Amazing views from the ridge leading into Solo Lake in the Nutzotin Highlands.

Summer’s Coming!

Just a quick update on trips scheduled for this summer.

The end of July is getting very busy and many trips are already sold out. There are Seven Pass, Pyramid Peak and Skyscraper treks that are all completely full. There are some space left on a late July Skolai Pass trek but otherwise that time slot is all but closed.

There are still trips at other times during the summer with spaces remaining however. Take a look at the calendar page to check availability. But this is the time of year where things can change quickly however, and a trek with 2-3 open spots can be sold out a week later. The end of March and early April is usually a very busy time for bookings.

If you have a group of friends and are wanting to schedule a private trip then you should definitely call us soon so we can work your group into the schedule.

If you’re planning a June trip you should make your plans very soon.

Featured Trip – Nutzotin Highlands (aka, Horsfeld Highlands)

It’s been a while since I spotlighted this route and it deserves a special mention.

	Lovely walk on a ridgetop

This is a terrific route for an early season trek. A lot of folks don’t realize how late summer arrives here in Alaska and especially in the mountains. In the backcountry of Wrangell-St. Elias for example we don’t usually start doing deep backcountry routes till the first of July when the snow is melting out of the passes. There may still be a bit of snow in the high passes but it’s not a problem.

But I often get folks wanting to do a trip in June and the choices are more limited then. But the Nutzotin route is perfect for that time of year. It’s in the northern region of the park so you might assume that it gets more snow and melts out later but it’s just the opposite – the routes there are clear before most others in the southern part of the park.

This is also a great choice for someone who wants an extended backcountry adventure but within the moderate range of difficulty. We spend 8 days on our hike from Horsfeld to Solo Creek but we don’t carry packs every day. We usually layover once or twice along the way so that we can do some local exploring with lighter loads.

Moose, bear, Dall sheep and caribou have all been spotted on the route so it’s a good one for wildlife. I even spotted a wolf along the way once, just before he scooted over the ridge and out of sight.

The trek covers a nice variety of terrain and ranges from wide open tundra to some sweet ridge walks. My favorite is the walk down the last ridge just before solo creek. We get some amazing views of Mt. Sulzor, Bona and their ice and snow capped neighbors. And the last time I was up there in late June that ridge was covered in buttercups in bloom.

The route begins in the tundra near Beaver Creek and then we head up into the higher country. There is a spot around day two that I am thinking of staying an extra day this time to allow for a bit of exploring.

We travel up and over a couple of ridges along the way so we will get our exercise, but none are super steep. Always great views waiting on top too. There is an interesting canyon that we cross about midway that is a neat little spot and a great lunch stop.

So if you’re looking for an early season trek that’s adventurous but not extreme and has good wildlife potential then this is definitely the one.

We are offering this trip just once this summer – June 27 to July 4, so if you’re interested you should call soon. The fourth is always sold out at the hotel in McCarthy.

Near Wolverine Mt. on the Skolai to Wolverine route.

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Trek Comparison Matrix

For more on any of these trips click on the links to see the detail page or give us a call. 907.350.3710

Well that’s it for now… happy trails!

Greg Fensterman

This entry was posted on Wednesday, March 17th, 2010 at 5:10 pm and is filed under News, Trip Planning. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.