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.

(F)Rosy-Cheeks on a Peaceful Black Friday

 

It's always nice when Thanksgiving falls right before the weekend.  In this case that leads into a 4 day weekend.  Yesterday was spent with a couple of old friends and a few new, and a large afternoon feast.  I saw it was still cold, -17C, and debated spending a quiet day indoors, maybe doing some Black Friday shopping.  I quickly discovered there are new shipping surcharges being applied from my favorite online go to shops, and decided if I need it I can find it locally.  So I made one very quick stop in a surprisingly quiet big box store, and felt a bit inspired by the fresh snow on all the trees.

So I tried to find some warm layers and headed down to the Eagle River Nature Center set on a quick walk.  I knew this time I didn't need the snowshoes, and since it was already late afternoon just did a quick lap to the viewing decks, up the start of dewmound trail, back down the cumulous connector, and up to 4 corners.  I was hoping I might time it for a twilight moose in the river...but it was not meant to be today.

It was, however, a gorgeous walk in the woods.  The Eagle River Nature Center is a great place to get out into the woods, without being too far out on your own.  There is a staffed visitor center from 10-5 most days, and well marked and groomed trails.  You are always likely to run into a few people (and dogs), but also never likely to feel crowded.  The trails are well marked, so anyone visiting out of town can feel quite relaxed on these trails.  This time of year most of the visitors are doing some cross country skiing.

As it was a little later in the day, the light was just starting glow, and reflect off the waters and mountains like pink marshmallow fluff.  But no moose for me today.

I have never seen this very shallow stream completely frozen over.  In the summer salmon make their way all the way back here, dozens of miles inland.  Today it is just me and the twilight listening to water move slowly by.

I admit my cheeks got a little rosy (or (F)rosy) in the cooler weather, but it was worth it!  Happy one of my work colleagues knitted me a nice warm scarf last winter as well!

No harm in getting a little cold, when it's just a short drive back to your cozy warm house and cozy warm cat (who insists you keep your distance until properly thawed.  Cats are judgy like that).

Spring at last

I snapped a Panoramic of Anchorage sitting in the foreground of the Chugach range in mid March.  I was sure spring had sprung on that day.

But, it turns out I was wrong, and this is how much snow can fall in a couple of hours in my part of the world.

Me and the cat felt the same way about this.

Bur a few weeks later, winter finally gave up, and so I headed to the Eagle River Nature Center for a long overdue outdoor walk.

The first walks of the season are always a bit mucky, and a bit silent as hikers and animals are just waking up and finding their way around again after a few months tucked away.

I was feeling pretty good about my walk.  I figured it was too early in the season for bears, and the knee was holding up better after last summer's surgery.

The skies were blue, and while the mountains were still snowy, they looked hopeful that they would soon be green and full of life again.

We look at these streams and tend to think about in a few more months, when the salmon return.  But it's easy to overlook that the salmon are actually there right now.  The eggs spend the winter maturing under the ice.  This is the time of year the eggs hatch and the little alevin's begin their journey downstream, where they will eventually grow into big salmon and spend a couple of years in the big ocean.

The southern faces slopes lose their snow much faster than the northern facing slopes.

I was being cautious on my solitary spring walk.  I stopped to note the pawprint in the mud.  4 toes, small print consistent with dog.  Carry on.

And a few short paces later, a new print.  5 toes, a claw on each, fair size, possible bear.  And that was the end of the road for this short hike.  Guess I didn't beat the bears to the trails this year after all.

Homeward Bound

The trails of the Eagle River Nature Center.  Not always the most stunning vista around, but good for a short local limp on a bum knee.  There are several miles of trail loops...and one could limp all the way through a river crossing and down the road to Girdwood, which is about 50 miles away if you take the highway.  The hiking trail is "as the crow flies" so a bit less.  There are many types of trails around there.  This one is less traveled.

It may not look it, but this one is slightly more traveled.  But you can still walk for miles without seeing a soul.

The trees always amaze me in the forest.  This path is lined with totally different trees than the other path.

And around a bend, the ecosystem changes yet again.

It's not just me that keeps coming back to this place.  After two, three, four, five, or even six years away, the salmon make their way back here to spawn.  How any make it back at all is an amazing feat.   Bears eat them.  Eagles eat them.  Whales eat them.  Fishermen stalk them in boats, with nets, and rivers are choked with arm to arm people with fishing poles (they call it combat fishing because it's so crowded).  Against all odds, these two little salmon made it through all of that to this peaceful spot at the Eagle River Nature Center.  To be fair, they still have bears to contend with, but at this moment, they were safe.

In the shallow offshoots of the Eagle River, the salmon have come home, to calmer waters.  A female salmon digs a hole by swooshing her tail in the gravel riverbed, and lays a few thousand eggs.  The male deposits his contribution later.  The baby salmon, called alevins, live under those rocks, absorbing nutrients from the yolk sac.  Nature gives these babies a chance -- the snow falls, the bears hibernate, the stream may freeze over to protect them.

 After about a year, these bigger babies, called fry or smolts, migrate downstream and spend time in the mouth of the river before entering the ocean.  Here they adapt from freshwater to ocean water, and when they are ready enter the ocean in schools of salmon, close to the shores.  Once they are fully mature, they move further out to the ocean and live a solitary life for years...until the are called home.  The salmon return to the exact stream where they were born, and undertake an amazing "homeward bound" style journey.

The salmon are only visible here for a short period each year.  The rest of the year you will have to content yourself with the beautiful mountain vista and their reflections in the stream.

Of course there is always potential for a bear or moose sighting, a fact nervously evident in the summer when the plants are taller than you.  I didn't realize that Alaska was a rainforest until I got here.  Of course it makes sense, but somehow I think we all expect it to be colder and more barren than it really is.

When the salmon return, the Nature Center closes one of the more popular trails...bears like an easy path too, and it's better to keep the humans and bears on different footpaths whenever possible.

The local flora can also be quite nutritious (although occassionally poisonous, so I would recommend you get some serious botany skill before trying this out).  There are bulletin boards with what you might find on the trails, but I have not yet been so brave.

Becoming Alaskan

It was a blissful Sunday off.  I slept in, had lots of coffee, got some Skype time in, and got ready to get ready for the first bike ride of the season.  A lot of air goes out of those tires after a winter in the garage, but I was ready with my shiny new bicycle tire pump.  It took a LOT to get that darn front tire inflated to the right psi, but finally I moved onto the back tire.  Eventually I got frustrated because it just didn't seem to be working.  Sure enough, I caught the glint on the garage floor of a little metal piece (the name of which my non-mechanical self is clueless of so we shall call it 'the nubbin.').  I was pretty sure the nubbin not being attached to the bigger nubbin coming out of the tire was the problem (I have since been informed the bigger nubbin is the valve).  So I tried to reattach it, which was not only unsuccessful but had the woeful result of completely deflating the tire.  Called the local bike shop, but they were closed.  I did get some remote support (and chiding) from "Captain Dogbite Fleming" in Edmonton (famous for leading everyone into many 24 hours of adrenaline races, a 24 hour relay race for bike teams that we participated in Canmore Alberta, and petting a strange dog and getting bitten right before the race start.  It was actually when I saw him in my hospital attached to an IV pole for the subsequent infection that he managed to convince me it would be a good idea for me to join the team the next year.  That says a lot about our friendship.  Anyway, thanks to the team expertise, I managed a few more years of avoiding my own bike maintenance.  Until today.  Well, tomorrow.  I decided to salvage what was left of the afternoon and go for a hike and maintain the bike tomorrow.  I told Captain Dogbite I was off to hike with the bears.

I was kidding...but of course that's not how it turns out.  I hadn't even made it to the trailhead when I had to pull over and grab a picture of a brown bear lumbering along the river.  I couldn't believe my good luck!  To see a bear already this year, just wandering around, and happily on the other side of a river.  The other thing was...I had already seen my bear so my hike should be nice and bear free.
Double good luck.  I realized as I sat on the side of the riverbank and looked at this beautiful blond bear (she was golden when she stepped into the light) that I wasn't afraid that she was going to run down the bank, swim across the river, leap out, and eat me.  She was happy to just go about her day and do her own thing.  That said, I had no intention of pushing any boundaries, but it was nice to see the bear at a safe distance, and enjoy the moment.

I finally got to the Nature Center.  The nature center starts where the highway ends.  The trails go all the way down to Girdwood if you can go that far.  I wasn't super excited about my hike, it was a late start and I had just been here the weekend before.  But, soon enough I realize that everything in Alaska looks different even if you walk the same trail a few days later.  

I am moving faster than this time last year (that would be pre-knee surgery), and so instead of the viewing decks or the first couple of yurts, I decided to walk as far as I could in a half hour and turn back.  To my surprise, I found myself in unfamiliar territory before then (which means I can go at least twice as fast as last year!).  In a lonely little stretch of woods, I saw a furry hump toward the corner running down the path!  I froze.  But what actually emerged around the corner was this.  Not a bear at all, a lovely pup that I happily stopped and petted.  Alaska dog owners tend to be polite, they apologize if their dog even approaches, but I was very happy to be greeted by this furry non bear, and spent a few minutes petting my non-bear friend.

I was hoping I could get to Echo Bend.  But only half hoping because there was a report of a grizzly in that general area.  Not a warning to stay away, just the standard 'bear seen, carry on with usual precautions.'  But, I had already seen a bear, and a not-bear-dog so I relaxed into my walk.  I realized again that I wasn't as nervous to be out in the woods as I had been last year.  Had my bear spray, was meeting people every 10 minutes or so, and realized I was becoming a little more at home out here..this is how I WANTED to feel last year, but couldn't always pull it off.  Maybe, I thought, I'm becoming Alaskan.

It was right about the 30 minute mark that I made it to Crow Pass, right along the river.  I made my way down to the river to enjoy the peace of quiet of it all for a few moments.

After that I headed back the way I had come.  I did note a patch of what I think was poo in the trail.  But I don't know animal poo well enough to know if the poo-ee had hooves or paws, so I just made note of it and carried on.

I met a couple coming that asked if I had seen a moose -- people were reporting one around.  No, I said, I had not seen the moose.  The wife asked if I was hiking alone, and I said I was but lots of people about and would be careful.  I decided to poke down some of the side trails to see if I could find the moose.  I found some beautiful reflections, but no moose.

When I made my way back to the main trail, I ran into the same couple I had just been speaking with, coming from another side trail, and they said they had just seen a black bear with cubs a quarter mile back.  No thank you was my first thought.  The husband said it was several hundred feet off the main trail, a safe-ish distance, and hey, bears are always on the move.  So I continued along my journey, cautiously with this new information.

Turns out, bears are indeed always on the move.  In this case toward the trail rather than away from it.  I was walking down the path and saw movement, and there was bear, all of 10 feet off the trail.  Bear was happily eating plants.  I stopped in my tracks, took a step backward right onto the crunchy pile of leaves, and got a look from bear.  "Hey bear," I said, because that's what people always say in books when they are alerting a bear of their presence.  Keeping in mind most of these books are written by people who have been attacked by bears, perhaps I should draw from a different reference in the future.

Just about the time momma bear looked me over, I gratefully welcomed two hikers who had stopped about 20 yards behind me...notable now behind a big branch.  Momma bear must have realized we were all basically tourists, and went back to doing her thing.

We all stepped further back the trail, around the bend, and actually had a nice view of the bears from over there.  Thank you Sony for your extra megapixels.  Here is baby bear.

Well, three bears.

One little bear ran waaaay up the tree, and momma nested at the base of it.

Here's a close up I cropped of the little guy who went way up in the tree.  But, one doesn't want to disturb bears, so we headed backwards down the trail and left the bears to enjoy their afternoon.  Kinda the best day ever, pretty rare to see a momma and cubs and not get your butt handed to you by momma bear...so overall pretty happy.  Think I better get the tire fixed for next weekend, I might be all out of good luck for a few days.

Soon after, I was headed home to BBQ away the last of my Sunday afternoon.  Got talking to the hikers from the trail (sure was nice to walk back as a group) and might have even made a few friends.  When I got home and told a few friends in Canada about my awesome adventures, one of them said 'you say this like it's normal.'  Yup.  I think I might be on my way to becoming Alaskan.