Skolai Pass - Wolverine: A Classic
Alaskan Backpacking Trip.
Mother/Daughter team reflect
A fantastic flight into the backcountry of Wrangell-St. Elias National Park marks the
start of this awesome adventure. We fly over the Nizina glacier
and check out the icebergs floating in the lake at its terminus
before dropping into beautiful Skolai Pass to begin our backpacking
adventure.
We made a change to the itinerary this year to allow more time to explore Skolai Pass before heading on to the Chitistone valley. This gives us time to get up close and personal with the dramatic Russell Glacier. From here we head up to the stuning Chitistone Pass where we have a very good chance of spotting Dall sheep and caribou. We continue on following
the old route of the Goat Trail through dramatic terrain that will have you snapping
pictures at every turn. The Goat Trail was built by miners to
gain access to the gold fields in the Chisana region. In many places the path is hard
to follow but we will be glad to have it as we travel through
a section of steep scree slopes.
The
traditional route on this backpacking trek is to drop down to the
river after the scree slopes and then hike to Glacier Creek. But instead of descending to the
Chitistone River, we remain in the high country for the entire
trek.
Crossing the scree slopes
This option also avoids the more difficult stream crossings
of the lower route and allows us to hike through the Hasen Creek basin where
you can almost count on seeing some of the many mountain goats
that inhabit the area.
From here we will have two options depending on how much time
and energy we have. We can either take a two day loop around the
huge mesa or the more direct route that takes the short way around.
The longer route is well worth it if we have the time.
Finding a place to camp will not be a problem, though we might
have a hard time selecting from the numerous scenic spots all
around. People who take this trip are stunned by the drama of
the country through which this route traverses. This is a great alaska
trekking adventure through awesome wilderness.
Contact
us if
you would like to know more about Skolai Pass to Wolverine and receive a detailed itinerary.
