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Re: [OM] Path and Wet Leaves

Subject: Re: [OM] Path and Wet Leaves
From: Ken Norton <ken@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Thu, 1 Oct 2020 07:42:40 -0800
> Yes, definitely not sharp enough. I can barely see that ant on the leaf in 
> the distance.

At least it wasn't a bear crossing the trail. I almost always
encounter a bear or fresh scat on this trail. They tend to bed down
for the night right around there. This trail runs closer to the edge
of the valley and dances its way around the base of the mountain.
There are numerous winter dens right around there too.


> I can't imagine getting any work done this time of year in AK.

It has been rough. I will admit that. The colors have been epic this
year. Much better than normal.


> The trail looks a bit slippery?

Yes. It was raining when I took the picture. I made the mistake of
wearing my trail running shoes instead of the hiking boots. While the
normal trails are typical hardpack or gravel/rock, this one has a lot
of exposed roots. In these wet conditions with the leaves on the
ground, it was actually quite treacherous, so I took the cutoff and
got back to the main trail. The 2-miles section I avoided would have
messed me up. I love my trail running shoes, but they are horrible for
wet roots as there is no ankle support. And with the waterproof hiking
boots, I can just stomp my way through the puddles like a little kid.

As to the trail conditions? This is ALASKA! In the Anchorage area we
have hundreds of miles of trails of everything from paved bicycle
trails to technical rock climbing where you have to rope in. This
trail is maintained, but not suitable for footwear other than hiking
boots. In the winter, I do snowshoe this trail. For the most part, the
trail does mostly avoid avalanche areas, but one must always be aware
of what is up above you.

I'm pretty picky about that. There are a lot of really wonderful
trails that can be hiked, skied, or snow-shoed year-round, but they
are often in high-risk areas. It's not at all uncommon to encounter
avalanche damage or hear/see one in the distance. The Hatcher Pass is
one of those spots that is a massive off-piste ski, snowmobiling and
snowboarding area. The entire area is just one big avalanche that
happens one slope at a time. While not required by law, the standard
is that you wear both transmitter and the airbag thingy. People die
every year, but we just chalk it up to a Darwin Thing.

Ernest Hemingway: “There are only three sports: bullfighting, motor
racing, and mountaineering; all the rest are merely games.”

AK Schnozz
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