Alaska cabins with a view

After sitting a computer all week, the only thing I really want to do is get outside on the weekend. Even though we've had some beautiful days this season, there are also plenty of cold, rainy, windy ones to balance things out. And who wants to hike in that? We do!

Hiking is a lot different than walking to work in nice(r) clothes. I don't care if my hair gets messed up, or if I'm wearing rain gear and Xtratufs. I'm out there to play and get dirty. But at the end of the hike, it's nice to dry off and get warm and that's where the cabins come in.

I've written about them before in this post, but wanted to share our most recent cabin getaways. They really are one of my favorite things about living in Southeast Alaska (thank you Forest Service!). So to help us stay active and ward off cabin fever (no pun intended), I reserved at least one cabin every month through December (after that, I'm hoping a sunny beach may materialize). I made the reservations all the way back in August because Saturday nights tend to book up quick among the weekend warrior crowd.

Here are the two cabins we've been to within the last month:

Eagle Glacier Cabin

In mid-September, we hiked out to Eagle Glacier Cabin. It's really one of my favorite places.

It had been raining a lot recently and the marshes and rivers were high. About halfway through the hike out, we came across this landslide. It was so recent (within a week, we guessed) that the trees were still very alive and the dirt was fresh.

This rock gave me the heebie geebies.

The 5.5-mile hike is difficult with quite a bit of scrambling involved. There's not much elevation gain, but a lot of up and down, climbing over roots and rocks. It's a real workout. As a result of the difficult hike, the cabin isn't as heavily used as some others, which adds to the feeling that you're really getting away from it all.

Eagle Glacier Cabin- September 15, 2012

Check out the views:

 

The reward at the end of the trek is completely worth it: a cute little cabin perched on the edge of a glacial lake and surrounded by mountains. The trees at higher elevations were just starting to change color. If you yell, the mountain echo back what you've said. The natural acoustics are really pretty amazing and we always end up laughing at how ridiculous we sound.

This gives a new meaning to the term "ice fishing".

 Scotty succeeded in getting a chunk of ice out of the lake for cocktails that evening.

And to cool the coconut water we brought for breakfast.

That night we built a fire with the wood someone had been kind enough to leave inside so it would dry out for the next visitors. We prepared some more wood to pay it forward.

John Muir Cabin

Two weekends ago, we hiked 3.3 miles, one-way, up to the John Muir Cabin. The trailhead begins at near sea-level in Auke Bay, and reaches an elevation of 1552 feet. From the cabin, you can see all the way down the Gastineau Channel.

This same hike was actually the first one we ever went on together, in early fall 2006. We brought subs from Subway and ate lunch on the front porch of the cabin, breathing in the fresh mountain air. We've been back many times since.

Scotty taking a well-deserved nap upon arrival

The hike is moderate, with wood planking much of the way once you get to the upper elevations through the meadows. In months of freezing weather, without snow, they can become very icy and good traction is a must to avoid slipping. In winter, deep snow makes snowshoes or cross country skies necessary. We've made do without both before and learned the hard way.

The real reward is the view at the top and a lovely, heated cabin with plenty of windows, all for only $35 a night.

Candles are important and pretty much necessary, especially this time of year as our part of the earth turns away from that sun. We bring a plastic bag of tea lights every time.

So what else do we take with us to make our cabin stays comfortable? I'll be back soon with a post on how we pack for cabin-camping and backpacking.