Trail of the Wolf

 Sometimes you just gotta decide it's spring, even when the environment hasn't fully committed yet.  It's April 21st.  For the 3rd or 4th time this year, I am declaring spring!  Maybe this time it will stick.  My neighbor and I committed to starting spring and summer walks this past Tuesday.  When Tuesday after work came and a trail was discussed, I said we needed to do a reintroduction to hiking for me after the long winter (aka the sidewalk...fortunately the views are even beautiful on the sidewalk).  I figured the trail, being shaded would be snowy, muddy, cold, and slick.  But 5 days later, Sunday, trails would obviously be melted right?  Yeah, no.  But it wasn't slick or muddy at least.  Just slushy.

Still, it was glorious to just get out there again.  So easy walk #2 of the year...Eagle River Nature Center.  

                    

This is a must for anyone visiting.  You get this view in about half a mile from the paved parking lot on a wide, sloping trail that is pretty easy for folks of all levels to accomplish.  One summer I was walking with friends out this way, and at the starting point an elderly man with a walking stick stood looking longingly at the path as his children and grandchildren started out.  I could tell he wanted to go, but perhaps thought better of it.  So I stopped to ask if he was going to go down the trail, and let him know that it was wide, gently sloping, and easy to navigate (rocks and twigs visible and easy to avoid), and he could walk with us if he wanted.  He literally jumped (or skipped) at the opportunity.  I would guess he was mid 70's, and probably more capable than me.  They were on vacation from India.  He had lots of good stories to tell, and was excellent company down the trail.  I was glad to give him the 'trail condition' so that he got to enjoy the hike (and was secretly happy that by coming with us I was able to guide him down the most scenic of the branching paths).  So for anyone reading this coming to Alaska looking for a short wide trail with a great payoff, and just a bit of a hill, this is the one for you.

We stopped to buy the annual pass, which also give trail conditions, and today's notice was this.  Mostly slushy and a tad wolfy.

                    

I don't think I have ever seen a wolf warning sign up in the area before.  I mean, I know they are in the area.  Some nights I hear them down on the winter, especially in winter.  Part of the magical reason I love it up here.  But of course I have never actually seen them.

After about 30 mins, I was looking at the slush ahead of me.  Having met a few dogs on the way, I didn't really think much about it...but then I realized these are awfully big tracks for a dog.

Not enough toes to be a bear.  Truly huge pawprint.  We watched a few huskies go by and checked their tracks...and declared even the biggest dogs on the trail had tiny feet no where near this size.

And so we followed the trail of the wolf to where the forest opened up and the river ran.  (OK, to be fair the wolf was walking on the trail, so the trail of the wolf was just the trail, but it sounds better that way)

This section of the trail is called Rapids Camp.  I come here often, it's one of my favorite spots.  But I admit it's usually summer, so this is the first pic I have taken with all the snow still on the riverbank.  It's abour 5km roundtrip from the parking lot to get to this spot.  Wonderful spot for a picnic.

On the way back, I caught a little motion by a tree and played Peek-a-boo-Ptarmigan.

        

                            

He did pose for one good view of his tailfeather.  He's obviously a bird model.  He had a very beautiful feather pattern.

It was interesting to me on the way back down the trail,,,despite passing 4 to 5 other groups, we were treated to some new wolf tracks...heading the same way as us again.  Guessing they were enjoying the trail run today as much as we were.