Shoup Bay Hike

Today I went for my first hike in Alaska! I went with Scott and Don, who I met earlier this week at a program at the Maxine and Jesse Whitney Museum about hiking and backpacking in nearby parks. We hiked the Shoup Bay Trail, which begins in Valdez and goes to Shoup Glacier. We didn't go all the way to the glacier but went about 3.5 miles to Gold Creek and explored the area, seeing a waterfall, a beach, and some old machinery left over from miners many years ago. We started hiking around 10:30 a.m. and spent the entire day in the beautiful Alaskan wilderness.

The first mile or so of the trail went through a thick Alder forest. The path was flat and we quickly made it to an area of grassland which gave us nice views of mountains behind us, with several waterfalls running down the sides. We took a short side trail to a beach. The tide was low, and boulders were visible in the water.

Waterfalls running down the mountain

Grassland clearing

Waterfall

Beach at low tide

After spending some time on the beach, we headed up the steep climb along the side of a mountain towards Gold Creek. There were several waterfalls running down the mountain that crossed the trail. I had to put on my sandals to cross. The currents were strong, and some of the crossings were a little scary, as one wrong move could have been a disaster.

Flowers along the trail

One of several waterfalls we crossed

View of Gold Creek beach from the trail

Looking back towards Valdez

After hiking a couple of miles along the side of the mountain, we started a steep descent. The trail led to the Gold Creek Bridge, which was recently repaired after being washed out a few years ago from heavy flooding. The water flowing under the bridge was a soft bluish gray color due to the heavy amounts of glacial silt flowing through it. We crossed the bridge and got partial views of a large waterfall. There weren't many places to get a clear view of the water because of trees in front of us.

Gold Creek Bridge

Forest on the other side of the bridge

Waterfall

Taking a break

From there, we cut through the woods to the Gold Creek beach. We crossed a couple streams before realizing the water was flowing too quickly to cross all the way to the beach. So we headed back towards the Gold Creek Bridge to take the trail to the beach. On the way, we found a very old backhoe, once used by miners to dig for copper and gold. The machine was completely covered in rust, and the metal was twisted and mangled from the weight of snow and ice over many winters. Nearby, in a stream, was a truck axle with four tires sticking up out of the mud and water.

Exploring near Gold Creek

Scott and Don walking along Gold Creek

Old backhoe

Truck axle

After exploring this area, we headed to the beach, where we ate some food and walked near the water. It was incredibly beautiful!

Glacial water flooding a section of trail on the way to the beach

Looking toward the beach

Views from the beach

After a nice break, we started the hike back to Valdez. With all our side trips, we probably hiked about 8 miles. I had great company and had a wonderful time, and am looking forward to another hike on Monday!