08/14/2025 – California Tarn Redo

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"The sun beams are always there. The trick is in seeing them." ~Laurence Gonzales

Lee Helzer will lead "California Tarn Redo" with an estimated duration of 4 hours.

Meet at the California Creek trailhead on Crow Creek Road
next to California Creek for a 6:30 departure.  We will head up California Creek trail and make another attempt at getting to the tarn at the head of California Creek below Raggedtop Mountain.  Expect significant bushwhacking, a headlight is advisable.  If raining we may take an alternate route to Gentoo Peak to avoid the carwash.

The Chugach Front Range

08/07/2025 – Old Stump Road

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"Across the field where the creek turns back, By the old stump road, Im going to take you to a special place, That nobody knows" Nitty Gritty Dirt Band

Jesse Gobeli will lead "Old Stump Road" with an estimated duration of 4 hours.

Meet at 6:30 p.m. at the Konikson Road trailhead in Bird Valley. We will head up the main trail past the bridge over Penguin Creek, then we will detour into the forest, cross Penguin Creek and the old stump road, and ascend through hemlock forests to the northwest ridge that leads to Penguin Peak. We will return by the Penguin Peak standard trail.

Turnagain Arm

07/31/2025 – Hole in the wall

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"quote" ~by whom

Lee Helzer will lead "Hole in the wall" with an estimated duration of 4 hours.

Meet at the Rainbow trailhead for a 6:30 departure.  We will ascend the Rainbow ridge to Hole in the Wall via  sheep trails and return by trails that may or may not exist.

The Chugach Front Range

07/24/2025 – Falls Creek to Indian

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"The early bird who gets the worm works for somebody who comes in late and owns the worm farm" John D. MacDonald

E. Marquez will lead "Falls Creek to Indian" with an estimated duration of 4.5 hours.

Meet at 6:15 p.m. (note early time) at the Indian trailhead at the end of Boretide road. We will carpool back to the Falls Creek trailhead for a 6:30 start. We will head up the Falls Creek trail and ascend to the small tarn. Then, instead of returning by the same route, we will climb the ridge above the tarn and undertake a substantial bushwhack down through the cliffs and alders to the Powerline trail and back to the Indian trailhead.

Turnagain Arm

07/17/2025 – Eklutna Out and Back

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“To aim for the highest point is not the only way to climb a mountain.” Nan Shepherd

E. Marquez will lead "Eklutna Out and Back" with an estimated duration of 4.5 hours.

Meet at 6:30 p.m. at the day use area at Eklutna Lakeside trailhead. We will take the trail up to the ridge on the south side of the lake, then descend and cross Thunderbird Creek, then ascend the ridge on the opposite side. Return will reverse the route back to the trailhead.

Eklutna

07/10/2025 – McHugh’s Broad Shoulder

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"The clearest way into the Universe is through a forest wilderness" -John Muir

Iulian Ovod-Everett will lead "McHugh's Broad Shoulder" with an estimated duration of 3.5 hours.

We will meet at 6:30 at the canyon road parking lot. We will descend to the creek, cross it, and ascend the gentle ridge to the East summit of McHugh. We will continue along the ridge to the low point, then descend and return via the rabbit lake trail.

The Chugach Front Range

07/03/2025 – California Tarn

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"Things that just happen are sometimes more beautiful than things you really sit and plan." ~by Bob Ross

Lee Helzer will lead "California Tarn" with an estimated duration of 4.5 hours.

Meet in the Brundie Rd. parking lot by the Alaska Railroad Girdwood Depot off Toadstool Dr. (road just before Alyeska Hwy) for a 6:30 departure.

We will head toward Bird on the Bird to Gird bike trail then hang a right on the Beaver Pond trail which we will follow to California Creek Trail.  We will follow California Creek trail as far as it goes in hopes of finding a mountain tarn at the end of the valley time permitting.  We will return via the same route.

The Chugach Front Range

06/26/2025 – O’Malley’s (not so) White Shoulder

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Take the highway through the Great Divide

Josh A. will lead "O'Malley's (not so) White Shoulder" with an estimated duration of 4 hours.

Meet at 6:30 p.m. at the Glen Alps trailhead. We will head up to the ballfield and ascend the shoulder of O’Malley. We will descend down to the hidden lake area and pay a visit to hidden lake. We will return by way of the standard trails.

The Chugach Front Range

06/19/2025 – The Wedge

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"There is nothing either good or bad but thinking makes it so." William Shakespeare

E. Marquez will lead "The Wedge" with an estimated duration of 4 hours.

Meet at 6:30 p.m. at the Glen Alps trailhead. We will take the main trail to the Hidden Lake turnoff to the ridge. From there we will cross the creek and ascend the ridge to the east leading directly to the Wedge. We will take a left at the summit of the Wedge and take the main trail back.

The Chugach Front Range

06/12/2025 – Ninja Ridge

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“Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.” Groucho Marx

Jesse Gobeli will lead "Ninja Ridge" with an estimated duration of 4.5 hours.

Meet at 6:30 p.m. at the Rabbit Creek trailhead, end of the road. We will descend to Eva’s trail, then follow the creek before heading directly uphill to Baldy. We will follow the ridge to McHugh Peak and all the way to Rabbit Lake. We will return on the main trail.

The Chugach Front Range

06/05/2025 – South Ridge South Sui

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“Yet often the mountain gives itself most completely when I have no destination, when I reach nowhere in particular, but have gone out merely to be with the mountain as one visits a friend with no intention but to be with him.” ― Nan Shepherd

E. Marquez will lead "South Ridge South Sui" with an estimated duration of 4 hours.

Meet at 6:30 p.m. at the Falls Creek trailhead. We will take the Sheep Thrills route up and along the ridge towards South Suicide. Somewhere on the ridge we will choose a point of descent to the Falls Creek valley and return.

Turnagain Arm

05/29/2025 – Bird Flew Plus

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“Either we shall find what it is we are seeking or at least we shall free ourselves from the persuasion that we know what we do not know.” ― Plato, The Republic

E. Marquez will lead "Bird Flew Plus" with an estimated duration of 4 hours.

Meet at 6:30 p.m. at the Bird Ridge trailhead (the small original lot). We will head into the Valley before turning uphill to ascend directly to the Bird Ridge high point. For the return, we plan to divert directly down to the Indian Valley trail. From Indian Valley, we will follow the powerline back to the start.

Turnagain Arm