The Joy of Sharing Alaska’s Gems

I love it when family and friends visit me here in Anchorage because it means I get to share my new world with them.  Because I don’t start work until September, I’ve had lots of time to play tour guide.  And of course, there’s no better time to experience Alaska than in summer:  the days are endless, the weather is incredible (most of the time), and all of Alaska is filled with energy and life.

Picnic at Eklutna Lake

When my sister came up to Anchorage for a visit, I was thrilled to show her around.  On her first day, we decided to check out Eklutna Lake, which I’d heard about from several of my friends but not yet had a chance to visit.   The lake was created as the Eklutna Glacier receded, and is fed by glacial and freshwater streams.  Although it’s a fairly popular place among the locals from Anchorage, I was surprised to find that we had this 7-mile long lake almost entirely to ourselves.

After eating a picnic lunch, we meandered along the lakeside trail for a few miles, where we stumbled across this colorful stash of kayaks.

Hiking the Crow Pass Trail

As soon as she told me she was coming to Anchorage, I knew I wanted to take Audrey on the Crow Pass Trail.  The 8 mile round trip hike to the pass isn’t particularly strenuous, but it gives you a glimpse into the raw, wild beauty of Alaska’s Chugach Mountains.

In fact, when we made the trek during our trip to Alaska last fall, Nathan and I were so blown away by the scenery that we decided to have our wedding pictures taken at the Forest Service cabin located near the pass.

The cabin is perched alongside the glacial blue waters of Crystal Lake in a basin surrounded by jagged mountains on all sides.

We found a suitable boulder to sit on while we ate our picnic lunch.  As we ate, we did our best to keep the dogs from chasing after a marmot that teased them from across the basin. 

After lunch, we hiked another half mile or so to the top of Crow Pass, where the first of many glaciers is finally visible.

There is just something so magical about glaciers, isn’t there?

After soaking in the view for a while, we decided to head back to our car.  We took the steeper, more direct route back to the trailhead, which lead us by a magnificent waterfall that cuts through a deep, rocky gorge.  The only downside of this alternate trail was that we had to navigate across a swiftly moving stream, which meant getting our feet wet.  Still, I think my sister would agree it was worth it.  It’s all part of the Alaskan experience!

The Most Scenic Place to Enjoy a Beer

After our hike, we drove to the nearby town of Girdwood, where we took the tram up to Mount Alyeska.

The view from the top is amazing, to say the least.  I can’t believe this is where we’ll be skiing this winter!

We were hungry from our hike, so we decided to grab a bite to eat at Seven Glaciers—which got its name because seven glaciers are visible from inside the restaurant.  And I have to say that I’ll probably never drink a beer with a better view.