The first commercial hike from Bremner to Tebay
Custom trips, extra options and more
Rather than build a separate webpage for every single trip option available in Alaska, this page collates and explains some of the potential trips and possibilities for you. Read on.
Exploratory Trek: Wrangell - St. Elias National Park and Preserve
Have you ever wanted to hike across the largest piedmont glacier (meaning the glacier's terminus is on land) in the world? In 2012 we're aiming to walk from the St. Elias Mountain Range across the Malaspina Glacier to the Alaska coast at Yakutat Bay. The Malaspina Glacier, generally regarded by geologists to be a piedmont glacier, actually reaches the Pacific Ocean. I confirmed this with some friends on a month long expedition in Nov 2011.
The Malaspina Glacier at its widest is about 40 miles across. On this trip you'll backpacke from the St. Elias Mountains across the glacier to the coast of Yakutat Bay, and then hike east along the beach, walking over glacial moraine and through some fantastic old growth Sitka Spruce forest; a real treat indeed.
This trip promises to be a real Alaska classic; I hiked portions of the trek this fall, in November, with Erin and Hig as part of their "Life on Ice" journey. What an amazing landscape the Wrangell - St. Elias coastal region is. Thunderous breaking waves, crashing on the shore, towering moss-covered Sitka Spruce trees, miles upon miles of empty beach, bald eagles and trumpeter swans flying overhead, and a very rarely backpacked part of the park.
Spring Snowshoe and XC ski trip
This trip is one I've been wanting to add for a couple of years. Alaska winter wilderness is indescribable; the stillness of the north woods in winter is something that I can only tell you has to be experienced to fully realize what that means. It's an incredibly unique experience. March and April offer a great balance between the feel of a winter trip, but with longer days, warmer temperatures, shorter nights, and generally great likelihood of even catching the northern lights one night (they're most common around the Equinoxes; vernal equinox is Mach 22).
We'll stay in a cabin in Wrangell - St. Elias National Park, and avoid the hassles of tent camping at -10degrees Fahrenheit. Day trips in various areas of the park, skiing and snowshoeing through the boreal forest provide a flexible and comfortable way to experience that Alaska winter mood; the trip can be as moderate or as strenuous as you choose it to be.
There's simply nothing else quite like an Alaska winter trip; in March/April we can expect temperatures above zero most of the time, and even above 32F with some luck; it's not unsual at all to have glorious blue skies and excellent spring crust skiing in late March/early April.
Custom Trips
This is a great area for beginners to intermediate hikers. The broad open expanse of the tundra on Capital Mountain offers big views - huge views, even. The walking here is mostly brush free, easier than much of the steeper mountains to the south, but with views second to none. Capital Mountain lies immediately north of 16 237' Mt. Sanford.
Wildlife are present, though not usually in great numbers. Moose and bears most likely, and possibly mountain goats as well.
Looking for a simple, easy trip to Wrangell - St. Elias National Park and Preserve? This could be what you're looking for. We fly in from Glennallen, which saves the long drive to McCarthy. A short flight drops us on the north side of Capital Mountain. From there we can basecamp and dayhike, or do a traverse around the mountain. This is a good option for a 4 or 5 day easy walk, with plenty of exploratory side hikes along the way. Caribou, moose, bear and wolves live in the area, as do Dall sheep.
This area lies just east of the Chugach Mountains in Wrangell - St. Elias National Park and Preserve. A spectacularly scenic region, it offers both basecamp and some backpacking options. A more common route was from Ross Green to Iceberg Lake, but the Tana Glacier, which lies between the 2, is so crevassed and ever-changing that the route is not always possible. Other options for Ross Green Lake include a traverse on to the Bagley Icefield to Jupiter Island, a small outcropping of granite just south of Thompson Ridge. Crampons required.
There are a few other possibilities here, including a trek south towards Martin Creek, southeast towards the Kiagna river, or, for the really adventurous, east toward Goat Creek and on to Huberts Landing and the Chitina River. This last one is NOT for the meek.
Gates of the Arctic National Park:
A 2nd trip option we'll consider at a later date is a return to the Gates themselves, on the Middle Fork of the Koyukuk River. The Gates area is a little more accessible, though still a fly-in trip. This a great area for a weeklong hike in the Brooks Mountains.These 2 trips both fly in from the Dalton Highway at Coldfoot. Either of the trips can be a "point to point" trip, or a loop hike, or a basecamp and day hike trip.
1 week to 2 weeks is good, and timing is really pretty flexible in Gates of the Arctic, but before the end of August is recommended; old man winter comes early up north!
