Resurrection Pass

Located about 100 miles south of Anchorage, this trail is on my list of favorites. It is a moderate hike, about 40 miles long with an elevation gain of 2200 feet. There are eight forest service cabins along the route for rent. Several lakes north of Cooper Landing are great for fishing. There are many designated camp sites along the route for those like myself that prefer to camp and not adhere to reservations and schedules.

I started my trip east of Cooper Landing near Wrong Mountain. It was nearly a one day hike just to get to Cooper's Landing near the trailhead of Resurrection pass. I hiked 6 days in all, but finished early on the last day in hopes of hitching a ride back to anchorage.

Day 1 started out raining. It had been raining since I landed in Anchorage two days earlier. I hiked in several miles along Crescent Creek and set up camp. The next day I headed to Cooper's Landing. The salmon run had just ended in the last week of July and the lakes which were lined with fisherman a week before were now empty.

The trailhead from Cooper's Landing. This where you start if traveling south to north. Many people start in Hope and travel south. I found it easier to catch a ride to Cooper's Landing than to Hope. I'll worry about getting a ride from Hope when I get there. That's part of the adventure.

Juneau Falls, located about six miles from the trailhead. You can hear them long before you see it. Then they just appear. This close to the trailhead you still see quite a few day hikers who journey up to the falls. There are reports of black bears in the area but I have yet to see any.

Trout Lake. I'm not sure who surprised who here when I went down to the lake to pump some water. This huge moose was one of many seen along the trail. Many hoof prints can be seen in the mud as you hike the trail.

Juneau Lake - about 12 miles from the trailhead. This is an excellent place to fish for dolly and trout. The mosquitoes are ferocious in some areas, but by now you've probably gotten used to them. I have seen lots of bear scat but no bears. At this point you can hike a whole day and pass only a hiker or two. On this day I had seen one other solo hiker