Anchorage, Alaska - May 14-17, 2010

Walking Distance: ~ 8+ miles
Walking Time: 4 hours (over 3 nights)
Start and Stop: Beginning of Trail downtown and headed south; one last segment in Kincaid Park area, Anchorage, Alaska.

Just seeing if you were paying attention...This is not the San Francisco Bay Trail, it's the (11-mile long) Coastal Trail in Anchorage, Alaska.

I was able to cover a little more than half of the coastal trail in the evenings when I was in Anchorage. It did not get dark until about 10:30 p.m. This was very nice. I could do other sightseeing during the days I was in Anchorage, and walk the trail from 6-10 p.m. If I'd had another day or two, I might have finished the whole thing. The trail is a paved (asphalt) bike and walking trail that starts in downtown Anchorage by the water/port, and continues along the shoreline (south) past a few different parks (e.g. Earthquake Park), the Ted Stevens Airport, and it eventually ends in Kincaid Park area, south of the airport.

The trail was fairly popular. I saw several people bicycling, walking themselves and/or their dogs.  To potential walkers in the Bay Area: it sometimes gets chilly up here in Alaska; what's your excuse?

My favorite wildlife encounter was with 3 moose in Kincaid Park, the last evening I went walking. One of the three is pictured at right.

Wildlife:
Lots of Magpies; seagulls; some little brown jobs, (LBJs); 1 sandhill crane; 3 Moose