Katmai Coast

It's unbelievable to think that we are nearing the end of another season here in Alaska.  As we come into the final weeks of the summer and I look through pictures of another Alaska Alpine Adventure, I still can't believe how fortunate we are to spend our summers this way.  Whether it be completing amazing new backpacking routes, exploring new rivers or paddling coastline few people have ever seen, we always seem to embrace the explorer in all of us.  Sharing this unexplored wilderness is our passion. 

 

The Hulahula River and Mt. Chamberlain

I was looking through some of Dan's photos of his ANWR trip with a successful ascent of Mt. Chamberlain and a successful descent of the Hulahula River.  I'll let the photo speak for itself for now, and let Dan tell the story in a later post!

Lake Clark National Park featured in National Geographic Adventure Magazine

Pick up a copy of the June/July 2009 National Geographic Adventure Magazine and flip to page 55!  You won't see our smiling mugs (although the boater in the photo looks pretty happy), but you get a chance to read about our favorite park in Alaska, Lake Clark National Park.  Featured as one of the "Best of the Great Parks," Lake Clark was catagorized as the Ultimate Wilderness.  Not a bad place to hang out.

Alaska Alpine Adventures received a mention as the go to guides for the park.

It's a great issue, make sure to grab a copy!

 

Exploratory Adventures

Almost every year, we are fortunate enough to have the opportunity as a company to explore new remote places in Alaska.  From amazing backpacking traverses to paddling new water, it broadens our horizons and furthers our love for the Alaskan wilderness.

Earlier this week, Dan and I returned from exploratory adventures, on opposite sides of the state.  In ANWR, Dan and co-guide Joe Stock led a stout group of explorers up Mount Chamberlain (the highest peak in the Brooks Range) and floated to the top of the continent on the HulaHula River. Seth Plunkett and I traveled to the Alaska Peninsula with 2 returning adventurers to hike and paddle in the Aniakchak National Monument (the least visited unit in the National Park system), floating out through the Aleutian Range to the Pacific Ocean.

What are exploratory trips at Alaska Alpine Adventures?  For 10 years, we have been taking guests to the far reaches of Alaska's National Park's, visiting places seen by few people.  Places where there are no trails, no footprints, no people.  

On both trips, along with our clients, we experienced real wilderness, real Alaska.  

2009 Begins

Well it's here! 2009 has been kicked off and our first group of the year is enjoying perfect weather, few bugs, and incredible solitude as they hike and explore Turquoise Lake. Aaron is holding down the show in Anchorage and I'm out at Lake Clark gearing up, packing food for trips, and generally taking in the beauty of this magical place - a place I never tire of. Lake Clark continues to astound me, and each time I fly through the "pass" memories of adventures gone by flood my consciousness. We are truly fortunate to be able to work and play in such a magnificent place! Let the season begin.

May 1st!

With summer fast approaching, and trips scheduled for just over a month from now, the official pre-season prep has begun. No matter how much you accomplish over the winter, there are always endless lists in the weeks leading up to the first trip.

We have ventured back to Port Alsworth to finish the guide shack, and prepare the house for our clients and guides. In the new guide shack, we will be installing the windows and door, and running a bit of wire for lights and outlets, and moving in furniture. After that, we'll call it good for the season. Back in the main house, it's into the food room to organize freezers, fill dry goods containers and take a final inventory.

We will return in just over a month for the first trip of the season, our Turquoise Lake Basecamp. Nestled in the heart of the park is Turquoise Lake, where we will establish a comfortable basecamp. From there, the hiking possibilities are endless. What a fantastic way to start the season!

We are looking forward to another great summer; grab your pack, lace up your boots, and join us for a true Alaskan wilderness adventure!

Change of Scenery in Port Alsworth

The Alaska Alpine Adventures staff was out of the office last week, working in Lake Clark to improve our home base there.  As we have revised our food and gear packing systems over the years, we have realized that more space will lead to greater efficiency, and thus more time to enjoy the wilderness.  To accommodate the growth, we opted to build a bunkhouse for our guides, separate from the operations of the house.  This new building, affectionately labeled the shack, stands mightily at 16' to the peak, and covers 12x24 feet of earth.  With 2 lofts, there should be plenty of room for us to stretch our legs and relax before and after our adventures.  

The real crux concerning the build began with a charter flight from Anchorage to Port Alsworth.  Needless to say, the USPS was not interested in mailing our 13,000 lbs. of building materials.  We chartered a DC-6, and set off to find people to fill the rest of the airplane to capacity.  Mt. Redoubt decided to throw its hand in the mix, grounding our airplane on the tarmack.  We were able to get the materials eventually, and after laying 1000 square feet of maple laminate in the house, we proceeded to build the new shack.  We were able to get fairly close to completion before returning to Anchorage, and will head out one last time before the season starts to install windows, hang the front door, and move in.  

As a few people know, we gave in to an offer for some Super Cub skiing above the Tuxedni Glacier.  We worked until 5 PM that evening and quickly grabbed our gear, turned on our beacons, and jumped in the planes.  Within 35 minutes we were stepping into our bindings in knee deep snow, ready to carve into the untracked powder.  

With Mt. Redoubt and Iliamna as our witnesses, we skied close to 10,000 vertical feet in roughly 3 hours.  It was a once in a lifetime experience that left us satisfied as only skiing untracked lines can.  Working 12 hour days the rest of the week didn't seem so bad.

Feel free to stop over at the new shack this summer, or drop in the house and check out the new laminate; there's bound to be cold beer and plenty of good stories inside.

National Parks Magazine - The Pebble Mine

Here is another excellent article in a national publication on the proposed Pebble Mine. This piece, by Rosanne Pagano, takes an in depth look at the history of the project, the economic drivers of the region, the current opinion of locals, and the threat that the mine could bring to Lake Clark and Katmai National Parks. In my opinion, it's imperative, particularly in this down economy, to protect sustainable jobs and industries in rural Alaska. Please help us prevent the Bristol Bay region from falling into the entrapment of a boom and bust economy - this sensitive area needs managed and measured economic growth opportunities, one of which is tourism.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE ARTICLE IN NATIONAL PARKS MAGAZINE

Alaska ON-SALE

Our Kontrashibuna Lake/Gladiator Basin Combination adventure is being featured this week on National Geographic Adventure Magazine's homepage. Check it out and uncover the killer deal!

Adventure Green Alaska - Silver Level Certification

Last week, Alaska Alpine Adventures received a Silver Level Certification from Adventure Green Alaska, the state's only sustainable tourism certification program. This voluntary program offer's members of Alaska's tourism industry to highlight their commitment to sustainability and green practices.  We look forward to the annual challenge and taking steps to gain a Gold Level Certification in the future!

Check our AGA's press release here!