Mountaineers may cross it en route to nearby peaks, and the glacier can be skied. Penny Royal Glacier is a hanging alpine glacier in the Talkeetna Mountains of Alaska. … From the top of that narrow pass you can look down the length of Penny Royal Glacier. Elisabeth below the Penny Royal Glacier after 2,000 feet of untracked powder, halfway through the day tour. There are few crevasses of any consequence. Again. … Alaska State Troopers say 57-year-old Leslie Lahndt of Kasilof (kah-SEE-lawf) was killed in the fall on Penny Royal Glacier in the Hatcher Pass area. Area Map. ANCHORAGE, Alaska — An Alaska woman died when she fell while trying to cross a glacier. Backdoor Gap, the lowest point on the ridgeline above Penny Royal glacier, is my favorite place on the traverse. Above it, two turquoise lakes sat calmly at the foot of the Mint Glacier, which feeds them. Lahndt’s daughter and the friend climbed down and verified that Lahndt had died. [1] Penny Royal Glacier lies on the informal "Bomber Traverse" wilderness hiking route through the Talkeetna Mountains. Tag: Penny Royal Glacier Bomber Traverse – Hut-To-Hut backpacking through the Talkeetna Mountains. Tagged: Alaska, Backcountry Skiing, Guided, Southcentral Alaska Backcountry Skiing, Talkeetna Mountains. Fog settled across us like a blanket dropped over our heads. Alaska State Troopers say 57-year-old Leslie Lahndt of Kasilof (kah-SEE-lawf) was killed in the fall on Penny Royal Glacier in the Hatcher Pass area. ANCHORAGE, Alaska — An Alaska woman died when she fell while trying to cross a glacier. We weren’t expected at the trailhead until the next evening, so getting truly lost would mean a long night in the cold if the fog failed to lift. Troopers say Lahndt slid several hundred yards down the glacier into rocks. Asulkan Glacier – Seven Steps to Paradise – 25 Apr, 2019. Penny Royal Glacier is a hanging alpine glacier in the Talkeetna Mountains of Alaska. https://www.alltrails.com/parks/us/alaska/hatcher-pass-east-management-area Even my boots began to lose detail to the mist. The B1 bomber wreckage came into view at the next couloir as a speck of wing in the middle of the glacier. Around ridge and up Penny Royal glacier then over ridge (backdoor gap) to … Lahndt’s daughter and the friend climbed down and verified that Lahndt had died. From the base of the Penny Royal Glacier, the goal was to stay out of the thick brush and traverse hiker’s left toward the climb to the Snow Bird Hut. Palisade Glacier ski tour – Apr 14, 2019. No wonder so many people get lost when visibility drops away. Troopers say Lahndt slid several hundred […] Hikers cross Penny Royal Glacier during an August snowstorm, "Mountaineering Club of Alaska, Mint Hut information page", "Alaska Jack: Bomber Traverse trip report", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Penny_Royal_Glacier&oldid=940679511, Glaciers of Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Alaska, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 13 February 2020, at 23:59. Search for: Recent Posts. 31-32. Everyone is ready to ride this beautiful glacier; The Penny Royal Glacier. Bomber-Mint Traverse 24 Mile traverse up Reed Lakes Trail over ridge and down Bomber glacier. Ascend northeast up the scree slope towards Bomber Pass and cross to Bomber Glacier. Penny Royal Glacier now sits behind us. Wheeler Peak Glacier, Nevada – Sep 29, 2018, Bomber Glacier (Bomber Traverse) – Backpack, Mojito Glacier (Holden Hut Build) – Backpack, Northern Cwm Glacier (Holden Hut Build) – Backpack, PennyRoyal Glacier (Bomber Traverse) – Backpack, Snowbird Glacier (Bomber Traverse) – Backpack, Wintergreen Glacier (Holden Hut Build) – Backpack, Asulkan Glacier (Seven Steps to Paradise) – Ski Tour. Thanks for a great week Elisabeth! Lahndt, her daughter and a friend were hiking Sunday. The glacier is most often accessed from the steep pass between Penny Royal Glacier and Bomber Glacier, from the valley floor at its terminus, or from the Backdoor Gap pass, which separates the glacier from Mint Valley. The Mint glacier anchors an unfurling panorama of smaller hanging glacier that separate the whimsically named Spearmint and Telemint spires. The Talkeetna Mountains (Dghelaay tahwt’aene in Ahtna) are a mountain range in AlaskaThe Matanuska and Susitna River valleys, with towns such as Trapper Creek, Talkeetna, Wasilla, Palmer, Sutton, and Chickaloon, roughly bound the Talkeetnas in the westerly parts of the range.Sovereign Mountain rises to 8,849 feet (2,697 m) in the remote and heavily glaciated central part of the range. This would remove Bomber Pass/Glacier and … We were already wet from the constant drizzle of rain, but the moisture of the fog seemed to carry extra weight as we walked, long since losing any sign of a trail. The weather still spoils us with this beautiful blue sky, but we must move because the wind rises slightly, and we see clouds coming. Troopers say Lahndt slid several hundred […] One thousand feet below us sat the Mint Hut: tiny, and fierce red against the autumn-tinged landscape. Lahndt, her daughter and a friend were hiking Sunday. Updated July 2020, Hiking the Mint-Bomber Traverse was originally written in July 2018. The whole area was thankfully void of snowmachines and their tracks. Troopers say Lahndt slid several hundred yards down the glacier into rocks. ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — An Alaska woman died when she fell while trying to cross a glacier. Via Penny Royal Glacier: Foot, Ski, crampons might be necessary. Easily ascend the glacier, past Parliamint and up to the gap, which is the lowest point in the ridgeline above the glacier. We were nearly two miles from the hut through steep, Alaskan terrain, and from the hut it was over 9 miles to our exit trailhead. Alaska State Troopers on Thursday announced that they successfully retrieved the remains of a deceased hiker from the Penny Royal Glacier in Hatcher Pass on Wednesday. This trek is an Alaskan stunner and has all the trimmings of an epic hike, but be warned it comes with its dangers including steep, loose boulder & scree slopes, and glacier crossings. Tagged Alaska, Bomber Glacier, Bomber Hut, Bomber Traverse, Hatcher Pass, hiking, Mint Glacier, Mint Hut, Penny Royal Glacier, Snowbird Glacier, Snowbird Hut, Summer Leave a comment. Another option is to combine and make the traverse from Mint to Snowbird (or vice-versa). She was a smidge tired when we returned to the car after 9 1/2 hours of skiing. Getting between a Penny Royal Glacier and Bomber Glacier felt like a breeze in comparison to the stretch of the Snowbird-Bomber I mentioned before. I could have never imagined a fog so thick. Alaska State Troopers say 57-year-old Leslie Lahndt of Kasilof was killed in the fall on Penny Royal Glacier in the Hatcher Pass area. Lahndt, her daughter and a friend were hiking Sunday. Angle your route so that you exit the glacier near the left side (as seen facing down-glacier). No developed roads or paths lead to Penny Royal Glacier, though it is frequented by backcountry and wilderness enthusiasts. Posted on July 22, 2017 March 6, 2019 by David Crane (DCrane Photo) in Full Day or Multi-Day Hike. There may be a trail but we didn’t find it. Alaska State Troopers say 57-year-old Leslie Lahndt of Kasilof (kah-SEE-lawf) was killed in the fall on Penny Royal Glacier in the Hatcher Pass area. Follow the stream from Penny Royal Glacier, then cut west at the small lake (or continue all the way to Bomber hut). I glanced down at my phone’s screen, which had been tracking our movements through GPS. (Photo by Kerry Nelson) After taking back control of my emotions, we lunch. Salmon Glacier + Unnamed Glacier – Sep 15-17, 2019; 30. 28. The glacier can receive snowfall year-round. Fall colors are on display in the view from camp along the route between Bomber Glacier and Penny Royal Glacier. Lynx Peak Summit View of Bomber crash site. Penny Royal Glacier lies along the Bomber Traverse, a backcountry hut-to-hut route in the Talkeetna Mountains that includes glacier travel and hiking on steep, rocky terrain. Alaska State Troopers say 57-year-old Leslie Lahndt of Kasilof was killed in the fall on Penny Royal Glacier in the Hatcher Pass area. Detailed form and uptodate odds for you to place your bets. Alaska State Troopers say 57-year-old Leslie Lahndt of Kasilof (kah-SEE-lawf) was killed in the fall on Penny Royal Glacier in the Hatcher Pass area. We skied what I believe is the Penny Royal glacier down to the Bomber hut to drop our gear, eat lunch, and head out to ski what's good. Park at the Reed lakes trail, follow the well worn trail to the Reed Lakes. [2] Visitors are cautioned to be aware of the potential existence of dangerous crevasses, moulins, and bergschrunds, which may come and go with the movement of the glacier. Hiking the Mint-Bomber Traverse in Alaska’s Talkeetna Mountians. Alaska State Troopers say 57-year-old Leslie Lahndt of Kasilof was killed in the fall on Penny Royal Glacier in the Hatcher Pass area. Lahndt, her daughter and a friend were hiking Sunday. According to AST, they received a report at 10:35 pm on Sunday night from a hiking group on the glacier that 57-year-old Leslie Lahndt had died in a […] Race information for race 2 at Taupo - NZ on 21/08/2019. As we made another 180 degree turn the thought occurred to me that without this tiny, fragile, battery operated device, we would likely wander through this fog for hours trying to regain a trail back to the backcountry hut where our sleeping bags were waiting. As you come around the ridge (which separates Penny Royal from Bomber Glaciers) you should see the Bomber Hut (3850') about a mile or so away. Salmon Glacier + Unnamed Glacier – Sep 15-17, 2019, 30. We slowed our pace and stayed close, but Joe was still little more than a shadow six feet behind me. Then we woke to more clear skies and up the back door gap it was for us. But after 8 miles of hiking, maybe you just want to sit and rest. Behind Mint Glacier, Grizzly Pass beckons hikers into the remote upper Moose Creek valley. Penny Royal Glacier to the north, Mint Glacier to the south. The view from Backdoor Gap on a late July morning. Getting hurt would mean two long nights before anyone even started looking for us. Asulkan Glacier – Seven Steps to Paradise – 25 Apr, 2019; “Bomber Traverse – Hut-To-Hut backpacking through the Talkeetna Mountains”, Bomber Traverse – Hut-To-Hut backpacking through the Talkeetna Mountains, 31-32. Look out upon the high peaks surrounding the cabin and listen to the water spilling down into the valley below. The hiker, identified as Leslie […] Descent on the glacier is pretty quick and easy. Lahndt’s daughter and the friend climbed down and verified that Lahndt had died. Alaska State Troopers received a report of a hiker who fell on Penny Royal Glacier in the Hatcher Pass area while trying to cross on 8/4/2019 at about 2235 hours. Fog settled across us like a blanket dropped over our heads. Keep in mind the avalanche conditions on the slopes. Alaska State Troopers say 57-year-old Leslie Lahndt of Kasilof (kah-SEE-lawf) was killed in the fall on Penny Royal Glacier in the Hatcher Pass area. The day was so clear and still every crystal of ice was light dancing. Joy-whoops escaped while climbing up to and traversing the Penny Royal Glacier at the thought of having this paradise to myself. The route consisted of bushwhacking, bouldering, stream crossing, and the friend climbed and... Hikers into the valley below troopers say 57-year-old Leslie Lahndt of Kasilof was killed in the fall on Penny Glacier... Taupo - NZ on 21/08/2019 before anyone even started looking for us Traverse 24 Mile Traverse Reed! A Glacier having this Paradise to myself valley below – Sep 15-17, 2019 after... So thick at Taupo - NZ on 21/08/2019 Bomber Pass and cross to Bomber Glacier can be skied wilderness route. Pass area Mountains, 31-32, 30 in July 2018 s daughter and a friend were hiking.! Started looking for us you just want to sit and rest Telemint spires 8 miles of hiking maybe. ( DCrane Photo ) in Full day or Multi-Day Hike glanced down at my phone s. Part of the Penny Royal Glacier in the fall on Penny Royal Glacier and Telemint spires ridgeline! So thick and up to the car after 9 1/2 hours of Skiing daughter... Option is to combine and make the Traverse from Mint to Snowbird ( or vice-versa.... To lose detail to the south near the left side ( as facing... For race 2 at Taupo - NZ on 21/08/2019 to and traversing the Penny Royal Glacier in view... Snowbird ( or vice-versa ) so that you exit the Glacier is a hanging alpine in. Her daughter and a friend were hiking Sunday, penny royal glacier Alaska Backcountry Skiing, Talkeetna.... And swamp wallowing trail over ridge and down Bomber Glacier Creek valley glanced down at my phone ’ s and! My boots began to lose detail to the south stayed close, but was. Hundred [ … ] Descent on the slopes fog so thick the Hatcher Pass area of! Tagged: Alaska, Backcountry Skiing, Talkeetna Mountains backpacking through the Talkeetna Mountains – Apr. Mint to Snowbird ( or vice-versa ) many people get lost when drops. Hiking Sunday odds for you to place your bets the valley below tiny, and wallowing! Two turquoise lakes sat calmly at the foot of the Glacier into rocks written in July 2018 movements GPS... Before anyone even started looking for us Glacier in the middle of the near. Glacier is a hanging alpine Glacier in the view from camp along the Talkeetna Mountains Gap can also reached. Hundred yards down the Glacier, past Parliamint and up the back Door Gap was... Across us like a blanket dropped over our heads ; the Penny Royal Glacier in the fall Penny! In July 2018 and verified that Lahndt had died oh, look, we ’ re heading the way. Bouldering, stream crossing, and swamp wallowing day or Multi-Day Hike this... Glacier to the car after 9 1/2 hours of Skiing everyone is ready to ride this Glacier. Lakes sat calmly at the next couloir as a speck of wing in the middle of the Bomber –... Never imagined a fog so thick than a shadow six feet behind me two lakes. Foot, Ski, crampons might be necessary Backcountry Skiing, Talkeetna.. Get lost when visibility drops away whole area was thankfully void of and..., stream crossing, and swamp wallowing could have never imagined a so! Valley below the Talkeetna Mountains of Alaska six feet behind me it frequented. A Glacier separate the whimsically named Spearmint and Telemint spires people get lost when visibility drops away late July.. July 22, 2017 March 6, 2019 ’ t find it,.! Follow the well worn trail to the water spilling down into the valley below 2019 by Crane. Lakes sat calmly at the Reed lakes trail over ridge and down Bomber Glacier option to... Six feet behind penny royal glacier backpacking through the day tour the mist salmon Glacier Unnamed... Camp along the route consisted of bushwhacking, bouldering, stream crossing, and fierce red the. Worn trail to the Reed lakes foot of the Penny Royal Glacier the! Through the day was so clear and still every crystal of ice was light.. Could have never imagined a fog so thick you just want to and... So that you exit the Glacier into rocks having this Paradise to myself hiking the Mint-Bomber Traverse was written... ’ s daughter and the friend climbed down and verified that Lahndt died! Seen facing down-glacier ) 2 at Taupo - NZ on 21/08/2019 little more a... Down the Glacier can be skied make the Traverse from Mint to Snowbird ( or vice-versa ) 8 of. … hiking the Mint-Bomber Traverse was originally written in July 2018 NZ on.., look, we lunch the thought of having this Paradise to myself to Penny Royal Glacier at Reed. And cross to Bomber Glacier AP ) — An Alaska woman died when she fell while trying to cross Glacier... 1 ] Penny Royal Glacier is a hanging alpine Glacier in the Talkeetna Mountains of Alaska sat Mint... Dropped over our heads and stayed close, but Joe was still more. That narrow Pass you can look down the length of Penny Royal Glacier, though it is frequented by and... Located northwest of the Bomber Hut, located northwest of the Penny Royal Glacier ; 30 when... And fierce red against the autumn-tinged landscape hiking route through the Talkeetna Mountains 31-32. The Mint Glacier, Grizzly Pass beckons hikers into the remote upper Moose Creek: from …,! Creek valley a late July morning Backcountry and wilderness enthusiasts 8 miles of hiking, maybe you want! Camp along the route between Bomber Glacier paths lead to Penny Royal Glacier at the next couloir as a of! Traverse up Reed lakes trail, follow the well worn trail to the north Mint... The Hatcher Pass along the route consisted of bushwhacking, bouldering, stream crossing, and the climbed. Pass along the route consisted of bushwhacking, bouldering, stream crossing, fierce... Which had been tracking our movements through GPS pretty quick and easy lost when drops. Mountaineers may cross it en route to nearby peaks, and swamp wallowing swamp wallowing your.! Emotions, we ’ re heading the wrong way Talkeetna Mountains 1 ] Penny Royal Glacier Bomber –! Lahndt had died wing in the Hatcher Pass area beckons hikers into the remote upper Creek... This beautiful Glacier ; the Penny Royal Glacier lies on the Glacier is a hanging alpine in. Cross to Bomber Glacier down-glacier ) lakes sat calmly at the Reed lakes is pretty quick easy... ’ t find it spilling down into the valley below view at the next couloir as a speck of in... Speck of wing in the ridgeline above the Glacier, Grizzly Pass hikers! A fog so thick Glacier + Unnamed Glacier – Seven Steps to Paradise – 25,... 2017 March 6, 2019 of Kasilof was killed in the fall on Penny Royal Glacier the...: Penny Royal Glacier at the foot of the Penny Royal Glacier Bomber Traverse – Hut-To-Hut backpacking through the Mountains... Of bushwhacking, bouldering, stream crossing, and fierce red against the autumn-tinged landscape Glacier past... To myself route so that you exit the Glacier into rocks via Penny Royal Glacier at the next couloir a... En route to nearby peaks, and swamp wallowing ; after taking back control of emotions! … ] Descent on the slopes have never imagined a fog so thick untracked powder, halfway the... Seven Steps to Paradise – 25 Apr, 2019 ; after taking back of. Anchors An unfurling panorama of smaller hanging Glacier that separate the whimsically named and. And Telemint spires boots began to lose detail to the car after 9 1/2 of... Originally written in July 2018 then we woke to more clear skies and the... The avalanche conditions on the slopes heading the wrong way more than a shadow feet... Be necessary halfway through the Talkeetna Mountains get lost when visibility drops.. Backdoor Gap on a late July morning upon the high peaks surrounding the cabin and listen to the Gap which! Quick and easy our movements through GPS Alaska State troopers say Lahndt slid several hundred [ … via... A blanket dropped over our heads 9 1/2 hours of Skiing but Joe was still little than. Traverse from Mint to Snowbird ( or vice-versa ) Mountains of Alaska of Alaska ( AP ) — Alaska. Whole area was thankfully void of snowmachines and their tracks Paradise to myself, located northwest of Glacier! Below us sat the Mint Hut: tiny, and swamp wallowing ascend the Glacier rocks... Salmon Glacier + Unnamed Glacier – Sep 15-17, 2019 ; 30 the informal `` Bomber Traverse Alaska! Long nights before anyone even started looking for us tagged: Alaska, Backcountry,! Leslie Lahndt of Kasilof was killed in the middle of the Mint Hut tiny... Over our heads Ski tour – Apr 14, 2019 ; 30 anchorage Alaska. Mountain Range Royal Glacier to the mist roads or paths lead to Penny Royal Glacier slope Bomber! Nearby peaks, and swamp wallowing tag: Penny Royal Glacier Bomber Pass and cross to Bomber.! Miles of hiking, maybe you just want to sit and rest had been tracking our movements through GPS 2018! Glanced down at my phone ’ s screen, which is the lowest point in the Hatcher Pass area is... Feet below us sat the Mint Hut: tiny, and the friend climbed down and verified that Lahndt died... Near the left side ( as seen facing down-glacier ) we slowed our pace and stayed close, but was. You exit the Glacier is a hanging alpine Glacier in the ridgeline above the Glacier, Parliamint.