10 day Alaska Adventure

If you missed out on Italy in June of 2008, don't miss this next adventure!
Only 6 people will get to join me on this trip. ALASKA, the last wild state, is ours for the exploring.
I have to confirm final dates and price, but I'm looking at June 11-20, 2009, and the final tour price should be around $2250 for the 10 days. A $400 deposit will secure your spot on this trip.
You need to bring a sleeping bag, insulated sleeping pad and a daypack. Almost every meal is included.
We will have to supply our own airfare to Anchorage.
Here is the itinerary:

DAY 1: FROM ANCHORAGE TO DENALI NATIONAL PARK

We’ll meet in the morning at our Anchorage departure hotel/s (see our Tour Pre-Departure Packet for locations and times), introduce ourselves, and after a brief overview of the tour, head north into the Alaskan Interior. On the way we’ll stop at Denali State Park for a great 3 to 4-hour alpine hike before proceeding on to world famous Denali National Park for a three-night stay.

DAY 2: DENALI NATIONAL PARK

A fun day as we’ll hike for 3-4 hours this morning and then enjoy an exhilarating whitewater rafting trip this afternoon. Horseback riding and scenic “flight-seeing” over the park to Denali / Mt. McKinley (wow!) are optionally available as well.

DAY 3: DENALI NATIONAL PARK

Today you’ll travel through the wilderness area of the park on the park shuttle bus, with exceptional wildlife viewing as well as hiking opportunities. This fantastic sub-arctic wilderness teems with wildlife, including grizzly bears, wolves, caribou, Dall sheep, moose and more. Denali is also the home of the continent's highest peak, 20,320' Mt. McKinley, known in Alaska as Denali: “The Great One.”

DAY 4: TANGLE LAKES

Today we break camp and head east along the even more remote Denali Highway, paralleling the scenic southern side of the Alaska Range. This unlikely gravel “highway” passes through some of the wildest, most remote road-accessible country on Earth, with amazing mountain, glacier, tundra, and river valley views. Along the way we’ll stop for a beautiful hike across the tundra-clad foothills to a panoramic lookout point. At Tangle Lakes we can canoe on the “tangle” of lakes, hike atop glacial eskers and across the rolling tundra, and marvel at the mountain scenery, wildflowers, and prolific bird and wildlife. There are lots of rare and interesting birds, as well as moose, foxes, arctic ground squirrels, beavers, muskrats and occasionally grizzly bears to be seen throughout the whole area. Tangle Lakes is a special, seldom visited place, sure to leave a lasting impression.

DAY 5: WRANGELL-ST. ELIAS NATIONAL PARK / MCCARTHY

After a morning hike we'll continue to the Copper River, where a few small planes will meet us for an stunningly scenic flight across the volcanic and glacier-clad Wrangell Mountains into immense Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, the largest in the country and a United Nations World Heritage Site. Our destination? The Copper Rush boom town of McCarthy (pop. ~25), everyone's favorite Alaskan ghost town! We’ll spend three nights here (in shared cabins on the ‘Camp & Cabin’ version of the tour) at the foot of the mighty Kennicott Glacier, deep in the heart of the park. 16,390’ Mt. Blackburn looms up the glacier, and other huge peaks are all about. Four major mountain ranges, 9 of the 16 tallest peaks in the US, and the largest non-polar ice field in the world converge in this little-known and seldom-visited gem of a national park. Upon arrival we’ll hike through the forest to the town and down to the glacier.

DAY 6: WRANGELL-ST. ELIAS NATIONAL PARK / MCCARTHY & KENNECOTT

Today we will venture out onto the ice with a local mountaineering guide and crampons to explore the blue crevasses, moulins, and the rest of the fascinating glacial geography. The more energetic can challenge themselves with an optional introductory ice-climbing course on the glacier (+ $60). Optional flight-seeing and/or Kennecott Mine tour also available, as are various ranger-led activities.

DAY 7: WRANGELL-ST. ELIAS NATIONAL PARK / MCCARTHY & KENNECOTT

Today we can hike up to the abandoned Bonanza Mine for incredible mountain and glacier views. This vigorous hike is the consensus favorite of both clients and guides year after year. Less strenuously, you can either hike along the lateral moraine of the Root Glacier, along McCarthy Creek or out to the toe of the huge Kennicott Glacier where you can witness it actually moving, depositing the boulders and debris it has carved and carried from the mountains into the terminal lake that it has formed (headwaters of the Kennicott River). Or if you prefer, take a day off to simply relax and soak up the mountain village ambiance. You won't want to leave McCarthy!
DAY 8: WORTHINGTON GLACIER & VALDEZ

Driving out of Wrangell-St. Elias National Park we'll cross yet another tremendous range: the heavily glaciated Chugach Mountains. At alpine Thompson Pass we'll hike up the lateral moraine of Worthington Glacier to a dramatic view of the ice field that feeds this very blue "river" of ice. Dropping down out of the mountains afterwards to the picturesquely set town of Valdez we'll get our first taste of magnificent coastal Alaska. The young and geologically very active Chugach range rises up literally out of the sea, ringing super-scenic Prince William Sound. Glaciers are all about, some of them spilling their loads of ice directly into the sea.

DAY 9: VALDEZ & PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND

Today we’ll experience some of the best sea kayaking available anywhere. After gearing up and a quick water taxi ride to protected Shoup Bay we’ll paddle past huge waterfalls and the largest kittiwake rookery on Prince William Sound (home of 18,000+ nesting sea birds), up to the face of spectacular Shoup Glacier. Alternatively, enjoy a half-day wildlife and glacier-viewing cruise. Salmon and halibut fishing charters are also optionally available.

DAY 10: PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND BACK TO ANCHORAGE

This morning we’ll board the Alaska state ferry for a beautiful crossing of Prince William Sound, on the lookout for whales, bald eagles and other wildlife. Following a short hike we’ll drive back to Anchorage where the tour ends around 5 pm.


ACCOMMODATIONS

‘CAMP & CABIN’-BASED TOURS: 10 days/9 nights. We tent camp in organized campgrounds 6 nights and spend 3 nights in shared cabins at a friendly lodge in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park. The lodge is beautifully set overlooking the glacier, and has a wood-burning sauna, as well as showers and flush toilets, etc. While camping we supply easy-to-erect four-person Eureka tents, which are perfect for two people and their luggage. Be sure to bring your own sleeping bag and insulated sleeping pad, or, with advance notice, you can rent these from us.

MEALS

‘CAMP & CABIN’-BASED TOURS: Most meals are included (8 breakfasts, 10 lunches, 7 dinners), and are prepared by your guide/s in camp. We feature fresh, nutritious, and tasty foods, multi-course meals, and large portions, often including homemade dutch oven deserts, barbecues, fresh fish and meat, salads, and more. Dinner is a highlight! Lunches are generally buffet-style picnics or brown bag meals that we carry with us on our hikes or other activities. Most special diets can be catered to with advance notice, please list any dietary restrictions or preferences on your Tour Reservation form. The few non-included meals are taken at restaurants, and are paid for individually.