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| 123 |    Photos Map |
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| Last Updated: June 07, 2009 | ||
Difficulty |
Easy until the end; a steep 1/8 mile up the mountain to hut and camping. Exploring the glacier and ridges requires care (this part earns its moderate rating). Some bushwhacking through overgrown willow on valley trail. | |
Connects With |
None | |
Miles One Way |
8 | |
Miles
from
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56; past Palmer towards Hatcher's Pass | |
General Vicinity |
Matanuska Valley (In Hatcher's Pass) | |
Season |
All year for the valley (cross country ski or snowshoe in winter); July to September for Mint Glacier and mountain sites. | |
Description |
This is a pretty
cool trail. At first I gave it 3 hooves but then I started really remembering
this
hike. It had been over 2 yrs (I did it in 2000 - wrote this in 2002) and I had to remind myself of all the cool sites that
I saw on this trip. The Little Susitna River (which some people call this trail) is a beautiful glacial river and the trail pretty much follows it along a narrow glacial valley with plenty of great waterfalls, especially at the end. The vegetation is lush but the little bushwhacking you may have to do is not overly annoying. When you get to the end of the valley, you'll head up the mountain and that's when the real fun begins. The hanging valley on top is a floor of incredible greenery with the river cascading down and thick patches of snow (even in August!). This floor is ringed by a circle of jagged peaks and boulders that are just begging to be explored. Set up camp and oblige them their request. Use your topo map to get to Mint Glacier and its tarn. The next time I do this hike, I plan on getting there one day, day hiking all around the next, and heading out the day after that. There is a hut run by the Alaska Mountaineering Club that is surprisingly well equipped. The rental fee is membership in their club, an incredible bargain at $15. Membership application, etc. is on their website. They ask that you replace their cooking oil (so why don't you just bring your own), keep the door locked from bears, and of course, don't take anything and don't screw with anything. When I did this hike in September 2000, it was rainy and cold and I sure was glad to be able to crash there. 2 really cool things happened when I did this hike. One was that while I was in the hut making dinner, the valley filled up with fog so fast that all I could see were the peaks when I came back outside. The other was during the next morning when I was sitting on the stoop of the hut sipping my coffee and two hoary marmots sat on a boulder close by watching me and chattering away. Go to the photos page for visuals on these. Added by the Webmaster June 6, 2009: After 9 years, I finally re-did this hike as a day trip. Like the woman below, I was headed to Reed Lakes but the road was closed. A lot has changed since 2000. The parking lot is much bigger with picnic tables and fire pits (not sure if it's ok to camp). The trail has really been worked on and the first 2 miles would be very doable for someone in a wheelchair or pushing a stroller. There are mile markers for the first 5 miles (I can't remember if these were always here). And boy! The woman below is not kidding about the beavers. They have really called this place their own. Anyway, I still believe this is a great trail. The "little Su" has to be one of the most gorgeous rivers in the world, seriously! This is one of the nicest glacial valley's in Alaska and I need to hike this more than every 9 years. I still plan this season to overnight up at or near the hut and then explore the glacier the next day. ***** The following was submitted by Linda: September 25, 2006 My adult son and I went to hike Reed Lake Trail but the gate was closed and the sign said "No Pedestrians- closed for winter season", so we went back down the road to the Mint Valley Trail. We had limited time before dark, so we hiked to the creek crossing at about 5.7 miles on the GPS. This is a really easy trail and would be great for kids. I lost count at about 7 of the beaver dams along and in the trail. At one dam the trail is blocked by a beaver pond and the new trail is across the dam. One dam just a hop skip from the trail head is amazing. The beavers are hard at work with trails, alder branches piled high for winter in front of one of the beaver mounds. Take the kids and binoculars and see if you can spot the Mint Mine, small pile of tailing, and a structure in ruins across the creek and valley at the base of the mountains. ***** SPECIAL
SECTION ON ALTERNATE ROUTE TO REED LAKE Important Info: You should be in good shape, have routefinding skills, and be able to survive in the backcountry. SPECIAL
SECTION ON MINT BOMBER TRAVERSE EQUIPMENT NEEDED : Crampons, ice axe. This is a 3-day hike but can be done in 2 by those fit and motivated enough. The trailhead is right near the Motherlode Lodge on Palmer-Fishhook Road (Mile 14). Basically, this is a very sharp "V" turn in the road, you cannot miss it on any map. (You may want to shuttle a car to the trailhead for the Reed Lakes hike.) If at all possible, go during the week to ensure that the hut will not be overrun by other mountaineers. Just in case it is, bring a tent or at least a bivvy sack! DAY 1 : Mint Hut The trail is fairly well marked, and the first day's walk is very easy for 90% of it. As you get near the head of the valley, the trail starts heading uphill. Stay on trail and you will not miss the Mint Hut, built and maintained by the MCA. It is about 8 miles to the hut with just about 2600 feet of elevation gain. Enjoy a warm cup of Joe as you watch the sun set on Montana Peak. Day 2 : Bomber Hut You will climb up the broad scree slope to Backdoor Gap, approximately 5715' above sea level. I have heard conflicting reports of which scree chute leads exactly to Backdoor Gap, but am convinced it is the easiest-looking of the two choices. A more sinister route is off to the left of the "real" Backdoor Gap, so just go up the broad, "bouldery" scree slope. It is actually pretty fun bouldering up the slope, but BE CAREFUL as the rocks are not always as stable as they might appear to be. Although there is little to no risk of mass movement of the scree, individual boulders can often roll underneath you with no warning. Once atop Backdoor Gap, enjoy the vistas surrounding you, and prepare for the descent onto Penny Royal Glacier. This is downhill bouldering, and just before you reach the blue ice, put on your crampons. Unless there is snow cover, roped travel is not necessary. It should be clear from July (probably June, too?) through late August. There may be a bit of a headwall crevasse, so choose the point at which you gain access to the glacier with reasonable caution. Descent on the glacier is pretty quick and easy. There are few crevasses of any consequence. Angle your route so that you exit the glacier near the left side (as seen facing down-glacier). As you come around the ridge (which separates Penny Royal from Bomber Glaciers) you should see the Bomber Hut (3850') about a mile or so away. It is fairly easy walking on glacial debris, followed by very pleasant tundra travel. The whole journey may be done in just a couple of hours if you want it done quickly, but I prefer to take my time and marvel at the scenery. Day 2 EXTRA STOP : There is a ~6000 footer just behind the hut that is pretty easy to get up for a nice view of the valley (see Topo Page) Day 3: EXIT Head across the valley and gain access to the Bomber Glacier. The bomber itself will be off to the left and is an interesting side trip. Bomber Pass (5330'), your actual destination, is more or less straight ahead, maybe a little off to the right. It is the low spot along the ridge marking the head of the valley. It can be a little tricky, especially if the ground is frozen (in which case crampons are advisable). Once atop, it is a bit of bouldering downhill into the valley with the Reed Lakes. You'll see Upper Reed Lake, aim for the right-hand shoreline. There is a light trail along the lake's edge. From here, it is a straightforward, 8-mile hike out to the parking lot where hopefully your car is not on cinder blocks with the engine missing. Lastly, a jaunt up Lynx Mountain is a great scramble, but probably best advised if you plan on camping at Upper Reed Lake... Warnings: The huts, Mint and Bomber, are built and maintained by the Mountaineering Club of Alaska. They are intended for use by members only. Dues are nominal, I think $15 per year. I strongly urge anyone who intends to use these huts to join the MCA. You will have access to a lot of great information and it is really an excellent way to find out about great hikes. Also, please keep the huts as clean as when you found them, if not cleaner. The huts do not operate on a reservation system. They sleep 6-8 people and are not often overflowing, but just in case bring alternate shelter. The weekend we went we had the huts but did share them with other groups. Glacier travel on this hike is not particularly troublesome -- these
are fairly stable glaciers with few crevasses. Still, if you have not
done much glacier travel avoid walking on anything other than "blue
ice" and avoid walking too close to the few crevasses you do
encounter. GPS Waypoints : BEGIN 61d 46.797m -149deg11.628 1809' MINT Hut 61d 51.406m -149d 4.786m ~4300' Backdoor Gap 61d 51.71m -149d 5.716m 5717' Bomber HUT 61d 52.751m -149d 8.153m 3853' Bomber PASS 61d 51.293m -149d 8.012m 5328' END 61d 48.238m -149d 12.154m 2409' |
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Important Information |
About 1/2 way there
you'll have to ford a narrow but very deep tributary coming down the
mountain. You can look around for a better place to cross but you might as well take your
boots off (or not), and just do it. Added by the webmaster in 2009:
it looks like some trail work has been done so you can boulder hop but
if it's been really raining, you'll still probably get your feet wet. Be prepared for rain and cold. If it's raining you will get soaked bushwhacking through the willow if you aren't well protected. Added by the webmaster in 2009: I wrote this when I went in September, 2000. In June of 2009, it was very clear and not a problem. I'm not sure if this was due to trail work or just that the shrubs haven't had time to grow. Bring a walking stick as the ridges can be slippery and sometimes icy. Needless to say, be very careful and only handle what you have the experience to handle. There are not too many sites
to set up camp; do a little planning ahead use the hut. If you go during a weekday,
you'll have a better chance of insuring a space. |
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Etc. |
The parking fee is $5 (bring exact amount). The price for an annual parking pass is $40. You can purchase a pass at the Federal Building at 4th and F or the Atwood Building on 7th and E, 12th Floor. This hike is in the Hatcher's Pass area. Heading up the road to go over the Pass is worth the time after you finished. The best way to hike this in the winter is to buy a cheap plastic sled and carry your stuff on it. For details about how I built mine, go here. |
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