Bold Peak Route

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Parking at the Eklutna Lake parking lot requires a $5 per day fee or an AK State Park Pass.

Bold Peak, at 7522 feet, is #6 of the 120 Chugach State Park Peaks as listed on Peakbagger.com. Although it is not the tallest mountain in the area, it is the most prominent mountain in the Eklutna landscape as it boldly stands in front of its larger sibling, Bashful Peak, centered at the opposite end of the lake from the parking lot. Those interested in attempting this run need to be aware of not only the physical demands, but also practice good steep trail running techniques to avoid dangerous rockfall situations. Also, starting as early as possible will help with rock fall, snow conditions and cloud cover at the summit.

This trail is typically accessed from the East Fork Trail via the Eklutna Lakeside Trail from the Eklutna Lake parking lot. A sizable cairn marks the trail just past the creek bed (dry in early August) coming down from Stiver's gully, which I suppose isn't noticeable if you're not actively looking for it. Cairns mark the way up and eventually you make it out of the brush at the bottom of the talus-filled Stiver's gully. Here, the trail disappears and you just have to find your way up the scree field, which may or may not be covered by snow, depending on the time of year.

Toward the top of Stiver's Gully, the walls narrow and the potential for dangerous rockfall increases. I've seen some wear climbing helmets, but with the size of the talus here, any impact from a rock could lead to serious injury. The end of the scree field presents another challenge with an exposed, scrambling section with a fixed rope up to a grassy knoll. In August, the rope wasn't necessary but I've read that it helps substantially during the late spring melt.

A game trail leads you up and the gully opens. Even in August, we were pleasantly surprised with snow on our path as it was substantially easier than running through the talus. At about 5500 feet, you're more or less out of the bowl and starting the final ascent up the southeast scree slopes of the mountain top to the south ridge. You're rewarded during this final ascent with great views of Bashful and Eklutna Glacier. When you finally reach the top, you hopefully have unbelievable views of Eklutna valley, Knik Valley and glacier, and the tallest peaks in Chugach State Park.

This route has an extremely difficult rating due to its elevation gain, difficult terrain (talus and snow fields), minor scrambling, and a high potential for dangerous rockfall.