Juneau Ridge - It's Just Walking

Let’s skip right over the fact that I haven’t written a new blog post for almost three years and talk about what matters right now – I am writing a new blog post with no excuses for a long absence. I’ve been busy, o.k.?

I am still hiking and skiing and biking and kayaking and taking photos and continuing to do all of the outdoor activities that I’ve done for the past 45+ years in Juneau. None of that has changed. I just haven’t taken the time to write about it, despite requests from friends and strangers. Yesterday at the far end of the Juneau ridge I encountered a very pleasant hiker named David who said he’d read and enjoyed several of the pieces I’ve written. For some reason that tipped me over the edge – figuratively, not literally! – and here I am.

I’ve written about hiking the Juneau ridge in late spring when there was still quite a bit of snow above tree line. That is truly one of the best ways to enjoy that hike. Glissading down the snow into Granite Creek basin is not only the next best thing to skiing, it cuts a large chunk of time off of the otherwise long descent off of the mountain.

Yesterday’s hike was 100% snow free due to our unusually warm dry weather of the past few weeks. For a Juneau hiker who thrives in the cool misty rain, the hot sunny weather has been a bit of a challenge for me. With that in mind, I got an early start, parking the car at the Perseverance trailhead a little after 8 a.m. (Hey, come on, I’m retired. I don’t really do 5 or 6 a.m. starts.) This still gave me plenty of time to climb up before it became too hot or buggy. I had to do a quick backtrack after the first five minutes when I remembered that I hadn’t locked the car – yikes! – but that meant running into an old friend who was jogging on Basin Road and who graciously walked with me for about a half mile, helping me get started on my solo hike with pleasant conversation and memories of days gone by when we were both young and could hike forever without getting tired.

Honestly, the most challenging part of hiking the Juneau ridge is not the ridge itself – it’s grinding your way up the (expletive deleted) Mt. Juneau trail. Despite all the many wonderful improvements that trail workers have made over the years, it’s still a steady, steep elevation gain, rising to over 3,500’ in just a few short miles. Whether you are hiking the ridge or not, it’s always a good idea to get started before the sun beats down too strongly on the mountainside. Even with a morning start, by the time you get above tree line and start to encounter a little bit of a breeze, you feel like you’ve been sweating in a steam bath.

The hike up was pretty straightforward, not too many people on the way other than two different groups of people I knew who were also planning to do the ridge and a pair of strong young men pushing mountain bikes up who planned on riding the ridge. The worst part was over and done before I knew it.

Right before I reached the summit, a helicopter deposited a small group of hikers on the top of the ridge. I’m not sure I’d be willing to pay hundreds of dollars – or whatever it costs – to save myself a couple hours or less of hiking. I consider the climb to the summit to be a warm-up to the ridge and somehow it wouldn’t feel the same if I was suddenly whisked up there. At least that’s what I tell myself. I was proud of my dirty, sweaty legs and stinky clothes as I smiled and hiked past them. I was going to take a quick break at the top but decided to put it off until I got far enough along so that I felt more committed to the ridge. So far, my legs felt good and it was such a relief to get off of the trail to the summit that I thought I could push on without stopping.

As I went along the first little bump in the ridge, I reached into my pack for some quick energy in the form of the perfect trail food – half of a Snickers bar. After the first bump, it was a classic case of “Well, I’ve made it this far without stopping, I may as well go a little further.” The weird thing about the Juneau ridge is the so-called summit of Mt. Juneau is one of the lower points on the ridge. It continues to meander through rocks and alpine meadows that climb up until you reach a high point of over 3,800’ at the far end above Granite Creek basin. What made it seem so easy was the perfect conditions – dry firm trail, light breeze, incredible views and not another hiker in sight. I know the ridge so well that I was completely relaxed as I hiked, hardly thinking about where I was going to go next or wondering about what lay ahead.

I covered up from the sun before I started along the length of the ridge. I wear a super lightweight, long-sleeve shirt and a baseball cap and reapply sunscreen on my face and legs so I don’t get burned or sick from the sun. The very first time I hiked the Juneau ridge back in the 70’s it was another brilliantly hot sunny day and I was young and stupid. The fancy sunscreens we have now were not yet invented. We actually used zinc oxide on our lips and noses when we felt the need to protect our skin on the glacier or the icefield, but didn’t think much about it when just hiking the local trails. I spent that long-ago day in a tank top, shorts, and no hat and I drank very little water. Carrying drinking water seemed silly because we were surrounded by small creeks and streams on the mountainside. We took regular skinny dip breaks in every pond along the way, and that certainly didn’t help with protecting my skin! By the end of the day I was severely sunburned and alternately shaking with the chills and sweating with fever when I got home. Lucky for me that my housemate was a nurse who recognized the signs of sun poisoning and gave me the care I needed.

Over forty years later I am much older and hopefully wiser. I stayed covered up above tree line and drank water all day long from the hydration system in my small pack. The Snickers bar kept me going all the way to the end of the ridge. I kept looking to see if I could spot any of the hikers I knew were following behind me, but there was no one. For the first time in several years I didn’t encounter hikers or runners coming from the Granite Creek side either, so I enjoyed a quiet lovely hour or so walking along the ridge.

Right about the time I decided to truly stop and take a real break before dropping into Granite Creek, I was startled to see a fit looking hiker with a dog appear close behind me! We shared some pleasant conversation and, as I mentioned at the start, he gave me the nudge I needed to write again. Thanks, David! I watched him as he continued his own hike, and although he didn’t seem to be walking at a particularly fast pace, he soon disappeared from sight. I think he may have been a stealth runner.

I took my time dropping down into Granite Creek basin, reluctant as always to leave the high alpine country behind. It is so magical up on the ridge with views of giant granite icefield peaks as far away as Canada and colorful tiny mountain flowers at your feet. At this time of year, the patches of snow had completely melted and sparkling pools of bright blue water dotted the ridge. Looking down on the trail winding into Granite Creek always reminds me of scenes from The Lord of the Rings, and it wouldn’t surprise me at all to spot Legolas running swiftly across the mountain heather. Sometimes in the middle of winter I even dream about this one particular stretch of trail, that special place between the high country and the lowlands where it seems like something magical can happen.

Something magical did happen as I entered the lush green upper basin and found fields of pink magenta River Beauty (also known as Dwarf Fireweed) stretching across the landscape. I knew that I was on track for a fast hiking pace, but I managed to stop several times and try to photograph a scene that would soon disappear with the stretch of cooler weather and cold rain that was forecast for that

night.

I began to encounter hikers coming up from the Granite Creek side, and it was especially nice because I knew just about everyone that I saw. The Juneau ridge is a great solo hike, because you are really never alone. I probably saw and talked to as many friends as I would see at a small social gathering! Another wonderful aspect of coming out from Granite Creek was the significant trail improvements along the way. Trails crews have put down gravel and boards in the muddy spots and brushed and widened much of the route, making it much easier to get out to Perseverance Trail for the final two miles to the end.

Although my trail running days are mostly behind me, I can still manage an easy 10-minute mile jog downhill. As one of the elite mountain runners in town once said, “The faster you go, the faster you’re done!” So, when I hit Perseverance Trail, I switched into a slightly faster gear. I had to briefly stop and wash my muddy legs. I also needed to clean the patch of skin that brushed against Cow Parsnip, which can result in a nasty rash if you don’t rinse the area in cold water within twenty minutes.

Despite all the delays taking photos and washing up, and without the added speed of glissading down the now-melted snow gullies off the end of the ridge, I still made it back to the car in about 6 hours flat, a new personal record! I’m happy that my fitness level is holding steady without maintaining anything like a real training plan. One friend that I saw as I hiked out of Granite Creek said to me “Wow, you did the ridge! That’s amazing!” I replied “Thanks, but you know, it’s just walking!”

If you know how to walk, bring plenty of water, carry the right snacks and dress properly for the weather, the Juneau ridge is a great place to do your first ridge hike on a sunny day. The route is straightforward in good weather, with a well-worn path that is fairly easy to follow. Just stay on the ridge to the end until you see a definite trail that starts to traverse along the side and follow it down into Granite Creek basin. Once you are in the basin, just keep to the small trail that leads out and before you know it, you are back in the land of day hikers, joggers and mountain bikers on Perseverance trail. Maybe I will see you out there!