(Disclaimer) This another solo trip with no action shots, just lots of scenery on an epic day.

I haven’t been out in quite a while now as shown by my lack of TRs, so I decided it was time to make good use of my one day off this week and get on it, with or without any partners. I decided it was time to ride Alpenglow mtn, a peak I’ve been scoping out for about 10 years now. Seriously. It’s the highest peak on the Turnagain Arm at 4419. Unfortunately it’s on the other side of the arm and not easily attained. F**k it, I’m going!
It’s a three mile paddle across Turnagain Arm which has the second highest tide in America at 30′. When a new tide comes in every 12.5 hours, it comes in a Bore Tide which can reach up to 6′ high at 15 mph. (It’s kinda crazy)…I opted to paddle in and out at high tides.

High tide was 8:30 am and again at 9:30pm

It took 2 hours to paddle 3 miles fighting tide currents and wind, but I made it! Only to find a WALL of snow to climb.

No big deal, climbed the wall of debris and up an avy chute full trees and chunder to where I could finally skin up and go.

A good look at my destination, finally.


Up to the ridge, the long long ridge.

The obligatory self portrait up high, what a guy.

Once on the ridge, I ran into a “boot” pack that I followed. After a while I ran into these trailblazers cutting the path for me.


I guess it wasn’t a bootpack after all. I mean who else would be crazy enough to come up here? Freagin’ goats, gotta love ’em. So, pushing on. Up up the ridge.

and looking down the ridge and at the arm, Turnagain Arm that is.

FINALLY the peak! 2 hours of paddling and 6.5 hours of hiking.
Looking across to Girdwood (my home) and Alyeska resort.

Looking down the run


and one more shot of the ridgeline up, turnagain arm, and the line down

Back at the bottom celebrating life with a beer!

So that’s it for the the photos. Unfortunately I tried to film my ride, but my camera was pointed directly at the ground and only got a lot of snow. I got to watch the bore tide go by from the top of the mountain which was pretty cool. Then the ride was “variable” with pockets of pow among lots of carvable crust and hard packed avy debris. Towards the bottom it became a fast slush, Very fun. I became elated with my turns and laxadazical about safety concerns. That’s when my sluff hit me and took me out in river of wet snow. I got “Chugached” at the bottom of my run! fortunately I got of it, well actually it stopped, before going over a cliffed out waterfall.
Then it was back to the boat and paddle across again. This time the wind had picked up and the tide was still moving in, not quite high tide yet. And the wind and tide were going in opposite directions, of course. I paddled across 4′ plus whitecapped waves, literally fighting for my life most of the way. I almost got rolled twice, if not more, but I made it out alive and ready to ride another day. Yay! 13.5 hours later I’m at home and EXHAUSTED!!! Thanks for reading this, and I hope you enjoyed it…
I did