Door No. 2
"The life you have led does not need to be the only life you have." -Anna Quindlen

Near

You don't have to spend loads of time and money to experience something amazing.  Sometimes an adventure is just outside your door.  These are some of the beautiful things that we have found, here in our own little corner of the world. 

You don't have to spend loads of time and money to experience something amazing.  Sometimes an adventure is just outside your door.  These are some of the beautiful things that we have found, here in our own little corner of the world. 

April Bowl

Alaska has SO. MUCH. to OFFER.  Even in our immediate vicinity - a borough the size of West Virginia which accounts for less than 4% of the state's land mass - there is an impossible number of trails to hike, peaks to crest, and valleys to view from above.  We have been here almost 4 years now and there are still many things on our Alaska Bucket List.  So when our friends come to visit it can be difficult to decide what to do in the few short days they are with us.  We often opt for things that get the most "bang for your buck" or things that are not found elsewhere in the states.  This means relatively short hikes with excellent views.  April Bowl is actually a fairly popular hike in Hatcher’s Pass State Rec Area, but for some reason it had remained hidden from us until we discovered it almost by accident one day with our friend Nick when he came to visit back in July. 

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The road you see in the photo above goes 26 miles through to the town of Willow on the other side.  The road is not maintained and is only open from July through September each year.  About a mile in, just around the bend at the furthest point you can see in the photo, lies Summit Lake and the April Bowl trailhead at the highest point of the pass - an elevation of 3,886 feet. 

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This particular day was quite overcast with low hanging clouds, but the sun was threatening to break through in areas and we were hopeful that we would still get some views of the valley and surrounding area.  It turned out better than we could have hoped - from the ridge line we were treated to views of the Mat-su valley covered in a soft billowy blanket of clouds with peaks piercing through, and wispy whimsical clouds overhead.  

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The trail begins at the parking lot and travels up along the ridge line that you see in the right side of the photo above, and around the bowl to the point where this panorama was captured.  From there you can either go back the way you came or, like we did, continue on towards the left of the photo and down to Summit Lake below.  In total, the trail takes you up 800 feet from the lake over the course of 1.2 miles with 360 degree views nearly every step of the way. 

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Here's to discovering new favorites in your backyard, and bringing to life your dreams of spending a day above the clouds. 

Alaska, HikingNicole Tombersalaska, hiking, hatcher pass, clouds, mountains, landscapes, april bowl, summit lakeComment