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| 123 |    Photos Map |
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| Last Updated:
July 07, 2010
Please help this site! Since I no longer live here, it is important that users verify the data. If this date is longer than a year ago please email me and let me know the information below is still valid. If I don't get verification on this trail, I may remove it from the site. |
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Difficulty |
Strenuous uphill for the first 3 miles, then easy after that. Overgrown but manageable foliage towards the end. | |
Connects With |
Eagle
River Jewell Glacier Grizzly Bear Lake |
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Miles One Way |
14 (Note: some people, when talking about Crow Pass, include the Eagle River part. I don't, and therefore that is why my mileage is 14) | |
Miles
from
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About 50 miles; above Girdwood. | |
General Vicinity |
Chugach National Forest | |
Season |
July to September (too much snow before then) | |
Description |
THIS IS A GREAT HIKE! |
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What was once part of the historic Iditarod Trail, this ranks as some
of the best scenery in the area. Some of the incredible and varied sights
that await you on this hike include mine ruins from long ago,
a rock
chasm waterfall, Crystal Lake, Raven Gorge, and awesome Raven Glacier
and its massive cascades. This is truly an Alaskan hike and if
your main objective coming up here is the hiking, definitely put this on
your list! Difficulty: Steep climb / descent Description: Intending to do Jewel Glacier (which I eventually got to), but not having remembered the notes about how to get to that one off of Crow Pass, I "messed-up" and ended up at Milk Glacier by doing the following: From the upper Crow Pass trail, at a distinct 3" pipe that crosses the path, there is a fairly beaten path leading up (which is what I thought I remembered as the signal for Jewel Glacier). This path makes some switchbacks before bringing one to a ledge and seemingly ending. Backtracking 50 feet from the ledge, it is possible (but not easy) to climb up through a mixture of scree, tundra, and large rocks. There certainly isn't a set way, after a while I made my way to the distinct notch. From the notch you get a good view of Milk Glacier, along with what the remaining task to get to it is. The other side of the notch is just as steep, and there is then another ridge (steep, of course) that must be crossed. I made my way down the notch at an angle, then turned left and went up the gully between Jewel Mountain and the next ridge, then made my way down along the boulders (which looked like they should have remained in place but not all of them complied so be careful). From there you are close to the glacier and free to explore. Returning to Crow Pass, I reversed the
above course except for choosing to come down along the scree against
Jewel Mountain, the route I had gone up I thought could lead to quite
the fall on a misstep combing back down. A small dog managed to do all of the ascent to the glacier (low center of gravity helped), but had to be carried a little bit on the descent. Larger dogs might be at a disadvantage with the scree. This is not a hike for kids or those that
are timid, and the glacier had its share of crevasses and other dangers. Difficulty: Somewhat Difficult Description: 7-7-09 started my hike at 10am from the Girdwood Crow Pass Trail Head. First 3-4 miles are up hill but not too difficult. At the top of the summit you are at 3500 ft and there is a cabin available to rent for around 35 dollars a night. I pressed on after a quick break going down the back side of the mountain which has a few snow shoots to cross and some loose rocks to navigate. After descending down into the valley the landscape changes into tall grass, brush and devils club up to about 5 ft tall. I ran into 3 bears here around the Raven Creek crossing so be careful! The trail here is not very wide and is often covered, but there are a lot of rocks and roots hidden under there that could cause a nasty injury. As you continue along the left side of the valley you will have a switch-back that takes you back toward Eagle glacier; eventually you will get to the Eagle River crossing. This was painfully cold! The river is partially marked with posts that give you a basic guide where to cross (when they are upright). The river was fast and high (I am 6' and it was about waist high). The river was probably higher due to the runoff and the heat that day being around 85 degrees. The first section was the widest about 40 yards across, I came to a small sand bar and crossed 3 more branches before getting all the way across. The water was so cold it caused some muscle cramping almost immediately. The next half of the trail follows Eagle River with a few detours that skirt the mountain sides. Some of the trail was flooded due to the high water so it was difficult at some points to find the trail. There are sections here that have some ropes and ladders and a few bridges with ropes to help navigate the obstacles. This portion of the trail seemed never ending, the landscape doesn’t change much and fatigue set in. Echo Bend is a good spot to rest; it is a nice camp area with some benches and is about 5 miles from the Nature Center. The trail is well marked here and well groomed. Over all I found the hike challenging When I do this hike again, I will take more time to enjoy the scenery
and camp for at least one night so I can do some exploring. Difficulty: Difficult - elevation and remoteness were contributing factors to hike difficulty. Description: To start, I am a 32 year old woman, overweight and out of shape, but I maintain an uncontrollable sense of adventure! Hiking this trail without a good able body and packing 35-45 pounds makes it twice as hard. It is said the first 3 miles are the hardest, but it seems to be forgotten that you have at least another 3 miles down the mountain on loose sharp rocks, and over compacted snow. Following that, the trail is riddled with uneven terrain, sharp rocks, and roots, which easily tripped me up once I became fatigued. Bear feces was very common just before and many miles after the ford site which is mid way in (13 miles). I did not see a bear, but be prepared. There are few cliffhanger spots that require the use of ropes (already in place) and near edges that drop down to the river, so hold your balance and make sure that your footing is solid. Warnings: Pack light, plan ahead, use caution, pace yourself. The rocky terrain was hard on my feet and toes. One wrong step and you could easily twist an ankle and be done for. The rooted areas are just as hard, and when you reach high fireweed areas and thick brush it makes for the trail harder to see so step carefully. Cross the river in the morning if at all possible. The lady at the nature center (thank heavens for her) stated the the water level is lower in the morning that in the night. If you bring a dog be sure he is agile, and don't forget first aid for his feet! Some of the sharp declines almost need to be slid down on your butt, lest you risk losing your footing, and falling down the mountainside is not an option. Just take it easy and take breaks if needed, ESPECIALLY if you are a novice hiker like me, I would not recommend this to someone just starting out, I had to learn this the hard way. Etc: Historical Iditarod Trail is interesting
even for the life-long Alaskan. Most come to Alaska for it's nature
& beauty and you will get all this and more.. |
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Important Information |
Bears! It's
almost a guarantee that you will see them here. An acquaintance of
mine once saw 12. I saw 3 one time I was there. While you should
always practice bear safety
wherever you go in Alaska, it is especially imperative here. From the
gorge to Eagle River, 1/2 of the trail is either underneath canopy or
chest high foliage. It is important to be noisy as possible to avoid
surprising them. I shout "Hello!" every few seconds. Even in summer, there is still snow in many areas of the trail, especially after Crystal Lake. Add to the mix some really steep parts to the trail, you may want to consider a walking stick. Near the mine ruins, you have 2 choices to continue to Crystal Lake. The ridge trail will save you some elevation exertion but the trail that comes near the chasm offers better views. Either way is fine. There is a public cabin for rent near Crystal Lake. You are only allowed to use it if you have a paid reservation. Be aware that's it's right on the trail and you will have very little privacy. Link here for more information. Feel free to drop your bag and hike down the moraine to Raven Glacier. But unless you know what you're doing, do not travel on the glacier. Snow could be hiding a deep crevasse and if you fall in, it was nice knowing you. As you descend down to the river, after Raven Glacier, look left and you will see the trail going up the bank (see pic on photo page). It's hard to spot if you're not looking at it. The map implies that you follow the riverbed. Be prepared that you may have to wade shin deep if it's been raining a lot. There are no water sources from the the second bridge to Eagle River. Make sure you have an adequate supply before leaving the bridge. A great place to camp is just before you head down to the river. You get a great view of the Raven Glacier as well as the stark terrain gouged by it. If you do the traverse with Eagle River, the smart move is to start at the Crow Pass side, as the elevation would be mostly downhill if you do. Be aware that midway you will have to ford the river where it may be waist high and chilly (it may be lower or higher depending on when you do the hike and the previous rainfall). ***** The Following was Contributed by Cosy: Did the traverse to Eagle River on Saturday 21st July, starting around 45 minutes after the (obviously insane) runners. The trail in the bottom half of Raven Valley is very grown up and cow parsnip abounds. Also, the trail towards the bottom was a little confusing in places so pay attention to where you are heading, it's easy to waste 10 annoying minutes thrashing around looking for the real trail. Also, the marker for the river crossing on the Raven Valley side of Eagle River was down. Look for the white post on the Eagle River side and head upstream approx 100yds. The post should (hopefully) still be lying on the ground next to the walk in point. I hope you all enjoy this hike as much as
we did. Etc: The cell phone reception is spotty at
best once you reach the Nature Center so be sure to arrange your pick up
ride ahead of time. Etc: Make sure you have at least a .44 mag revolver with you just in case
you have a run in with a bear that might want to come at you. Also, we
did use a water purifier to pump fresh water and it was perfect to not
carry that much weight on our backs. They can be bought for around
$80 and we haven't had any problems with the silt in the water. |
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Etc. |
Hold onto your bladders! The two roads to get to the trailhead are
very rough and are more pothole than actual road. If you'd like to
educate yourself about glaciers and their awesome power, please visit All
About Glaciers, a great introductory website. |
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