Hiking in the Hatchers Rain
Hatcher Pass is reputably rainy. It's commonly said that you can count the annual sunny days on your hands. My wife Tracy and I spent yesterday evening on a leisurely stroll in the mountains, and here's what came of it.
Our Alaskan rain isn't quite the same as down south. Except on the rare occasion, it's more of a miserably chilling drizzle than the exciting downpours experienced elsewhere in the world. It gets you just as wet though, and if you're not careful enough, weather like this will kill you. A few years back I was having a great time camping right in this valley in similar conditions, while just over a ridge from me one of two lost hikers died of hypothermia.
Since Tracy hasn't been up this valley before, I chose a route off the main trail that would lead us up a steep slope and over a ridge, where an amazing view of a mountain lake would spring up in front of us in a matter of a few steps. Tracy was enthused.
On the way up the slope, God gave us a rainbow behind.
I shot this looking down from a large rock on the curious moss/grass features next to this lake. Now I want to go back and shoot them better. :rofl
The jury is still out on the caption for this shot:
"I AM SIGNIFICANT"
"FREEDOOOMMMMMM"
"RRAAOOWWWRRR"
Any others?:rofl
For my second surprise, I followed an old mining trail up to what used to be a miner's cabin. Right when you step onto this cabin's foundation, you step around a corner and open up an enormous view of a crystal blue mountain lake fed constantly by a glacier buried under the literal mountain of boulders filling this bowl. The lake is still shedding its ice from the winter, which was forming ice dams at the downstream end. Unfortunately the rain (and, I'll admit, my lack of skill :thumb) denied me any good pictures of all that awesomeness, but here's the old cabin so you can imagine how incredible it must have been to live and work here eighty years ago.
From the cabin I shot this ptarmigan, just before it gave off an eerie screech and sailed off the cliff over the lake.
On the walk out of that valley I rapid-fired and got this lucky shot of the surface of a wide spot in the stream.
And here's a glimpse of Tracy beginning to feel the misery. Luckily we were heading back. :rofl
There's a neat waterfall along this trail that kind of slows down some later on in the sumer. At that point, the moss at the edges forms a sort of smooth glossy coating, till it looks like rippled black glass. Glass that you can sink your fingers right through, however. It's interesting, but at this point in the year, it's just a lot of water cascading down the rock.
That's it for now. Hope you all enjoyed the hike!
Our Alaskan rain isn't quite the same as down south. Except on the rare occasion, it's more of a miserably chilling drizzle than the exciting downpours experienced elsewhere in the world. It gets you just as wet though, and if you're not careful enough, weather like this will kill you. A few years back I was having a great time camping right in this valley in similar conditions, while just over a ridge from me one of two lost hikers died of hypothermia.
Since Tracy hasn't been up this valley before, I chose a route off the main trail that would lead us up a steep slope and over a ridge, where an amazing view of a mountain lake would spring up in front of us in a matter of a few steps. Tracy was enthused.
On the way up the slope, God gave us a rainbow behind.I shot this looking down from a large rock on the curious moss/grass features next to this lake. Now I want to go back and shoot them better. :rofl
The jury is still out on the caption for this shot:
"I AM SIGNIFICANT"
"FREEDOOOMMMMMM"
"RRAAOOWWWRRR"
Any others?
:roflFor my second surprise, I followed an old mining trail up to what used to be a miner's cabin. Right when you step onto this cabin's foundation, you step around a corner and open up an enormous view of a crystal blue mountain lake fed constantly by a glacier buried under the literal mountain of boulders filling this bowl. The lake is still shedding its ice from the winter, which was forming ice dams at the downstream end. Unfortunately the rain (and, I'll admit, my lack of skill :thumb) denied me any good pictures of all that awesomeness, but here's the old cabin so you can imagine how incredible it must have been to live and work here eighty years ago.
From the cabin I shot this ptarmigan, just before it gave off an eerie screech and sailed off the cliff over the lake.
On the walk out of that valley I rapid-fired and got this lucky shot of the surface of a wide spot in the stream.
And here's a glimpse of Tracy beginning to feel the misery. Luckily we were heading back. :rofl
There's a neat waterfall along this trail that kind of slows down some later on in the sumer. At that point, the moss at the edges forms a sort of smooth glossy coating, till it looks like rippled black glass. Glass that you can sink your fingers right through, however. It's interesting, but at this point in the year, it's just a lot of water cascading down the rock.
That's it for now. Hope you all enjoyed the hike!
John Borland
www.morffed.com
www.morffed.com
0
Comments
lovely place !
My Gallery
"MOOOOOOOOOM!!! I lost my SHOOOOOESSS!!!"
or just the classic "MOOOOM!"
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Hehehe I love it. Thanks for the comments all!
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