Crow Pass to Eagle River
by Kathy Burke, Scree 9/90

We knew it was gonna be a long day so we hit the trail at 5:45 a.m.  It was cool and the sun was still behind the mountains, perfect weather for the uphill to the pass.  Heading down from the pass we saw a black bear grazing up on a slope on the right and three Dall sheep were near a peak on the left.  We kept a steady pace behind Jenny, who for some reason had a full size backpack on!

After some sweaty miles it was discovered that Mary had a bag of corn chips.  This may have been the single most important discovery of the day, through the remaining miles those chips kept our minds occupied with great scheming, collaborating and plotting to get them.  Jane came loaded with chocolate-chocolate chip cookies and they were just about the only thing good for a chip trade.  At each rest stop there appeared to be a downright brawl with everyone vying for a seat next to the chips.

We crossed Eagle River around noon.  It was uneventful, just hooked elbows and went for it. It was mid-thigh deep.  We lunched and dried out on the other side where Jenny pulled a regular bed pillow out of her pack.  With the river deeper than usual there are many places where the old trail just dead ends into the river.  A new trail has been brushed out but it seems to meander back and forth and around every blade of grass for miles. It was a weary kind of hiking.  At one point we lost the trail and ended up in a swamp.  The bears around the area had an impatient attitude, they wouldn't stop to do their business, just dropped it in little plops as they traveled down the trail.  We scared up a moose along the trail who had a nice "starter" set of velvet antlers.

Then came Icicle Creek.  That day, the cry "Remember the Alamo" was nothing compared to "Remember Icicle Creek."  We knew there were two small creek crossing besides Eagle River.  At mile six, half of the Clear Creek bridge is out and we waded it mid-calf, no big deal, so that's what we expected from Icicle.  It was wider and looked deeper, so we hooked elbows and had a great start, but towards the end was a channel about four feet wide and crotch deep.  The force of the water rushing through that channel caught us by surprise, we almost lost Mary (and the chips), when I got there I went downstream a couple of feet.  Fast water sure can lurk in unsuspecting places.  The looks on our faces must have been a bit strained, the two backpackers who were watching us decided to stop there and not cross.   Luckily, the only damage done was a bunch of small rocks in our boots and socks.

At mile 22 the "where on your body doesn't it hurt" contest broke out.  Janes hair felt no pain and Jenny's right pinky was OK.  It took us around 14 hours, we felt this long time was due to the trail meandering from Thunder Gorge to Yakedeyak Creek.  Actually, at the end, we were still cruising along at a hefty pace and smiling and we were all still having a good time - guess that's the point of it all.  Jane Stammen, Mary Savage, Jenny Parks and I will remember Icicle Creek