Ram to Rumble

Joanna, Zippy and I kicked off our Alaska adventure with a three day backpacking trip over a route practically out my front door. We headed up gorgeous Ram Valley, a hanging valley flowing into Eagle River Valley. We started on a lush, green, wildflower-covered trail, which quickly opened up into tundra and then glacier. We got onto Ram Glacier, scrambling over moraine, snow and ice until we crested Bombardment Pass. From Bombardment Pass we linked up with a goat trail that wound down to Peter's Creek. We set up camp on a tundra-carpeted knoll at the toe of Rumble Peak and at the headwaters of Peter's Creek. In full amphitheater style seven waterfalls cascaded down from glaciers past our camp site to the valley below. Talk about being lulled to sleep by the sound of nature.

On Day 2 we begged Rumble Peak, choosing to turn around about three quarters of the way up the 7,500-foot scramble over scree. Clouds socked us in, eliminating any chance of a view from the peak and we faced two long days ahead: a 22 mile bushwack out Peter's Creek valley July 17 and, for me, the 24-mile Crow Pass race July 18.

After another peaceful night in a tent, Joanna, Zippy and I woke up bright and early to begin our trek through braided rivers and dense brush. I had to be to at a pre-race meeting in Anchorage that evening, so we were on the clock and booking it ... it's a wonder Joanna and Zippy willingly went out into the backcountry again with me only a few days later. It must have been the jagged peaks, vibrant blooms and rushing water that won them over.

Pretty peaks and cool currents

A couple of weeks ago Brad and I headed up Ram Valley - possibly my favorite place in all of the Chugach and it's in my backyard - and then dropped down the other side into the Peter's Creek drainage.

We packrafted the upper portion of Peter's Creek - before becoming exhausted from portaging through thick brush around fallen logs every five to 10 minutes. We eventually packed the rafts up and hiked the five-ish miles out back to the Peter's Creek trail head.

Peter's Creek was running swift, but shallow - creating for much more technical conditions than I had experienced on the Chickaloon River the week prior. The first little bit shook me up pretty good - I flipped the boat and wrapped around a rock in two separate incidents - all the while trying to teach Zippy that it would be a much better idea to run along the side of the river, rather than swim the rapids behind me - a concept that never completely registered.

After a break to catch my breath and get my wits about me, the remaining section of river went much, much better. I started avoiding holes, or at least hitting them nose first, and became much better and pulling up to shore and hopping out quickly enough to stop myself from washing down river.

All told, we were out for about 11 hours. The beer and Mexican cuisine afterward, at the only place open at 10:30 p.m. on a Sunday night in Eagle River, proved to be mighty delicious.

Again, many thanks go to Brad for inviting me to join him on such a spectacular excursion.

Heading up Ram

The view as we worked our way up the ridge

A closeup

Brad enjoying the blue sky day

Zippy coming to make sure I was staying up with the crew

The pups cooling off in a snow patch

Looking from the ridge down into the Peter's Creek drainage

Heading down toward Peter's Creek

Our river of choice

All smiles as we prepared to get on the current