Chitna Pass Backpack - September 2015

For Alex Geilich a good adventure should be scary, painful, or gorgeous.  Ideally, all of the above. When Alex came back delighted with the Chitna Pass backpack, I figured it rated highly on the Geilich Beauty Scale and was immediately intrigued.


Alex sent me a map and I looked at a few pictures; that was enough. A fall Saturday found us sitting at the Pinochle Creek trailhead on an overcast morning. Everyone else in the parking lot had a truck and an ATV trailer. Clearly, this was the right spot. Zach, Khalial, and Andalyn had all done some research, between the four of us the route could be pieced together.


The route was quickly confirmed by plenty of ATVs and mud. From Pinochle Creek a small pass brought us to Hicks Creek.