and mountainsides red. I used to miss Midwestern autumn's, but now this is what autumn is to me: subtle but delightful color plays and the change of lighting. It feels good to be here.
Conical Poot Peak, rising above the foothills across Kachemak Bay on a misty day
Climbing Poot Peak, the 2880 foot peak across Kachemak Bay from us, has been a goal for our kids for a couple of years. With Aurora's imminent return to college, and Doug's return to work for the new school year, the opportunities to head over there have been dwindling. With that narrow window in mind, I called Mako's Water Taxi to find out when we could get in and out on high tides during this past weekend. Halibut Cove Lagoon is the entrance to that area, with a dock and maintained trails. However, it is only accessible a few hours before and after high tides so it limits getting in and out. With the current tides we were able to get in mid-afternoon on Saturday and out early Sunday evening. That gave us 26 hours to backpack in the 2.8 miles to China Poot Lake, hike up Poot Peak, and backpack back out. It was a full weekend of hiking, but wasn't unreasonably so.
A cabin is tucked onto an island on China Poot Lake, accessible only by float plane or boat
Poot Peak rises above the trail as one hikes out to the lake
China Poot Lake as seen from the north route up Poot Peak
The hike to China Poot Lake is fairly well maintained--not overgrown with brush and with relatively few roots to get over.
The campsite on China Poot Lake aleady had two tents set up, so it looked like it was going to be crowded by Alaska standards. After setting up camp, we went out for a walk, which on my map the trail was flat, but that must have been within the lines, give or take 100 feet, because it did go up and down plenty. And while it was a "walk" because we didn't have our backpacking backpacks on, it was still most definitely a "hike" on the rough trail with occasional splotches of berry-filled bear scat.
A fire ring offered a less rustic feel to this backpacking experience, and we enjoyed a few hours around the flames. A bear container was convenient for our foodstuff, but we also hung one backpack on the cable strung between two trees for that purpose.
The next morning the kids headed out of camp by 9:30 with their daypacks on, heading for the summit, while Doug and I cleaned up camp and pumped water for our waterbottles. Our goal was up the mountain, hopefully to the nob (that sticks out of Poot Peak near the top), but not the summit. Everyone we'd talked to had done the North Route, which was unmaintained, even though the South Route was supposedly maintained, so we headed up the North Route. And UP is an accurate description. Up and up and up, sometimes very steep, slippery slopes and then near the top, a more gradual up through a mountain meadow.
Glaciered mountains in the view from the nob on Poot Peak
Rugged peaks in the Kenai Mountain Range
The final trek to the summit rises behind this sign
We made it as far as the sign above, which marks the final climb to the summit, which includes a scree slope and a bit of rock climbing. A little lunch and lots of water later, we headed down, packed up camp, and headed back to Halibut Cove Lagoon for our water taxi ride back to Homer. As the kids said (in my words, paraphrased!), it was the most unremarkable peak they have ever climbed. Although it is 2880 feet, and it rises above the surrounding area, it doesn't have this awesome grandeur feeling that one gets on Grace Ridge or even Alpine Ridge. It rises by itself and is just a hunk of rock, with passable views, but only near the top. Camping at China Poot Lake will definitely get put on my list of regular hikes, to explore the area, but making climbing Poot Peak will unlikely be the goal. But one has to do it to know it, and now we can say we've done it. Check!
Last week I did the most touristy thing I've done since coming to Alaska: take the Danny J to Halibut Cove and eat at The Saltry Restaurant. It was an enjoyable thing to do for a low-key evening: beautiful ride, good food, nice company and even view some wildlife.
Heading out the Homer harbor
Halibut Cove with Poot Peak rising above it
Lighthouse guarding the entrance to Halibut Cove, now a vacation rental
The local arch to the left of the lighthouse
Cute sea otter entertaining us tourists
The still waters of Halibut Cove
Ripples across the cove
An art gallery featuring local artists is one of the few businesses in the cove
An idyllic view
Fireweed and fields
Quaint local directional signage
Boardwalks are the local streets in Halibut Cove
Enjoying a tree-shaded boardwalk
Some houses are quaint; others are old; all add to the atmosphere of Halibut Cove
Boarding the Danny J, a restored wooden boat
If the weather were rainy, windy or cold, this wouldn't have been as enjoyable. As it was, the overcast day was warm and calm, so five hours outside on the boat ride, wandering about on the trails and boardwalk and eating in the outdoor venue at The Saltry were pleasant. As a bonus we saw a black bear on shore as we were leaving the cove, topping a delightful evening outing.
Exploring is the buzz word of my summers. Each May our family comes up with lists of mountains to climb, trails to hike and places to camp. Some people go back to the same places year after year. We like to always be finding new spots to explore. The Summit Lake area was on my bucket list for this summer, so come mid-July and a few days free, my hubby and I headed to the Tenderfoot Campground that sits on the back side of Upper Summit Lake just off the Seward Highway.
But first for a gem we discovered on the way there: the Tern Lake Rest Area/Picnic Area. We'd only stopped there once before and hadn't ventured out of the parking lot, but this time we decided to check out the unmaintained dirt road that leads out of the Tern Lake parking lot, just to see where it goes. It went further than we wanted to hike! The sign stated it was the old Sterling Highway, so I'm guessing it goes all the way to Kenai Lake in Cooper Landing. It had gradual climbs and big potholes (we wouldn't want to drive it with our vehicle!), but it would be perfect for mountain biking.
A perfect road for a mountain biking jaunt
A beautiful little waterfall along the road
On a nice day the Tern Lake Picnic area is a beautiful stop
On to the Tenderfoot Campground! One of the features of this campground is Summit Lake Lodge practically next door, with full service restaurant as well as a pizza and ice cream shop next door, both on the gorgeous Summit Lake. There are also all sorts of side roads, two tracks and trails to explore, and we spent our days driving from one pull-off to the next, taking the trail as far as it would take us before it petered off into nothingness, the wilds reclaiming it.
A trail up the mountain near the campground was a neat mountainous meadow that ended up in a bog
One random discovery of the day that made me go, "Huh?"
Mountains and meadows...this one following the powerline across the highway from Summit Lake
The most substantial hike we discovered was what I will call the Colorado Creek trail. It was unmarked and unnamed, but went up the valley that Colorado Creek came rushing down, parallel to Devil's Creek and Summit Creek to the south.
When heading south on the Seward Highway, cross Colorado Creek
Just past the creek on the right there is a gate
Can you tell where the trail begins? It took a sharp eye to see it, and trust that it wasn't one's imagination, but it is straight ahead!
The lower reaches of this trail were the best, climbing through a mossy pine forest
Balancing up a fallen tree was one of the gymnastics of this trail
Views upvalley were rare, and it looks like most of the trail stays in the brush below treeline
Avoiding muck became more common as we went further up the trail
It would take some work to turn this trail into a "trail" that could handle any amount of traffic. I can see why it hasn't been developed: it stays in the brush far upvalley, while Summit Creek Trail one valley to the south offers impressive views within minutes of being on the trail. However, it was fun to explore. After awhile we figured we weren't going to see anything we hadn't already seen (more alders, more muck) so we turned back.
On yet another side jaunt, we discovered a mining claim on a stream, a cute bridge over a rushing mountain stream, and a potential place to stay on future outings: Manitoba Cabin. Since we had internet access, I immediately Googled Manitoba Cabin and discovered it is two yurts and a cabin for rent, fairly inexpensively. We could hear kids laughing in the woods from a ways off, so we didn't actually go to the cabin, but did save the website for future reference: https://www.alaskahuts.org/.
A cute little road leading to Manitoba Cabin
Love all the little bridges we see around on our hikes
Overall, it was a very fun trip exploring all sorts of side roads I've wanted to check out for years. It has just whet my appetite for more, and I look forward to next summer and camping in the area again and seeing what else we can discover!
When we lived in Arizona and then Michigan, we explored everywhere within a weekend trip radius around where we lived. When we'd exhausted our list of places to go, we got the itch to move on. This year marks the 10th year we've lived in Homer (and I've been blogging about it!), and we still are finding all sorts of places nearby that we've never checked out. The Alpine Ridge Trail across the bay in Kachemak Bay State Park is one of those trails that has popped up on our radar a few times, but that we had not made a priority to get to. This summer it came up 3 times: our dental hygenist mentioned it, the cross-country running team was hiking/running it, and a friend told us she liked it more than Grace Ridge. Well! Time to check it out!
Aurora had a day off and I was available, so we decided to dash over one Sunday in July. We were blessed with nice weather, and I was grateful that the grass wasn't wet with rain or dew as we climbed the Saddle Trail from Halibut Cove, and then turned onto the brushy Alpine Ridge Trail.
I was thoroughly entertained by the rotten? chewed? sign that was only partially legible. It is a sign of the times in Kachemak Bay State Park. I hear it is the largest state park in the country, but maintenance is minimal. Well, in some areas, as you will continue to read this post!
Gorgeous views of Halibut Cove, the spit, Kachemak Bay and Grewingk Glacier and Lake are features of this hike, though it takes a bit of climbing to get to them.
A feature I'd never seen before but thoroughly appreciated was the rope system: in really steep, muddy sections (maybe six spots total), a rope was tied to a tree and one just had to grab on and climb like rappelling. In the picture below, it looks crazy steep and nervewracking, but it was never as bad as it looks.
I even have a smile on my face as I'm climbing, so it can't be that bad! It doesn't even look steep here!
Views above treeline opened up stunning vistas
Grewingk Glacier and a bit of the glacier lake, as seen from Alpine Ridge
The trail continues on up these hummocks. We turned around as there was a large black bear foraging ahead of us in that area
Here is the panoramic view of the area from the overlook:
This section didn't feel overgrown since it was "just ferns"
Another view of Halibut Cove Lagoon, at low tide
Because our hike up Alpine Ridge was shortened due to a bear on the trail ahead of us, we decided to take the Lagoon Trail which branched off from the Alpine Ridge Trail. Ha! What an eye-opening, learning experience! Even my uber tough daughter said it wasn't worth it after less than a half mile of climbing over and under huge logs, falling into the brush, and squeezing between trees. It felt epic. As we found out later, they tried to re-open the Lagoon Trail a few years ago after so many spruce beetle killed trees fell on the trail, but after a quarter of a mile they gave up. The wilds of Alaska have reclaimed that trail.
After that expedition, we decided to do a quick jaunt over to the Grewingk Glacier Lake. I knew they'd been working on a new trail from the top of the Saddle Trail over to the glacier outwash area, but hadn't seen it, so figured we had some time to do so. The new trail feels like a superhighway through the woods. I'm sure once the scar of construction wears off and it grows up, it will be very nice. The trail wasn't open yet, but we didn't realize that until we met one of the three crew members who is working on this multi-year project. He warned us there were others ahead. The next gal we came across was digging out a huge boulder out and warned us not to return on this trail since she would be using dynamite to break up the rock.
There were a lot of icebergs on the glacier lake, and folks sitting on the shore mentioned seeing hunks breaking off of icebergs as well as the glacier.
The most entertaining part of the trip was returning to the Saddle Trailhead at high tide. There was hardly any beach left because the tide was so high, and I counted 35 people sitting on the rocks at the base of the trailhead stairs waiting for water taxi pickups. It felt like a party, of strangers, except when we knew some of the folks, though many of the Homerites had their own boats moored offshore.
It was a good day of being out there enjoying Alaska wilds. Next time we hope not to see a bear and to push on up the ridge where I hear one can get views of the Harding Icefield. More areas to explore! Guess we'll have to stick around Homer longer!
