Adventures in Alaska: Hiking in Thompson Pass

Today I went hiking in Thompson Pass with Scott and Don. The weather was cool and cloudy, but it was a good temperature to be out walking. The sky threatened rain a few times, but aside from a few sprinkles, the rain held out. We were off trail for the most part, except from an old trans-Alaska pipeline service road at the beginning of the hike. We actually crossed over the pipeline but couldn't see it because it is buried underground in this area, due to a lack of permafrost. The terrain was rocky, with a few areas still under snow. At first glance, the area looked very sparse, but after closer inspection, I discovered the area to be full of tiny, colorful wildflowers and lichens.

Near the beginning of our hike

A glacier in the mountain

Pretty wildflowers

The old pipeline service road

Pretty soon we came to a couple of pretty lakes. One still had ice floating in it, and areas of the water glowed in a glacial green color. From here, we headed off-trail and up over a ridge. From that point on, the terrain was fairly flat. A large mountain rose up to our right, and over a river valley to the left, there were panoramic views of the many mountains in beautiful Thompson Pass. Across the valley, two glaciers wrapped around a mountain and then joined together.

Heading up over the ridge

Looking back from the top of the ridge

Large mountain to our right

A view of Thompson Pass

Two glaciers meet at the bottom of a mountain across Thompson Pass

We came upon a beautiful area with lots of little streams flowing through. A little whirlpool spun around one of these streams and a still lake was visible nearby.

Whirlpool

A few little rapids

The calm lake

We explored the area for a few hours before making our way back. This was an amazing hike with so many wonderful sights. I'm so glad we went off the beaten trail!