Alaska: Anchorage Flattop Mountain

Saturday, August 18, 2012

This morning we had breakfast at The Smoke Shack in an old train car. 

The marina was just as beautiful in the morning light. 

After breakfast we drove back up Seward Highway to Anchorage. The Kenai Peninsula is beautiful. 

We debated going to Alaska Wildlife to view rescued wildlife, but decided no but got to see another caribou on our way out.

This part of Seward Highway is through the Chugach National Forest along Turnagain Arm. 

Once we got to Anchorage, we drove up to hike Flattop Mountain.

We already started at a high elevation overlooking the Cook Inlet and Anchorage. 

Still snow on the north side of the mountainside. 

A little higher overlook.

I don’t know how many stairs we climbed up, but Joe had his fill of this hike. The remainder was no longer stairs, but virtually rock climbing. The hike has a 1292 foot elevation gain over 1.5 miles one way.

The view at the 3550 foot peak of Flattop Mountain, overlooking Anchorage. 

The view at the 3500 foot peak of Flattop Mountain, looking toward the Chugach National Forest. 

The view at the 3500 foot peak of Flattop Mountain, overlooking Turnagain Arm. 

Me at the peak of Flattop Mountain with Cook Inlet and Turnagain Arm beyond. 

Panorama. 

The wind from this point almost blew me over. That was my clue that it was time to make the more dangerous climb down. 

Halfway down to where Joe was waiting for me. 

This was the climb. 

Proud that I conquered the 1292ft elevation gain of a 1.5mi hike to the top of Flattop Mountain 3550ft peak overlooking Anchorage.