O'Mally peak is the craggy fang in the line of Chugach peaks you see from Anchorage…read more Most of us see it every day. There are numerous ways to climb it. The easiest way is up a loose scree gulley. I'd consider it very much a "hike". The other lines start to get a bit more complex and technical. Everything from 4th class to ice and mixed lines! Like many peaks in the Chugach, this starts at the Glen Alps traihead. (the same one as Flattop)

On an overcast morning, my friends and I decided to hike the trail. It wasn't very crowded which…read morewas nice and it was well maintained. The hardest part of this trail is the seemingly endless amount of stairs that pop up halfway through. But overcome that, and you will be left with an amazing view from the top of the butte. There were plenty of dogs on this trail if you wanted to bring your pet as well. Round-trip from the parking lot, this trail is 2.4 miles with an elevation gain of 819 feet.

If you're looking for a short hike to pass a couple hours, this is a good one…read more There are two entrances to the trail. One goes up a steep dirt path while the other contains stairs. It's a challenging up hill climb, but it's less than a mile to the top, so you're not exerting yourself long. The downhill is super fast. You're back in a blink, especially if you let gravity take over and you have a four legged friend on a leash pulling you... you may even end up face first in the dirt path (I, of course, wouldn't know anything about that). Bring your Eno since there are trees up top to hook them on. Bring binocular to check out the eagles flying by. Beautiful views of Lazy, Matanuska, and Pioneer, not to mention the Knik River Valley.

Oh my goodness…read more Unlike most people, when I'm super-excited, I don't cuss. I use granny phrases like "Heavens!". I'm so excited about this trail, I can't believe I'm just now hiking it. Bird Ridge starts at a big trailhead with blasted-out rockwalls from when the Seward Highway was widened. It has bathrooms at the parking lot and then another (emergency?) bathroom about 1,000 ft up the trail. After the second bathroom, you start going up! And up! And up! There's a lot of gain here in a short amount of time. If you do it in the winter, micro-spikes (choose your favorite brand) are pretty much mandatory (it gets mighty slippery). I'd also HIGHLY recommend a pole of some sort. An ice axe would even be handy for the upper reaches. I'd also recommend you STAY OFF THE CORNICES, people have DIED. But, if you stay off the corniced ridges, this trail is still decently safe to do in the winter. You're on a ridge which is, by definition, one of the safest places to be in avalanche terrain. You'll get amazing views of Penguin Peak (which I recommend NEVER doing in the winter, it is VERY avalanche-prone) to the east and of Indianhouse South Suicide North Suicide Homicide Avalanche Mountain to the West. To the north, you can keep taking this ridge for miles, although it looks like it gets increasingly gnarly. I can't comment on what it's like in the summer, but I've heard it's beautiful. This is a great place to get above the clouds in the winter. You'll have sun on your face while everyone at lower elevations ferments in the gloom! As a bonus, the trailhead is plowed.

Drive south on AK1. pass Indian Valley meats on your left, and you will see a sign for "Bird Ridge"…read moretrail parking lot. (Sign will be on your Right, but the parking lot is on your left when you head south on AK1.) $5 for parking or use your park pass. uphill work out with a fantastic view once you climb up over 3000 feet. If you are fit, you can ascend in less than 2 hours to the top. The trail continues behind along the ridge towards girdwood possibly. Also often times you can spot eagle soaring when you look back towards Turnigan Arm/Inlet. Everything becomes so small when you are up at the peak. It's challenge but you will be rewarded with the view.

COVID-19 update: The…read moreEagle River Nature Center(ERNC) is closed. Its trails: are not. You can still park at the ERNC, you just can't go inside. As of 4/5/2020: Trail was hardpacked (no post-holing!) to Echo Bend. (about 4ish miles in, one way) Great views and blue skies were plentiful. There was barely anyone past 1 mile in. (still, bring a mask, it's impossible to get 6ft away from other people on the trail) Yurts/campgrounds were still open! (this was shocking to us) For more general trail details, see my previous review.

Yukla has been on my radar since I moved to Anchorage from Portland. I heard about it in the worst…read moreway possible. Another Portland climber, Dasan Marshall, had died climbing it in January of 2015. The first thing I did was google the mountain and look upon all of the gnarly mixed ice routes on its west and north faces. I quickly decided this mountain was "not for me". I satiated my thirst for high places with pedestrian Chugach hikes, punctuated with trips to the lower 48 to grapple alpine rock in the Wind River Range and the Sierra. Then, in the early days of COVID, when we were being told to limit any and all "risky" activity, Abbey and I took a leisurely hike to Echo Bend and saw an incredible, snowy view of the mountain. I decided to probe a little bit deeper, and eventually found there were some far easier ways up it. I'm not sure what this route is called. Northeast gully? Northeast Face? Twinsicle Pass? Anyway, the line we took goes up from Twin Falls, up the Twinsicle Glacier, through the pass, and corkscrews around to the NE side of the peak. We had foolishly penciled in Yukla for the 3-day Memorial Day weekend because, that's how weather works, right? It looked like the forecast was going to improve so we decided to give it a go. Worst-case scenario, we would have a soggy and secluded backcountry camping experience. We headed out Sunday around noon. The hike from Eagle River Nature center on the maintained trail to the Twin Falls area was mostly uneventful and felt quick. We reached the creek where it was time to branch off and up into the Twinsicle drainage and...we saw an adorable squirrel. Dead. In the creek. It looked so peaceful. It looked pristine and holy, like it was just taking a nap. More weird Yukla omens, yay. A little less than 6 hours after setting off for camp, we were at the iconic boulder that most folks seem to camp near. (not to be confused with the iconic/infamous "boulder bivy" in Icicle Creek, one drainage over!) We found the flattest spot, cracked open some beers (my first time bringing my canned homebrew on a Chugach 120 mission!), and setup camp. We went to bed about 8pm for a planned alpine-ish start of 4:30 am. It felt like I had just begun to fall asleep when...I was being shaken awake? The shaking then continued. And continued. Eventually I realized it was an earthquake. Abbey had also woken up. We heard rockfall. Having had two near-miss/bad-fall/thought-I-was-dying experiences in the mountains, all I could think of in my drowsy state was "let it come." If the mountains wanted to unceremoniously smush me in a tent while I was asleep, that seemed fine for some reason. Abbey peaked out of the tent and notified me that none of the rockfall seemed to be coming near us as I was drifting back to sleep. The weather was fine. We decided to wake up and see if we could get up this thing. We started trudging up the snow towards Twinsicle Pass, it was also fine. There was no post-holing, but a little bit of softness made every step take a smidge more energy that if the snow were firm Styrofoam. Eventually we reached the start of the glacier (according to the old scanned USGS topo maps, we had our doubts). We were greeted by a prompt Pika. It was having the time of its life screaming at us. We continued up, and stayed center-left, basing our path on previous trip reports we had read. We chose not to rope up as the snow grew firmer the closer we got to the pass. Any exposed cracks we could see were very small and easily avoided. At the pass, the wind picked up and the clouds rolled in. I suddenly had most of my summit motivation blown clear off of me. I didn't want to dampen Abbey's spirits, so I didn't say anything. I then left the shelter of Abbey's great kick steps, and started corkscrewing us around the mountain onto the NE side. There was a faint but obvious boot pack from the many folks that had been up Yukla in the sunnier days before. Eventually we stopped side-hilling and were going up mostly firm snow with our crampons, axes, and whippets. We went up the false summit and down-climbed it on the other side, facing-in. As we made our way closer to the true summit, the clouds continued to clear. At last we were on what was unmistakably the true summit. Brutal exposure fell off the west side. From this point one can really see the stark contrast between the two faces of Chugach State Park: the public-facing "dense green growth on brown slopes snaked by braided rivers" and the glacial "land of always winter". When we got back to camp it started drizzling, because of course it did. We took some big swigs of plastic-flasked Scotch and tried to delay packing up the tent for as long as we could. Besides the intense tenderization of our feet from far too much time in rigid boots, the hike out was largely uneventful. Moose's Tooth pizza and beer were had, with time to spare. It really felt like we pulled one over on the Chugach.

I don't know if bittersweet is the right word but, this is one of the most scenic zones in the park…read moreand access issues are fraught. It reminds me of when I lived in the PacNW and would read about access into the Picket range of the North Cascades. There would often be 3 approaches listed, all painful, all for different reasons. For Rumble, it goes something like this: 1. Hike in about 20ish miles on Peter's Creek Trail 2. Go up and over a steep, off-trail mountain pass of questionable quality and feasibility from Eagle River Nature center. 3. Luck out and get access from a private property owner bordering the park boundary. Optionally, I've heard a decent access area might be the pass behind The Watchman (I took photos of it while I was on the summit). Anyway, I lucked out and was able to do option #3. My hope is that @mountaineering can secure legal and efficient access before I finish the 120. As I crested up over into the valley, I was bloom away by the serenity of it all. It's a magical place. I anxiously scanned for bears (I've had some encounters that were a little too close for comfort in this area...maybe they are hanging out here more now that there are less people) and started hiking up the valley. I road the tundra-cuts and consolidated snow all the way to Bombardment Pass. I was debating if I should camp at the pass or carry my overnight gear down into the (next) valley. I decided to split the difference and camp at a pretty lake about halfway down. I slept for exactly 8 hours and woke up to Rumble completely obscured from my tent. I attempted to snooze another hour but sleep wouldn't come back. The series of sheep trails winding down the pass into the valley are magic. The grade is perfectly gentle. It made me feel "fast" even though I very much am not. Finding a spot to cross the creek to keep my precious princess feet dry was initially a challenge. But I just kept following the creek uphill until I found a sturdy snow bridge. This whole area (Peter's Creek Valley?) is even more scenic than Ram Valley. It's got bright green hills of sod rolling down off the craggy peaks, dotted with massive boulders that almost resemble stonehenge. I made my way up into the long gully of Rumble and it didn't look as intimidating as I was expecting. It looked boring. A long slope of scree with old snow tongues on climber's right. Towards the end, things do get tricky. The gully funnels into a tight corridor that ends in a drop. There are probably a couple ways to scramble up. I went up some wet fourth class climber's right. It wasn't too bad but eventually I had to traverse across a very short but very scary snow tongue. it was maybe only 10 ft wide but the top was bullet-hard and 5 ft below it, where my feet were, was loose sugar. I didn't realize it till I was halfway across, so booted a platform so I could have a decent stance. I awkwardly took my pack off and more awkwardly put my aluminium crampons on. The snow was so hard that I could probably only get 4 inches of my ice axe shaft into it, but the crampons really helped I was able to take a wide step onto the wet choss on the other side. Looking back at this snow feature, I felt ridiculous. It looks so easy, why was I so flummoxed? Once above that it was just fun, choose-your-own-adventure, snow and rock ramps that were no harder than 3rd class. In classic mountaineering style, as soon as I got into the ridgeline, the sweltering sun subsided and clouds covered the south-side of the mountain. I drank a pint of my luck beer "'Scend"(it's 2/2 so far) on the summit and took in the great views of Thunderbird to Bellicose and everything inbetween. I saw a pile of rocks where the's usually a summit register, but I couldn't find one. I saw that Caltopo/Gaia/Peakbagger/OSM have the true summit marked further down the ridge so I walked over there just in case. (just eyeballing it, I don't think it's taller) I took a summit selfie, summit pano, checked-in with my emergency contacts/family (had 2 bars of LTE on Verizon on top, the only place with any signal on the trip, save Bombardment Pass) The hike out was gorgeous with light coming over the pass and shading the layered golf courses of Peter's Creek Valley various bright and shiny shades of green. Coming back to a ready-made tent with no chores (other than delicious rehydration) is really something special. Hike out was largely uneventful, save for the fact that I got my first unobstructed view of the entire massiveness that is Rumble.

Wow!!!! How in the world has nobody, nobody, in all of the Unites States of America not written a…read morereview about this West Butte Trail??? That absolutely blows my mind!!! Okay! Well, West Butte Trail is without a doubt one of my new favorite hikes of all time! I visited Palmer, Alaska in June of this summer 2021. Palmer was actually just a town I was passing through along my 2 week voyage throughout Alaska. But...the reason I discovered this West Butte Trail was from a friendly girl I had met on the airplane flying to Fairbanks. This girl, who was obviously from Alaska...highly recommended this hike. Well...here I am now fully grateful to this random stranger for giving me info about this hidden gem of a hike! I am humbled by my journey and for the sights and surroundings when finally arriving at the peak of this West Butte Trail. Now...let me just back up a few moments. When arriving in Palmer...all you have to do (which I did) is plug "West Butte Trail" into Google Maps and it'll perfectly guide you to the trailhead. I came here in mid afternoon during the week back in late June. Although the parking lot was decently sized...I could envision on busy days the place being packed with hikers! It was $5 for the parking fee. That's all it costs. Basically, just like you do when you arrive spontaneously at a campsite, you grab a little envelope, fill it out and put $5 in the drop box. It's that easy. This West Butte Trail is specific and straight to the point. It's a 1.5 mile hike each way gaining roughly 800 feet in elevation. I was thinking 1.5 miles? No problem! But...towards the end of the trail it was sort of straight up the stairs with a few switchbacks. I definitely had to stop a few times just to catch my breathe. I wouldn't underestimate the hike, but overall it's casual for the entire family. Before I started the hike, I did read the trailhead sign and according to what it mentioned, the pathway to the top sounded inspiring. I'd like to relay to you what it said...."West Butte Trail begins in the forest and leads to the unique granite summit of the Bodenburg Butte. Look forward to breathtaking 360-degree views of Knik Glacier, Pioneer Peak, the Chugach Range and Talkeetna Mountains, and local Mat-Su Valley farmland. It is worth the climb!" I couldn't have said it better myself! Finally making it to the summit of Bodenburg Butte...the views (imo) were indescribable! I had chills! Just like the sign said...breathtaking! I was in awe of the 360 degree scenery and surroundings. Lol, alright I may be taking this explanation too far, but I felt like I was ready to cry. I had discovered salvation! Okay, okay....after about 15 minutes I believe my legs had settled down and I had my head on straight, hehehe. But...it was just beautiful...that's all I can say. The terrific aspect about arriving in early afternoon was that the sun was perfectly positioned for picture taking. The sun was at my back for 3/4's of the views. So...I had 3 incredible perspectives for which to snap pictures, take videos and breathe in the fresh Alaskan air. Another amazing detail was that from this granite butte, the weather was perfect. There wasn't any wind. It was like being in still air from high above. I was so impressed with how calm the setting was. Usually when you hike to the top cliff or overlook, it can be very very windy. This was the furthest from what you'd expect. No wind whatsoever. I believe the best part about being at the overlook was gazing out into the distance of Knik Glacier. It was the perfect backdrop. Another angle that was stunning was Pioneer Peak. There was 1 lazy cloud sitting next to it but that actually added a terrific element to the entire photogenic moment. Finally, the Talkeetna Mountains were also pretty special. I was just so happy to be here at the summit. It wasn't even crowded up top. I had tons of space to walk around and without having anyone "photobomb" my pictures. There were a few kids flying some drones but I didn't mind. I spent about 90 minutes up at the summit. After capturing plenty of photos and videos, I just had to sit down on a rock, bow my head and appreciate how far I had come being from South Florida to here in Palmer, Alaska. One last thing...for those who aren't familiar with the city of Palmer, it's located about 44 miles northeast of Anchorage. So...it's not out of the way for anyone to come and hike this trail. Lastly, just again, during my 2 week Alaskan vacation, this West Butte Trail was absolutely one of my highlighted and favorite memories...and all coming from a friendly stranger who recommended it while sitting next to me on my flight here. I am grateful. You never know. Kindness goes a long way. It pays to be nice to people, lol.

We got engaged here! Loved it. Challenging vertical at times but overall a manageable hike for…read moreanyone relatively active.

There are many different sections to Chugach State Park, like…read more... - Potter Creek - McHugh Creek - Beluga Point - Falls Creek - Indian Creek - Bird Creek You can spend a lot of time discovering all these incredibly vast areas of the park. What really stood out for me was making a brief stop here at milepost 96.5 along Seward Highway (35 miles south of Anchorage) for BIRD POINT TRAIL. I believe coming to Bird Point will help provide a glimpse into the magical setting of the Turnagain Arm waterway within the Cook Inlet part of the Gulf of Alaska. According to the entrance sign near the trailhead, Bird Point is... "A place to reflect and enjoy." "See wildlife foraging in scenic surroundings." " Smell the richness of earth and see." "Hear the whoosh of a beluga's breathing or the rush of a 6-foot bore." "Touch land that was once tropical ocean bottom." Welp, I don't know about all that wildlife because I didn't see anything during my visit...but definitely walking the easy 1.9-mile trail will allow for plenty of opportunities to appreciate nature and the great outdoors. It's a $5 fee for parking. Then, there'll be plenty of viewpoints on the paved connector pathway for picture moments of the Kenai and Chugach Mountain Ranges. When I was here towards the end of June, there was still some snow covering the mountain peaks which added to the beautiful backdrop and that was even, still, on an overcast day. I didn't hike the full length of the trail, maybe I used 30 minutes in total, but it was enough to get a feel for how special this part of Southcentral Alaska is. And just past here at Bird Point are still more exciting roadside pullovers along the Seward Highway journey to appreciate the sights before arriving in the town of Girdwood, where I highly suggest riding the Alyeska Resort Tram. Overall, Bird Point is a scenic stretch of Chugach State Park that's not difficult for exiting your car and taking time to walk around and explore.

If you're like me, you want a hike that doesn't make you climb 1000 feet in 5 minutes. I prefer a…read moregentle slope and that's what you will find in Chugach State Park. It is a nice rolling trail with footbridges to avoid rough ground and crossing streams. I'm no expert on mushrooms, but there were a lot of them. Not sure that you were allowed to pick them, but some mushroom foragers were doing so. I've included some pictures for you mycologists. The trail had a nice spruce like smell that was pleasant. And we saw plenty of dogs at walking their owners. There were also benches along the trail in case you wanted to take a break. We saw wild berries and other native plants. It took use about 90 minutes to walk about 3 miles.