Hiking in Chugach State Park

What a great surprise to meet this trip’s guide Charlie whom we had as a guide in Utah 3 years prior. Charlie remains one of our favourites of all time. It’s a great omen for the trip. We travelled along the Alaskan highway from Anchorage to Seward, destined for Chugach State Park. I love the trees and snow-capped mountains looming in the background. The train tracks of the Alaskan Railway skirted the waters edge of the Gulf of Alaska. We passed Beluga Bay and did not see any whales but were able to sight some white hillside mountain goats. We took a 6.2 mile (10 km) challenging but rewarding hike on the Crow Pass Trail to Crystal Lake, nestled in the alpine meadows. Talk about diving right in. It was steep in places and there was lots of shale from recent landslides. Wet from on and off rain and tired from navigating the “shale trail” we headed to picturesque Resurrection Bay to our tiny loft cabins which would be our home for the next 3 nights. We shared our room with new friends Jim and Jenn.Read more