August 5, 2017 ~ It turned out to be the hottest day of the summer when Dana and I made a go for Hurdy Gurdy Peak.  This is one of a chain of peaks that divides the north and south forks of Eagle River in the Chugach Mountains.  Our trek began with an ascent up 5000′ Harp Mountain followed by a stroll down the east ridgeline that overlooks Hanging Valley and its glacial excavations.  The real work began when we started making our way up to the next minor peak where Dall sheep were scattered across the rock fields.  Our hands entered the mix as we scrambled up and across scree chutes with considerable exposure.

Once at the top of that outcrop, we took stock of our legs, nerves, and food.  Hurdy Gurdy beckoned to us from beyond a couple more “minor” bumps in the ridge and it looked close enough, so we kept after it.  I soon realized that we had misjudged the scale of the topography yet again and that everything was bigger than it looked.  Oh well, at that point we couldn’t allow ourselves to turn back without summiting, so we pushed through another couple steep ascents and finally stood on top of the peak proper (5,994′).

While admiring Eagle Peak, which was staring us down from farther along the ridge, I noticed that Dana had a stern look on her face.  She was suffering from a serious cold and had been fighting off phlegm in her lungs all day.  Deep down she was happy, but I took a hint from her expression that we should start heading back.

We had already gone through most of our water and began rationing in hopes of keeping our mouths moist until we reached the car.  It wasn’t much longer before I ran out of food, which was distressing when my legs were already shaking from exhaustion.  We urged our bodies back to the top of Harp Mountain and tumbled down the steep descent on the other side, reaching the car just as I drained the last drip of water from my reservoir. 

Dana claims the exercise healed her but I felt like I was going to die from heat exhaustion!