June 13, 2005

My daughter has always wanted to hike Kesugi Ridge. She and friend Alison, who we met on the ferry last February (see story here) decide to tackle the hike this year. They are accompanied by Alison's black lab, Tonka, and our boxer mix, Mr. Lebowski (Bowksi for short). My husband and I provide logistical support from the highway.

Kesugi Ridge runs parallel to the Parks Highway from Byers Lake at mile 147 to Little Coal Creek at mile 166. The total hike is about 30 miles. The girls decide to start at Little Coal Creek and hike south toward Byers Lake.

The hike starts out through pleasant mixed birch and spruce forest.

My husband and I decide to walk along for the first part of the hike. The trail climbs above tree line before crossing Little Coal Creek, and we remember a difficult boulder field crossing from an earlier family trip. We want to make sure the girls get across the boulder field okay and up onto the ridge.

At the brush line, there are places where the snow has just melted and vegetation is just starting to leaf out.

There is more snow at the higher elevations than we expected. Mid-June is still spring up here.

I love the alpine vegetation that we soon find ourselves walking through. Spring flowers peek out here and there.

Alison points west to where the top of Mt. McKinley, highest peak in North America (20,000+) is sticking up above a cloud layer that rests on the mountains across the valley. The Chulitna River is visible in the valley bottom.

Looking northwest, we can see the highway this side of the Chulitna. We can also see where the railroad tracks come through a valley from behind Kesugi Ridge. From here, both the highway and the railroad go north through Broad Pass and Windy Pass to Fairbanks.

Little Coal Creek is off to the left in a deep ravine we have been paralleling.

Hilary relaxes in a throne made of stones that someone has built. Rock cairns now mark the trail.

We take a good rest from this nice vantage point.

We meet another group -- about 14 young people, all photographers. My husband and I are not sorry to learn that there is another group on the ridge, though the girls do not see them again after today. The group is stopping frequently to take photos and therefore moving more slowly.

It is early enough in the season for us to catch little pink blossoms on the low-bush cranberries. This area will be covered with berries later in August.

The dreaded boulder field is buried under a snow field and turns out to be a relatively easy walk. We've come about three miles and climbed about 2500 feet in elevation.

We say goodbye to the girls and agree to meet them the next day at a place where the trail decends to a low spot on the ridge. We promise to bring drinks and fresh fruit. We drive 15 miles south on the Parks and spend the night in my little trailer at the Ermine Hill trailhead.