Ever since I started this national parks journey, I knew that this park was going to be an experience of a life time. At that time I wasn’t even sure how I was going to get there – but I just KNEW. For those of you who have been following my adventures – most of my trips consist of a few days in a park, with campground car/tent camping. For this park I decided to branch out of my comfort zone and get the true Alaskan immersive experience – backcountry camping! I found Alaska Alpine Adventures through some internet searching, and all of the reviews were incredible! I’ll say it a lot during this post – but if you’re looking for an incredible trip check out their website! Highly recommend.
At the request of our guides – I am going to be vague about locations and specifics #Keepthewestwild. If you want to know more about the itinerary – book a trip with them and they will take you! We started out on a VERY rainy day in Anchorage. The few of us who thought being early was a good thing were rewarded with extra time spent waiting in the rain 🙂 Once everyone was there, we packed and repacked our gear into the dry bags. Then we hopped on a plane from Anchorage to Port Allsworth.
Above is the stunning view of Lake Clark from one of the coves. This view with that mountain sort of reminded me a bit of the view from Many Glacier in Montana. I got to sit in the co-pilot seat going out! I was definitely nervous, but the incredible views made it all worthwhile!
Once we got up into the air the sun came out and the cloud shadows cast on the lake made it look so cool! The glacial lake blue is gorgeous!
We did a fast turning bank move and landed right on the lake. The weather was a bit rainy and definitely cold! After they dropped us off, the first group started with tent setup. It was challenging to find a spot in the tundra with a flat space, so we all agreed not to divulge who had pitched which tent in the event someone got a lumpy deal!. Here are our tents mostly set up.
Here is my tent – ready to give me some of the best views I’ve ever had waking up in the morning.
By the 3rd plane trip out, the sun was out. I was able to capture this incredible picture before he took off again. And once the storm blew over the water became so still – I got some cool reflection shots as well!
I will admit – that first night it got really cold, as it did for several of the nights we were there. But on the first one – I laid there freezing my butt off in my tent thinking – WHAT have I gotten myself into?!?! First time ever sleeping completely zipped up into my sleeping bag.
But most (not all!) of my doubts were erased by the beauty of the sunrise! Our first full day was a long hike day. We climbed up onto the ridgeline and got our first views of the landscape. I will admit – hiking in the backcountry was a LOT tougher than I realized. Most of our hiking was done through waist high brush. Some of us were more sure footed than others 🙂 Definitely was sporting some great bumps and bruises when I got back that night.
Once we cleared the treeline though, it was all spongy tundra. I usually have problems with knee pain after long hike – but this stuff is so low impact!
Here is a picture of our meal time gatherings. We all had camp chairs, and would sit around while our guides prepared food. They cooked us breakfast and dinner, and prepared delicious lunches. The food was awesome! And it was fun to get to know this amazing group more each day. The second full night we were there we all woke up suddenly at 11 pm to one of our group shouting that he thought there was a bear by his tent! We all got excited (and nervous) but turns out it wasn’t a bear… some people thinking maybe a ground squirrel 🙂 Hats off to the guides though who dispatched the animal of unknown type quickly and efficiently!
Day 3 was our longest paddle day. We packed up our day packs and headed across the lake to see Dick Proenneke’s cabin. Some of my favorite shots were from this paddle! And the lake was like glass on the way out, so not too challenging.
Here we are exploring the cabin. Dick’s story is pretty unique, and really impressive! I can’t believe how isolated his life was here. The ranger who was filling us in on the details lives here completely alone for like 3-4 months of the year! There are a lot of restrictions about technology and electricity – she even has to grind her coffee beans by hand.
After checking out the cabin, we set off on a hike up the ridge line to get some more views of this incredible park!
The paddle back had more of a head wind and my kayak partner and I had to get into the zone to paddle on back. It was such an incredible feeling, just focusing on paddling and enjoying the amazing scenery around us.
Day 4 we went to Emerson Falls. It was a short paddle over, then a relaxing hike back to the falls. We climbed over some rocks and got some amazing views!
Lunch by a relaxing river bank 🙂
After the falls hike, we packed up camp and headed to our second location. We got to ride the connecting stream which was super fun! The weather this day was so warm! We were actually sweating while we set up our new camp. Everyone decided this would be a great day to jump in the freezing cold water. Really steals away your breath – but after 5 days with no shower it felt incredible to rinse off.
Hung out the rest of the afternoon and finished the day off with a great dinner. Here is a view of the sunset from my tent!
Day 5 we had another long hike day. We climbed up through the tree line to get some incredible views! A few of us turned back at this point (including me), but most of the group continued on up into the mountains!
Those of us who turned around earlier got to enjoy some relaxing time by the beach.
We spent the rest of the day playing games, and chatting as a group. We knew this was our last full day here in the park!
Another incredible sunset – enjoyed with this lovely group of ladies.
Here is the view of our campsite after we packed everything up!
Our ride back to civilization! Me and a few others were on the first flight back.
Some of the last beautiful views of the lakes and mountains we spent a week exploring!
Here is a view of Lake Clark as we were approaching for our landing back in Port Allsworth. Such an incredible view!
Once we landed we checked in to our rooms at the Farm Lodge. Each cabin has a great view of the water and we could watch the float planes coming and going for the afternoon. We all showered and then spent some time chatting on the deck until dinner. Dinner was a delicious spread! The next day we were on a flight back to Anchorage.
I wanted to respect people’s privacy by not posting too many names and information – but if anyone from trip is reading just want to say I loved getting to know each and every one of you! Your unique experiences and fun attitudes made this trip one of my most favorite park adventures! Hope to keep in touch and see you again some time in the future. And to any friends and family who are reading – if you want an incredible and authentic Alaskan backcountry experience – book with Alaska Alpine Adventures!!
Kelsey's Climb to 59 (+4) 