Log One: Takshanuk Ridge Hike
The Beginning - Shakuseyi / Peak 3920
I had waited weeks to do this hike. The delay was not due to weather or access, I could have reached the trail from Julie’s back yard, instead it was unusual bear activity that kept me out of the woods. Three different sows, each with two cubs, were running around town, eating chickens and breaking windows. Several other young, mischievous bears were making regular appearances, both black and brown, though not grizzly, the brown bears here are a coastal species. Bears made Julie nervous about me going running or into the forest alone.
My intuition told me that I would be fine doing this hike alone, but I respected Julie’s nerves and thought some of my confidence might be born of naivety as I’ve only seen small bears in person and from the safety of a car, never in the woods. As much as I wanted to get up onto this ridge, I didn’t want to be another cautionary tale, another tourist eaten by an animal after just two weeks in Alaska. Of course, Julie would have gone with me, but a flare up of old skiing injuries kept us from going up together.
So, I waited patiently for my chance to get up the mountain.
One afternoon, Julie heard a wedding party was heading up the trail the following Thursday. The trail would be well trodden with a steady stream of morning hikers creating lots of noise to warn off any animals. Very kindly, a group of her teenage son’s friends offered to pick me up and drive me out to the trail head. We planned to hike up to the saddle together, where the ceremony was taking place, and then I would continue along the trail independently. Once up in the alpine, out of the dense forests below, it was far less likely I would meet an unsuspecting bear or moose.
The hike that I did was just one afternoon and yet, it was so epic I have drawn it out into three posts, highlighting the three distinct sections of the trail: Shakuseyi or Peak 3920, Jones Gap and Mt. Ripinski. The trail is marked by a dotted line on the map above for reference.
Along with the group of teenagers we began hiking just off the highway at the seven mile saddle trailhead. Soon after joining the trail we passed a beautiful water fall and then with little warning the trail took off, gaining elevation in a series of steep, seemingly endless switch backs.
The trail delivers you up into the Takshanuk Mountains; a Tlingit name meaning “water falls”. This range rises out of the peninsula where Haines is settled, heading north for many miles. From south to north the first three peaks in the range are: Mt. Ripinski, Shakuseyi commonly called Peak 3920, and Mt. Tukgahgo. The ridge continues on and on after these first peaks.
Over the next 2.5 miles we gained close to 3000 ft in an hour and twenty minutes, these teenagers were speedy quick, and secretively competitive I kept up. The switch backs finally flattened out in the saddle, the lowest point of the ridge line and the perfect place to rest, refuel, camp or get married.
Peaking Peaks of the Chilkat Range to the west
a view of Chilly Ridge & Mt. Takshanuk To the north
From the saddle the trail splits in two, one path heads north towards a place called Chilly Ridge and Mt.Tukgaho. A crew from the wedding where heading that way after the ceremony for a three day expedition. I believe the trail is maintained to Chilly Ridge and then dissolves, but the alpine flora and fauna would allow for easy passage sans trail.
The other path leads south towards Shakuseyi more commonly called Peak 3920. I will use Shakuesyi to honor this peaks native name. If you continue south, the trail takes you to Mt.Ripinski and after that the Skytrail which leads back into Haines.
After a snack and some quick conversation with the few wedding goers I knew, I excused myself and started towards Shakuseyi. It was roughly another mile and 1000 ft to the first summit of the day. Right after the saddle, steep switchbacks pick up again and the terrain transitioned into the alpine: meadows of moss and small flowers.
Looking West
Half way to the summit the trail leveled off for a moment at a beautiful shelf of moss that offered stunning views of the Chilkat side, the mountain range and wastershed to the west. I stood here for a while to catch my breath, not from exhaustion but the view, so classically Alaskan it was overwhelming.
I studied the mountains for a while, finding the two peaks I knew: Telemark and the Cathedrals, for which Julie’s neighborhood is named. I tried to figure out how you might approach the Cathedrals. Julie told me of a few people in Haines who had climbed these peaks despite their sketchy shale composite. She also mentioned a woman who last winter skied up the valley below the Cathedral Peaks to the ice field at its end, it took three weeks and must have been incredible.
THIS SNOWY BOWL HAD A BEAUTIFUL BLUE POOL AT THE BOTTOM OF IT & A sneaky TRAIL LEADING FROM IT
last few switch backs
Lupins on the way to the summit
The final switch back
Lake Chilkoot
Reaching the summit of Shakuseyi brought into view the expansive mountains of the other side, the east side, the Chilkoot side, mountains that stretch far into Canada.
These mountains pair with their own beautiful waterways: A lake called Chilkoot, a river that drains from the lake into the Lutak Inlet (where the ferry docks are), which then forks into the Taiya Inlet leading northeast to Skagway and the Chilkoot Inlet to the south whose glacial waters integrate into the Lynn Canal.
The Chilkoot lake, river & lutak inlet are important spawning grounds for the local salmon here, pink & coho.
These eastern Chilkoot mountains, that drain into all these colorful waterways, are somehow distinct from their neighbors to the west. They not only look different, they feel different. That might sound like an incredibly granola thing to say, but just like people mountains tend to hold different personality, energies, emotions.
These mountains, both named for peoples native to this land, seem to be siblings, sharing origins and perhaps some foundational traits but otherwise they are unique from one another. From Shakuseyi, standing high up on the range that divides these sister mountains, you could feel the distinct personalities of the Chilkat and Chilkoot.
self timer took a million tries
Shakuseyi was emotional for many reasons: the release of anticipation built up over weeks of waiting to experience this hike, gratitude for the glorious weather, slight panic as I tried to absorb the epic views and wrap my mind around the vastness of the surrounding mountains, and sweet alpine moss reminding me of Norway. Standing on a peak always makes me feel lots of things, probably why I like it so much.
Southeast Alaska and where I lived in Norway share a northern rainforest climate which in both places supports incredible blankets of moss made up of countless species. A close look at the alpine moss in Norway revealed a scene that looked as if someone shrunk a tropic forest, tiny palms and tiny bright red flowers as intricate as a bird of paradise or orchid. Other sections of the lush moss blankets looked like terrestrial relatives of corals and anemones. Clearly, I found the moss quite fascinating.
Due to a few weeks of unusually dry weather the moss blanketing Shakuseyi was looking very thirsty, but it was interesting to compare and contrast with what I remembered seeing in Norway. For example, I had never seen the tall yellow anemone-like species (above left) but the fluffy white moss that is actually a very faint sea foam green color in person, is very similar to the species eaten by Reindeer in Norway.
I am carrying on about moss, I know, but it was a tender reminder of Norway.
the first of many views down the lynn canal
The view from Shakuseyi is an incredible panorama of mountains and water in every direction. I’ve mentioned the Chilkat to the west and Chilkoot to the east, but looking south was just as mighty a view: the Lynn Canal. Looking down the canal I could see all the peninsula that extends from this mountain and continues to divide east and west by creating two inlets. From the peninsula a trail of islands continue south into the canal, and on such a clear day I could see all the way to the Eldred Rock Lighthouse on the final island.
It was here that I started to think, that this might be one of the most incredible hikes in the world.
The Chilkat Range
The Chilkat River
It might be obvious, though it wasn’t to me at the time, that Shakuseyi non-native name is simply its elevation: 3920 ft.
This was the first peak of the day and the second was 2.8 miles farther south. While I planned to continue on, the summit post points out that it is 3.2 miles back down to the highway and trailhead. I met a couple on the peak who had hiked up here for lunch and were heading back down. This is a shorter option but no less challenging. From Shakuseyi to the saddle is a steep and potentially slick descent, and miles of down hill are always tough.
I also met a father and son who were hiking the trail in the opposite direction, they started at the other trail head in Haines and were hiking north to Chilly Ridge. Their packs suggested they were spending a night or two up there and I was a envious, watching the sunset up here would have been really beautiful.
Lunch On Top
It was challenging to find a spot for lunch, not due to a lack of options but quite the opposite. Should I eat my lunch facing the Chilkat or Chilkoot, looking south down the Lynn Canal or North down the Takshanuk Ridge?
It’s the mark of a solid hike when its hard to find a spot for lunch because in every spot, in every direction the views are epic. Eventually I settled on a nice mossy ledge, out of the wind, facing the Cathedral peaks and Wild Hourse River on the Chilkat Side. Lunch included: an avocado and sharp cheddar sandwich, several plums and some rice crackers.
On To The Next Summit…
There were 3.2 miles between me and the next peak, Mt.Ripinski, but it would be a relatively flat trail, crossing meadows and snow patches. Feeling nicely refueled I was ready to move on but decided I would move at a leisurely pace, enjoying the walk, taking lots of photographs and make the hike last as long as possible.
As I moved off of Shakuseyi I was surprised to find a tiny section of via ferrata. By tiny I mean only one or two maneuvers are required to navigate through these boulders, in either direction. Chains are bolted into the rocks to keep hikers safe, and you can see the chain in the photograph above. It sounds much more intense than it actually is, I found it quite fun and played around on the boulders for a few moments.
