THIS HIKE WAS SUBMITTED BY BLAIN ANDERSON

Photo by Blain Anderson

Difficulty

Connects 
With

Miles One 
Way

Miles from
Anchorage

General Vicinity

Season

Description

For a nice trip report and photos see: http://www.xcskiracer.com/gallery/06winnercreek
For information on Alpacka Rafts see: http://www.alpackaraft.com/

*****
The following was emailed by Ross Timm:

My wife, mother-in-law, and I did this trail on Labor Day 2007. The trail was great except for my complaint below. Bikes seem to be accelerating erosion in wet areas, so we will see how the USFS reacts. It is a LONG day hike. We were going at a moderate to slow pace, although, because we forgot our camera, we did not stop often. It took us 8+ hours, but that included 20 minutes on top (very windy), thirty minutes dealing with the situation below, and thirty minutes trying to get a bull moose off the trail, and finally bushwhacking around it.   

My complaint is that there is one creek crossing up near the alpine tundra line that is quite dangerous. It can be stepped across, however most stones are under swirling water, and one false step  and you will be stumbling and/or falling into a glacier fed, fast moving creek with lots of rocks, and a long ways from the trail head.  We ended up getting our feet wet, since it was safer than trying to make the big steps from marginal rock footing to marginal rock footing. There are dead trees and some of the recent built “stairs” within a ¼ mile so I am not sure why the forest service choose to leave this crossing as an “on your own” one when they had the chance to fix it!?  At the very least they should now strategically place large flat boulders that will stay above most water levels.  For people who may say “this level of exposure defines wilderness”,  I counter that the Forest Service has chosen and advertised this as an “improved”, accessible trail with few obstacles, suitable for families, so they should fix it (perhaps using some of the lumber from the excessive board walks and stairs in other areas), or make the dangers clear.

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The following was emailed by Aine Hintz on July 9, 2008:

There are a bunch of downed cottonwoods in the beginning of the river.  We were unprepared for them and we lost our boats.  Just make sure you scout ahead for trees and obstacles in the river.  It is bear country out there and the mosquitoes are really hungry!!

*****

Added by the Webmaster on August 5, 2009:

Having to be back early the next day, I decided to only backpack in for 3 hours and plant my tent wherever I was at that point.  I wound up going in about 7.5 miles and wound up in paradise!

Once you get out of the wooded part of the trail and into alpine tundra, the landscape is amazing.  Not that the first part of the trail is bad, far from it.  You'll see some small glaciers as you come in and out of the trees. Depending on the time of year, there's some amazing fields of fireweed.  There are also many cascades and waterfalls that you'll cross.  As mentioned above, the trail is very well maintained and the stairs in some sections as you slowly head up above tree line (about mile 3) really helps. 

But I'll tell you, when I got into tundra and then a little further on and saw the glaciers hanging off of Sadie's Knob, I was truly in heaven.  There were waterfalls everywhere, small tarns everywhere, creeks everywhere, creeks that headed down rock chasms, small glaciers and as already mentioned, Sadie's Knob, which has several glaciers wrapping around it and meeting at the bottom.  There was a perfectly flat moraine to put up my tent on that offered an amazing view of everything.  It just doesn't get any better than this!  You can find this ultimate campsite just before the trail starts descended back down into the valley.

After dinner, I explored the creek chasm and then went up the huge moraine that the trail wraps around before descending.  It is filled with multiple small tarns hidden among wind swept spruce and juniper.  On a really hot day, you could snag one of the private pools for a skinny dip and no one would even know you were there.

Someday, I'll do the entire hike down to Twenty Mile River, but this is one time I'm glad I was lazy and I recommend leaving your A personality at home as well. 

Important Information

If you want to do the entire trail and packboat float to the the Seward Highway, plan on 12-16 hours. You might not want to do it if the days are short, or you get a really late start.

The trail is open to mountain bikers after the first 3/4 mile. Strange but true; you are required to walk or carry your bike from the trailhead to the signs that say bikes allowed. If you plan to bike the route, you'll be carrying you bike over steps and rocks a lot anyway, so you won't mind the warm-up. The Forest Service and Alyeska Resort asks bikers to heed this regulation to avoid running over the slower hikers using this trail. Keep in mind, mountain bikers can use the hand tram route and avoid this first section if it just kills them to walk their bikes.

Added by the Webmaster on August 5, 2009

Be prepared that you are committed for the first 7-8 miles as there are no places to camp before then.

Just because this trail is well maintained should not lull you into feeling you can let your guard down.  Please believe me when I say you are still in backcountry with all the usual hazards.

I agree with Ross.  That waterfall crossing is pretty scary.  I think there are a few others that you may need to be extra cautious and prepare for during and after heavy rains, or early in the season when much snow is melting.

I have a colleague who volunteers with the Girdwood EMT and I hear many stories of having to rescue people on the Twenty Mile River who bit off more than they could chew. Floating out is not as easy as it sounds.

Etc.