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Alaska's state flower, the alpine forget-me-not, is one of the blooms worth a closer look on Skyline Trail. Photo by M. Scott Moon

In the realm of mountain trek-king, alpine wildflowers often play Gehrig to the majestic mountains' Ruth, or Marlowe to the dotted lakes' Shakespeare.

The flowers are intricate enough in their beauty, but to even notice them requires momentarily pulling oneself away from the captivating views that climbs of around 3,000 feet never fail to produce.

But, for those who do brave a moment for a change in perspective, these splashes of color can be the gentle touch of thyme or dill that raises a hike from merely filling to something to savor.

If anything, these wildflowers deserve a moment's notice simply as a tribute to the tenacity that allows them to bloom in the severe weather, wind and shallow soil that is the alpine of the far north.

One of the most common gateways to alpine wildflowers on the central Kenai Peninsula is the Skyline trail, located at Mile 61 of the Sterling Highway.

That is the trail from which the bouquet on the surrounding page has been plucked -- by camera lens, and not hand, of course.

Windflower Photo by M. Scott Moon

When approaching Skyline's trail head from Sterling, the parking area is on the right, while the trail starts across the highway from the parking area.

According to the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge, the trail is 1.5 miles to the top and climbs from 200 to 3,300 feet above sea level. That's about 4.7 inches climbed for every foot traveled, but it doesn't take a math major to figure out it's a pretty strenuous trail.

Hikers should take their time, as well as water and a light snack for energy, and they should wear synthetic clothes that will allow them to sweat going up the mountain, yet stay warm when the cool gusts of wind greet them as they poke their wet and vulnerable bodies above tree line. Having a windbreaking shell to throw on at this point is golden.

Although the climb is taxing, the good news is the footing is sure, the path is obvious and the view is rewarding all the way to the top. An average round trip takes three to six hours.

About the only chance to get lost comes near the top of the trail at a saddle with mountains ascending to the right and left. However, paths leading to the right immediately become clear with a little bit of looking.

The trail eventually breaks free of tree line, continues ascending into the Mystery Hills and ends at a tall pile of rocks protecting an orange box. Here, triumphant climbers can sign their names in a notebook.

Wooly lousewort Photo by M. Scott Moon

From there, hikers can free-lance on top of the Mystery Hills searching for wildflowers. By the way, there's also a view of the central peninsula from here that's pretty hard to miss.

Brenda Wise, a refuge clerk, said the best time for alpine wildflowers is from late June to mid-July. The best place to look is on south-facing slopes.

Wise said some wildflowers common to Skyline are lupine, wild geranium, prickly rose and berry plants and flowers.

For those who want the alpine wildflowers without the steep climb of Skyline, Wise recommended Fuller Lakes and Skilak Lookout trails.

Alpine azalea Photo by M. Scott Moon

The Fuller Lakes trail is at Mile 57 of the Sterling Highway. The distance and elevation gain of the trail vary greatly depending upon how adventurous the hiker is feeling, but the refuge calls it an eight-mile round trip that goes from 300 to 2,000 feet. The trek takes four to seven hours.

Skilak Lookout is at Mile 5.6 of Skilak Lake Road. It is a round trip of five miles and goes from 700 to 1,450 feet. Hiking time is three to four hours.