Alpine Explorer

with Get Up and Go Tours (www.getupandgotours.com)

(August 2004)

Introduction

Note: This was my first trip to Alaska AND my first trip with Get Up and Go Tours. I have wanted to see Alaska for a long time so I was really looking forward to the trip. The company offers lodge trips and camping trips, and I chose two back-to-back camping trips because of their dates. This trip was called The Alpine Explorer and had a 10-day itinerary. The company provided the tents, and I decided to rent the sleeping bag instead of bringing my own; however, because of some physical problems I brought my Coleman air mattress as I can't sleep on the ground with a thin pad especially when it is cold as my muscles get too tense and go into spasms. The tent and sleeping bag were great and camping was no problem.

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I have 170 pictures for this trip, but you can scan the thumbnails and click to enlarge only those pictures that interest you. I hope you enjoy many of them, and I hope you also enjoy some of my explanations. 

The map below shows the location of the national parks, preserve, and wildlife refuges in Alaska. I visited two of these parks on this trip--Denali National Park & Preserve and Wrangell - St. Elias National Park & Preserve.  I also visited the Kenai Fjords National Park on the Kenai Explorer 7-day Get Up and Go Tour immediately following this tour and those pictures are in a separate album.   Obviously I have a lot more territory to cover in Alaska so I will be returning--I just don't know when and unfortunately after my second trip with Get Up and Go I know it won't be with them. This trip was great, but it was guided by the owner of the company AND there were 12 of us on the tour so  we had two guides for the trip. When the group is small you have only one guide and this severely limits your options BUT you pay the same price. 

On Day 1 we drove to Denali National Park and on the way we stopped here to have lunch and for a quick 1 mile round-trip hike to view salmon swimming upstream to spawn 

as you can see the creek is full of salmon

pictures of the Alpine Explorer

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There are 5 types of salmon and the fingers on your hand can help you remember them:

We also stopped here for a 5 mile hike. It was a 1500 foot climb up to Kesugi Ridge and gave us our first view of Denali. We also saw Mt Deception and Eldridge Glacier.

the hike up to Kesugi Ridge

Denali is visible ABOVE the clouds

closer view of Denali

closer view of Eldridge Glacier

The park was originally established to protect its large mammals, not because of majestic Mount McKinley. Charles Sheldon conceived the plan to conserve the region as a national park. Naturalist, hunter, and conservationist, Sheldon first traveled here in 1906 and when he returned to the East in 1908, the Game Committee of the Boone and Crockett Club, of which he was chairman, launched the campaign to establish a national park. Largely due to these efforts, Mount McKinley National Park was established in 1917. Its population of Dall sheep and other wildlife were now legislatively protected. However, Mount McKinley itself was not wholly included within the boundaries. Sheldon wanted to call the park Denali, but his suggestion would not be followed until 1980. The changes in names and boundaries that have occurred over the years can be confusing, as they indicate the way various parts of the park and preserve may be used today. In 1917 Mount McKinley National Park was established as a wildlife refuge. In 1980, the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA) enlarged the boundary by 4 million acres and redesigned it as Denali National Park and Preserve. At 6 million acres or 7,370 square miles, the park is larger than Massachusetts. It exemplifies interior Alaska's character as one of the world's last great frontiers for wilderness adventure. It remains largely wild and unspoiled, as the Athabascans knew it. 

Denali, the "High One," is the name Athabascan native people gave the massive peak (Mount McKinley) that crowns the 600 mile long Alaska range.

On Day 2 we took the 9:30 bus from the entrance visitor center 65 miles to the Eielson visitor center inside the park. Private vehicles aren't allowed past the campgrounds so you have to take one of the buses to see the wildlife and get a good view of Mt McKinley (Denali) if you are fortunate and the weather permits you to see the mountain. You can also get off the bus along the way and hike then get on a different bus and continue your trip. I didn't hike and the round trip including MANY stops to view wildlife, several 10 minute stops to use the facilities, and a 30-minute stop at the visitor center took 8 hours--9:30 to 5:30.

the Outer Range (this is the view on the right side of the bus)

Caribou, like the Dall sheep, travel in groups. Both sexes sport antlers, the only deer family members to do so. Caribou migrate great distances from their calving grounds south of the Alaska Range and northwest of Mount McKinley to their winter range in the northern reaches of the park and preserve. The Denali Herd has fluctuated greatly in number over the last 30 years. Today groups of 20 or more may be seen from the park road, quite different from the thousands seen many years ago.

Braided Rivers exhibit numerous channels that split off and rejoin each other to give a braided appearance. They typically carry fairly coarse-grained sediment down a fairly steep gradient. Additionally, the water discharge tends to be highly variable. Consequently, braided rivers usually exist near mountainous regions, especially those with glaciers.

This bear crossed behind our bus then left the road and went down to the river. Our driver crossed the bridge and parked on the opposite side of the river and the bear crossed the braided river and came very close to us.

Grizzly bears are omnivores, eating small plants, berries, ground squirrels, moose or caribou calves, and occasional carrion. They are seen throughout the park. Sows generally bear two cubs, sometimes one and rarely three. They are fiercely protective of their offspring. Wolves and grizzly bears play an important role as predators. Ever ready to take advantage of an opportunity, they cull old, newborn, and sick animals from the caribou, moose and sheep population.

a ptarmigan (Alaska's state bird)

view of Denali from Eielson Visitor Center

During the summer, Denali is visible only about one-third of the time. Why is the mountain hidden behind clouds on most summer days? Denali is so high that it makes its own weather. Because the mountain rises up dramatically from surrounding plains, it traps passing air masses. Winds force this warmer, moisture-laden air against the colder mountain. As the air cools and moves up and around the peak, cloud-caps are created, frequently causing snow. Denali's peak disappears in a storm of its own making, even though the surrounding sky may be clear. Denali also stands in the path of coastal storms, which can blanket the mountain in obscuring clouds. So consider yourself lucky if you are able to see the mountain.

I was VERY lucky -- I saw it every day I was there!

moose antlers

caribou antlers

On Day 3 five of us started the day at a sled dog demonstration. First we walked around and petted the dogs and looked at some old sleds. Then we sat down to watch 5 dogs being harnessed to a sled and pulling a ranger around a gravel track. They traveled VERY fast. Then the ranger answered questions while the dogs lay there in harness and ate a snack.

an old dog sled

an old prospector's tent

a more modern dog sled

This is the dog sled they are using for the demo and one of the rangers is taking a dog to the sled to be harnessed up. He is walking him on his hind legs.

The dogs are very excited and happy to be chosen.

The dog sled is being pulled on a small circular track and the dogs are pulling it VERY fast.

The dogs are finished and are being given a snack and the white dog is burying his snack.

The ranger answered questions from the audience while the dogs ate and rested.

After the demo instead of riding the bus back to the visitor's center we followed the Rock Creek Trail through a boreal woods. When it ended we followed the Taiga Trail. This is rose hips.

reindeer lichen

bear or horsetail grass

bear grass along the Rock Creek Trail

I ended up doing the Horseshoe Lake trail by myself. I started the trail, but decided my heart wasn't in it so I turned around, sat down on a bench at this good view and ate lunch then I returned to the visitor's center.

For our last activity in Denali everyone except me took a whitewater rafting trip down a class 3 river. I took a flight-seeing trip over the park.

the polychrome hills

the road that the bus took

Mt. Mather

we flew around Denali in a clockwise direction and saw it from all angles  

Dall Sheep

polychrome hills on the return flight

On Day 4 we started driving to Tangle Lakes and along the way we stopped and walked a very short distance to a high and long beaver dam.

we also stopped for a short hike over the tundra and up a small ridge

We hiked over tundra that had large hillocks and alder bushes.

an alder bush

mountain harebell

bistort

narcissus anemone

Mt Hayes and the McLaren Glacier

we also saw a U-shaped glacial valley with a lot of kettle lakes

Jeff & Suzie cooked us VERY good meals here muffins are being toasted and caribou/sausage is being cooked as part of our meal - for dessert Jeff baked brownies in a skillet in the coals of the campfire  

on Day 5 we drove to the Wrangell-St. Elias National Park

on the way we stopped to look at a section of the Alaskan Pipeline

Pipeline Facts

 The pipeline line was built in 1974-77 and is 800 miles long. The pipe is 48” in diameter and 1.5 million barrels of oil flow through per day. It is insulated with 4” of fiberglass, factory-bonded to galvanized steel jacketing. Where permafrost—permanently frozen soil—is present, and heat from the pipeline might thaw unstable soils, the line is insulated and elevated. The pipe, insulated to prevent heat transfer or loss, is mounted on Teflon-coated shoe assemblies, designed to slide on crossbeams installed between vertical supports. Approximately 420 miles of the 800-mile pipeline are above ground. The zig-zag design of the line provides the flexibility necessary to accommodate movements due to temperature changes or other causes by converting the changes in line length to sideways movement. Anchor structures, 700 to 1800 feet apart, hold the pipe in position. Between anchors the pipe can move sideways on its cross-beams a total of 12 feet in case of thermal expansion and contraction, and another 2 feet in case of seismic activity. 

on the desolate two-lane packed gravel road we came across a lovely small shop that sold expressos, ice cream, and a few hand-made knitted items

At the park we  stayed in the Kennicott River Lodge. This is the main lodge building, but we stayed in 2 cabins. With 6 to a cabin there wasn't much room and showers and bathrooms were in the main lodge, but it was better than a tent. We are staying across the river from McCarthy as the road ends and a pedestrian bridge crosses the river.

 this is one of our cabins

This is the view from the road in front of our cabin.

Kennicott River & Wrangell Mountains

Kennicott Copper Mill

From 1911 to 1938 Kennicott was a bustling company town because of the Kennecott Copper mine. The town had movie theaters, tennis courts, gymnasiums and other amenities. 

During operation, the workforce averaged around 500.

Net profit: $100,000,000.

on Day 6 some of us (including me) went glacier trekking & some went ice climbing with St. Elias Alpine Guides

on the way to the glacier we crossed this beautiful creek by walking on the log

& passed these "Little Einsteins" flowers 

as the glacier moves rocks pile up on the top of the ice & their dark color speed up its melting rate - the rocks were once on top of the mountain 

Kennicott is dominated by Mt. Donohue, a peak which lies like an island between two vast glaciers--here Root glacier is the snowy one & Kennicott the black one

we had crampons on our feet to help us walk on the ice

2 plates rubbing against each other cause larger ice crystals and a darker top layer on the ice - these exfoliation lines can be seen when you look across at a glacier slope

exfoliation lines

This is a moulin--a hole in the glacier carved by water that goes all the way to the base, where the water runs out to the ablation river.

as you can see from these pictures moulins can be very complex and very pretty--but be careful you don't want to fall in

a small leaf is frozen in the glacier

an icefield

an icefield is like a frozen lake

while a glacier is like a frozen river

we stopped to watch the others in our group do some ice climbing - this is Susan

this is the Kennicott glacier which has the rock and dirt from the moraine on TOP of the ice

more pictures of the Little Einstein flowers

The Kennicott Lodge

the Kennicott River & Mt. Blackburn--you can see the two glaciers coming off the mountain

Day 7 was our BIG hiking day--9 miles and a 3,800 feet climb up to the old Bonanza copper mine. The mine was shut down in 1938 when all the high-grade copper ore was depleted. I was concerned when I found out the last bus left Kennicott at 6:30 which allowed only 9 hours for the hike. I don't like it when I'm racing the clock. As it turned out I was right plus I was disappointed in the hike. There were NO views at all for half the hike because tall bushes grew along both sides of the un-maintained one-lane road that was the trail.

When I got about 2/3 of the way up, I decided I didn't want to continue--we were now in the full sun and my sun allergy was acting up, I could see that the views weren't going to be very good because of the smoke, and I was not going to have enough time to reach the top. I ate lunch and turned around. I found out very quickly that going down was not going to be fun. The trail was steep and was covered with loose rocks. I fell 3 times and slipped several more times. Later I found out that several of the others fell too.

views once we got above the trees

copper was removed from these mountains & you can see some of the remains of the tram line that hauled ore from the mine to the mill

you can see that the smoke was really restricting the view--on a clear day you should see spectacular vistas of the Chugach Mountains, Mt. Blackburn and the Kennicott Glacier

On Day 8 we flew out of McCarthy to Chitina then drove to Valdez.

McCarthy-Kennicott Community Church

Ma Johnson's Hotel

Lancaster's Backpacker Hotel

McCarthy has about 25 permanent residents but swells to around 125 during the summer to serve the tourists

Wrangell Mountain Air Office

our first view from the air was Root Glacier

We loaded up and started the drive to Valdez on the Richardson highway. On the way we stopped for a picnic lunch in a small highway park with a large lake. Later we stopped at the Worthington Glacier State Park for a two mile round trip hike up the lateral moraine.

Worthington Glacier is one of the most accessible glaciers in Alaska. An excellent example of a typical valley glacier, it was first designated as a National Natural Landmark and later became a State Recreation Site, part of Alaska's State Parks system. For the last 150 years this glacier has been steadily melting back or retreating. It is not likely to completely disappear because its upper basin at 5,500 feet collects about 28 feet of snow each year.

the hiking trail up the lateral moraine - the trail was narrow and there was a drop off on both sides that later got pretty steep

naturally since we hiking up the moraine, the glacier was right beside the trail

The trail got steeper and was pretty slippery. I went about 2/3 of the way and think I could have gone all the way as climbing wasn't too difficult, but I could tell that the steep incline and narrow trail was going to make going downhill VERY difficult as it was getting steeper and steeper so I reluctantly took some final pictures and turned around.

To tell the difference between river-carved and glacier-gouged valleys, note their shape. Does the valley look like a V, as if sliced by a knife or like a U, as if scraped out by a giant ice cream scoop?

Rivers cut V-shaped valleys; glaciers gouge out U-shaped valleys. In many cases, glacial rivers cut V-shaped notches into U-shaped valleys. Also if a glacier has carved a valley which is not below sea level, sea water will fill the valley and thus create a fjord.

This is a water-cut valley with the classic V shape.

Both ice and water sculpted this valley. Note the V-shaped notch in the otherwise U-shaped valley.

while driving we stopped for a picture of two waterfalls - Bridal Vail on top Horsetail on the bottom

On Day 9 ... I visited the Valdez Museum in the morning

Ahrens Steam Fire Engine

This “Continental” model was purchased in 1907 for $7,800. It was originally drawn with a 2-horse hitch; however, during the winter the engine was seldom taken from the fire station due to its 4-ton weight and the immense snow accumulations. It was retired in 1935 and placed in storage. In the early 1980’s the Valdez Fire Department and the Valdez Museum began restoration which was done primarily by volunteers but still cost approximately $25,000. The steamer is now valued at more than $200,000.

1886 Gleason & Bailey Handpumped Fire Engine

This engine was purchased by Valdez in 1902 second hand. It was hand-drawn and could pump from a well, creek or ins internal tank could be filled by a bucket brigade. It was restored to its original appearance by Firefly Restorations of Hope, Maine. Its ornate appearance is typical of fire equipment during the Victorian era when gold leaf and nickel plating were marks of quality workmanship.

Hinchinbrook Lighthouse Lens

This lens served as a beacon to mark the entrance to Prince William Sound and warn mariners of the dangerous shallows nearby. Funds for construction of the site, 88 miles from Valdez, were appropriated in 1906 and the station was completed in 1910. In 1967 the lens was replaced by a two-headed aero beacon.

 This Fresnel, named after the inventor, is made of brass with 68 glass prisms. It weighs 1,600 pounds. With a candle power of 234,000, the light could be seen for a distance of 22 miles. The lens currently is equipped with a 25 watt lightbulb.

Umiak - A Native Boat

The boat, except for the nail, is of ancient Yup’ik or Inupiat Eskimo design. The red and black stripes are Umaq—The lifeline or vein giving it life. The ivory figures are ancestral sentinels, some are missing. An Umiak is a skin boat that was used by the Bering Sea Eskimos and St. Lawrence Islanders and Siberian Eskimos. Made with stout wood frames covered with Walrus hides, their large storage capacity and seaworthiness make them suitable for moving large groups of people and equipment, for hunting Walrus and Whales, and for trading and conducting war.

Umiaks are traditionally propelled by paddles or by sails made of twined grass mats. In the rough waters of Bering Strait, additional buoyancy is achieved by erecting hide flaps above the Gunwales and by lashing inflated Seal floated along the sides of the boat. In this way even severe storms can be weathered. Care had to be taken in long voyages to dry and oil the umiak every few days or its skin and lashing would stretch and collapse from the frame. Long-distance travel was therefore potentially hazardous.

One of the many quilts that were on display in the museum.

Miner’s Cabin (1898-1920)

This cabin is furnished with mining artifacts donated to the Valdez Museum. Many of the artifacts were found on the Valdez Glacier and in Old Town Valdez.

In the afternoon we took a GREAT kayak trip in Prince William Sound. We and the kayaks were transported in a water taxi to a narrow beach.

Anderson Glacier

the Shoup Glacier

As we got closer to the glacier, the ice chunks in the water got larger and remember most of the iceberg is below the surface.

We beached the kayaks & ate lunch on the rocks near the glacier.

While we were eating lunch the glacier calved, and Sarah was the only one who had her camera ready and was able to get a picture.

On our return we saw a seal in the water.

on the way back we stopped at a salmon spawning location

the salmon mate, spawn, and then die

On the 10th and last day we took a 6-hour ferry trip on Prince William Sound passing the huge Columbia Glacier en route to Whittier

After the ferry trip we left Whittier via a one-lane 2.6 mile tunnel through a mountain and started the drive to Anchorage. On the way we stopped for one last hike up to and on the Bryon Glacier. It was about 1 mile up and 1 back.

a group picture

the Get Up & Go guides

for pictures of other vacations return to the Vacation Photos page