Marked one off the Bucket List

On my bucket list of hikes in Alaska was a trip though the backcountry of Hatcher Pass. There is a hut system just beyond the ridges of mountains seen from the road and I had never been to any of them. After this weekend I x'd out this entry. (As always you can click on the picture to enlarge.)

Started out with beautiful sunny skies, wish those stayed around.


Ended up hiking with 5 folks the first day then just one other continued on for a night at the Bomber Hut.


Before long we were hiking in fresh snow, the first snow of the season. Valley loved this, it finally cooled down for her.


Always good views around, we were never without something inspiring.


Yes there were people along.


Looking back at what is known as The Nunatak on the Snowbird Glacier.


She pretty much had a good face on the whole time.


View shot when the clouds lifted.


looking for marmots kind of an equivalent to a ground squirrel. They have an extremely high pitched whistle which drives the dogs nuts so they give chase. I used to hike with an opera singer, and she could never get a high enough pitch to match that whistle.


Standing at the front door to the Bomber Hut.


Looking back at what we hiked up, standing at the rear of the hut.


Start of the way out on our way out to the rigs.


Posing :)


Pennyroyal Glacier right before the start of the winters snow accumulation.

This is the Bomber Glacier. A B29 crashed on a snowy stormy night in 1957. There were some survivors, but the bomber still sits there. This picture was taken, right before it started snowing.


Valley climbed this almost on her own. I top roped her. But really it was her work that moved her up this 15 to 20 foot "slope".


I gotta go down that? 500 feet to the Upper Reed Lakes.


The last day it was raining and snowing on the glacier. The Girl loves being lose regardless of the weather.


Valley launching off a boulder, she was incredible the way she handled maneuvering though the big boulder fields, just amazing.


Just to show the scale of rocks.


here we are on a trail! about a half mile from the car, Valley doesn't look tired but happy! We were tired and dragging.


At home, she was so tired she didn't eat until the next day. When I sat down in the morning to give her the morning routine, the morning pet down, she growled at me LOL. Ok she can sleep in :)

What Goes Around, Comes Around

The first homeless dog I found a home for was/is Healy. There were 19 malamutes in Haines who needed a home in a hurry and Healy was one of those. She made her way up to Anchorage to the Alaska SPCA. Molly Moldovan of the Canadian malamute rescue group AMHL (Alaskan Malamute Help League) contacted me to check up on her and I did. I started walking her, then made up a flyer with her picture on it and placed it around town. She was adopted by a nice person and taken home. What could be better?

Well she was returned last week. Healy didn't get along with a pitbull living there, and we took her back. So after 9 years Healy is back again. What goes around comes around. We now have the first dog I adopted out, Healy. And the third dog I adopted out Rocket :)

Healy in 2002.


Healy in 2011


Healy is doing great.

Making herself right at home.

She loves to go on hikes and walks around the neighborhood.


She can stay here as long as she wants. I hope she finds a home, she certainly has enough love to fill it up. But she's good to stay here.

The Friendly Arctic

We recently traveled to the Brooks Range where we spent 10 days dayhiking off the Haul Road. It was a trip warm and sunny for the most part with the occasional Arctic Mosquito disturbing the piece. Everyday was a new day of hiking in different and exciting terrain.







We've traveled to the Brooks Range many times before. It offers a great time to hike, enjoy the out of doors and spend time with our malamutes. What could be better?

Rock Dog

Valley is my Rock Dog. She's my choice to lead me through boulder and rock fields, which is not an easy task. If she pulls too hard I lose balance and fall, possibly resulting in injury. If I don't move fast enough, she can't maneuver and loses her way. Keep in mind, she is leading through all this. She picks the route and sets the pace. I follow.

Those boulders are bigger than she is.


even the small ones are a challenge, they get really slippery when wet.


After the boulder field taking a well earned break.


Valley, best rock dog I ever had.

Three Ridges Two Valleys

The low snow year has made the high country accessible earlier than in past years. Its a full month ahead of last year when late March and Early April snowstorms left alot of snow on the ground.

Sunburst Ridge on the left, Sunnyside on the left and way back there covered in snow is Silvertip . Below her is Turnagain Pass and of course in the foreground is Valley. Three Ridges and two Valleys :)


Oh boy does she love to run!


Valley always happy to be out!

The Big One One

Memorial Day Weekend it was Jago's 11th Birthday, the Big One One. We celebrated the best way I know how with a malamute and that's to go outdoors and enjoy it. So it was, three days of fun.

We started out the weekend, hiking towards Williwaw Lake.


Looking good for a girl of 11


Memorial Day weekend is considered the first day of summer around here and you can see why, the snow is still around, and its not even green up high.



Sunday we decided to hike up from McHugh Creek along the Seward Highway, boy was it hot!

Overlooking Turnagain Arm and Hope Point.


We took a half hour nap here and you can see where Jago parked, right on the snow bank with her head on the tundra. Pretty good spot if you ask me.


Sharing the trail with Valley. There is so little snow this year we could have hiked through this valley back towards the house. That usually opens up several weeks later in the season.


Monday we hiked out to Rabbit Lake. This hike normally takes 4 hours round trip, today in the heat, stopping to take breaks at every snow bank, it took 7 hours.



We ran into our past-governor Tony Knowles and his wife Susan. They saw us stopped on a snow bank resting. After hiking 4 miles, out to the lake and returning they found us about a quarter mile down the trail from where they originally spotted us. we were moving that slow. You've seen the bumper sticker, "We stop at River Crossings", ours would have been "We stop at snow banks".

Just a Dog

One of our veterinarians emailed me this and I thought you'd like to see it too if you haven't.

Dog Sled Pass

We received reports the Willow Fishhook road was plowed so we stepped into action and decided to ski up to Dog Sled Pass. What Alaskan Malamute wouldn't want to be there in the winter?

Looking down the Craigie Creek Valley we just skied up.


Kellin nearing the pass:


Hatcher Pass has some incredible scenery, we weren't disappointed today even with the cloud layer. Looking up Dog Sled Pass, this is Moose.


Looking down Dog Sled Pass.


What us funhogs came to do. Telemark ski.


Probably the last ski day of the season for the dogs, looking like mine is close to ending as well. good by skiing, hello hiking :)