World Class Mountains

The view south from Mount Baldy

Earlier this fall I heard a radio show here in Anchorage about Chugach State Park. They described the peaks around Eagle River as "world class." First I thought "Really, these peaks?" But as I listened to more of the discussion, I realized that the extraordinary natural beauty and rugged mountains of the Chugach were ordinary to me. They were so close to home and so accessible that I had not really thought about how rare it is to live near such high peaks. Sure, these are only 5000-7000 foot mountains, but they rise from near sea level - they don't sit on a high-altitude plateau like most of the tall mountain ranges of the world. And unlike the towering peaks of the Alaska Range, they are right here on the road system.

The mountains have been particularly spectacular the last couple of days with fresh snow, strange cloud formations, and deep blue skies. I haven't taken any photos because [insert lame excuse] so you'll have to enjoy these photos from earlier in the month.

Looking into Eagle River Valley from Mike High Pass