I always hesitate to do traverses because of the hassle of getting cars at both trailheads. But this one is worth it, and the driving doesn't take up a ton of time. Three of us picked up our fourth friend at the South Fork Eagle River trailhead, then drove to Arctic Valley. We hiked up to the saddle, then turned right and continued up the steep slope of Rendezvous Peak almost to the top. The trail then jogs left and follows the ridge for a few miles. What views from up there! We could see all of Hiland Valley as well as Ship Creek and a section of Eagle River. Looking back the way we'd come, we saw the Talkeetna Mountains and even glimpsed the Alaska Range far beyond, bright sun lighting up the snowy peaks. And Anchorage seemed awfully small from that angle. Just above the South Fork trailhead, we began to descend the steep hill to Hunter Pass. From there it's a straight shot down to the South Fork trail and then a few minutes to the parking lot. Driving back up to Arctic Valley to retrieve my vehicle just made us that much hungrier, so by the time we returned to Eagle River, we were ready to refuel.
Distance one-way: about 7 miles
Distance one-way: about 7 miles