Mountaineering

These are photos and notes from an ascent of Flying Cornice, the 4,006-foot peak that forms the south corner of the Portage, Placer, and Ingram valleys. We ascended the North Ridge which we accessed from the new trail. It's a wonderful climb with everything from broad tundra ridges to steep Class 3 steps.  [ Read More ]

Photos from an ascent of Mt. Olympus which at 7,962 feet is the tallest peak in Olympic National Park. It is a glaciated peak that juts above surrounding lush rainforests that receive 100 to 170 inches of rain per year. The approach to the peak involves hiking up the entire length of the famous Hoh River trail - a 17 mile trail that winds through an old-growth forest of towering Sitka spruce, western hemlock, western red cedar, coastal Douglas-fir, and bigleaf maple.  [ Read More ]

Mt. Wickersham is a 7,415 ft mountain that lies just west of the toe of the Matanuska Glacier. It is a sizable massif encompassing over 15 square mile swith a prominent summit that is 4,500 ft above the Matanuska Glacier. This is an account of an ascent of the Southeast Ridge of Mt Wickerham in June 2025. The Southeast Ridge is a moderate (Class 2) - but physically exhausting - route that requires several miles of glacier travel plus a little bushwhacking and thousands of feet of mindless scree slogging.  [ Read More ]

Information about historical ascents of Mt Iliamna plus an account from an April 2025 ski ascent of Mt. Iliamna via the Tuxedni Glacier and West Ridge.  [ Read More ]

Gerrit descending form the summit of Cummings. Yvonne & Dan Boccia approaching the North Ridge of Bard. Looking across at Portage Glacier from the slopes of Maynard Mountain. West Face of Learnard Peak from the summit of Maynard Mountain. Photo taken September 2004. The bergschrund is no joke. Looking down at Whittier from the summit […]  [ Read More ]

Throughout Chugach State Park there are a number of ridges that can be linked up to make for long day or overnight tours and where most of the travel is above treeline. Of course sometimes half the adventure is getting to that ridge (or getting back to the trailhead after completing said ridge) at which […]  [ Read More ]

This page is a collection of notes and photos from several trips to Punchbowl Glacier and the surrounding areas over several years. Included are notes and route descriptions for Nagoon Mountain (4,403’), Lingon Mountain (4,098’), Highbush Peak (4,669’) and Lowbush Peak (4,229’). Also included are descriptions for Berg Peak (3,917’) and Hibbs Peak (4,423’) since […]  [ Read More ]

Bounty Peak (6,810’) lies at the very head of the East Fork of the Eklutna River and the ridgeline that makes up the peak forms the boundary between the Eklutna drainage, where water flows into Eklutna Lake / Eklutna River, and the Whiteout Glacier basin where water drains directly into the Knik.  The peak is […]  [ Read More ]

Moonlight Mountain (6270’) and White Lice (6650’+) lie near the eastern edge of Chugach State park on the Eklutna Glacier – Moonlight Peak being the peak that lies just off the West Fork the summit just above a hanging valley that is on the southern flanks of Bellicose.  The glacier on the north side of […]  [ Read More ]

Bellicose Peak (7,640’) is the third highest peak in Chugach State Park, and by most accounts, the hardest to climb due to fickle conditions that only seem to materialize a few weeks each year.  The peak was first climbed in 1963 by John and William Bousman, who proposed the name Bellicose, “Due to its not […]  [ Read More ]

Fold up your Imus Geographic Chugach State Park map and the peak nearest the exact center is Compass Butte – a “fugitive nunatak… escaping from the icy clutches of the Organ Glacier which surrounds all sides of this peak except the north” (Tim Kelley, November 1994, Scree). Compared to surrounding peaks like Polar Bear, Organ, […]  [ Read More ]

West Kiliak and Nantina Point lie 4 miles south of the Nature Center.  With Yukla they make up the 5000’+ cirque around Icicle Glacier and the walls facing northwest loom above as you trek up valley.  While both peaks have relatively moderate routes to the summit, neither are particularly accessible due to thick brush and […]  [ Read More ]

Baleful Peak (7,990′) lies in the southeast corner of the Bold / Bashful / Baleful massif that sits tucked between the East Fork of the Eklutna and the headwaters and glacier of the West Fork of Hunter Creek.  The summit is a sharp buttress that juts sharply 1000’ above the surrounding ridgelines and Rod Wilson […]  [ Read More ]

Peril Peak (7,040’) is the peak that forms the boundary between the West and main branches of the Ekultna glacier.  It is a dramatic peak rising 2,500’ above the surrounding glacier with the East Face being one of the larger and steeper walls of the Western Chugach.  Draw a polygon around the peak and the […]  [ Read More ]

Magpie Peak (5,812’) lies hidden in a southern pocket of Chugach State Park just due west of the Crow Pass Trail and tucked between Raggedtop and Crow. It is generally is overlooked due to its proximity to other Crow Pass peaks, lack of easy access and especially rotten rock. There is no easy route to […]  [ Read More ]

North Suicide (note – officially renamed to North Yuyanq’ Ch’ex) lies at the head of Rabbit Valley and is one of my favorite after-work jaunts in the mid-summer when sunlight lingers until 11pm.  You can leave the trailhead late afternoon, bike to Rabbit, hike up both North and South Suicide and be back in time […]  [ Read More ]

Boisterous Peak (6,865’) sits on the ridge between Bold and Bashful and is often-overlooked due to its proximity to those peaks. However the peak is an exciting scramble and the various routes to the summit are such that one can find a route that is in shape for much of the year. Likewise the Northeast […]  [ Read More ]

By a stroke of luck I happened upon a full 3 free days over Labor Day Weekend.  With dry conditions I opted to head back into Eklutna in the hopes of climbing a couple of peaks above the glacier.  Joe Chmielowski was reeling from working too much at his new job and a single text […]  [ Read More ]

Peters Peak sits on the ridgeline south of Rumble and west of Bellicose.  Dwarfed by these two peaks it is easily overlooked, however the Northwest Ridge features a wonderful airy Class 4 ridge-walk. Getting to the base of the peak takes the better part of a day and the remoteness combined with the short technical […]  [ Read More ]

A period of perfect weather in late July and a flurry of texts rounded up Eric Parsons and Lee Helzer for a weekend trip into the Blued Eyed Lake region in Chugach State Park. As is often the case with last minutes planning no one could leave at the same time / stay the same […]  [ Read More ]