Monday, August 26, 2013

Photos Galore of Girdwood and North Face Trail Report

 
The bridge over Glacier Creek gives you a nice view of glacier melt water, glacier mountains and local artwork. Colorful and spontaneous renditions of ocean creatures...from Alaska!



Footprints show I'm not the only one to get off the beaten path and view the mountains from down below.
 
The tram takes one to the top, above Alyeska Resort where one can eat at Seven Glaciers, use the bathroom, get some water. All the water used and served up here comes up the tram in a huge container. If you hike up the mountain, you can ride the tram down.

 
Its over 2,000 foot ascent in 2.2 miles along the North Face Trail. It starts out easy enough, following a gravel roadbed, which turns into a gravel footpath, sometimes threading through marshy land via board walk. Once you've committed yourself to the climb, it gets rough.


 
Its lush and steep, often wet, then slick as a greased hog. I used my new grip-lock hiking poles both ways to muscle my way to the top, enjoy the view, then brace my way down. Lots of people were hiking it up, few coming back down.

 
They say there's a completion held on who can run up this the fastest. So far, 22.5 minutes is the record. It took me an hour and a half to climb it, enjoying the views and taking photos along the way.

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