Anchorage: A 'easy' hike up Flattop Mountain

First, let me qualify my title. It wasn't me who thought the hike was easy. In fact, the Parks Service calls it a moderate hike. But I have a lovely friend in her 50's who used to live in Anchorage, and on her to-do list for me was this hike. I should also mention that she and her husband hiked 150 miles across England last summer . . . for fun. But never one to back down from a challenge, Ward and I decided to try it.

And lovely hike it is, too. Except for the snow, which made the trail look more like this:

And more than once we managed to get off the trail (probably because it was obscured by slush) and ended up scrabbling over fairly steep rock slopes, only to have other hikers pass us on a much easier path. A tip for anyone who might be interested in climbing all the way to the top (which I would highly recommend as the view is breathtaking, and not just literally) there are dabs of orange paint on the rocks indicating the recommended ascent. The problem is they are often only visible on the way down.

Because of where the mountain is, one has a commanding view of the city of Anchorage as well as the Turnagain Arm.

That's Anchorage off the the right, and Turnagain Arm to the left,

 and the Pacific Ocean in the distance.

But the real beauty in the hike, at least for me, was the abundant wildflowers that were in bloom, scattered among the rock like little jewels.

The whole hike took us four hours, and though I might question my friend's 'easy' rating, there is no question the experience was worth it!