Wrangell Ramble

The Wrangell Ramble backpacking trip in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park is a pretty mild hike; nothing really too challenging, unless you really want to “go big”. Like all the trips we run, the itinerary is somewhat fluid. Weather, hiker experience and many other factors determine the actual trip. But to give the web visitor a basic outline of how this trip might typically unfold, here’s a detailed look at the route: for simplicity sake, let’s assume the trip dates are Aug 1 – Aug 8.

Realize everything here is simply an example. I’ve spent time up here just basecamping and dayhiking, for example, or backpacking several miles a day, or getting after it on a more adventurous expedition.

We’ll figure out what itinerary works best for you and the group and go from there.

Trip participants should arrive in Anchorage no later than the evening before our schedule trip departure date. For our example, the Trip would require all participants arrive in Anchorage sometime on July 31. I highly recommend you try to arrive even a day earlier is at all possible, to allow for flight (and luggage) delays resulting from weather. Expeditions Alaska does not provide, but can recommend, accommodation in Anchorage.

Day 1
Your guide will pick you up from your accommodations in Anchorage first thing in the morning. The exact time will depend on how many people are on the trip, where everyone is staying, etc. Typically it will be somewhere around 8am, Alaska time (4 hours behind EST).

We’ll spend the morning traveling to Glennallen, just outside Wrangell-St. Elias National Park. The drive typically takes about 4 hours, depending on stops, etc.

We pass along the northern edge of the spectacular Chugach Mountains, following the Matanuska Valley, the open taiga forest of the Glennallen area.

We’ll meet up with the air taxi, load the plane and fly in to our starting point.

The hike this day isn’t terribly far but enough to get us over to the gravel bars of the river valley for camp.

Day 2
A climb up on to the plateau and our first (I hope) views of Mt. Jarvis. Not a super hard climb, but any hiking up hill with a backpack on and no trail will challenge you. Take it slow.

Day 3
It’s crazy to leave this area too soon, so I advise spending a day or 2 up here, and we can explore the neck of Jacksina Glacier, the face of Mt Jarvis, and the ridge we’re camped on. Dayhiking options abound. A scramble up a nearby unnamed peak will top us out at over 8000′; one of the few places anywhere in Alaska you’ll be this high ASL without crampons and ice axes.

Day 4
Pack up and hike north the open rolling tundra to a new campsite. Excellent hiking. Keep your eyes peeled for Dall sheep and caribou up here.

We’ll saunter down a little lower, and camp by a creek before our climb tomorrow.

Day 5
The Fortress. The pass we go through here is just sublime. It’s a bit of a climb up, but oh so worthwhile. Nothing like it anywhere.

Day 6
Almost all downhill, and we’ll aim to camp in the spruce forest at the bottom of the gorge.

And the gorge?

Oh my goodness, just you wait. This one is SO cool to explore.

Day 7
A relatively short hike brings us over to the lake for our pickup with the air taxi tomorrow. We’ll camp here, near the Copper River, and enjoy (hopefully) some spectacular views of the Wrangell, Sanford and Jarvis Mountains, as well as the copper Glacier.

Day 8
We’ll get packed up early, meet the plane and fly back to Glennallen. Have lunch and hit the road for the drive back to Anchorage. Typically we get back to Anchorage around 5 or 6 pm. I’ll drop you and you/r party off at your Anchorage accommodation.

DO NOT SCHEDULE YOUR DEPARTURE FROM ANCHORAGE ON THIS DAY!

I highly suggest you don’t plan on flying out of Anchorage even the next day (Day 9) but wait until the following day (Day 10) – we can experience weather-delays in the backcountry that could easily make it difficult to get back to Anchorage in time for a flight on this day.

Give yourself a cushion with your schedule.

If you must book your return flight on the next day (Day 9), please (a) speak with us about it well in advance, and (b) schedule a late, late eye, such as 1:00am the following morning (Aug 10, 1:00am, for our example here).