Alaska tour

Table of Contents

Overview.. 1

Day 1. 1

Flattop Mountain. 2

Anchorage to Seward mile-stops. 2

Day 2. 6

EXIT GLACIER. 6

Kenai Fjord Tours in Kenai fjords. 8

Day 3. 8

HARDING ICEFIELD. 8

Winner Creek Trail hand tram.. 10

Day 4. 10

Cruise - The 26 Glacier Cruise Experience. 10

Optional – dog sledging. 11

GLACIER DOG SLEDDING. 11

Day 5. 12

Independence mine. 12

Day 6. 13

Denali bus road log. 13

Denali bus facts. 16

Optional – Bear viewing. 16

Food recommendations. 17

Sweard –. 17

Talkeenta. 17

Alyeska. 17

Anchorage. 17

Overview

Day	What	City to sleep in
Day 0	Fly to Anchorage in evening	Anchorage
Day 1	Travel from Anchorage to Seward, stop for attractions on the way	Seward
Day 2	Cruise with "Kenai Fjord Tours" in Kenai fjords - all day trip	Seward
Optional	Dog sledging or from Alyeska	Seward
Day 3	Travel from Seward to Whittier, stop for attractions on the way	Alyeska
Day 4	1/2 day trip in Prince William Sound	Alyeska
Optional	Dog sledging or from Seward	Alyeska
Day 5	Travel from Anchorage to Denali, stop for attractions on the way (goldmine...) ;	Denali
Day 6	Tour/hike in Denali National Park	Anchorage
Optional	Bear viewing - flight	Anchorage
Day 7	Fly back to Seattle in evening

Day 1

· Flattop mountain

o Drive to overlook

o Pick a hike – maybe blueberry hill

· Drive to Seward

· Choose which mile-stops to do along the way. Recommended stops

o Potter Marsh

o Indian Valley Mine

o Bird creek (see people fishing)

Flattop Mountain

Anchorage to Seward mile-stops

POTTER SECTION HOUSE (Mile 117)

The area is part of the Anchorage Coastal Wildlife Refuge and is mainly famous for the many kinds of birds that live there or visit, but you may also see fish and other wildlife. On the south side of the higway just past the marsh is an old station of the Alaska Railroad which you may enjoy, especially if you are interested in trains.

POTTER SECTION HOUSE (Mile 115)

Located at the south end of Potter Marsh, the section house was an early maintenance station for the Alaska Railroad. Today it contains the offices of Chugach State Park, open during normal business hours, and, outside, a few old train cars and interpretive displays. Just across the road is the trail head for the Turnagain Arm Trail. It's a mostly level path running down the arm well above the highway with great views breaking now and then through the trees. Hike as far as you like and then backtrack to your car, or continue 9 miles to Windy Corner (if you can have a vehicle waiting for you there), or break off where the trail meets the McHugh Creek picnic area and trailhead, about 4 miles out.

McHUGH CREEK (Mile 111)

Four miles south of Potter is an excellent state park picnic area and a challenging day hike with a 3,000-foot elevation gain to Rabbit Lake, which sits in a tundra mountain bowl, or to the top of 4,301-foot McHugh Peak. You don't have to climb all the way; there are spectacular views within an hour of the road. From this point onward, most of the stops are on the right or ocean side of the road; plan your stops on the outbound trip, not on the return when you would have to make left turns across traffic.

BELUGA POINT (Mile 110)

The state highway department probably didn't need to put up scenic overlook signs on this pull-out, 11/5 miles south of McHugh Creek—you would have figured it out on your own. The terrain is simply awesome, as the highway traces the edge of Turnagain Arm, below the towering cliffs of the Chugach Mountains. If the tide and salmon runs are right, you may see beluga whales, which chase the fish toward fresh water. Sometimes they overextend and strand themselves by the dozens in the receding tide, farther along, but they usually aren't harmed. The pull-out has spotting scopes to improve the viewing. The further right-hand pull-outs over the next few miles have interpretive signs about the 1895 gold rush in this area and other topics.

WINDY POINT (Mile 106)

Be on the lookout on the mountain side of the road for Dall sheep picking their way along the cliffs. It's a unique spot, for the sheep get much closer to people here than is usual in the wild; apparently, they know they're safe. Windy Point is the prime spot, but you also have a good chance of seeing sheep virtually anywhere along this stretch of road. If cars are stopped, that's probably why; get well off the road and pay attention to traffic, which will still be passing at high speeds. You may also see windsurfers in the gray, silty waters of the Arm. They're crazy. The water is a mixture of glacial runoff and the near-freezing ocean. Besides, the movement of water that creates the huge tides causes riverlike currents, with standing waves like rapids.

INDIAN VALLEY (Mile 104)

Up the road by the Turnagain House restaurant is the Indian Valley trail head, a gold rush—era trail that ultimately leads 24 miles to the other side of the mountains. The path, while often muddy, rises less steeply than other trails along the Arm.

BIRD RIDGE TRAIL (Mile 102)

This is a lung-busting climb of 3,000 vertical feet in a little over a mile. It starts with an easy, accessible trail, then rises steeply to views that start at impressive and get more amazing as you climb. With the southern exposure, it's dry early in the year.

BIRD CREEK (Mile 100)

The excellent state campground on the right side of the highway, over the water, is described on p. 255, and the productive salmon fishing in the creek is described on p. 255. Anglers should park at the new wayside on the left before the creek. There is also a short trail, interpretive signs, an overlook, and a platform that makes fishing easier for people with disabilities. Pink salmon run from late June to mid-August, silver salmon mostly in August.

BIRD POINT (Mile 96) The remarkable wayside here is not to be missed. A paved pathway rises up to a bedrock outcropping with a simply wonderful view—all the severity of the Turnagain Arm, but framed by the soft green of a freshwater wetland with a beaver lodge. Take a look at the fascinating interpretive signs on many subjects.

THE FLATS (Miles 96—90)

At Bird Point the highway descends from the mountainside to the mud flats. A fragment of bike trail parallels the highway on the mountain for this 6 miles with picnic sites along the way and great views. Several pull-outs on the right side of the highway have Interpretive signs. At hightide, water comes right up to the road. At low tide, the whole Arm narrows to a thin, winding channel through the mud. The Arm is not practically navigable and navigational charts are not even available. Few have ever tried to navigate it other than gold prospectors in rowboats a century ago or today's occasional death-defring canoeist or kayaker. The first to try was Capt. James Cook, in 1778, as he was searching for the Northwest Passage on his final, fatal voyage of discovery (he was killed by Hawaiians later that year). He named this branch of Cook Inlet Turnagain Arm because the strength of the currents and shoals forced the boat he sent to keep turning around.

TURNOFF TO GIRDWOOD (Mile 90)

The attractions ofGirdwood, covered below, are worth a visit, but the shopping center here at the intersection is not chief among them. Stop for a simple meal or a restroom break, or to fill your gas tank for the last time for many a mile.

OLD PORTAGE (Mile 80)

All along the flats at the head of Turnagain Arm are large marshes full of what looks like standing driftwood. These are trees killed by salt water that flowed in when the 1964 quake lowered the land as much as 10 feet. On the right, 9 miles beyond the turnoff for Girdwood, across from the former rail depot, a few ruins of the abandoned town of Portage are still visible, 40 years after the great earthquake. There is good bird-watching from the turnouts, but venturing out on Turnagain Arm's tidal mud carries the real risk of getting stuck in quick sand like mud and drowning in the tide. Don't do it.

ALASKA WILDLIFE CONSERVATION CENTER (Mile 79)

Originally conceived as a tourist attraction (formerly it was called "Big Game Alaska"), the center has become a non-profit organization giving homes to injured and orphaned deer, moose, owls, elk, bison, musk ox, bear, fox, and caribou (907/ 783-2025). Visitors can drive a short course on the 140-acre compound to see the animals in fenced enclosures as large as 18 acres—at times, some animals are not visible among the natural vegetation. You can usually get closer to the animals at the Alaska Zoo and see a larger variety (p. 219), but these large enclosures are more natural. A large log gift shop and outdoor snack bar is at the end of the tour. Admission is $7.50 for adults; $5 for military, seniors, and children 4 to 12, with a maximum of $25 per vehicle. In summer, it's open daily from

8am to 8pm; in winter, daily from loam to 5pm.

PORTAGE GLACIER (Take the 511-mile spur road at Mile 78)

The named attraction has largely melted, receding out of sight of the visitor center. (The glacier you can see is Burns.) When the center was built in 1985, it was predicted that Portage Glacier would keep floating on its 800-foot-deep lake until 2020. Instead, it withdrew to the far edge of the lake in 1995. Today the exhibits in the lakeside Begich—Boggs Visitor Center focus on the Chugach National Forest as a whole, rather than just the glacier, and they're worth an hour or two to become oriented to the area's nature, history, and lifestyles. Children and adults find much to hold their interest here. To see Portage Glacier itself, take the road toward Whittier that branches to the left just before the visitor center and stop at a pullout beyond the first (toll-free) tunnel; or take the boat mentioned below. Several short trails start near the center. Rangers lead nature walks on the quarter-mile, paved Moraine Trail up to six times a day. Another trail leads less than a mile to Byron Glacier, in case you're interested in getting up close to some ice. Always dress warmly, as cold winds are the rule in this funnel-like valley.

MILE 75—69

The highway steeply climbs through the spruce forest to the fresh, towering alpine terrain of the 1,000-foot-elevation Turnagain Pass. The vistas here are stupendous year-round.

MILE 69

If you find the meadow and tundra hard to resist for a walk, go ahead. Park at the pull-out with the toilets on the right side at the pass summit and amble off into the wildflowers (assuming the ground is dry when you're there). In the winter and spring, this is a backcountry skiing and snowmobiling paradise. Skiers go on the left side of the road and snowmobilers on the right. Always check the Chugach National Forest avalanche hotline first: 907/ 754-2369 or www.fs.fed.us/r10/chugach/glacier/snow.html. An avalanche near here killed five riders in spring 1999.

MILE 69—57

The pass forms a divide; crossing it, Granite Creek flows down toward the south. The road follows, falling back below the tree line of stunted spruce and then popping back up into sweeping views. Arcing to the northwest after the Granite Creek Campground, the highway follows another north-flowing river, Six-Mile Creek.

MILE 57 & HOPE HIGHWAY

The Hope Highway divides offto the north and west along Sixmile Creek while the Seward Highway continues south. Rafting companies based in Anchorage use this wild stretch of water for some of their most challenging rides (see chapter 6). A Side Trip to Hope If you take this detour, you'll find Hope at the end of the 17-mile Hope Highway. It's a charming gold rush—era village with a wonderful campground and the starting point for some great hikes (see the Resurrection Pass Trail, p. 248, and Porcupine Campground, p. 251). A few white frame buildings remain from the days when Hope was a gold-mining boomtown after a strike in 1894. Before the 1964 earthquake, the rest of the town used to stand where the creek gives way to a tidal meadow. Wandering the gravel roads, you'll find more quaint spots. Today, Hope's year-round population is about 150. For information, contact the Hope—Sunrise Community Library (907/782-3121), which is open daily in summer from 11am to 4pm, when volunteer manpower allows. The Hope and Sunrise Historical and Mining Museum (907/782-3740) is a one-room log cabin displaying historic objects and photographs, a barn, blacksmith's shop and miner's bunkhouse. They're trying to open the old school building by 2005. Volunteers try to keep the museum open Memorial Day to Labor Day daily noon to 4pm. The best place to eat in town is the Discovery Cafe (C) 907/782-3274), the community's hub and a place to get a generous burger and meet the beloved proprietor. The cafe burned to the ground in 1999 and was rebuilt almost entirely by volunteer labor, reopening in the summer of 2001.

MILE 57—46 The Seward Highway climbs steeply from the Hope Highway intersection, up the canyon of Canyon Creek, before leveling out above the tree line at about 1,400 feet elevation. Next come a series of alpine lakes in a narrow mountain valley.

MILE 46

The first business since the Portage Glacier, and the last or many miles, is on lovely Summit Lake, the Summit Lake Lodge, at Mile 45.5 ((0 907/244-2031). It's a traditional log roadhouse that's been updated to house a comfortable and modern restaurant. The food is generally good, but service can suffer badly when weekend highway travelers overwhelm the staff. There's an ice cream counter in the log gift shop by the lake and they rent six motel rooms with private bathrooms, but without TVs or phones.

MILE 46—38

The highway continues through similar mountain terrain before descending into the trees again and branching at Tern Lake. There's a bird-watching platform with interpretive signs on the lake and, on the west end, a picnic area. This is a stirringly beautiful spot year-round, and a good place to get out and taste the fresh mountain air. To the right at the intersection, the Sterling Highway leads to Cooper Landing, Soldotna, Kenai and Homer.

MILE 33—18

Trail Lake Fish Hatchery, on Upper Trail Lake, is on the first of a string of sparkling mountain lakes that the road follows for the next 15 miles.

MILE 30

The community of Moose Pass, with a population of about 200, sits on the shore of Upper Trail Lake.

MILE 18—0

Down among the big spruces of the coastal forest, the highway comes to Seward.

Day 2

· Exit glacier – hike (Harding icefield trail will be done next day)

· Kenai Fjord Tours

EXIT GLACIER

Trip summary: Three shorter trails for day hiking near the face of Exit Glacier, the only drive-up glacier in Kenai Fjords National Park.

Distances:

· The Lower Loop "frail, to the outwash plain near the face of the glacier: a 0.5-mile loop.

· The Upper Loop Trail, to a viewpoint above the north edge of the glacier: a 1-mile loop.

· The Nature Trail, a loop through the landscape left behind as the glacier retreated: a 0.75-mile loop.

Special features: Exit Glacier; a shelter with an interpretive display.

Location: 12 miles northwest of Seward.

Difficulty: Easy.

Total elevation gain: About 100 feet on the Upper Loop Trail; the Lower Loop Trail and Nature Trail are essentially flat.

Trail type: Accessible to more developed.

Best season: Mid-May to early October.

Manager: Kenai Fjords National Park.

Finding the trailhead: Three miles north of downtown Seward, turn west off the Seward Highway onto Exit Glacier Road and drive about eight miles to the Exit Glacier area of Kenai Fjords National Park. The trails begin at the parking area at the end of the road.

About 7 miles from the Seward Highway, just before the bridge over Resurrection River, is the Forest Service's Resurrection River Trailhead (see Hike 9).

The hikes: Exit Glacier, the only road-accessible area in Kenai Fjords National Park, is one of the thirty-five glaciers that flow off the 500-square mile Harding Icefield. The glacier is now approximately 3 miles long, but in the past two hundred years it has extended about eight miles down the Resurrection River valley to near where the Seward Highway is now.

These three short trails introduce visitors to Exit Glacier and the landscape it left behind as it retreated. The first 0.25 mile of the trail system is paved and accessible, leading to an interpretive shelter that features displays about the glacier and the animals that live in the neighborhood. Beyond the shelter, the three forks of the trail system divide. Walking all the trails adds up to roughly 1.5 miles.

There is a seasonal ranger station near the trailhead and a small, tent only campground nearby. In summer, the park sponsors ranger-led hikes to the glacier.

The Lower Loop Trail leads about 0.25 mile beyond the interpretive shelter to the face of the glacier, crossing its outwash plain, the flat gravelly area downstream of the terminus of the ice. A jumble of giant chunks of blue ice looms ahead as you stroll along near the edge. For safety's sake, keep your distance from the ice. Several years ago a visitor was killed by

falling ice as she posed for a photo.

The Upper Loop Trail leads from the interpretive shelter up rock and log steps and over exposed bedrock to a viewpoint above the north edge of the glacier. The reward for the short climb is a view down onto the ice, of a stream issuing out of the glacier, a big melt pool, and ice caves. The trail loops back down to the Lower Loop Trail and the parking area. The Nature Trail forms a 0.75-mile loop from the parking area. Signs explain how plants colonize the raw land left behind as a glacier retreats. Here, natural succession from bare outwash plain to forest moves through stages of brightly-blooming fireweed, alder and willow thickets, cottonwood forest, and finally a "climax" forest of Sitka spruce and western hemlock.

Already a few spruce trees are beginning to grow up in the shade of the young cottonwoods along the trail. In time, this will be an evergreen forest. While exploring the Exit Glacier area, look to the north of the glacier for black bears and mountain goats feeding on the brushy slope. You're more likely to spot animals here early in the summer; they follow the retreating snowline up, feeding on new green growth as it emerges. Look and listen for warblers, magpies, swallows, and golden-crowned sparrows near the trails.

The trail to the Harding Icefield overlook (Hike 3) branches off the trails to Exit Glacier. The Exit Glacier trails are open to foot and wheelchair traffic only, and no pets are allowed.

This is Alaska’s most popular wildlife and glacier cruise! We depart from Seward, Alaska, and provide an in-depth experience of Kenai Fjords National Park’s abundant wildlife, alpine and tidewater glaciers.

Tours are fully narrated by our experienced captains and include a visit to the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge, home to teeming seabird rookeries.

Kenai Fjord Tours in Kenai fjords

Website: http://www.kenaifjords.com/day-cruises/national-park-tour/#10am

Time: 10:00 AM - 6:30 PM (8.5 hours)

Includes:

· Lunch on board (view menu)

· Buffet-style wild Alaska salmon and prime rib for dinner (view menu) 

· Wildlife guide

· A warm, freshly baked chocolate chip cookie

· Courtesy shuttle in Seward

· FREE parking in Seward (a $10 value)

Extra

· We paid for the Alaska king crab

Reference number: RP33970

Cancellation: Up to 15 days before trip

Cost: 346.63 (includes a 12.50 king crab each)

Contact info:

· 1-800-544-0529 Toll Free

· 907-276-8023 Phone

Office Hours:

· Summer, Daily, 7:00 am – 10:00 PM

· Winter, Monday - Friday, 8:00 am – 5:00 PM

Day 3

Try making reservations at the Alyeska resort (great hotel)

· Harding icefield hike

· Winner Creek Trail hand tram

· Optional – Alyeska resort Aerial tramway (since you staying there if you have time you can do it)

HARDING ICEFIELD

Trip summary: A longer day hike from Exit Glacier to an overlook of the Harding Icefield.

Distance: About 4 miles one way.

Special features: Exit Glacier and the Harding Icefield, great views and wildlife, especially mountain goats. There is an emergency shelter on the trail just below the overlook.

Location: 12 miles northwest of Seward.

Difficulty: Moderately strenuous.

Trail type: More developed trail with a few rough, rocky spots; the last 0.75 mile is a less developed trail/marked route.

Total elevation gain: 3,000 feet.

Best season: July to mid-September, though snow lingers all summer.

Manager: Kenai Fjords National Park.

Key points:

· 1.5 Viewpoint, about 1,600 feet elevation.

· 2.5 Viewpoint, about 2,600 feet elevation.

· 3.25 End of the constructed/maintained trail.

· 4.0 Harding Icefield overlook.

Finding the trailhead: The directions are the same as those to Exit Glacier, Hike 2. From the parking area, follow the paved access trail about 0.25 mile to the interpretive shelter. Just beyond the shelter, turn right onto the

Harding Icefield Trail.

The hike: Start early, and pack a camera and plenty of film for this hike to the edge of the Harding Icefield, where dark peaks thrust out of a sea of ice. The trail climbs through forest and brush, alpine wildflower meadows, and finally rock and snow, to the overlook. The switchbacking grade is gradual, courtesy. of the Student Conservation Association. The SCA's high school trail workers, hailing from all over the country, have worked for several years to build this spectacular trail. Fog, rain, and poor visibility are common, and weather can change quickly, so carry warm, waterproof clothes even on sunny days. Be prepared to retreat if bad weather moves in; you probably couldn't see anything anyway. If the weather is decent, be ready to be amazed.

From the Exit Glacier parking area, pick out the route on the sloping ridge between Exit Glacier and the rocky peaks to the north. The trail crosses a small creek and leads over a rough, rocky stretch where the route crosses a large outcrop. The viewpoint at 1.5 miles is on a brushy knob above treeline; the view at 2.5 miles, in a rocky alpine area, is better.

The last 0.75 mile is an unmaintained route beaten by many feet over snow and loose rockf following a lateral moraine and exposed bedrock above Exit Glacier. There is a shelter below the overlook that is for emergency use only. Camping near the icefield is possible but limited; if you do camp here, please camp on bare rock or snow and not on the sparse, easily-damaged vegetation. Most people will find it better to tent at the small campground back on the park road and carry a lighter day pack up the climb to the icefield. Remember that glacier travel is for the experienced and equipped

only.

Mountain goats are fairly common in the high country. Look for black bears, especially earlier in the summer, when they munch on new green plant growth. The trail is for foot traffic only, and no pets are allowed.

If the park budget hasn't been slashed lately, Kenai Fjords staff offer ranger-led hikes to the icefield. Check at the park visitor center in Seward or at the ranger station at Exit Glacier for availability and times.

Shorter hikes. The viewpoints at 1.5 and 2.5 miles make good turnaround points for shorter day hikes. The distance, grade, and the rocky section early in the hike make this a less appealing trail for smaller children.

Winner Creek Trail hand tram

The easiest/shortest access to the trail is from Crow Creek Rd. and park near (not in) the Crow Creek Mine. The mine is 2.7 miles from the start of Crow Creek Rd. If it's been raining this trail can be messy/muddy. From the trail entrance (just inside of Crow Creek Mine's entrance) it's about a 20 to 30 minute walk to the tram.

See:

· alaskahikesearch.com/hikes/winner-creek/ (see "To start from the mine end:")

· www.alaska.org/detail/winner-creek-trail

· lfadventureclub.com/

Day 4

· 1/2 day cruise in Prince William Sound - Need to cross the tunnel. To pass the tunnel, it goes for 15 min every hour on the halves toward the cruise and every hour on the hour going back.

· (If you doing the optional dog sledging you can do it next day as well) - Alyeska aerial tram (The tickets are for all day and you can go any numbers of times. I got the tickets for free as part of the reservation and gave mine to the next person when I went down. If you didn’t get them maybe somebody will give it to you).

Cruise - The 26 Glacier Cruise Experience

The 26 Glacier Cruise travels over 140 miles into Prince William Sound where you will see 26 “named” glaciers and many more unnamed. We get face to face with these towering masses of ice, so close you can “hear” the glaciers move and gaze at their brilliant blue hues.

On the 26 Glacier Cruise, you'll see several types of glaciers, including Alpine (hanging), Piedmont and Tidewater. Glacier calvings (when broken pieces of ice fall into the water and become icebergs) are normally seen on each cruise.

M/V Klondike Express

The Klondike Express is the largest, fastest and most luxurious catamaran in Alaska.

This 137-foot, high-speed catamaran holds 338 passengers on three decks, two of which are enclosed and heated and there is an inside seat and table for every passenger on board. During this 5-hour cruise, our route covers 140 miles cruising through narrow passage ways, along jagged shorelines, and down glacier carved fjords. In one day, guests can see 26 glaciers, as well as an abundance of wildlife in their natural environment. Cruise face to face with towering masses of ice, so close that you can hear the glaciers move. Gaze at the brilliant blue hues and towering spires of alpine, piedmont and tidewater glaciers. If the timing is right, you may also get lucky and witness a section of ancient ice calve into the sea. To witness this massive movement of ice and hear its thunderous roar is truly an unforgettable experience.

Highlights

•Esther Passage, Barry Arm, Harriman Fjord

•Explore over 140 miles of Prince William Sound

•Cruise by a Stellar sea lion rookery

•26 named glaciers and many more along this route

•5 hours, daily May - September

Website: http://www.phillipscruises.com/

Time: 12:30 - 5:30

Includes: COD meal

Extra

·

Reference number: 206453 (spoke with Sara)

Cancellation: up to 8 days prior $25

Optional – dog sledging

· Alyeska aerial tram (The tickets are for all day and you can go any numbers of times. I got the tickets for free as part of the reservation and gave mine to the next person when I went down. If you didn’t get them maybe somebody will give it to you).

· Dog sledding -  I took the ‘Gridwood airport alpine’

GLACIER DOG SLEDDING

This Alaskan adventure is hard to top! Take this exciting opportunity to learn about the dedicated dog sled teams of the Alaskan Huskies. Enjoy a spectacular helicopter ride into the majestic Chugach Mountains and onto Punch Bowl Glacier, 3200 feet above sea level. It is a giant snowfield on top of hundreds of feet of ice. Learn how the dogs are bred. Relax and enjoy the view as you ride on the sled around the glacier enjoying the scenic peaks and valleys surrounding you. See how the dogs are trained to pull the sled, how they have everlasting endurance, how they possess an inherent drive to run, and if you pull on the brakes it’s still hard to hold them back!

This is a trip you will NEVER forget, and most visitors say it was the highlight of their Alaskan vacation!!

Dog Sledding with Alaskan Huskies is such a large part of Alaskan life and history. The Iditarod Trail started out as a mail and supply route from the towns of Seward and Knik to the interior. Part of the Iditarod trail was used as a life saving highway for epidemic stricken Nome, where sled dogs were used to deliver Serum in 1925 to cure Diphtheria. It is now the famous “Last Great Race on Earth” where dogs, sleds and their mushers leave from Anchorage and race to Nome. Each team of a musher and 12-16 dogs embarks on a journey of 1150 miles over 10-17 days. For further information please see the following website: http://www.iditarod.com

If you have never followed this race before, after experiencing this tour, I know you will be in awe of this great race and sport!

Please dress in layers, expect temperatures on the glacier to be from 50°- 60°.

Wear warm comfortable clothing, sturdy shoes, and sunglasses.

We will provide you with a waterproof outer layer and Neos over-boots that you wear over your shoes.

Tours depart daily May 21st - Aug 31st

Our departure Times from Girdwood:

8:30am, 10:15am, 12:00pm, 1:45pm, 3:30pm, 5:15pm

This adventure is $519 per person. Child rate is $489, 12 & under. We require a reservation minimum of two.

We can pick you up and drop you off at various locations in Girdwood on request.

For additional information check our FAQs, to book your tour email us at info@alpineairalaska.com or call us at (907) 783-2360 and we'll gladly assist you with other questions or concerns.

See more at: http://www.alpineairalaska.com/glacier-dog-sledding_copy

Day 5

· Independence mine

· Talkeetna on the way to Denali (if it’s a sunny day, it will have a great view of Mt. Mckinley/Mt.Denali according to the new name J)

Independence mine

Trip summary: Shorter day hikes in the Independence Mine State Historical Park in the Talkeetna Mountains.

Distances:

· The Hard Rock Trail, 0.5 mile one way, an easy walking tour through a partially-restored mining camp.

· The Gold Cord Lake Trail, 0.5 mile one way, a hike to an alpine lake.

· The Gold Cord Mine Trail, 1 mile one way, a hike to two historic mines.

Special features: Mining history, alpine tundra, wildflowers, and rugged mountains. There is a day use fee.

Location: 20 miles north of Palmer.

Difficulty:

· Hard Rock Trail: easy

· Gold Cord Lake Trail: moderate

· Gold Cord Mine Trail: moderate.

Trail type:

· Hard Rock Trail: more developed.

· Gold Cord Lake : less developed.

· Gold Cord Mine trails: less developed.

Total elevation gain:

· Hard Rock Trail: 100 feet

· Gold Cord Lake: 600 feet.

· Gold Cord Mine trail: 600 feet.

Best season: Mid-June to mid-September.

Manager: Alaska State Parks, Matanuska-Susitna Area.

Finding the trailhead: Drive north of palmer on the Glenn Highway to Fishhook-Willow Road, which is 2 miles north of the Palmer-Wasilla Highway intersection in Palmer. west toward Hatcher Pass, and drive 17.3 miles to Gold Cord Road. The last three miles beyond the Motherlode Lodge are fairly steep. At Gold Cord Road, continue straight ahead as the road over Hatcher Pass bears left. Drive past the Hatcher Pass Lodge on the right to the park entrance station. The parking area is a mile beyond the entrance station on the left, below the red-roofed visitor center.

The hikes:

The Independence Mine State Historical Park commemorates the Alaska Pacific Consolidated Mining Company gold mines near Hatcher Pass the second-richest lode (vein) mines in Alaska's history. The park's trails are all alpine hikes, beginning at 3,500 feet elevation. Hikers can explore acres of alpine tundra and check out the wildflowers that are out in

force by late June or early July.

more gradual climb follow the switchbacking Gold Cord Road , now closed to vehicles, up to the Gold Cord Mine buildings. The trail joins the dirt road at the buildings. Just beyond the Gold Cord camp, take the left fork in the road gently uphill to the High Grade Mine cabin and to the small tarn near the head of Fishhook Creek. Take some time to explore the old mining trails in the rocky tundra, and enjoy the view across the Matanuska Valley to the Chugach Mountains.

The visitor center is open daily from June to Labor Day, and on weekends from Labor Day until mid-September. Take care around the collapsing buildings and mine structures, and please don't disturb the privately-owned Gold Cord and High Grade Mine buildings.

Day 6

· Denali bus (you might want to book the green bus ahead of time, I managed to get tickets the same day but you might not want to risk it). There is no real reason to go after Toklat stop.

Denali bus road log

A ROAD LOG

Here are some of the highlights along the road (check the visitor center or the park service information handouts to confirm times of the guided walks):

MILE 9

In clear weather, this is the closest spot to the park entrance with a view of Mount McKinley. This section also is a likely place to see moose, especially in the fall rutting season.

MILE 14

At the end of the paved road at the Savage River Bridge, this is generally as far as private vehicles can go. A park service checkpoint stops anyone who doesn't have a proper permit. From the parking lot by the bridge, a simple climb over dry tundra leads to Primrose Ridge, also known as Mount Wright.

MILE 17

The portable toilets here are as far as the Natural History Tour bus goes.

MILE 29

 An hour and 10 minutes into the drive, a large rest stop overlooks the Teklanika River, with flush toilets, the last plumbing on the road (until completion of the Eielson Visitor Center rehab). The Teklanika, like many other rivers on Alaska's glacier-carved terrain, is a braided river—a stream wandering in a massive gravel streambed that's much too big for it. The braided riverbeds, sometimes miles wide, were created by water from fast-melting glaciers at the end of the last ice age. Each is kept free of vegetation by its river, which constantly changes course as it spreads the debris of rock and dust from the glaciers. Flat plains in glacial terrain usually are laid down by this mechanism.

MILE 34

Craggy Igloo Mountain is a likely place to see Dall sheep. Without

binoculars, they'll just look like white dots. Manageable climbs on Igloo, Cathedral, and Sable mountains take off along the road in the section from Igloo Creek to Sable Pass.

MILE 38—43

Sable Pass, a critical habitat area for bears, is closed to people. A half-eaten sign helps explain why. Bears show up here mostly in the fall. This is the start. of the road's broad alpine vistas.

MILE 46

Here you'll find the top of 5-mile-wide Polychrome Pass, the most scenic point on the ride, and a toilet break, 2 hours and 25 minutes into the trip. Caribou look like specks when they pass in the great valley below you, known as the Plain of Murie after Adolph Murie, a biologist who pioneered study here

and helped develop the park service's scientific ethic (the name does not always appear on maps, however). Note how the mountains of colored rock on either side of the plain match up—they once were connected before glacial ice carved this valley. Huge rocks on its floor are glacial erratics, plucked from the bedrock by moving ice and left behind when the ice melted.

MILE 53

The Toklat River, another braided river, is a flat plain of gravel with easy walking. The glaciers that feed the river are 10 miles upstream; the river bottom is habitat for bears, caribou, and wolves, and a good place for picnics.

MILE 58

Highway Pass is the highest point on the road. In good weather, dramatic views of Mount McKinley start here. The alpine tundra from here to the Eielson Visitor Center is inviting for walking, but beware: Tundra is soft underfoot and can conceal holes and declivities that can twist an ankle.

MILE 61

Stony Overlook, the road point on the mountainous highway point between Stony Dome and Stony Hill, is the turnaround point for most buses while the Eielson Visitor Center is being reconstructed.

MILE 64

Thorofare Pass, where the road becomes narrow and winding, is a good area to look for bears and caribou. Bus drivers know best where the animals are on any particular day, since they talk to fellow drivers.

MILE 66

This is the site of the Eielson Visitor Center, scheduled for closure and reconstruction during 2005 and 2006. It is a fine vantage point for seeing McKinley, the summit of which is just 33 miles away. Seismic measurements here show frequent small earthquakes accompanying McKinley's prodigious growth—about an inch every 3 years. This region is a jumble of rocks pushed together by the expanding Pacific tectonic plate; the mountain, and the whole Alaska Range, are folding upward in that great collision.

MILE 68.5

The incredibly rugged terrain to the north is the earth and vegetation covering Muldrow Glacier. The ice extends to McKinley's peak and was an early and arduous route for climbers; these days, they fly to a base camp at 7,200-feet elevation on the Kahiltna Glacier, on the south side. McKinley's glaciers, falling 15,000 vertical feet and extending up to 45 miles in length, are among the world's greatest. The Ruth Glacier has carved the Great Gorge on the south side, which is almost 6,000 feet deep above the ice and another 4,000 below—almost twice the depth of the Grand Canyon. The park road comes within a mile of the Muldrow's face, then continues through wet, rolling terrain past beaver ponds, and finally descends into a small spruce patch near mile 82.

MILE 86

Wonder Lake campground is the closest road point to Mount McKinley, 27 miles away. Some buses continue another half hour to Kantishna. The fact that McKinley looks so massive from this considerable distance, dominating the sky, is testament to its stupendous size. You'll likely never see a larger object on this planet. From its base (your elevation here is only 2,000 ft.) to its top is an elevation gain greater than that of any other mountain on earth. Other mountains are taller overall, but they stand on higher ground.

Denali bus facts

Optional – Bear viewing

I wanted to do the katmai bear viewing (bears seating on top of fall and catching the salmons as they jump up) but ended up doing a day bear view trip, which was also great. Info below

Bear viewing trip - http://www.flyrusts.com/bear-viewing/lake-clark-national-park.html

Lake Clark National Park Bear Viewing

Alaska experience of a lifetime. After an hour and ten minute thrilling flightseeing tour from Anchorage to Lake Clark National Park and Preserve, you will land at Redoubt Mountain Lodge. Knowledgeable bear viewing guides escort you by boat to lakeside areas where bears feed on spawning wild Alaska salmon.

Situated at the headwaters of Bristol Bay, Lake Clark National Park and Preserve is an epitome of the Alaska wilderness landscape. At four million acres, the Park encompasses volcanoes, jagged mountains, glaciers, wild rivers, waterfalls and diverse Alaska wildlife populations.

2014 promises to be an amazing year for the bears of Lake Clark National Park. Our 2013 season welcomed many new faces, including numerous cubs, to the Crescent River Valley. Second year bears are so entertaining because the cubs begin applying the mother bear’s lessons on life. Watch as they clumsily pursue salmon and confront other bears during this learning and maturing phase.  You can be fortunate enough to be able to observe this exciting time in a great setting inside one of the nation’s most inaccessible National Parks!

Flight Pattern

Depart from Lake Hood Sea Plane Harbor in Anchorage and fly southwest over Cook Inlet and the tundra-covered hills of the western Alaska interior. Watch for the Chigmit Mountains, where Alaska and Aleutian Ranges meet, and two active volcanoes – Mt. Redoubt and Mt. Iliamna – before landing in Crescent Lake, Lake Clark National Park and Preserve.

The Lake Clark Bear Viewing experience:

• Intimate, 70 minute scenic flight seeing tour from Anchorage
• Up-close bear viewing in Lake Clark National Park from a covered pontoon boat
• Homemade lunch in the rustic lodge located in Lake Clark National Park
• Observe grizzly bears fishing for salmon; frolicking in water

Your Lake Clark National Park Bear Viewing tour includes:

• A window seat and 2-way headset
• Detailed knowledge (and personality) of an Alaska bush pilot
• Rust’s meticulous attention to comfort and safety
• Summertime courtesy shuttle from the Anchorage airport and many Anchorage hotels

Food recommendations

Sweard –

· Seward Brewing Company

· Ray’s waterfront – (we got a lot of recommendations from people). We went there as I wanted to experience fresh seafood. Expensive restaurant and in my opinion really not worth it.

Talkeenta

· Mountain High Pizza Pie

Alyeska

· Chair 5 – pizza place

Anchorage

· Spenard roadhouse – really enjoyed it

· Pho lena