Grizzly Creek Trail Guide

Marked Trail (one-way):  1.2 miles, 1050 feet elevation gain
Entire Route (one-way):  4.5+ miles, 4800+ feet elevation gain

This guide describes Grizzly Creek Trail, a newly marked trail in the eastern Alaska Range which leads above tree line, as well as the route beyond the end of the trail to the ridgeline above Jarvis Glacier. The trail has existed for years (it’s an old hunting trail) but it was poorly marked and partially overgrown until Summer 2020. While the trail is currently clearly marked with trail marking tape and clear of brush, there is no signage along the trail, including at the trailhead, so it is recommended that you bring this guide with you along with a map of the area and a GPS device. (You can save or print a PDF copy here.) Unlike a signed, maintained trail, expect to encounter a few obstacles such as fallen trees, minor bouts of uneven terrain, etc.

Directions to trailhead:

Drive 35 miles south of Delta Junction on the Richardson Highway and turn onto a pipeline access road on the left-hand (east) side of the highway about one mile past the Darling Creek bridge and less than one-half mile before the One Mile Creek bridge. The highway mile marker is approximately MP 229.2, while the pipeline mile marker (noted on a small brown sign at the intersection) is 575.5. The road leads to a locked gate with a path leading around the gate on the left. There is room to park on the left side of the road in front of the gate for a couple vehicles, but additional vehicles may need to park near the highway or across the highway. (Be sure not to block the gate.) Permission isn’t needed to park here or cross the pipeline right-of-way on foot, but you may want to leave a note in your windshield to let pipeline security personnel know you are simply crossing the right-of-way to go hiking. The parking area is located at approximately 2100 feet altitude.

Trail guide:

Crossing Grizzly Creek.

From the parking area, hike around the gate and up the road to the pipeline right-of-way, a wide cut through the forest along which the pipeline is buried and an associated service road runs. Turn right and follow the right-of-way for a few hundred feet until you reach a small creek marked “Grizzly Creek” by a brown pipeline sign. Turn left and follow the creek upstream for 0.3 miles. There are no trail markers along the initial portion of the creek. The creek is shallow and you will be forced to cross it several times where it pinches against the brush on the edge—waterproof hiking boots are fine for people who can jump 4-5 feet, but if you can’t jump this far or your shoes aren’t waterproof you may want to bring an extra pair of shoes or muck boots to wade the creek as a backup, or at least extra socks. Navigating the creek may be challenging for beginners, but it should be easily possible to keep your feet dry if you pick your crossing points wisely. Be careful not to slip on wet rocks! As you hike up the creek, you will be looking for a point where a small side channel of Grizzly Creek enters from the right around an island of rocks and brush. (This channel may be dry in periods of low flow.) Pink trail marking tape has been used to mark the trail starting from this point and you should see tape markers leading up this small side channel and into the dense brush on the right about halfway around the island. Follow the trail through the brush for <0.1 miles until it intersects the creek again, then rock hop up the creek for 10 yards until the trail picks up again through the brush on the right. (This area is obviously marked and there is a small, picturesque waterfall blocking further easy passage up the creek.) The trail meanders through tall trees and over a couple small, awkward hills for another <0.1 miles, then turns right at a big tree and begins climbing uphill through forest. You’ll see another large tree fallen across the trail here with “Grizzly Creek Trail” painted on it so you will know you’re heading the right way.

The forest section of the trail is mostly easy to follow as it climbs uphill. A small muddy area just past the fallen log can be easily bypassed on the left. One short section of the trail briefly leads slightly downhill through a grassy area after a sharp left, but otherwise the trail leads exclusively uphill. There are a few junctions with game trails, so be sure to look for trail markers anytime there seems to be two potential ways forward. (Some of the game trails have been purposely blocked with brush to prevent going the wrong way.) If you venture off the trail onto a game trail, you will know soon enough when you can’t find any trail markings and the trail seems overgrown after a short distance; in this case, retrace your steps until you find your last known point on the trail and look for the correct path. The trail stays fairly close to the edge of the slope above Grizzly Creek, so if you do lose the trail you can generally pick it up again by heading toward the creek; however, if you start descending the slope to the creek you’ve gone too far, and you’ll notice because this slope is very steep and brushy. About 0.4 miles past the “Grizzly Creek Trail” sign, the trail emerges into an open area with great views and good blueberry picking in late July/early August. For those seeking an easier hike, this is a great stopping point. (0.8 miles, 600 feet elevation gain.) Follow the trail markers on the treetops up through this area for a few hundred feet until the trail picks up again in the forest.

The trail continues uphill for another 0.4 miles and the grade turns steep near the end. The trail ends at tree line about 1.2 miles from the trailhead and around 3150 feet altitude for a total elevation gain of 1050 feet. From here, you may enjoy the views of Black Rapids Glacier to the SW, an unnamed glacier directly opposite the Delta River, and McGinnis Peak & Mount Moffit on a clear day. If you have AT&T cell phone service, you should have good cell reception & 4G LTE along nearly the entire trail; otherwise, don’t count on service. You may still be able to call 911 without AT&T, but an InReach or similar device is recommended for emergency communication since there are occasional blind spots on the trail.

Continuing beyond the end of the trail:

Arctic lupine growing above the end of the trail.

Adventurous hikers can continue up the slope above the end of the trail by following its north edge above the shrub line, which lies a few hundred feet higher. Some bushwhacking will be required, but if you choose your path wisely the brush will not be dense. Once above the brush line, continue following the ridge up with Grizzly Creek off to the left, but be cautious around exposed sections where a drop over the side could lead to severe injury. (It is easy to traverse just under the ridge on the left or right in these spots to avoid danger.) You may avoid the ridge altogether by angling up the slope to the right of the ridge, sticking to the vegetated area where the grade is less steep and the terrain not as rocky. Abundant wildflowers bloom on this slope in June and July. The ridge levels out near 4800 feet altitude after climbing over 1600 feet from the end of the trail. There is a nice spot to picnic or camp here with incredible views. Mount Hayes is now visible across the river, closely spaced beside Mount Moffit. Continuing past here is recommended for experienced off-trail hikers only.

The false summit viewed from the ridge below. Only hikers with experience ascending steep talus slopes should attempt climbing the false summit. Hikers may avoid the false summit by crossing Grizzly Creek near this spot (out of frame to the left) and ascending the adjacent slope.

Farther up the ridge is an obvious, steep false summit guarded by cliffs below its apparent peak. Do not attempt to bypass the cliffs on the right or you will run into more cliffs, and do not attempt to climb straight up the cliffs as the rock is generally rotten and the false summit is much higher than it seems when standing at its base. The cliffs can be bypassed by traversing around to the left, though the climb up the talus slope beyond them is very steep and can be particularly treacherous early in the summer (before mid-June) when ice and snow is still present, or after heavy rains when steep slopes in the eastern Alaska Range are at risk of landslides. Grizzly Creek descends in a series of waterfalls at the bottom of this slope to the left; avoid getting too close to the cliffs near the waterfalls as well. The false summit may require minor scrambling depending on the route you follow up but no technical climbing gear is needed. If deep snow is still present, be cautious of avalanche danger. When hiking on steep slopes with loose rock, remain hyperaware of your position above or below your hiking partners to avoid kicking rocks on each other—such an accident could be deadly. The false summit can be completely avoided by crossing to the opposite side of Grizzly Creek and climbing up the opposing slope to the neighboring ridge to the north. This slope is less steep and easier to navigate, and the broad ridge above eventually joins with the ridge above the false summit at the headwaters of Grizzly Creek.

Black Rapids Glacier Overlook at 6570 feet altitude, near the end of the route.

The ridge above the false summit levels out at 5800 feet altitude and features rewarding views. Continue climbing gently upward for another couple miles with spectacular cliffs to your right and Grizzly Creek to your left until you reach a high point above 6800 feet altitude overlooking Jarvis Glacier, where Jarvis Creek originates. You’ll pass an impressive cliff known as “Black Rapids Glacier Overlook” and a small glacier opposite One Mile Creek to your right just before the end of the route. Mount Silvertip looms at the head of Jarvis Glacier. It is typically windy and cold above the false summit, and snow may linger near the ridgeline above Jarvis Glacier throughout most of the summer, so gaiters and even a small pair of snowshoes may be useful for the final stretch. From the high point, it’s relatively straightforward to traverse along the ridgeline to the headwaters of Bear Creek, where the N or S ridge above Bear Creek can be followed back to the highway. See this map for an example of such a route:

https://caltopo.com/m/74D8.

Traveling south from the high point toward the Gunnysack Creek drainage requires bypassing more difficult obstacles and hikers should possess excellent route finding skills to avoid dangerous areas along the ridgeline.

Avoid high elevations above tree line when lightning is present or expected. (Check the forecast for Delta Junction, Alaska and Black Rapids, Alaska before your hike!) Thunderstorms are most frequent in the afternoon in June and July. Expect to encounter heavy snow on the upper portion of the route starting in September. Check out the FAA weather cams for the area (Black Rapids & Isabel Pass) to estimate the current snow line before you go. The trail typically becomes snowed over in October.

Water Availability:   

Water typically flows in Grizzly Creek throughout the summer until freeze up. Once you pass the “Grizzly Creek Trail” sign, however, the creek climbs through a canyon, so it is not practical to collect water from the creek along the rest of the marked trail. In early summer, there will be several small streams emanating from snow patches on the slope above the end of the trail. But by July or so, these streams dry up, and water may not be available until the bottom of the false summit, so be sure to carry enough water for your hike. There are many trickle streams and snow for water throughout summer above the false summit. Filtering/purifying/boiling water is recommended, though Grizzly Creek runs very clear.

Bear Safety:

There are bears in the area, so stay alert and make noise while you hike, especially when rounding blind corners or cresting hilltops or passing through dense brush. Take time to survey the landscape around you—the farther away you can spot a bear, the better. DO NOT RUN FROM A BEAR!!! Carry bear spray or a firearm (safely) in a spot where you can immediately access it if needed. If carrying bear spray, learn how to use it BEFOREHAND—I recommend watching a few YouTube video demonstrations. Only use a firearm/ammunition combination capable of stopping a bear. Avoiding a surprise bear encounter is the best prevention against a bear attack, so don’t allow your bear deterrent to cause you to become complacent while hiking—bear deterrents are a last resort and will be tough to use on a charging bear. If you encounter a bear, speak calmly and wave your arms so it recognizes you as human—most bears in the area want to avoid humans. If a bear charges or approaches, stand your ground and be ready to deploy your bear deterrent, and try to look big and intimidating. Fight back against a black bear, play dead against a brown bear (grizzly) unless it’s displaying predatory behavior or continues attacking after you play dead. If you don’t already know all of this or haven’t encountered bears before, please overly familiarize yourself with bear safety so you can avoid panicking or making a potentially fatal mistake when you do:

https://www.nps.gov/subjects/bears/safety.htm.

Leave No Trace:

This trail is not maintained. Users are responsible for keeping it clean and protecting the surrounding landscape. Pack out everything you pack in, including toilet paper. (If you can safely burn it, do that.) Clean up any trash you do find. Don’t build unhelpful or potentially confusing rock cairns just for fun, they should only be used to help mark the route. Don’t build fire rings or fires, period, except in case of emergency, and especially avoid doing so in red flag conditions. Stick to the trail. Above where the trail ends, spread out when hiking in a group to lessen your impact on the vegetation, and stick to durable terrain where possible. Don’t feed or harass wildlife. (Along the route, you may see moose, caribou, Dall sheep, wolves, bears, coyotes, arctic ground squirrels, marmots, collared pikas, bald & golden eagles, perhaps even a wolverine.) If you’re not packing out human waste (let’s be real, almost nobody does), be sure to bury it six inches deep in organic soil 200 feet away from water sources including Grizzly Creek and away from the trail.

https://www.nps.gov/articles/leave-no-trace-seven-principles.htm

Don't Make These 11 Mistakes Photographing The Aurora!

I recently updated my aurora photography guide How To Artistically Photograph The Aurora, which covers the fundamentals of aurora photography and provides tips for creating artistic aurora images. While working on the update, I realized there are some common mistakes beginners make that deserve special warnings in big, bold letters. Even if using professional-level photography equipment, these mistakes can ruin your images or cause you to miss shots. If you’re new to aurora photography, study the warnings below and avoid learning these lessons the hard way like I did!

1) Don’t rely on an aurora photography guide that hasn’t been updated since the early 2010s.

High ISO performance of DSLR cameras has improved dramatically in the past decade. Photographers who shot the aurora with film and digital cameras in the 2000s were handicapped by limited high ISO performance and some of the older guides you’ll find online were written assuming you would never shoot above ISO 800. Also, photographers in those days may have settled for more subdued (underexposed) aurora images because of their ISO limitations. Today’s cameras can provide acceptable quality at ISO 3200 and beyond. Plus, aurora photography has become much more popular in the last 5-10 years and you’ll find more photographers (like me) offering better creative advice. There are many new ways to track the aurora, as well.

2) Don’t wait until you’re standing outside at night in subzero temperatures to learn where the buttons and dials are on your camera!

At minimum, you should know how to change your aperture, shutter speed, and ISO quickly and efficiently, preferably without needing to turn on your headlamp to find the buttons and dials. On many newer cameras with touchscreen displays you can change all of these settings quickly from the display itself, though using the dials and dedicated ISO button is still faster. The aurora can brighten very suddenly and fade away 30 seconds later, so if you can’t quickly change your settings you may wind up missing or overexposing the best moment of the night. It also helps if you know how to access other settings like mirror lock-up, timers, etc., and the image playback & zoom buttons so you can review your images.

3) Don’t wait until you’re standing outside at night in subzero temperatures to learn how to control your tripod!

Camera can’t be fully tilted into portrait orientation without leveling tripod. Using an L-bracket can prevent this situation and give more precise control of your camera in portrait orientation.

I personally think learning to control your tripod efficiently in the dark and cold is the MOST DIFFICULT aspect of shooting the aurora. The aurora continuously moves and changes shape, so you constantly need to readjust your camera’s positioning while photographing it. Many photographers aren’t used to shooting on a tripod, let alone operating one in the dark with cold fingers. It takes practice to immediately reach for the right knob and adjust your camera’s orientation quickly. With some tripod heads, you can easily attach your camera in the wrong orientation and this can also cause problems. Learn how to properly use your tripod and build the muscle memory you need to operate it quickly in the dark, or you will wind up missing shots.

Camera can’t be tilted up further without rotating the drop slot behind the camera. Camera is also attached backwards, which could cause additional interference in other orientations.

Every guide I’ve seen recommends using a ball-head for your tripod when shooting the aurora, but I used to use a pan-tilt head and it worked well for me. In fact, it had big handles that were easy to work while wearing mittens and the rubber grips didn’t immediately freeze my fingertips. (When you need to adjust a tiny metal knob in subzero temperatures on a ball-head and need to take off your mittens, your fingers get cold very fast.) If I took the time to level my tripod, I could also easily keep my shots level with the pan-tilt head when I moved my camera; with a ball-head, every time you adjust the camera you need to re-level it, which is more difficult at night when it’s hard to see through the viewfinder. The biggest con to my pan-tilt head, other than the size & weight, was it’s inability to tilt the camera up more than 30°, so occasionally I would need to adjust the tripod legs to point my camera higher into the sky. A ball-head usually has a drop slot where you can tilt your camera so it’s facing vertical or so you can tilt your camera into portrait orientation. However, be advised that when your camera is oriented in certain directions on a ball-head, you may not be able to tilt the camera back very far without rotating the ball-head to find the drop slot.

Also, I highly recommend using an L-bracket to attach your camera to your tripod because it will enable you to quickly switch from landscape to portrait orientation without significantly affecting the placement of your lens. Without it, you will be forced to use the drop slot on a ball-head or tilt your camera laterally using a pan-tilt head, which will disrupt your lens’s position and shift the foreground in your frame, and, if your tripod isn’t perfectly level, you may find that you can’t actually tilt your camera fully into portrait orientation without adjusting your tripod first. Once your camera is in portrait orientation, you’ll find it isn’t nearly as easy to control where you point your camera as it is in landscape orientation. With an L-bracket, you just pop your camera off your tripod, turn it, reattach, and you’re ready to keep shooting with the normal range of motion available to you in landscape orientation and the foreground will remain in the same place.

4) Don’t set your White Balance to auto or “daylight”.

When I started photographing the aurora in 2012, there were far fewer guides available online than there are now. I remember the first guide I found told me to set my white balance to the “daylight” setting, and several guides still do so today. I wondered for a long time why the aurora in my images looked an ugly yellow color and the sky & landscape didn’t seem to have that bluish “night” feel that I perceive with my naked eye. The answer was simple: “daylight” white balance results in dull aurora and night sky images in most circumstances.

White balance set to 5200K, Canon’s “daylight” setting.

White balance adjusted to 4000K in Lightroom with no other adjustments.

I’ve found over time that a white balance setting near 4000K gives the best color in the aurora and usually makes the sky & foreground look optimal as well. This setting may need to be adjusted depending on the mix of other light sources in the frame and your personal preference. As long as you are shooting in RAW format, you can change the white balance later in post-processing without losing any quality. If you are shooting JPEG instead of RAW, you should manually set your white balance to 4000K (+/-) in your camera because you will not be able to fine tune your color as precisely later. (You may wind up with a blue tint to your image if you try to change your aurora from ugly yellow to green the way I did using the RAW file in the example images above.)

5) DON’T LEAVE A FILTER ON YOUR LENS, including UV filters!

Filters will leave concentric rings on your images. All of them. Take them off. Don’t forget. Also, just in case you’re an old-school film shooter who has always kept a UV filter on the front of their lens, be advised that UV filters don’t provide any benefit to your images when using a digital camera and they can introduce flare and other unwanted artifacts in your shot, so consider removing them for good. I shoot regularly in incredibly rugged environments and bump/ding/drop my camera on rocks, branches, etc., all the time; it’s better to just keep the lens cap on, because it will do a better job of protecting your lens than a thin piece of fragile glass.

The neck strap can get caught on your tripod or swing during an exposure causing blurriness.

6) Don’t forget to turn your camera’s display brightness down.

After your eyes adjust to the dark, the camera display will look much brighter than it does when viewed in a well-lit environment, possibly leading you to think your images are properly exposed when they are actually significantly underexposed. Turn the display brightness down so you can rely on the image preview to ensure your exposures are correct—the best setting will depend on your particular camera. (For Canon cameras, I suggest the “2” setting.) The best way to ensure your exposure is correct is by checking the histogram display!

7) Don’t forget to take the neck strap off your camera.

It can get caught on your tripod and it can also cause blurriness in your shots if it’s swinging during an exposure or blowing in the wind.

8) Don’t forget to turn off your headlamp, all the lights on your vehicle, your phone’s display, etc., when taking an exposure.

This one seems obvious, but sometimes you may not notice that weak red glow from your vehicle’s tail lights 20 feet away until it turns the snow in your foreground red. Vehicle cabin lights can also show up in an exposure. Beginners who aren’t used to shooting at night may have a hard time remembering to turn off their headlamp. Phones and any other sources of light can also pollute your image in a long exposure. If you have non-photographer companions with you, politely explain to them the importance of keeping unwanted light out of your shot while you’re photographing the aurora. And if you’re around other photographers, be careful not to pollute their shots as well!

Look close and you’ll notice the stars are seeing double in this exposure and the tree outlines are blurred. I think my tripod shifted slightly during the exposure, either from a slight bump on unstable gravel footing or on its own from not being tightened enough. The result was a missed shot of one of the most spectacular curtain formations I’ve seen. (Ouch!)

9) Don’t forget to check your tripod is stable.

When placing your tripod on snow, tundra, rocks, or any type of uneven ground, you need to take particular care to ensure your tripod’s footing is stable. Give your tripod a slight nudge to see how easily it moves. If it moves easily, try to find more stable footing for the tripod or narrow the tripod legs and force them deep into the snow. Enabling mirror lock-up and a 2-second time delay may help avoid some vibration caused by a shaky tripod, but it won’t prevent blur caused by the ground shifting under the tripod during an exposure or wind vibration. Also, be sure that the tripod attachment plate is screwed tightly on your camera and the adjustment levers/knobs are fully tightened on the tripod legs and head. If any part of your tripod is loose, your camera could shift during an exposure and it will be more prone to vibration caused by mirror slap, inadvertent bumps, or a slight breeze. When the knobs/levers on your tripod head are fully tightened, your camera should not wobble at all when you give it a slight nudge; if it does wobble, check that everything is tight, and, if it is, you may need to tighten another part of your tripod head or you may need a higher quality tripod / tripod head to support your gear.

10) Don’t forget to charge your battery, your extra battery, and install a memory card with plenty of capacity before you head to your shooting location!

Even though it’s much faster to download pictures from my camera by inserting the memory card directly into my computer’s card reader, I always leave the memory card in my camera and download pictures using a USB cord because I would otherwise invariably forget to reinstall the memory card in my camera. You should always bring a spare battery and keep it warm in an inner pocket so if cold weather prematurely drains the one in your camera you can swap in the spare while you re-warm the cold battery. If the aurora dances all night, you may very well need two full batteries to last you through the night; besides potentially taking hundreds of exposures, you may be using the LCD much more than usual to focus, compose images, review images, change settings, etc.

11) Don’t rely on the infinity mark on your lens’s focus ring to focus your lens! Always confirm you are in focus by reviewing test shots!

Focusing on the stars at night can be difficult because using autofocus is often impossible. The infinity mark on most lenses is not usually accurate, so don’t blindly set your focus to the infinity mark and expect your stars to be sharp. There are many techniques for focusing at night, which you can read about in my guide and many other places online. It’s critically important that you achieve accurate focus if you want your shots to look good, so take a couple test shots and zoom in as much as possible on the display to confirm you are in sharp focus. (There is not enough resolution on your camera’s display to tell if your shots are in focus without zooming in, so don’t rely on the full-screen image preview.) The stars in your image should look like tiny pinpoints and not blurry discs, and the edges of static objects in the foreground (e.g., trees, mountains, rocks, etc.) should be sharp. Don’t forget your reading glasses if you need them to see your display.