| The
holiday season is upon us and it will be time to deck
the halls before you know it. We finally got some snow
in the Anchorage area so it's also the start of the
ski season. I try to get out for a quick workout on
the trails each afternoon and once in a while sneak
out for some fishing. The temps are a bit sub zero today
so I'm staying warm and getting out this edition of
the newsletter.
The big news this month is the announcement
of our new explorer series. Usually we don't take groups
out on a route until we've been over it several times
and are pretty dialed in on it. But then we thought
- why not let some of our guests share in the exploration
of new areas. And so the explorer series is born.
We're very excited about our first
Explorer trip into Martin
Creek. We've only spent a few days on the route
so this would be a great adventure for some one who
is looking for a more advanced type of trip into a mostly
unexplored region. The route features two glacier crossings
and some jaw-dropping ridge walks with stunning views
of the Tana Glacier. We're keeping the group size small
on this one, so sign up early. This will be a challenging
trip for people with a bit of experience and a sense
of adventure. Click to learn
more about this exciting new trek.
We get a lot of email in the fall
from people thinking about a trip for the following
summer. Many folks wonder if it's too early to start
planning and my answer is that it's never too early
to plan.
A cold winter day when the temps
start to drop is a good time to pull out the brochures
and fire up the web browser.
There are so many options in Alaska
and it's such a big place that it can be intimidating
to even get started with selecting a trip.
Where to Go
My advice is to begin by choosing
a region of the state that you want to visit. Unless
you have the whole summer, don't try to see everything
on one trip. Learn about different areas and parks in
the state. Yes, there's more to Alaska than just Denali.
At the same time you should be narrowing the focus on
the type of trip that you want to have.
Are you looking for a taste of Alaska
but would rather do a self-guided trip on established
trails? You might want to look at the Kenai Peninsula
or Chugach State Park. If you are wanting a more remote
trek, far from any trails then your options are many
and include Lake Clark Nat. Park, Denali, the Brooks
Range and many more including our neck of the woods
in Wrangell-St. Elias.
Transportation is a big logistical
concern up here. The farther your destination is from
Anchorage the longer it will take to get there and the
more it will cost. If you are headed for the Brooks
range it might take two days from Anchorage to arrive
at the start of your backcountry trip. So if your schedule
is tight don't try to do the more remote areas.But if
you have a good chunk of time then get away from the
crowds.
One of the secrets to successful
trip planning is picking a trip that matches your experience
and abilities. And remember it's all relative. A trip
may be rated moderate but compared to what? All of our
treks are off trail and this is a factor that many people
underestimate. Hiking with a backpack for six hours
on a park service trail is pretty easy for most hikers.
But that same six hours hiking over glaciers, moraine,
bolder fields and stream crossings... well that's a
different story.
People often ask how many miles
we will cover in a day but the more important question
is what sort of terrain will we be traveling through.
If you've only done easy weekend
backpacking trips in the past then you might not be
ready for one of our more strenuous treks such as the
>Seven
Pass or Horsefeld
Highlands. But that doesn't mean you need to have
soloed the Pacific Crest Trail to be ready for a more
strenuous trip. It's a combination of ability, experience
and most importantly, attitude.
Ask yourself if you are wanting
a relaxing five day trip with lots of free time at the
end of the day to watch the clouds blow by or if you
are wanting a trek that challenges your limits. There
are trips for all levels of ability but only you can
know what you want out of a trip.
Here are a few key points
to consider and questions to answer when comparing different
treks:
- How much time do I want to spend
in the backcountry?
- Do I want to go on my own or with
a guide?
- What is my conditioning level?
- What do I want the tone of the
trek to be - mellow? challenging? something in between?
- What sort of terrain would I like
to see?
Don't be limited by labels. A trip
rated as strenuous can be made into a more moderate
trip simply by allowing more time. Our Seven Pass and
Horsefeld trips are our most strenuous treks, but if
you added an extra few days then they become much more
moderate. Keep in mind that all of our treks can be
customized for your groups interest and abilities.
The following is a general grouping
of how our trips are rated in terms of difficulty with
the more challenging treks at the top of each list.
Well that's
it for this edition. See you next month.
Greg Fensterman
info@trekalaska.com -
www.TrekAlaska.com
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