Kelley - Kenai Mountains Peak Bagging 2005

Kenai Mountains Peak Scrambling In September of 2004, Trond Jensen and I tried to climb a cluster of three peaks to the east of Moose Pass and the Falls Creek drainage. We only summited one of the three peaks that day. On August 14, 2005 we went back to this area, on a crystal clear and hot day, with Cory Smith and Toby Schwoerer and climbed the other two peaks. These peaks were not technical climbs - the challenge was the 26 miles and 9000 feet of climbing needed to get them. And as Cory was with us ... you know you can get a great double dose of web-photojournalism for this trip, see: http://www.xcskiracer.com/gallery/10hours Photos by Tim Kelley

A hunters' 4-wheeler trail, on a old mining road bed, leads through the brush up into the Falls Creek Valley.	Here an old bulldozer blade, abandoned from gold mining days gone by, has been dragged into the trail to inhibit 4-wheeler access.	A primitive 4-wheeler trail leads up to brush line. Falls Creek Pass is to the right of the peak at the end of the valley.

This rock outcrop is home to some very feisty marmots. During a climbing trip with Wiley Bland a while back I left a 44 magnum on this rock. When I came back the gun was gone from where I had placed it. I found it 100 feet away and the rubber handgrip was all chewed up by these crazy critters. So watch out when you hike here - the marmots are likely armed and sporting attitudes!!!	Pausing before crossing the small glacier at the end of the pass.	Nearing the top of the glacier at Falls Creek Pass. The drainage we came up is in the background.

At the pass Cory takes in the view.	And this (above) is what he sees ...

While descending into the valley to the east - we realize that no one will end up starving here.	We hiked beneath this unnamed (climbed in the 60's) 6000'+ peak. It has some impressive glaciers draping off its north and west sides.

When I saw this shot in the making I knew it was going to be a good one. So I said to Trond and Cory: "Hey - You guys will owe me for this shot! $25 a piece!!" Guys - I take checks, cash or PayPal !! ;-)

Cory being watched by a few Dall Sheep.	Right at the base of the final climb of Peak 5280 was this neat mountain tarn.	It was a scree scramble most all the way to the top of this "Mile High" peak (elevation 5280').

Trond heads east towards our next destination - Peak 5520.	Toby cruises up the ridge towards the summit.	The summit gathering.

An impressive treat on the summit was the view of the sprawling fan of the Snow Glacier terminus. The Snow Glacier is the origin of the Snow Glacier Jokulhlaup. A jokulhlaup, or outburst flood, occurs when the lake, seen with icebergs floating in it to the center left of the picture, gets big enough to force the blocking glacial ice out of the way. Once this happens the lake quickly drains This event happens regularly every 3 or 4 years. The level of the Kenai River rises when the jokulhlaup occurs. Would this peak be a great place to watch the jokulhlaup from or what !?!?

The 360 degree view from the summit wasn't bad either.

Starting the trip back to the trail head.	We went through a LOT of water on this day. Temps were pushing 80 degree F. Way too hot for me!	Descending into the valley we accidentally startled this herd of mountain goats that were cooling themselves on a nearby snow patch. We felt bad we disturbed them, because with all their hair, moving around on days like this has to be tough on them.

On the way back across the glacier Toby scores big. He finds what is likely an old hunter's backpack from maybe the 50's?, 60's?. There's probably a good, though long lost, story behind the reason this backpack is here,	Alaska cotton.	Cory makes the last stream ford before the long, pounding run out of the valley on the ATV trail.