Women get more than they bargain for with wilderness hike
Virginia Shirey learned the hard way Alaska's moderate hikes can be more difficult than those at home.
The retired teacher from Sarver traveled this summer to Juneau, Alaska, to visit her daughter and family. She made the trip with her sister, Marijane Dillon of Erie.
The two-week adventure was not Virginia's first time to America's northernmost state. She had visited her daughter, Gina Shirey-Potts, several times before, but this trip was to include her first wilderness hike.
About halfway through the visit, the three women along with Virginia's 5-year-old granddaughter, Ginny, packed their provisions in backpacks and headed toward Peterson Lake, about 15 miles northwest of Juneau. At 4.3 miles long, the trail was rated "moderate" in difficulty, gaining 800 feet of elevation.
Virginia said the trail included some even terrain, but soon, the group found itself crawling over tree roots that grew high above the ground.
From climbing over the roots, Virginia's jeans got so muddy, she had to"soak them and wash them three times to get the mud out."
"It never really dried out," Virginia said of the forest.
Her husband, Donald, said most people don't know the state's capital is in a rain forest, getting 100 inches of rain per year.
As the trail steepened, Virginia began to realize the hike was a bit more strenuous than her hikes near home. She began to question her ability to finish.
"Westminster Highlands was what I had in mind,"she said.
She thought she'd be ready for the hike because she'd "been going to Curves since January!"
Marijane, a retired physical education teacher, noticed Virginia was having a hard time and repeated to her, "You'll be able to make it."
"I don't think so,"Virginia joked.
In addition to the tall roots, hikers also had to walk on long planks that crossed grassy wet lands called Muskegs. Virginia was a little bit afraid she might fall off the planks that protect hikers from muddy passages.
"The planks were in worse repair the closer we got to the lake,"Virginia said.
She thought, "How would (rescuers) get here if I sat down and couldn't get back up again?" since there are no real roads near the trail.
Toward the end of the trail, Virginia realized her daughter was carrying her backpack along with Ginny's and her own.
"I thought it would be an easier hike. They said there wasn't much elevation gain," Gina said.
A friend suggested Gina take ski poles just in case, and they came in handy for Virginia.
By the end of the trail, Virginia swore they had hiked for seven hours, but Gina countered it was only 5½.
Huffing and puffing, the group finally reached the little cabin where it would stay that night.
Virginia immediately began to shiver uncontrollably from the exertion and her wet clothes. She changed clothes and tried to get warm.Not wanting to dampen the other women's spirits, Virginia avoided talking about the next day's impending hike down, though she knew she probably wouldn't be able to make it.Finally, she asked her daughter, "Do you think there's some other way for me to get out of here?"With no cell phone reception, the women came up with a plan on their own.The next morning, Gina said farewell to her mother, aunt and daughter to hike down and summon a floatplane to fetch the rest of the party."I was just worried that it would take me a long time to get out," Gina said.But it only took about 2Z\x hours for Gina to get back down.Gina drove to the Juneau airport to find a plane."Peterson lake is the smallest lake they want to land on. (The pilot) had to take the smallest plane,"she said.Around noon that day, the other women sat on the cabin deck waiting for the sound of a floatplane. A few other planes passed by, and finally theirs landed.Gina flew in with the pilot in the three seater. The pilot decided it was most important for Virginia and Ginny to go back first, so the two took the 10-minute flight back to the airport. Then the pilot went back for Marijane and Gina."That was the best $249 I've ever spent!" Gina said of the floatplane rescue cost.Virginia was a little embarrassed when she flew in because she thought all the native Alaskans would think, "Silly tourists think they know what they're doing."Donald enjoyed phoning everyone they knew to say, "Virginia had to be rescued!"The women saw much more of Alaska than the Peterson Lake trail. They also spent a weekend in Gustavus, near the Glacier Bay, and spent the Fourth of July in Juneau, where Virginia snapped a photo of Governor Sarah Palin riding in the town's parade.They also took a Glacier Bay cruise and saw a family of Orca whales. They visited Talkeetna, a village north of Anchorage, which Virginia compared to Penn's Colony. Talkeetna held a moose decorating contest the day they were there.As a treat after the rustic hiking experience, the women flew to Anchorage to stay at the Mount McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge. The luxurious lodge is about an hour from Anchorage and was their home for two nights.Gina planned their activities far in advance and is very knowledgeable about the state. She has lived there since 1991 when she volunteered after college at a soup kitchen.She is now a natural resource manager for Alaska's Department of Natural Resources. She lives with her husband, Mark, and Ginny.Not discouraged by the hiking experience, Virginia said she'd be willing to try a hike again."If I'm still breathing and (Gina) wants to, why not?"
