Alaska
Since 2006 I have been visiting a different place in Alaska each year, and hope to continue doing so.
2006: Wrangel/St Elias NP, Seward, and Valdez
2007: Homer and Kachemak Bay State Park
Wenaha River Trail part 3
After turning around due to the poor trail, I went back to Fairview Bar and continued farther back. I had noted a very large bar, or flat area next to the river, at Crooked Creek. With my late 11am started that morning, and the slow progress on the section beyond Fairview Bar, it was mid-afternoon by the time I made it back to the Crooked Creek area.
More Wenaha River on the way back
Night two camp near Crooked Creek on the Wenaha River
I went for a short hike up a ridge - a view back at the bar.
Looking south at the ridge across the Wenaha River
More flowers on the ridge
For day three I decided to backpack up the trail that follows Crooked Creek. I hoped it would be in good shape and it was.
Crooked Creek
Night 3 camp in a meadow 4 miles up Crooked Creek
Tree bark - closeup!
Since it was only 4 miles hike to camp, I got in very early. I had planned to most likely stop there because there was again a trail up the ridge - the Three Forks trail. When the Crooked Creek trail reached that junction, it got much better - clearly more people access this area via Three Forks than from the Wenaha. So this was my afternoon jaunt - 1500 feet up in 3 miles.
The off-and-on storms had passed and it was getting quite warm on the Three Forks trail
The Three Forks trail cross a dry ridge with the northern Blue Mountains behind.
Meadows high on Three Forks
Oregon Butte, the highest peak in these parts at about 6500 feet, defines the northern end of Smooth Ridge. I visited Oregon Butte on a trip two years ago (see report)
Heading back down to Crooked Creek
