The weather has been pretty good the past week or so, and by good I mean it’s not raining, foggy or windy at the same time.  I took the afternoon to make a quick trip down the Agamgic Bay Trail.  This is noted as being easy and four miles in length (one way).  I agree with that.  This is a good trail to take your mind away from the world and just kind of go.

Go Left Here

Getting to this trail however requires getting to the unmarked trail head out of town on Summers Bay Road.  Make your way to Summers Bay Lake and continue NE past the turn off of Overland Drive that boarders Summers Bay Lake.  The road will wind upwards past some old gun mounts and ammunition depots, eventually coming back down to the turn off to Humpy Cover on the left.  Stay to the right and continue for a few more minutes.  You will reach a little turnout just as you approach a small wooden bridge.  Park here and out of the way – it is time to start hiking!

The trail start on the old road to the right of the bridge.  Follow that down and around, you will come to an old steel bridge that is rusting away.  At the time of this writing the bridge was still solid enough to walk on, but cross it at your own risk.  Just past the bridge the trail is going to fork, take the left fork following the creek.

Your first opportunity to get off the trail is just ahead, the trail is going to spur off again to the left to continue

Biggest Challenge

following the creek.  I have placed a block of wood to get your attention, but if it’s removed or falls over you could walk right past it and end up climbing to a dead end in the foot hills of the mountains ahead.  You should be able to see the trail taking off to the left, and again it follows the creek so keep your head up.

The trail is visible most of the time, so don’t concern yourself with getting lost or off track too much.

After a few minutes of hiking your going to come to a valley creek crossing.  Someone has graciously added stakes with knotted rope to make your descent and ascent easier.  Otherwise using your trekking poles will work just as well.  If the grass and mud are wet, I can assure you that it will be very slippery – so be careful when crossing this gully.

Pretty Good Trail

Climbing out of the gully the trail continues at an even plane and wanders around hills, fields of flowers  and little streams.  I’ll take this moment to say the views headed out to the bay are not as eventful as the views coming back.  Everything seems to be smooth and blurs together.
There is another creek crossing you have to navigate.

Creek Crossing

Yesterday the water was low enough to walk on the rocks on the creek without getting wet.  I’ve been there at other times when the creek is raging.  If you encounter that, I’d say throw on the flip flops if you have them or wade bare feet.  If that is not an option, then head SE following the creek up towards the mountains, about 100 feet or so you will find that the creek narrows and can be jumped across, then make your way down the creek back to he trail.

Continuing, the trail is good and straight forward, your next opportunity to get off the trail, is just a head at the next creek crossing.  Years ago the trail was obvious and led you to the creek for a one step crossing.  The wild horses recently have tracked along

Follow the Rock - Left

the creek so much up towards the mountain that it looks like that is the trail now.  I have placed a large rock on the left side of the trail that leads you to the crossing.  Someone else has placed a rock near the creek crossing adjacent to the trail continuing on.  So if you go from a single track trail to a major horse track along the creek heading up, your going the wrong way.  Just look to your left across the creek and you will see the trail on the other side.

The next section of trail is pretty easy with a slight decent through a gully.  Easy going down and might take a few minutes to get back up, but again the trail is really obvious.   Your going to round a hill and get your first glimpse of Agamgic Bay, Beaver Inlet, and Sedanka Island.  The trail continues on

First View

from here almost down to the waters edge.  The blue Berries and Salmon Berries here are fantastic!  You just need to get there before I do to get them.

Just before you start your way down to the water, your going to pass a bog on your right.  Just as the bog starts to narrow and create a valley with run off making a creek, there is another trail that breaks off to the right.  It’s not used much any more though so it can be difficult to find.  It used to lead to Drakes Inn which was a great Quonset cabin that had been built up and maintained by the locals.  Tragically it burned down about four years ago.  If you can find the trail, head on over, climb up above the debris for some more great views of the bay.

Agamgic Bay, Unalaska Island

From the end of the trail, you can follow the coast line almost due north.  The large valley your facing leads over to English bay.  I spent four days camping there over Christmas few years ago.  I’ll post the link to that hike here when I find it.  Although the hike was in the middle of winter I think you might enjoy reading about it and looking at the pictures.

For more pictures of the Agamgic Bay hike, check out the gallery.