I’m again behind on my writing. It’s been a busy week, and it will be a busy weekend, so I’ll make this one quick.
Last Friday, June 7, I hiked the first four miles of the Upper Chena Dome Trail in the Chena River State Recreation Area. The weekend forecast was for hot weather (mid-80s F on Saturday and Sunday), so I wanted to get a decent hike in before the heat set in.
I had partly cloudy skies and a bit warmer than the forecasted 69°F, but it wasn’t bad. A consistent breeze helped keep me cool.
When I arrived, the trailhead was mostly empty. A couple was getting ready to head up Angel Creek on their ATVs, and two other cars were in the lot. The trail was completely dry the whole way, so I never got my shoes wet or muddy.
Despite it being a relatively short hike, about 4 miles one-way, the elevation gain is steady, gaining 3200 feet in about 3.5 of those 4 miles. There wasn’t much diversity in flora until I started nearing the alpine zone. Down in the valley, the only flowers blooming were Labrador tea (Rhododendron tomentosum) and various flowers of berry subshrubs.
Immediately below the treeline, the ground cover was greener, and the forest floor was littered with arctic lupines (Lupinus arcticus).
The trail becomes much rockier at the tree line, with some rock outcroppings. The terrain becomes gravelly, and the views are outstanding.
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There were possibly numerous species of other dwarf willows, which I haven’t gotten around to editing photos or identifying.
So far, all species are incredibly common, and I’ve seen them in many other areas I hiked earlier this spring. As I pressed on, I encountered a few rarer species, including two I had not yet seen.
That about wraps up the species that bloomed last week on this part of the trail. I didn’t include a few others because they weren’t flowering yet. This was definitely a reminder to spend some time looking down. Many of these species would have very easily been missed if I hadn’t taken my time to wander the tundra slowly. Some of them I only saw when I knelt down to photograph a different flower.
That’s all for now. Hopefully, I’ll have some more photos to share over the next few days. As I said earlier, it was a busy week with work, but I have found a few new species near the house and the gym I’m currently writing articles on. Enjoy a few more landscapes from the Upper Chena Dome Trail!
