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| 123 |    Photos Map |
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| Last Updated: March 22, 2008 | ||
Difficulty |
Moderate - Steep but manageable when going up Black Tail proper. | |
Connects
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Baldy Vista Round Top Ptarmigan Valley |
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Miles
One
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2.5 | |
Miles
from
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15; near the town of Eagle River | |
General Vicinity |
Chugach State Park | |
Season |
May to September | |
Description |
After Dan submitted Baldy to me
last year, I've been itching to check it out and proceed further on to
the other mountains nearby. I finally had a chance last weekend to
check some out. This was a relatively easy hike and I'm really glad I did it. Black Tail looks really intimidating from a distance but I was up by the rocks in no time. As you go up, The views are really spectacular and you can really see into the glacial valleys that comprise the Eagle River area. Besides that you have great views of Knik Arm and if it had been sunny when I went, Denali and the Alaska Range, Sleeping Lady and Cook Inlet. When you get to the top, there are really great views of Mt. Magnificent and Round Top in the clefts of the big rocks on top. If you live in Eagle River, this is a must for an after work cardio. For Eastsiders in Anchorage, this is definitely better than Flat Top and a lot quicker to get to. I'm really discovering that the north part of Chugach State Park has a lot more to offer than just Eagle and Symphony Lakes. I would have continued on to Round Top but between the scree, ominous clouds, and foolishly forgetting to tell someone where I was going that day, I decided against it. Later when I was rambling around the tundra in front of Black Tail, I could see that there would be a sharp descent before going back up to the ridge of Vista. |
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Important Information |
The best way to approach the
main trail to Black Tail (and arguably Baldy) is to take the road after
the gate, go past the second gate and continue right. About a 1/8
of a mile you will see a small trail in the bushes. Head up this
trail and you will slowly ascend up the valley till you are on the ridge
midway between Baldy and Black Tail. There is no water near any of the trails. There is a small, boggy tarn off in the valley below the mountain that would be adequate for your dog but would need filtering for humans. There would be a good chance of it being empty if we were having a dry summer. There are some minor parts on top that require careful footing. Pay attention! ***** The Following was submitted by Micah McGuire (Chugachpics): To proceed from Blacktail Rocks to Round Top, continue past the summit, down a moderately steep hill for a few hundred feet. A trail will lead up an obvious ridge and then split off between Vista and Round Top. Getting up Round Top is a piece of cake, simply follow the trail up the ridge to the summit. Getting to Vista is equally easy, follow the obvious trail along the ridge. Near the summit of Vista, there is a steeper section that ascends to the summit for a few hundred feet. There is still a trail, but occasionally it requires a tiny bit of scrambling. I did it in some seriously thick clouds, so I may have deviated from a larger trail, but I doubt it. I would also like to amend your comment
about water availability on Blacktail. If you climb Blacktail via the gully
between Blacktail and Round Top, there is a decent stream that goes much
of the way up. Good meltwater there. |
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Etc. |
If anyone has done Vista or Round Top, I'd love to hear from you! | |
