Lake Clark National Park
May 26-June 1, 2024
Day 1
This trip is making up for a cancelled flight last summer which was only going to be one day. This excursion was seven days of camping, hiking and kayaking as part of a packaged deal with a guide service and both of my adult children were able to join me. We met up in the Anchorage airport baggage claim area for a nap as there was not enough time to justify a hotel room. Gear check in and repacking into dry bags was next and then a shuttle to Merril Field for a smaller plane. We also met the fourth member of our group who is a teacher from Florida. I got my first mosquito bites of the trip on my knuckles and looked like I was in a boxing match. The weather was nice, so the pilot took us very low over the winding river valley through the mountains to Port Alsworth. The beauty of this flight was amazing with glaciers and snowy mountains on either side of us. It was surprising to see so many oil drilling platforms in the Cook Inlet before we disappeared into the mountains. Landing on a gravel airstrip, we then changed to a small float plane to take us to Twin Lakes. The spot on lower lake where the guide normally camps was ice as was most of the upper lake, so we landed in an area he had never camped before. We set up camp just off the rocky beach in the squishy moss/lichen tundra. There were a few scattered spruce trees in the area, so the bathroom (bucket) area was designated behind those. My son decided that playing with lake ice was a great idea. He knocked a big chunk loose that became an iceberg that floated off to join its kin at the other end of the lake.
Day 2
Although the sun went behind the mountains, it never got all the way dark at night. It was kind of like dusk for about 5 hours before the sun peeped out again to join the reflection on the still lake. The birds were busy calling out from an early hour, especially the willow ptarmigan that sound like they are laughing at us. We saw numerous birds including the ptarmigans, great horned owl, loons, eiders, chickadees, gulls and artic terns. After blowing up the kayaks, we paddled around the lake a bit and stopped for a hike up Emerson creek to the falls. We had to detour due to thick snow and ice and it was confusing because the creek was hidden under rocks so we could not see where it entered the lake. There were lots of prints and other signs of bears, dall sheep and moose along the trail but no animals actually seen. A tuft of fur was left behind on a tree that a coastal brown bear (grizzly) ripped up. The mosquitos attacked in full force at the falls, so we had to break out the head netting. It did not do much good as they bit through clothing. It was fun to watch the floating ice advancing and retreating on the lake with the winds throughout the day.
Day 3
The wind changed directions, so we needed to move camp or we might get the ice at our end of the lake and be stuck. We already had ice on our tents both mornings at this location. We broke down camp, packed everything on the kayaks and paddled a couple miles to a new spot. We got a rocky start as my son and the teacher lost a hat and water bottle, had to circle around to fetch them. Then their rudder was stuck and not working properly. The guide had to tow them to shore to fix the rudder. My daughter and I had no issues paddling except it was into a headwind, so we were a bit sore. Our home for the next three nights was at Hope Campground. It has a few tent sites, trails and an outhouse, way better than using the bucket. Luckily, my son was still wearing his waders from the paddle when he fell in the lake that still had ice along the edges. He lost his balance while trying to skip rocks. The sun came out and it warmed up enough in the afternoon for me to wash my hair in the creek next to camp. Very cold water but it was good to feel a bit cleaner. The only animals we saw today were a herd of dall sheep on the mountain side across the lake.
Day 4
The only sounds this morning were squirrels in the campground. Our part mountain goat guide said it was a “gradual” hike up to the Eye of the Needle. I ended up pulling a glut muscle going up the rather steep sections. We made it to a big snowy patch that covered the trail and post holed it across to the other side. The guy from Florida was having issues with the steep drop off nature of the trail and could not go any further so we turned around which was fine as it was very windy, cold and rain/snow mix coming down. Crowberries provided a nice snack while on the trail. We were high enough up to see that all of the ice had melted on the lake due to the nice weather yesterday afternoon. Back at camp we spotted a large black bear on the hillside and watched him for several hours. More entertainment was provided by three harlequin ducks. The extra male duck was not welcome but followed the mated pair around the lake for a long time before giving up and going his own way.
Day 5
It rained most of the night but cleared up in time for us to paddle around the corner of the lake to visit Dick Proenneke’s cabin. The Park Rangers were not out yet for the season (ice and winds) so the cabin was locked but we could look in the windows and wander around his homestead. We followed caribou tracks on the trail up to tilting rock (a large boulder that teeters) and saw several rock ptarmigans including one perched on a rock. After eating lunch by Hope creek and getting scolded by a resident merlin, we explored and saw three other nearby cabins (Hope, Spike and Weiser) and continued up the lakeshore until the wind and rain got a bit much. We came back via a game trail with willows smacking me in the shins. The only bigger bird was a spruce grouse hanging out in a spruce tree.
Day 6
We packed up camp and waited for the float plane to pick us up. The pilot was the first person we had seen since we were dropped off at the lake. Back at Port Alsworth, we got our cabins at the lodge. The hot water was not working yet as we were the first guests of the season. I was desperate for a shower, so I did not wait. The cold water was still warmer than the lake water. In the afternoon, we took a hike up to Tanalian Falls which was impressive even though our guide said it was the least amount of water flowing he had ever seen. The gray jays were numerous and playful at the falls. The lodge fed us an amazing dinner and we were all grateful for the squash side dish after camping all week with limited veggies.
Day 7
Our last day included a visit to the NPS visitor center and a hike on a new trail that connected to the trail we did yesterday. There were fresh mama moose and calf tracks in the mud and the trail led to a nice view of the Tanalian river. My knee was getting a bit sore from hiking over 20 miles in a week, so I was glad it was our last trail. The flight back to Anchorage was a bit bumpy in the small plane so the pilot kept our altitude higher than the one going to Lake Clark. It was still beautiful being surrounded by mountains.
