Kesugi Ridge Report, part I

Over the long weekend, the girls and I took three days to hike the Kesugi Ridge Trail with several other members of the Fairbanks Area Hiking Club. And once again, I took way too many photos (111, whittled down to 46 for your viewing pleasure), and will post them gradually.

In looking over the photos, I've come to realize that all hikers and backpackers will skew their photo posting toward easier parts of a hike, because that is the only time they have the presence of mind to get out their cameras! No-one will pull out a camera while stumbling down a hillside or wading through boot-sucking mud! So photo journals are always biased toward the positive. Oh well; if it attracts more people to the outdoors, then so much the better! :)

We started the hike with a climb to the ridge. We climbed and climbed. And then climbed some more:


The fall colors were out in force:


We could see the glaciated peaks across the highway from us:


Autumn looking regal while taking a breather:


Dowgs!


Linden is remarkably photogenic and rarely looks as gooberdy in photos as she does in person:


A lake way down below:


We could see more of the glaciers as we climbed higher:


This pebble traversal was a pain in the arse:


Even the traversals weren't easy, requiring descent down to the many creeks and then reclimbing:

The upside is that there was fresh water aplenty from the sparkling clean, rain-and-snow-fed creeks, and it was nice to be able to pack very little water and travel relatively light. My water filter, for your reference, weighs um... well, something very little as it's all made of plastic!

The colors of the tundra were breathtakingly beautiful:


Finally, the we are done climbing and ready for the ridge traversal!


But then the rain came, so nothing is ever perfect. Here is a rainbow:


We could see the discrete spots of rain on the opposite ridge:


Another glowing tundra shot:


Another ravine we crossed:


Of course, the ridge that we were not on was bathed in sunlight, while we trudged along in our rain gear:


As we set up our first night's camp, Denali made a brief appearance:


And that's enough Kesugi Ridge reportage for today! Parts II and III are here and here, respectively.