Shawn Lyons

This state has already added, knowingly or not, to the pollution problems the world now faces. Maybe we should consider it payback time.

Currently, going into the wilds of Alaska means an often arduous, sometimes dangerous trip. Those of us associated with Alaska Huts and Alaska Trails hope to change that.

Steve Hufford didn’t originally set out to climb Near Point so many times. What began as an alternative to an Alaska Club workout evolved into a routine. And Steve’s wife, Gwen, documented each of these climbs by the phone call Steve made to her upon reaching the summit.

Some Alaska hikes prove especially memorable when, as on that particular night, location, weather, and season come together in a beautiful collaboration. But what makes any hike or climb most scenic smacks of subjectivity.

Many hikers who revel in snow may prefer the highlands in autumn. Others may prefer to avoid it until absolutely necessary. Winter lasts long enough without needing to seek it out in the mountains.

On the hike up Hanging Valley Trail above South Fork Eagle River, autumn turned to winter, providing a harbinger of things to come.

A friend told me that Fresno Creek Trail started along Fresno Creek -- and finding no other trail by the creek but one, I began hiking.

Framed by Eska Peak on the left and Granite Peak on the right, the falls stopped us in our tracks.

Cabin talk opens the door to new routes on the Kenai Peninsula.

We could blame the last few weeks of rain for transforming Winner Creek, like most creeks and streams all over Southcentral Alaska, into an overflowing flood of gray and dirty water -- and turning most trails into muddy puddled trenches.

In the South Fork Eagle River valley, paths of desire, blazed by continued use by hikers over the years, veer off the established trail to provide numerous climbing choices and plenty of solitude.

Climbing Flattop is a rite of passage for cheechakos. Flattop seems an odd choice, though, when for almost the same effort you can climb more pronounced peaks, such as Rendezvous, with what many consider more expansive views.

A hike up Government Peak rewards the hardy with solitude, an expansive view and unexpected encounters with wildlife.

Hikers can sense the upcoming adventure on rounding into the bowl of Upper Reed Lake. From that vantage, one finally has an obstructed view of 6,536-foot Lynx Peak.

Chilly May ensures that winter is slowly loosening its grip on the mountains of Southcentral Alaska, but there are still some rewarding spots to hike.