A Williwaw weekend

Posted by Alaskology

Posted: July 15, 2008 - 4:20 pm

We set our tent up alongside a small tarn near the Williwaw Lakes last weekend. It was the perfect place to spend a three-day weekend.

Our holiday hiking/camping trip to Williwaw Lakes was simply wonderful. It was the perfect blend of some exertion and some lounging around the tent.

As we were hiking out on Sunday afternoon, Gina said she thinks it's her new favorite place for a close-to-town camping trip. I'd be hard-pressed to argue. There is so much to explore there; it would be worth another trip or two or more.

Beezil seems like queen of the mountain during our weekend trip to Williwaw Lakes.

We choose the more challenging route to the lakes, starting at the Glen Alps parking lot, crossing the South Fork Campbell Creek and climbing up to Little O’Malley Peak. That's a pretty tough hike with a full pack, but once over the snowfield at the top, the hike gets easier. On my way up I was wondering if we really needed all the food we packed. (The answer was "yes" and then some. Thankfully Pat and Laurel came in a day later and brought extra food, which they always bring.)

We continued on a more gradual climb on the Ballpark (or Football Field). We just headed toward O'Malley Peak and kept going. Once near the peak, we stopped at the still ice-covered Deep Lake, then down a scree slope toward Black Lake and eventually down to the Middle Fork Campbell Creek.

Gina and Beezil hang out near a waterfall that feeds into Williwaw Lakes and eventually into the Middle Fork Campbell Creek. We could hear the waterfall from our tent -- about a 40-minute hike away.

From a high ridge, we mapped out what we thought was the best spot to set up camp. We crossed the creek and set up camp between a couple tarns. The wind was blowing a bit, keeping the mosquitoes away. It made for the best Fourth of July ever.

Saturday we started off lounging around. Later in the day we hiked back toward the end of the valley and a waterfall. We kept searching for whatever the land offered up, eventually deciding to climb up to a saddle on a route toward Long Lake. We didn't make it all the way to Long Lake (and it wasn't our goal), but we did stumble upon a beautiful lake sitting toward the saddle. It seemed like a jewel in a moonscape.

Above treeline it was all mountains and lakes. It was beautiful on Saturday.

We got back to camp, enjoyed dinner and some cribbage with Pat and Laurel. Sunday started leisurely, and eventually we hiked out the Williwaw Lakes Trail, making for a nice loop.

Like Gina said, it might be our new favorite place.

-- Steve

Getting there: The Glen Alps Trailhead parking lot is used mostly for those hiking up Flattop, but it’s a great starting point for a number of Chugach State Park adventures. The parking lot can be reached by driving east on O’Malley Road to Hillside Drive (right turn) to Upper Huffman Road (left turn) to Toilsome Hill Road (right turn).

One of the several lakes making up Williwaw Lakes in a valley in Chugach State Park.

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