A few years ago I went to the base of Windy Arch in BLM’s White Mountains in the winter. I had to turn around as Eddy the dog was having trouble on the steep hard pack. I had wanted to go back in the summer, and finally got a chance this spring!
Nome Creek road was closed for construction, so we hiked in from the Wickersham Dome trail…
Where some smoke jumpers were brushing out the trail – which was a huge improvement!!!
Such an improvement – from last year..
And approximately the same area after getting brushed out by the jumpers..
There were signs of last year’s fire..
And a bit of recovery..
We floated a bit of Beaver Creek, camped, and the next morning floated down to near Wolf Run Cabin.
Then hiked up to Windy Arch!
Photo complements of Peter D.
It was very hot – 85f in the shade??
We camped in the Limestone Jags – so beautiful!
And the off-trail walking was the best I have ever experienced in Alaska – fantastic game trails, and wonderful dry streambed walking!
We had a bit of a slog when we had to skip our plan to hike the ridges back to Beaver Creek.. but it wasn’t horrible, just not great..
And it did end.. yay!
The last day we hiked the Summit Trail out, dodging thunderstorms, and just making it out before a big one came in. A few days later, the whole area was closed due to two fires likely started by those storms. Summer in Alaska alas!
This trip was a blast, but if I was to do it again (which I might, it the better parts were really scenic! ) – I would float from ophir creek campground to where Fossil Creek enters Beaver Creek, hike up into the Jags, then out either over Cache Mt or the divide. That would mostly have good walking, and miss the tussock slogs part.
I hope everyone is enjoying summer!
Tags: beaver creek, caribou bluff cabin, packrafting, stub, white mountains, windy arch, wolf run cabin