Palmer Colony Christmas

April Bowl Hike At Hatcher Pass

The view from the parking lot

Walking up the trail 

View of Summit Lake from the trail 

Views in the April Bowl of the two lakes

 The trail continues but we didn't go onto the narrow and steep portion of the trail that leads to Hatch Mountain. We did walk a little farther which are the above views.

Eklutna Tail Race

Eklutna Tail Race is one of my favorite places to take photos in the winter. The winter whites contrasted with the turquoise waters is just too beautiful!

There's also a trail that runs parallel to the water (across the bridge). I'm not sure how far it goes back but there's lakes and and pretty scenery to be seen and the girls love to look for all the beaver activity.

Sledding At Hatcher Pass

 We went sledding at the Independence Bowl. There's $5 fee for parking in the lower Independence Mine parking lot. There are other areas to park throughout the Hatcher Pass area for free, but in this specific place you can sled or ski without worry of getting run over by a snow machine. You might get run over by an out-of-control sledder - that hill is crazy! - but if you stay sharp, follow slediquette (make sure there's no one above you ready to go), and stay on the right side of the poles, you should be good to go!

Gold Cord Lake Trail

Gold Cord Lake trail is a moderate trail, fairly easy for kids. A little bit of warning, we did hike this one time with someone who doesn't like heights and she suffered a bit of vertigo on parts of the trail. She still made it to the end okay but it's something to think about if someone in your party isn't a fan of heights. The trail starts from the upper parking lot at the Independence Mine. The trailhead is marked and the trail is well-defined. There is some parts that go over a boulder field but someone has come in and made "stairs" from the rocks so it's not a scramble. The lake is a gorgeous shade of turquoise and we saw several people who brought blow up rafts to paddle around the lake on.

For more information on Gold Cord Lake click here.

Cottonwood Creek - Scout Ridge Trail

Green Up! That exciting day when you wake up and the world is green again. We even found some flowers on our hike.

Scout Ridge trail is part of Palmer Hayflats and is in the Cottonwood Creek area. There is a wooden overlook at the beginning which is wheelchair and stroller accessible. The rest of the trail is not. There's only one steep-ish hill but otherwise it's mostly flat. The trail is a loop with both ends connecting to the parking lot. This is a great trail for birds, the last time we went we got to see some eagles up close and this time it was ptarmigan. You can also hear all kinds of birdsong and calls over the hayflats. There was only a few patches of easily avoidable mud.

 For more information on Scout Ridge trail click here.

Musk Ox Farm

First off, I'll admit that my photos are a bit misleading. The animals are surrounded by tall fencing and you're not supposed to get too close to the fence. These pictures are courtesy of a long lens. :) 

There is a guided tour that takes you through the farm. I don't know what individual tours are like but we went with a group and it was about 20-30 minutes long. If you go when it first opens (May 3rd this year) there is a good chance of seeing babies. The musk oxen (or oomingmak) aren't dangerous but apparently they get a little skittish around animals that are shorter than them, ie children. There's a herd hierarchy and they might want to test your place in the herd which is why staying back from the fences is important. You don't want the animals to think you are looking for a dominance battle. Or maybe you do, I don't know your life. But it's frowned upon to antagonize the animals. :)

For more information on the Musk Ox farm click here.

Twin Peaks Trail and Eklutna Lake

One of these trips I'll make it to the end of the Twin Peaks trail. :) This trail is no joke with a toddler on your back! It's a moderate hike, there is no scrambling or anything but it's uphill the entire way and never really lets up. The trail was mostly dry with only a few patches of easily avoidable mud. Our group stopped at the large rock (really the first place with a good view of the lake) which made it a 4 mile roundtrip hike. We had a 3-year-old and a 4-year-old with us and they both hiked this fairly easily although it did get better once we had a snack. :)

For more information on Twin Peaks trail click here.

Reflections Lake

This was a hike with Hike It Baby. The trail is mostly flat with alternate routes for those in wheelchairs or with strollers. It was very muddy in places. New to the trail is an observation tower that looks out over the Palmer Hay Flats. The first level has a ramp that leads to a viewing area so it's stroller/wheelchair-friendly. There's two sets of stairs if you want to get an even higher view. The tower is on the opposite side of the lake from the information kiosk.

If it's photographing the aptly named Reflections Lake you're after, I suggest as close to sunrise/sunset as possible. Not only are the colors from the reflected peaks prettier, the water tends to be calmer during those times of day.

For more information on Reflections Lake click here.
For more information on Hike It Baby click here.