By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Staff Writer
From Medvejie Lake, up and over the Baranof Island ice field and then down to Baranof Warm Springs – the cross-island hiking route symbolizes back-country adventure at its best.
For the most part, only adults attempt the challenging trek over rocks and ice. But that didn’t deter 11-year-old Liv Speck.
Although she has spent most of her life hiking around Sitka, the ice field crossing was a first for Liv.
“When I first stepped onto it, I was like, ‘Whoa, this is unreal, sketchy’… I’m just like blown away by it, really surprised that I was able to accomplish that,” Liv said in a phone interview.
Accompanied by her father, Eric Speck, and family friend Pat Heuer, Liv completed the hike over three days, from July 30 to August 1.
She said the traverse over the icy spine of Baranof Island stands out as a special moment.
“I’ve got favorite parts, but climbing up out of the ice field was one, and probably relaxing at the end of the day in the tent,” she recalled.
The trio crossed the island from west to east in excellent weather and with good visibility – essential for navigation over an open expanse of ice.
“We had really nice weather,” Eric Speck said. “We left on Friday, the 30th of July... we saw that there was a good weather window and jumped on it. It was really sunny, we had some mixed clouds during the three days and a little misty fog on the ice field.”
Eric Speck and his daughter Liv stand on an ice field on their way to Baranof Warm Springs from Sitka July 31. (Photo provided by Eric Speck)
Speck estimates he’s made the crossing nine times over his two decades in Sitka.
But as far as he knows, Liv is the youngest girl ever to complete the route.
“I’ve never heard of another young girl (doing the route), but I don’t know that as a fact,” he said.
The group enjoyed postcard-worthy views of peaks and glaciers, along with glimpses of mountain goats and other wildlife.
The goat “kind of looked like a rock but when we yelled up to it, it stuck its head up, and we were like, ‘Yeah, that’s a goat,’” Liv said of the encounter with three of the high country dwellers.
Her father said he most enjoyed the opportunity to spend time with his daughter.
“One of our favorite things of the whole thing – the views are staggering the whole time – the best part of it, we both said this, just being together to be able to do that together was just amazing,” Speck said. “Exploring and being in the wilderness is just like what feeds my soul, and to be able to share that with Liv – and not only share it with her but to have her be thrilled every second of it – was just really cool and really fulfilling. It felt amazing.”
Though she was weighed down with equipment just like the adults, Liv never complained, her father said.
On the first night, the group camped beneath Mount Bassie on what Eric calls Logan Pass, informally named for Logan Evans, the son of Dan and Janet Evans, who years ago completed the cross-island hike when he was 11 years old. In similar fashion, Eric honored his daughter by referring to a high alpine near lake near the ice field as Liv Lake.
The group roped together on the ice in case someone fell into a crevasse, and in preparation for the hike they practiced self-arrest techniques on Mt. Verstovia.
Liv said that hiking across Baranof Island has been on her radar for some time.
“I’ve been wanting to do it as soon as I heard about it. It was super cool to be able to do it,” she said.
Once on the far side of the island, Liv was met by her mother, Brita Speck, and her eight-year-old sister Elsa. The four enjoyed three days at Baranof Warm Springs to decompress.
“Elsa has already requested that we do it when she’s ten, because she wants to beat her older sister’s record,” Eric said. “We’re pretty sure Liv is the youngest girl ever to walk across Baranof.”
Regardless of any records, said Liv, “It was just really cool and it’s probably something I’ll remember forever.
