I had a good weekend hanging out with my friends from work. Matt, Colleen, Emily, and myself backpacked to beautiful williwaw lakes, a half hour drive from downtown Anchorage. It is incredible how one can drive a few short minutes and find a trailhead that leads to a place in the wilderness where traces of man are reduced to footprints on dirt and snow.
The journey began at the Glenn Alps Trailhead outside of Anchorage. We geared up and moved out down a well maintained trail to the beginning of our route that leads through the mountains to the lakes beyond. The footpath led us up towards the pass between False O'malley and O'maley peaks alongside of a patch of snow with people glissading down it. We were all carrying full packs that weighed us down as dayhikers skipped nimbly down the slope while we huffed and puffed with sweat on our brows. This route to the lakes passes around the wet and relatively flat route around the base of O'maley. It is very steep and a good deterant to those without resolve. The wet route is mucky enough to suck a small child to his neck, and also deter those more reserved. In a way you have to pay your dues to camp at the lakes that are so close yet so far from the city.
After cresting the pass I drop my pack down in the tundra as the wind whips sweat off of my body. I notice that Matt has disappeared somewhere as usual and the girls are behind, so I take this moment to dry off and cool down. Just when the wind had dried me off and cooled me down we all assembled together again to continue our journey. The next leg was through the football field. It is a fairly flat area that slopes upward for a few hundred yards earning its name. At the end of the field is a steep scree slope(rocky glacial deposit that is known for twisting ankles). This slope has parts that are steep enough with small enough debris that I could ski down it on the heels of my boots while other parts were covered in rocks and boulders. It was like moguling with a backpack on. Thankfully we all made it down to the bottom without injury.
At the bottom was a beautiful mountain lake surrounded by tundra that begged passer-byers to take their ease in the afternoon sunlight. After a relaxing break we are all off again with the call of Colleen to hit the trail. We amble down the mostly flat trail until we get a good view of williwaw creek that is fed by the lakes that we are striving to be with. The trail is down along the creek and we are on a ridgeline above it. We come across a snow field that leads directly to it and a decline down the ridge. The boys slide down the slope on their feet with litlle grace and a lot of stumble while the girls continue to amble down the trail. We meet up at the same spot on the trail by the creek and continue past a group of wild seagulls. The birds were apparantly upset at our intrusion into their territory as they dive bombed us and screamed unpleasantries. Colleen screached back and they all ran off and became uncanninly quiet. Maybe she speaks their language and is very intimidating?
Our band of merry hikers pass by the disgruntled gulls home and onward to the stream crossing that turned out to be quite amusing. I walked across with my gaitors on and looked back to find my companions without such a luxery. So I went back and assisted those that had shorter legs and shorter footwear. Emily had a habit of yelling out at interesting moments and causing a grin to appear on my face on many occasions. The lakes are now just ahead and our journey complete.
We hike over some bumps and up a short slope to find a beautiful lake fed by a waterfall. It was a wonderful valley full of lakes and tundra. We played all around the lake and gazed at pretty mountain wild flowers (my favorite ones of all) raised above the tundra.
The hike out the next day was full of fun as we got lost and found ourselves hiking in the tracks of a bear. This was thoroughly amusing to me as Emily's screams punctuated the sounds of nature as she commented about her dislike of animals that were larger and hungrier than her. My favorite was passing a pile of bear scat. I ask Matt, "what does a bear eat to shit that big?" He replies, "Tasty girls like Emily." Emily jumps in with a, "SHUT UP!!!"
Just when we think we are in the clear we find a trail that leads to nothing but a mud hole. We got sucked up down to our thighs as we finished our grand adventure. I'll never forget tundra wildflowers, lakes, waterfalls, and Emily screaming SHUT UP every few minutes as we went through Alaskan Wilderness
