K. ALASKA
Paul Lutus has a website> with excellent photos of bears and views from the trails. Many thanks to Elsan Zimmerly on M.V. CALLIOPE for many additions.
- 2008 Stewart - Hyder Hike to Clements Lake, or Sluice Box Trail (the trailhead is near the dump),or Titan Trail , 4.7 miles up to Titan Mine.
- Nakat Bay, Port Tongass - a good walk from the fort site follows the shoreline around Katakwa Point to the former village.
- MISTY FIORDS NATIONAL MONUMENT Misty is a Congressionally designated Wilderness. Many of the trails offer beautiful views. Trails all begin at salt water and are marked by large, orange & white diamond-shaped signs visible from the beach. Trails vary in difficulty but none are arduous. Expect wet muddy conditions throughout the summer. Within the Monument, the USFS maintains 14 recreational cabins, and some mooring buoys. The cabins must be reserved.
- M.F.N.M., Mink Bay 3 mile trail to Humpback Lake. Fish & Game fish ladder. Cabin at east end of lake.
- M.F.N.M., Boca de Quadra Hugh Smith Lake Trail - 0.25 miles trail from Boca de Quadra to Hugh Smith Lake.
- M.F.N.M., Smeaton Bay, Bakewell Arm 1.3 mile trail to Bakewell Lake. Fishladder on river that drains lake.
- M.F.N.M., Smeaton Bay, Wilson Arm road built for exploration of Quartz Hill Molybdenum Mine (begins near building on west side of arm.
- M.F.N.M., Winstanley Is. 2.3 mile trail from Belm Canal to 3 sided shelter at Winstanley Lake. Can also walk from Winstanley cabin out to Winstanley Point.
- M.F.N.M., Checats Cove 1.0 mile trail to Lower Checats Lake. At low tide Checats Cove is a great place to explore. Interesting rock formations, shallow caves, tide pools. Anchor in Checats Cove for an afternoon in good weather conditions but wouldn't stay overnight. Could anchor or tie to buoy at Winstanley Cabin & dinghy or kayak over to Checats.
- M.F.N.M.,Ella Bay 4.3 mile trail to Ella Lake.
- M.F.N.M.,Punchbowl Cove 1.0 mile trail to Punchbowl Lake shelter. Waterfall on way is very scenic. If not in use, the rowboat can be used to explore the lake. A large lake with island in the middle and steep walled cliffs.
- M.F.N.M., Rudyerd Bay trail to Nooya Lake (shelter at Lk.) area around start of trail is brown bear habitat. Can frequently see bears in late afternoon or early evening. A favorite place for bears to feed in the meadow grasses.
- M.F.N.M., Manzanita Bay 3.3 mile trail to Manzanita Lake.
- M.F.N.M., Grace Cove 1.9 mile trail to Grace Lake. (can be in poor condition)
- M.F.N.M.,Naha Bay - Loring Loring is a deserted mining town. A trail leads through beautiful forests and along Roosevelt Lagoon. At head of Naha Bay a trail goes to Heckman Lake.
- M.F.N.M. beaches - Koh Shakes Cove At entrance to cove on left side. Also take a dinghy around from K.S.C. towards Bullhead Cove for a wonderful, long white sand beach. Anchor only in good sea conditions. Princess Bay - good beach walk. Walker Cove - small area near Walker Creek. Watch for bears. Portage Cove - take dinghy through Narrows - nice beach area when it opens up again.
- Metlakatla 2008 Hike up Yellow Hill, 30 mins to top or up Purple Lake Trail, a steep 1.8 mile hike up to lake.
- Ketchikan - Rainbird Trail - Go to roughly 55° 21.332'N, 131° 40.613"W on a small college campus, at the north end of College Court, between the buildings on an ascending staircase. Climb the hill on a reasonably well-marked trail, you will encounter a large, relatively flat trail that leads SE. this trail terminates toward the SE with a nice view, at 55° 20.913'N, 131° 39.567'W, and joins a road at that end. This trail is much better developed toward the SE than the NW, and the Delorme map shows parts of this trail that no longer exist at the NW end. Thanks to Paul Lutus on M.V. TEACUP
- Ketchikan - Married Men's Trail - short trail from Creek Street to Ted Ferry Civic Center. Ask for "Ketchikan Walking Tour Map" at Visitors Bureau
- .Ketchikan - Carlanna Lake, Minerva Mountain - Go to roughly 55° 21.34'N 131° 41.6'W (Canyon Road), this becomes an uphill gravel road leading to the lake. Supposedly, if you go to the east side of the lake and go uphill, you encounter a trail that ascends Minerva Mountain, east of the lake. (The latter not located or walked yet). Thanks to Paul Lutus on M.V. TEACUP
- Ketchikan - Deer Mountain Trail - - Tongass National Forest - A short day hike (3.1 miles) offers a splendid view of the island. The first overlook is one mile from the trailhead. Additional 2 miles to Blue Lake high alpine meadow - wildflowers. The trail to the 3,000 foot summit is suitable for moderately experienced climbers. Hikers are cautioned to please stay on the trail. Past Deer Mt. summit for experienced hikers only. Not well marked. Have topo map. Exceptionally dramatic scenery. From Fair Street, SW side of town, follow Ketchikan Lakes Road to the Deer Mountain parking lot trailhead.
- Ketchikan - Nature Trail - short self-guided trail on the grounds of the Totem heritage Center.
- Ketchikan Area, Tongass National Forest - Short Bay - trail to Reflection Lake . The Forest Service maintains more than 400 miles of paths in the Tongass.
- Ketchikan Area, Tongass National Forest - Bailey Bay - 2.2 mile trail to Lake Shelokum, stream impassable at high water. First part of trail is steep, rest easy. Ledge crosses over stream - can be hazardous with lots of rain. Trail goes to shelter & hotsprings at north end of lake.
- Ketchikan Area, Tongass National Forest - Klu Bay - trail 1.2 miles to Orchard Lake
- Ketchikan Area, Tongass National Forest - Ice House Cove - 2.5 mile Black Mountain Trail to Snag Lake
- Ketchikan Area, Tongass National Forest - Fish Creek - Gokachin Lake Trail to Star Lake
- Naha Bay - 25 miles N of Ketchikan Tongass National Forest. Trailhead in Naha Bay, Follows Naha River. Moderate hike of 6.5 miles. Waterfall and saltwater lagoon. Picnic shelter on trail. Floating dock (State) in bay. Trail from dock skirts Roosevelt Lagoon, continues past Orton Ranch (summer camp) then crosses Naha River. Additional trails to
- Heckman and Jordan Lakes, (FS cabins on lakes) 5.4 miles from dock to Heckman Lk. Excellent fishing - steelhead, salmon, dolly varden & cutthroat trout.
- Prince of Wales Is., Craig - El Capitan Cave Access Trail - 0.25 mile. This trail climbs 300 ft. from the parking lot to the cave entrance on gravel, boardwalk, wood stairs and earth. Visitors may go about 200 feet into the cave before reaching a gate. Tours conducted during summer. There are over 2000 miles of logging roads on POW Is.
- Prince of Wales Is. - Karta River Trail - 4.8 miles from mouth of Karta River at Karta Bay to Salmon Lake cabin in The Karta Wilderness Area.
- Prince of Wales Is. east side, Coffman Cove - walk to Rhody Park and other trails
- Prince of Wales Is. east side, Kegan Cove - half mile trail to Kegan Lake
- Etolin Is., Steamer Bay - trail to Kah Sheets Lake.
- Anan Bay Bear Observatory - one mile boardwalk trail. Excellent brown & black bear viewing. Permit required.
- Shoemaker Bay - The Rainbow Falls Trail - 4.5 miles south of Wrangell. Trail starts across the road from the marina. 0.8 mile to Falls. Easy to moderate short hike with stairs and log steps. Forest Service counted 1849 stair steps. Institute Creek Trail 3.4 miles. Trailhead same as Rainbow Falls. Moderate Strenuous. Great scenic view at overlook point. Follow signs from ferry terminal. Good interp. sign at site.
- Wrangell - Walk from the marina to the beach with the petroglyphs (NW of marina a couple of miles - walk near the beach). On way back, move east into the woods and climb the ridge that lies directly north of the main part of town. The north face is rugged without much in the way of trails, but it affords a nice challenge, and a trail can be aquired from the top back into town on the south side.. Watch out for the town dump located ` north of the ridge, it is an old fashioned open dump with plenty of bears. Thanks to Paul Lutus on M.V. TEACUP ,
- Kupreanof Is., Kah Sheets Bay - trail to Kah Sheets Lake.
- Petersburg - Raven's Roost Trail -Go to a gravel parking lot at 56° 48.19'N, 132° 55.72'W, near the east end of the airport runway, look for a sign for Raven's Roost Trail. Walk west along a gravel road, take the first left, walk south on another gravel road, watch for a trail sign on the right near a small building. Walk along a gravel path that becomes a wooden walkway through muskeg, now you are on the trail. This is a fairly long trail but not difficult. It gradually rises to 1700 feet to a large muskeg meadow with a view of the town, then it descends to the southwest of the town alongside Wrangell Narrows. The trail does not stop at the top but continues so you have to decide if you want to backtrack or descent by a different route. A worthwhile hike, very pretty, and a walking staff is a good idea. Thanks to Paul Lutus on M.V. TEACUP
- Petersburg Lake Trail - 10 miles each way. Hikers take a water taxi across Wrangell Narrows to the Petersburg Creek - Duncan Salt Chuck Wilderness.2008 The Forest service Office is upstairs in the Post Office 7 Federal Building. They have extensive handouts on area hiking.
- Petersburg Mountain Trail - 3.5 miles each way. The trail starts at the Kupreanof state dock just across the Wrangell Narrows from Petersburg. The mountain trail goes east; the Petersburg Lake Trail heads west from the dock. The trail is rated "most difficult" by the Forest Service. After 1.5 miles along an old road bed, the trail turns left and heads up the mountain. Above the saddle, blue trail markers show the way to the peak; an anchored cable helps climbers to the summit.
- Thomas Bay, Cascade Creek, N of Petersburg on mainland - trail from Cascade Creek to Falls Creek and Swan Lake. Admiralty Is., Angoon - 90% of is. is wilderness. Pack Creek Bear Observ. - need permit. Most trails on the island are used as canoe portages, and there are no maintained long trails. Hikers can walk along the shore and climb 2,000 feet to the treeless alpine area, above the dense rain forest. Seven lakes with canoe portages. Kruzof Is., Fred's Creek, 10 miles west of Sitka) Mt. Edgecumbe National Recreation Trail Seven miles (10.5 km) to summit (3000 ft.) starts at recreation cabin. Entire trail reconstructed in 2002.
- Baranof Is., Silver Bay - trail to Salmon Lake to Redoubt Lake.
- Baranof Is., Sitka - Halibut Point State Recreation Site trail - 0.5 miles. The easy gravel trail begins at the footbridge that crosses Granite Creek and goes through a forest of Sitka spruce and western hemlock. It forms a loop with spur trails to the beach an picnic shelter.
- Baranof Is., Sitka - Indian River Trail - 5.5 miles. The trail begins west of the pumphouse and dam at the end of Indian River Road and goes to Indian River Falls. Brown bears may e in the area.
- Baranof Is., Sitka - Mount Verstovia Trail - 2.5 miles. This state trail begins about 2 miles east of Sitka along Sawmill Creek Road near Rookies Bar & Grill. It ends near the summit of Mount Verstovia with an elevation gain of 2,550 feet and a 3,300 foot gain if one goes on to Arrowhead Peak.
- Baranof Is., Sitka - Harbor Mountain - Gavan Hill Trail - 6 miles total. The Harbor Mountain Trail starts on the steep, windy Harbor Mountain Road and connects in the hills with the Gavan Hill Trail, which starts on Baranof Street in Sitka. Near the summit, there are ruins of a World War II lookout.
- Baranof Is., Warm Springs Cove - half mile trail to Springs mostly boardwalk. Rest of trail can be wet & muddy when raining. Trail continues up to lake, about 1/4 mile beyond springs.
- Chichagof Is., Tenakee Springs - trail through the woods. A mile and a half from the start you come to a surprise. A large wooden suspension bridge. How did they get all that lumber into the forest? Along the way counted 30 native plants. Saw some bear scat. I think the trail was built for the kids to get to the school.
- Chichagof Is., west side - White Sulphur Springs & Mirror Harbor - one trailhead in west arm for one mile boardwalk to Springs (Main trail) and another from Mirror Harbor (Dry Harbor Trail).
- Chichagof Is., Hoonah - There are trails and logging roads in Tongass National Forest.
- Taku Harbor - old boardwalk trail - in poor condition.
- Juneau - Trails at Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center 1. East Glacier Loop Trail 3.5 miles, elevation 400 ft. 2. Moraine Ecology Trail 1.5 miles, elevation 10 ft. 3. Nugget Creek Trail 1.5 miles, elevation 100 ft., starts 1.5 miles midway through East Glacier Loop trail. 4. Interpretive Trail 0.5 mile. 5. Photo Point Trail 0.3 mile. Brocure available.
- Juneau - West Glacier Trail - 3.4 miles, elev. gain 1300 ft. located off Montana Creek Rd., past campground on W side of Mendenhall Lake.
- Juneau - Perseverance Trail - Go to roughly 58° 18.38'N, 134° 25.1'W (Evergreen Road), join Gold Creek Flume, a walkway on top of a water flumes that bears NE. Join Perseverance Trail at the end of the flume. This trail ascends into some canyon areas, and Mount Juneau Trail branches off to the left (west). Haven't walked Mt. Juneau trail yet, but Perseverance is very nice. Thanks to Paul Lutus on M.V. TEACUP .
- Juneau - Sheep Creek Trail - length 3 miles - elevation gain 800 ft. to valley, 3500 ft. to ridge located 4 miles south of town, off Thane Rd.
- Juneau - Mount Roberts Trail - From the marina in town, travel to the top of sixth street in Juneau, notice the staircase at end of street -- that is the trailhead. The old trail ascends directly from town, rather rough and wet in this part, and ascends to the top of the tram. Of course, no one would consider riding the tram instead. Then the trail ascends a rocky ridge and comes out on a hilltop, where it forks. The right-hand trail goes to Mount Gasineau and then Mount Roberts, both very steep knife-edge ridges. The left-hand trail leads to Gold Ridge , a nicer destination for those not in the mood for a life-thratening experience. Gold Ridge affords nice views of town and surrounding countryside. Thanks to Paul Lutus on M.V. TEACUP .
- Juneau - Treadwell Historic Trail - an old gold mine, now a ghost town on Douglas Is. Starts from Sandy Beach. Juneau - Pt. Bishop/Duportz Trail - length 1.6 mile to Dupont; 8 miles to Pt. Bishop. Elevtion 200 ft., located at end of Thane Rd.
- Juneau, Douglas Is. - Dan Moller Trail length 3 miles, elevation gain 1800 ft. After crossing bridge turn right on Cordova St., then left on Pioneer Ave.
- Juneau, Douglas Is. - Mt. Bradley (Mt. Jumbo) length 2.6 miles, elevation gain 3337 ft. Located 5th St. downtown Douglas.
- Glacier Bay - Bartlett Cove - Only trails in Glacier bay. 3 well maintained trails; a one mile Forest Loop Trail and The Bartlett River/Lake Trail, a 4 mile round trip which starts by Park Administration Building. Beach Trail. Forest & Beach trails start at end of public dock.
- Auke Bay (just north of Juneau) - Skating Cabin Trail - Travel from the marina along Mendenhall loop road, then to the west side of Mendenhall Lake. Note the historical cabin, marked "skating cabin". The trail just north of the cabin is actually two trails, unmarked of course. One (the main trail) moves along the west side of Mendenhall Lake and then ascends into a wilderness to the northwest, becoming more and more ridiculously steep. Once you are looking down on Mendenhall Glacier, you know you are on this trail. To visit the Glacier , watch for a shelter off the right-hand side of the trail well before you approach the glacier. This shelter marks a second trail, that descends to the shore of the lake, then ascends across a rocky ridge (with some very steep hand and foot rock climbing), then approaches the west side of Mendenhall Glacier. Pay attention to your return route as you travel on this trail, it is poorly marked and difficult to retrace until you have walked it several times. Most Juneau locals have never seen it, and cannot locate it. Very pretty ice caves and overhangs, somewhat dangerous as well. A worthwhile hike. Thanks to Paul Lutus on M.V. TEACUP
- Hoonah 2008 3 nearby hikes.
- Gustavus 2008Hike to Bartlett Lake or along Salmon or Goode Rivers.
- Echo Cove, Point Bridget Trail - easy 7 mile trail at mile 39 on the highway. (one mile S of Echo Cove)
- Haines - Battery Point Trail - Get the local brochure "Haines is for Hikers" A fairly level walk of about 2.4 miles. The last stretch, 3/4 mile, is along pebble beaches and across Kelgaya Point where wide open vistas of Lynn Canal are viewed. The start of the trail is one mile east of Port Chilkoot and 1/4 mile beyond the Portage Cove Campground where the shore road ends. Follow the rough road up the hill for about one mile, then the trail which leads to the beach. Allow two hours round trip.
- Haines - Mt. Riley Trails - A pleasant hike for the family, with moderate climbing and spectacular views in all directions from the summit, only 1760 feet high. There are three routes to the summit. 1. From Mud Bay Road, which is the steepest and most direct route, a distance of 2.1 miles. Allow 3.5 hrs. round trip. Take the Mud Bay Road from Port Chilkoot, running southward on the west side of the Chilkat Peninsula, to the top of the second steep hill a few yards short of the 3 Mile marker. The marked path starts on the left side of the road opposite to a parking area and heads for the ridge in a southwesterly direction. 2. Via Port Chilkoot - 3.8 mile one way. Allow 4.5 hours round trip. Take the FAA Road behind "Officers Row" in Port Chilkoot and follow it to its end, about 1 mile. Walk along the City of Haines water supply access route about 2 miles (50 mins.) A short 5-minute spur trail branching off to the right connects with a direct route from Mud Bay Road. 3. From Portage Cove, the route is 5.5 mile. Allow 5 hours round trip. Follow the road, then the Battery Point Trail almost two miles to a junction of routes, approximately 30 yards before the shoreline trail emerges on to the beach. Take the right fork which climbs steeply at first through thick undergrowth and tall spruce forests, then less steeply through small muskeg meadows over Half Dome, before the final climb onto the summit of Mt. Riley.
- Haines - Seduction Point Trail -
- Haines - Mt. Ripinsky and 7 Mile Trail -
- Skagway - Chilkoot Gold Rush Trail - Trailhead is by the Taiya River, near Dyea, (9 miles from Skagway), It's 33 miles and goes over the Chilkoot Pass to Lake Bennett. It is a difficult hike and usually takes 3 to 5 days. The first mile is quite steep. Before starting you must obtain a backcountry permit and register with customs officials. Brochures and booklets available.
- Skagway - White Pass Trail - no longer assessible by foot. Trail parallels The White Pass and Yukon Route Railroad.
- Skagway From town follow the rr tracks out to graveyard. About 3/4 mile.
- Cordova - This town has several excellent trails. Go into town and locate (or ask directions) to the ski area. It's at the top of "ski hill road". As you come to the top of the gravel road, near the base of the ski lift, a trail appears on the right, about 50 yards west of the ski lift line. Climb this trail. At the top are (1) the top of the ski lift, and (2) a relay station/antennna farm. To the north of the relay station is more trail, well-maintained and very interesting, moving at first along a saddle, through muskeg meadows and small ponds and lakes, very pretty country, leading up to much higher peak that overlooks the town from the NE. Both the relay station and the higher peak are visible from the marina. Look to the NE, they are in the same quadrant. Another trail begins south of the town at 60° 32.234' N, 145° 45.685' W, with a gated entrance to a gravel road with all sorts of warnings about "authorized personnel only", apparently meant to discourage off-road vehicles. Hike up to a storage tank, take a trail to the left, soon you will come to reservoir and a very pretty alpine area. There are some mountains around the meadow, easy access, that should be nice hiking later in the summer. (First hike was in May 2004, snowy and wet) Thanks to Paul Lutus.
- Chugach National Forest, Prince William Sound, Coghill River - 2.5 mile trail to Coghill Lake cabin.
- C.N.F., P.W.S. - Golden Creek - historic ruins from gold mining.
- C.N.F., P.W.S. - Long Bay - One mile trail to Shrode Lake cabin.
- Prince William Sound - Whittier - Horsetail Falls Trail - Starts at 60° 46.346' N, 148° 40.627'W. The first part of the trail is well-developed with wooden walkways, and ends on a nice hilltop with a view. The terrain is alpine beyond the end of the trail, eventually becoming a glacier. Very scenic and fun. Thanks to Paul Lutus.
- Prince William Sound - Whittier - Shotgun Cove Trail - begins as a gravel road in town and then becomes a footpath (reportedly, have not walked it). It sounds promising. Thanks to Paul Lutus.
- Prince William Sound - Galena Bay near Valdez - This trail runs between the lagoon at the east end of Galena Bay and Silver Lake. This is a difficult trail, 7 miles long, very challenging terrain and at 5/2003 doesn't actually get to the lake. Anchor at the east end of Galena Bay, at the entrance to the lagoon. Paddle into the lagoon (at low tide requires portaging). Leave the dinghy at 60° 56.459'N, 146° 33.875'W and walk north, watching for orange plastic trail blazes on the trees (sometimes the bears eat them) The trail follows the south side of Duck Creek, through some very rough terrain. (in May 2003 there was bear scat everywhere) Near the lake there is a rope across the creek, too high to pass in the spring, that moves the trail from the south to north side of the creek. This ford was not taken due to the high water. I made my way up a ridge on the south side to a view of the lake and surrounding mountains. It appears it would be very difficult to approach the lake from the south side. Thanks to Paul Lutus.
- Prince William Sound - Naked Island - In the middle of PWS, it is sufficiently remote from the mainland that there appears to be few/no bears, and the hiking is relatively easy. A nice goal would be to climb the peak on the east side of the island, 1235' high, where a relay station is located. There are no established trails, but the terrain is open, making one's own trail is easy. Avoid Bass Harbour in any southly weather, it gets constant ocean swells, even with no wind. Thanks to Paul Lutus.
- Prince William Sound - Perry Island - Anchor at about 60° 43.3'N, 147° 56.6'W in a cove on the west side of the east bay on the island. This anchorage is a little rough in a west wind because of low terrain to the west. The bearings for the following two hikes are in reference to this anchorage. Hike #1: An east-west ridge south of the anchorage, much more difficult to walk than it appears from the anchorage. Hike west at low elevation nearly across the width of the island in mostly muskeg meadows, then turn south when possible to ascend the east-west ridge at its lowest point. Then hike east to climb the ridge. Very irregular, difficult terrain on top, nice views. Most of the hike is in meadows with a small amount of brush near the shore and in the ascent. Be sure to follow your outbound course exactly on the return, there are many vertical rock faces in this area, easily seen from below but not at all from above. Hike #2. An easy, gradual ascent in meadows to the NW of the anchorage, rising gradually to several peaks with nice views, total climb about 800 feet. This is one of the least brushy hikes in the entire area, and with many ponds and meadows would be a great introduction to PWS hiking for a newcomer. Near the top, things become more complicated and one would be wise to mark one's route to avoid difficulties on the descent. Thanks to Paul Lutus.
- Prince William Sound - Cascade Bay, in Eaglek Bay East of Whittier - Cascade Bay has a nice waterfall. The entrance has a glacial moraine that is very shallow (ten feet at low tide) I think this bay was probably a lagoon before the 1964 eartquake. Enter carefully. There is a lake that feeds the waterfall, and there is a trail to the lake. Looking at the chart one might think that simply crossing the ridge will lead to the lake, and although this is true, it is a much greater altitude gain than is neccessary. Instead, go to the beach that is SW of the falls, beach the dinghy, and walk north, staying near the shore. Enter a canyon with some muskeg meadows, and a trail will appear that goes up to the falls and lake. BUT! To see more lake, the north side of the lake looks better (not as steep, affording more chances to walk a good distance along the shore). Looking from the south side of the lake, it became obvious that the north side would have been a better goal. Try to find a trail on the east side of the falls. The distances are not great, but the terrain can be challenging. Anchor in front of a bight across from the falls, there is an uncharted shallow spot well offshore and with reasonable holding (60° 54.84'N 147° 48.27'W). There are what appear to be lion's mane jellyfish in this bay, so no swimming or falling out of boats. Thanks to Paul Lutus.
- Prince William Sound - Bainbridge Island - No-name Bay - There is an unnamed bay on the southeast of Bainbridge Passage. Anchor at 60° 7.45'N, 148° 6.71'W, this is a sheltered spot in 5 fathoms, almost in the mouth of a river that leads to a lake. Paddle into the river until you find a suitable place to hike, with muskeg meadows in view, on the south side, then beach the dinghy. Hike generally SSW to get to the lake or to ascend to the higher terrain. There is a nice peak at about 1500 feet. If there is less snow than I found (late June), one can ascend higher by crossing an alpine meadow to another, higher peak. There is another pleasant hike east of this anchorage, on the ridge that separates Bainbridge Passage and Prince of Wales Passage to the east. The ridge ascends about 700 feet and the top of the ridge is an easy walk, mostly muskeg, but ascending to the ridge is sometimes difficult. Yet another hike for the future is to beach the dinghy SE of the boat and hike generally SSE to ascend by a different route, one with less brush. This route was first seen once I had climbed the peak to the SW, and is not clearly visible from the anchorage. The route has more and larger muskeg meadows than the other routes and reasonable terrain for climbing. Thanks to Paul Lutus.
- Prince William Sound - Cochrane Bay - Three Fingers Trail - A very nice 2 mile trail from a very nice anchorage (the eastermost of three connected bays at Three Fingers Cove). The trail goes to a publicly maintained wilderness cabin at Shrode Lake. It is very pretty, not difficult, one river needs to be forded in a wide, shallow passage (knee-deep). Be sure to explore the area at the end of this trail. Visit Lake Jack and/or Long Bay, both accessible from the Shrode Lake cabin. Thanks to Paul Lutus.
- Prince William Sound - Cullross Bay - Mountain to SE of anchorage - Anchor at about 60° 44.44'N, 148° 11.15W, go ashore, make your way up to a rocky ridge to the SE. After a difficult climb, you will find a pretty lake between the ridge and the high peak area, not visible from below and not charted. This route has not been fully explored and the top has not been reached, it deserves another visit. There are some feasible, if difficult, routes from the lake to the peak. Thanks to Paul Lutus.
- Prince William Sound - Granite Bay - No-name Mountain S of Inside Anchorage - whose peak is located at 60° 52.15'N 148° 3.51'W. My favorite PWS mountain climb. Very nice view of western PWS, easy to walk on top, mostly granite, little vegetation. Spectacular. After many years of searching for ways up this mountain, I have located an optimal route that consists of a gradual rocky ramp, relatively clear of brush, that ascends from the SW of the mountain. Begin at the small anchorage SW of the mountain, enter into the little valley that lies SW of the mountain, circle around a small lake, then make your way to an easily seen rocky ramp NE of the lake that ascends roughly NE to the ridge leading to the peak. This route frees one from the insect-infested brush quicker than any route yet tried, and it is easier than the other approaches. Because of the presence of many abrupt drop-offs visible only from below, this route must be marked during the climb so one can return by the same route. The described approach is mostly open terrain, very pretty. Be sure to sample the blueberries and salmonberries along the route. Thanks to P
- Afognak Island - Blue Fox Bay - To the west of Blue Fox Bay is a multiple-peak mountain called "Devil's Paw". There is a trail leading from BFB west, up to the high country and to any of the peaks one cares to challenge. Part of the trail is steep - a hiking staff or ski pole would help. Enter BFB, go to the south end, find the shelter cabin (not private property) at the west side of the south end. The trail begins about 100 meters north of the cabin, at a tree that extends out on the beach. The trail is not marked but is easy to follow. There is a great view from the top of the north peak of "Devil's Paw' but on revisiting this site, it seems the south peak is much easier to climb and also has great views. Kodiak bears in area. Thanks to Paul Lutus.
- Kodiak Island - Onion Bay - Anchor at the head of the bay. There is a break in the brush at 58° 5.235'N, 153° 16.749'W which allows easy access to higher elevations. It's best to ascend directly to the ridge to the north, then walk east along the ridge to get to some higher peaks, rather than walking diagonally on the slope. From the top there are nice views of Shelikof Strait and the Alaska Peninsula. Wear waterproof footgear, there is a wet bog on the way up. Thanks to Paul Lutus.
- Kodiak Island - Olga Bay - Anchor in front of the abandoned cannery, about 57° 9.46'N, 154° 13.74'W. It can be windy in the afternoon, so anchor securely. Go ashore, then walk along the beach to the southeast/east until you get to where you see a relatively clear path to the top of the mountain, at about 57° 9.36'N, 154° 10.59'W and 2256 feet elevation. The brush is difficult for the first third of the total elevation, then it is relatively easy. From the top there are views of Shelikof Strait and the wild, barren south part of Kodiak island. Watch for bears. Thanks to Paul Lutus.
- An unnamed island in front of Geographic Harbor entrance - west of Kodiak Is. on the Alaska Peninsula. This island lies east of Takli, the main island lying in front of the entrance to Geographic Harbor. Anchor on the north side near a sandy beach - best on days with SW wind. Allow two hours for a full exploration. There is an old native camp with obsidian chips that has been examined by professionals (numbered obsidian pieces on the ground, a screened protective frame over one site). Obviously, there are many islands to choose, but this one is not hilly or brushy to impede hiking and it's just the right size for a brief visit. It's very pretty and a nice stopover if the current is strong at the entrance to Geographic Harbor. Thanks to Paul Lutus
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