Along Tony Knowles Coastal Trail in Anchorage, AK, USA
X.AK.1: Winding Along Tony Knowles Coastal Trail, Anchorage, AK, USA
by covagabond.
Tuesday, 12 May 2020
X.AK.1: Winding Along Tony Knowles Coastal Trail, Anchorage, AK, USA
Twisting through lush wetlands, rocky beaches, and cool forests, the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail along Anchorage, Alaska’s downtown shoreline is a beautiful destination for any vagabond with wanderlust.
Whisked auklets, foxes, and even moose are frequent visitors to the paved trail. One of my first experiences on the coastal trail came as I was riding my bicycle one evening.
The lingering twilight of Alaskan summer painted rich purples and oranges as I sped through thickets and around curves.
Suddenly a cow moose trotted onto the trail a mere twenty feet ahead of me, and paced me for a good hundred yards (always staying ahead), before plunging back into the woods on the opposite side. Fortunately she appeared to have no calves with her, as that is when moose are at their most dangerous, but my heart was pounding nonetheless.
A remote correspondent and good friend of mine from Serbia, Nikola Bobic, in Anchorage for summer work as part of the J-1 student visa program, related a story in which he’d drunkenly approached a moose in an ill-advised attempt to pet it.
“It was cute,” he laughed off the near death experience, his slavic accent lilting with mirth. (Please do not attempt.)
Your excursion is best started downtown at 5th & H Street’s sun. This huge golden hemisphere is the scale model launching point of Anchorage Planet Walk.
Along the trail at accurately scaled distances, each of the planets is presented in succession. I’m unsure whether Pluto’s literature has been updated to reflect its new status, as it’s been a while since I traversed the entire solar system walk. You’ll have to comment and let me know.
Winding along, the southerly portion of the trail descends from downtown through Westchester Lagoon’s wetland basin before emerging onto the Knik Arm of Cook Inlet’s waterline. Driftwood, sea glass, and other tidal leavings dot the shore.
An active destination, be prepared to navigate everyone from training triathletes to flocks of helmeted children on bicycles on field trips to Earthquake Park.
The broken terrain is a souvenir from Anchorage’s 1964 quake which shifted portions of land hundreds of feet laterally and dropping some areas twenty feet or more.
Beyond the detritus of Earthquake Park’s crags lies Point Woronzof, a park on an extended point of shore with a 270° view, where humpback whales can be spotted breaching, and pods of orcas cruise the bio rich waters.
Turning south the 11 mile trail terminates in Kincaid Park, where even more moose, and other furry friends like black bears, are to be found.
So exercise appropriate caution in this 1,500 acre moraine while enjoying its sprawling trail system and views of Denali. You’ll even find a world class disc golf course.
Heading the other direction from the sun, follow F Street west from downtown toward further trail access at Bridge Seafood Restaurant on Ship Creek.
Just off of Anchorage’s bustling downtown, Ship Creek winds under historic timber trestle railroad bridges and is home to several runs of salmon species.
It’s huge tidal flux can be witnessed daily, evidenced by languid, 50 pound king salmon cruising mere feet underfoot at high tide.
[Photo Credit: Bridge Seafood Restaurant]
Bridge Seafood Restaurant, home of Chefs Patrick Hoogerhyde and Lexa Gokey, actually spans the creek, resting atop one of the historic railroad bridges.
[Photo Credit: Bridge Seafood Restaurant]
Chef Lexa Gokey.
[Photo Credit: Lexa Gokey]
Guests can see the original railroad ties where they’ve been incorporated into the interior of Bridge’s modern architecture while enjoying fresh, local fare.
Heading along the Coastal Trail to the northeast, the sharp Chugach Range frames downtown views as the trail heads for its 2nd Avenue terminus, returning vagabonds to downtown to continue their arctic explorations.
As always,
Your covagabond.
~
“All streams flow to the sea because it is lower than they are. Humility gives it its power.”
-Lao Tzu
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