Reed Lakes - Hatcher's Pass, Alaska

mid-November, 2014

An unusually snow-less November in Anchorage means extra time for trail running/hiking! (I may be the only one in town trying to find the silver lining on the lack of snow...) This was my first time up to Reed Lakes in Hatcher's pass, which was a stunning and relatively easy climb. The gate at Archangel road was closed so if you do this one in winter, be sure to factor in the extra distance/time.

Distance: 14 miles RT from the Hatcher's Pass road pull-off (9 if you start at the actual trailhead up Archangel)
Elevation change: 1,850 feet to 2nd lake
Note: Factor in time for slow going across a boulder field/creeks toward the end. Easy to post-hole through the snow and ice between rocks/boulders.

 

Elevation 16,152' : Huaytapallana, Peru

Huaytapallana, Peru - August 2014

Photo recap of a beautiful afternoon off exploring the Huancayo area during the Regis University DPT / CMMB Peru trip this year. We were here for work in August and did the relatively short hike in a half-day one Sunday afternoon. Aside from the high altitude (which may or may not have made me choke on lung fluids and hallucinate snow flying on this relatively sunny day), this hike was pretty easy and offered stunning views of glaciers, mountains, lakes and valleys in all directions. The actual summit via glacier traverse has been closed for awhile, but the end point at the glacier base still offers a pretty great end point. We did a loop and stopped at several lakes on the way out, and took the steeper side back down to our starting point, encountering some local cultural ceremonies along the way.  At 16,152 feet, you may want to pop some sorochi (altitude sickness) pills - or acclimatize for a few days beforehand :-) But don't miss this one!