Trip Reports

This is a collection of all my trip reports (mostly Alaska), with the most recent first. I’ll try to post all within a couple of days of returning to highlight trail or area conditions as well as any wildlife and flora seen along the way. I’ll include links to the hiking guides when available for more information.

Overnight To The Chimes

Overnight To The Chimes

Our party at the Windchimes near Mt. Prindle In early June, five of us took off for Nome Creek for an overnight trip to Mt. Prindle in the White Mountain National Recreation Area. The plan…

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Tors Weekend

Tors Weekend

Descending the Granite Tors Trail in mixed snow conditions In late May, I spent a couple of days at the Chena River State Recreation Area with Cassidy, Chenoa, and their dogs. I guess it was…

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View of rolling ridges and distant peaks in the White Mountain National Recreation Area, Alaska, under warm evening light. The foreground shows a few small spruce trees on alpine tundra, with low wildflowers scattered across the ground. The hills and sky are lit in soft tones of gold, pink, and violet.

Evening Light at Wickershame Dome

On August 2, I returned to Wickersham Dome after wildfire closures lifted for a quiet, post-work hike. I wandered west of the summit, found ripe blueberries, pulled some moves on a climbable boulder, and watched…
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Dramatic granite rock spires known as the Windchimes rise from a golden-colored mountain ridge. Bright sunlight illuminates the weathered rock formations and surrounding slopes covered in golden alpine vegetation. Dark storm clouds gather in the background sky, while distant mountain valleys are visible through breaks in the weather. The contrast between the sunlit foreground and stormy background creates a striking alpine scene.

Mt. Prindle – With some weather and wind!

A spontaneous Friday afternoon decision leads to Mt. Prindle’s summit through deteriorating weather and thick fog. Calculated risks, orographic lift, and ghostly tors emerging from the mist—captured in photos and video from Alaska’s wildest conditions.
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Golden evening light streams through the clouds above the Granite Tors in interior Alaska, casting long rays across a tundra hillside dotted with black spruce and large granite boulders. A tall, distinct tor formation rises on the right, with rolling green hills and distant snow-capped peaks fading into the horizon. The landscape is partially snow-covered, hinting at late spring conditions. The photo captures the warm, glowing light characteristic of a sunset hike near Fairbanks.

Evening Light at the Granite Tors

A recent evening hike to the Granite Tors revealed better-than-expected trail conditions, striking golden light, and a brief double rainbow. Snow and postholing remain near the upper loop, but the lower trail and Rock Creek…
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Granite Tors West Side

Granite Tors West Side

One of the Welcome Tors at Granite Tors, about 5 miles in on the west side of the loop On Sunday, Cat and I hiked the west side of the Granite Tors loop trail in…

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Murphy Dome Wildflowers

Murphy Dome Wildflowers

Snow arnica was exploding all over Murphy Dome I planned on hiking near Wickersham Dome on Friday, but when I checked the weather radar, it looked like rain and storms were moving into the area….

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Upper Chena Dome Flora

Upper Chena Dome Flora

Looking along the gentle ridge along the Upper Chena Dome Trail at about mile-4 I’m again behind on my writing. It’s been a busy week, and it will be a busy weekend, so I’ll make…

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Nome Creek Wander

Nome Creek Wander

On Saturday, a small crew of a couple of kids and parents from Team Ascension and I headed to the White Mountain National Recreation Area to explore the hills above Nome Creek. It must have…

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Angel Rocks Evening Storms and Flowers

Angel Rocks Evening Storms and Flowers

My first trip was to Angel Rocks on Friday afternoon. The parking lot was fairly empty for what seemed like a beautiful spring/summer afternoon. When I started on the trail, I counted about 15 cars….
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Lower Tors Trail Flora and Fauna

Lower Tors Trail Flora and Fauna

On Monday morning, after Team Ascension’s running club and climbing practice, Cat and I drove out Chena Hot Springs Road to the Granite Tors Trail to take a short walk along the lower trails and…

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The view from the ridge just south of Wickersham Dome. Rain can be seen falling in the valley over the winding Elliott Highway far below while the hillside is showing signs of green-up. Bright sunlight filters in through the dark clouds, illuminating some of the surrounding landscape.

Some photos from home and from Wickersham Dome

Yesterday was a fantastic day of hiking and photography in Alaska. I updated a wildflower guide, captured a black-capped chickadee collecting nest material, and hiked Wickersham Dome, unexpectedly meeting an old friend.
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