Complete Silence

My hike today saw me walk first on Dan Moller Trail and then on Treadwell Ditch Trail over on Douglas Island, and it included consistant and gradual climbing throughout my trip out.  This picture was taken after some particularly steep climbing about 2.5 hours after I first entered the trail system.

A couple of pictures taken from a residential area adjacent to the trailhead on Douglas Island.  I had climbed a little to this point (away from Douglas Highway) as I made my way to the trailhead of Dan Moller Trail.  By the time I arrived at the trailhead, I had taken off my gloves, hat, neck warmer, and rain shell jacket and stashed them in my pack.

These types of bear-proof garbage containers are everywhere in the area - the only type you will find that are provided by the city.  You have to push up and in on a latch on the handle to open the container (not only bear-proof but also Tennessee-native proof for a couple of minutes the first go around)

As usual, Dan Moller began as an ice-free pine needle and moss covered trail

And very quickly turned into an icy and then snow-covered trail

What is says in my trailbook about the Dan Moller Trail:  a 20 minute walk takes you to a series of nice meadows with flowers in the spring, berries in the late summer and fall, and cross country skiing in the winter.  Most of the trail consists of planks over the muskeg, and there is an excellant variety of wildflowers.....

As I continued on Dan Moller I could see small sections of the planks the trail book had told me about, but at this time of year these planks are primarily covered in ice and snow.  I came to many wide open areas in my travels on this trail, and tried to picture the wildflowers that would be in these areas in just a few months.

Regardless, the mountain views and the alpine forest that I was now walking in were beautiful in that winter-wonderland way you find when you dare to travel the backcountry (which is what this trail became very very quickly) this time of year.  A beautiful place.

And suddenly, and unexpectedly, I found an entire section of the trail that was almost entirely snow and ice-free, and I could appreciate just how extensive this plank trail actually was.  I can't wait to visit again next season.

Not too long onto the trail I came to an expected intersection - that of Dan Moller and Treadwell Ditch.  I had planned on trying to reach the Dan Moller Cabin (which according to my trail book was 3 miles from the trailhead).  I wasn't entirely certain that I would make it because the ice and snow was more extensive than I had expected (and getting more so, the further into the trail that I travelled), but that was the goal when I had first set out.

Treadwell Ditch intersected with Dan Moller, and according to my book I was supposed to stay straight.  Straight was up a steep hill, and with deep snow, and there was no real obvious trail.  But I went ahead anyway - climbing on a steep hill, and stepping into snow that went up to my hip when I fell through (which I did often).  I got to the top of the hill and there was still no obvious trail, there were no footprints, and what "may" have been a trail turned east according to my compass, which was not the direction I wanted to travel.  No......time to rethink the plan.  I decided as I headed back down that I would just do some of Treadwell Ditch.

Treadwell Ditch was obviously a busy cross-country and snow mobile trail, and was smooth and flat (although the soft-packed snow felt like I was walking in sand - hard work but a good workout, so I didn't mind).

And within just a couple of minutes of being on Treadwell Ditch I saw a small sign that read "Dan Moller Cabin" 2 miles.  ????  I was surprised to see that sign because I was clearly on Treadwell Ditch, and it definately did not make sense based on the map I had studied in the trail book before I left.  But I decided to not be goal oriented at that point.  I was just going to walk, and resolved to enjoy the day, enjoy taking pictures and not get lost.  Those seemed like reasonable goals for somone walking alone in the backcountry of Alaska in winter.

I climbed steadily for another couple of hours - walking in the "sand give" of the snow-filled trail.  My lungs were screaming, my breathing was labored, my legs were tired, and I was loving every single minute of it.

Eventually I had climbed high enough and far enough that I found fresh snow on the pine trees and on the trail.  I was becoming both thirsty and hungry, and I was truly in the middle of alpine mountains.  After a very steep and long section I came to an intersection on the trail.  The snow was deep enough and new enough, that at this point I was not certain what was actually a real trail and what were simply snow mobile off-shoots through open areas.  I stopped to eat and drink, to put a jacket and gloves back on, and also to consider my next move.  I couldn't see any trail blazes on the trees, nor could I see either pink flagging tape (that I had seen off and on for the last hour), nor could I see a cabin.  I decided at that point to head back before I took any chances on wandering.........

I was briefly disappointed at not finding the cabin, but now knowing the area, and in this snowy dreamland, it was not totally unexpected.  And then when I turned around and saw the view I was no longer disappoined.  How could I be???  This is by far my favorite trail experience to date.  The views are majestic.  And when you walk this trail you are truly away from civilization.  After my breathing how slowed down and I really had a chance to appreciate what was around me, I also became aware of the fact that I could hear absolutely NOTHING.  No wind.  No water.  No birds.  No planes.  No traffic.  No people.  Complete silence.

And it was all downhill on the way back!!