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 ]

Moksha Peak (6250’) lies southeast of Matanuska Peak, and when you climb Matanuska Peak it is the prominent peak you notice with a beautiful North Couloir that draws the eye. In recent years it has become a popular spring and fall destination due to a “decent” trail that departs from the Rippy trail on the […]  [ 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 ]

North and east of Girdwood there are 5 prominent peaks that cap the Glacier Valley skyline. Sometimes referred to as the Skyline Peaks the peaks are (from south to north): Notch Mountain (3087’), A1 (4900’), Mystery Mountain (5300’), Pipet Peak (6000’) and Yudi Peak (6540’). From a climbers / skiers perspective they range from 3 […]  [ Read More ]

Raggedtop Mountain (5,215′) lies due north of Girdwood and is situated between Crow Creek (to the east) and California Creek (to the west). It has a distinct south facing bowl that can viewed from the resort and a craggy ridgeline. There are two distinct summits – North being the taller and true summit, although it […]  [ Read More ]

Spring 1898 – Portage Glacier In the last vestiges of the 19th century America’s westward expansion, coupled with President McKinley’s embrace of expansionism, compelled the US to once again expand beyond established borders.  Alaska was purchased in 1867, Hawaii was annexed in 1898 and that same year the United States mobilized to war with Spain […]  [ 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 ]

In late April 2019, Todd Kelsey, Joe Chmielowski and I skied from the Eagle Glacier to the Nature Center (ERNC). It was a great ski trip through familiar terrain that felt foreign when covered in snow.  All together it was 50 miles of travel (38 miles on skis) with 11K of elevation gain/loss. We took […]  [ Read More ]

EDIT 8/30/2020 As of late summer 2020 legal access to Ram Valley is once again closed.  An influx of visitors were causing parking issues and the land owners blocked off access at the road with a sign saying that 57 visitors had come at one day. This closure shouldn’t come as a surprise.  Due to […]  [ Read More ]

North Suicide 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 for dinner. Elsewhere I’ve written up route details […]  [ 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 ]