Homer was quite the stop on our Alaskan travels. Our adventures continued on the Glacier Lake and Saddle Trail.

Our whole crew didn’t make the water taxi ride across Kachemak Bay. After the excitement of our bear excursion with Alaska Bear Adventures, some of our family was worn out – and rightfully so. But Shane, Lily and I hopped a Mako’s Water Taxi the next morning to complete a popular and well worth the ultimate destination hike.

Due to the tides, the water taxi dropped us off on the beach, which was at least a half mile hike to the trail head. The beach hike had us hopping over driftwood and seaweed.

The entry to the trail the Glacier Lake Trail is shaded by cottonwoods. The trail is one of the most popular in Kachemak Bay State park, so it is well maintained.

We hiked about a mile and a half or so before we came upon the Emerald Lake trail and Grewingk Tram, which was a mile detour off the trail to the lake. Walking through this area feels almost desert-like. There are no large cottonwoods casting shade – just the warm sun and sandy, rocky trail. But at the end of this trail is a hand tram that allows you to cross Grewingk Creek. The hand tram is no easy feat. We came upon it with several other people and it did take all of us to haul people back and forth! But what a view when you hung over the creek.

Once back on the trail, another mile and a half, you reach a turning point – one path leads to Glacier Lake – the other to the Saddle Creek trail. We ventured on to the lake and were not disappointed at all. We sat on some driftwood and a boulder to eat our much earned lunch and enjoy the spectacular view. Wow! I have such an appreciation for our planet and for Alaska, which does such an amazing job preserving its natural beauty.

The walk back on Saddle Creek trail took us on a mile hike on steep switchbacks down to Halibut Cove where we were to meet our water taxi. This stretch was the hardest part due to the steepness of the decline and the rocky beach we had to traverse to get to the meeting point. But it was a beautiful end to our hike.

Our taxi driver, Gart, steered the Blue Too on a detour around Gull Island where were able to see hundred of birds – including the famous Alaska puffins – nesting on the big rock.