My Return to Alaska

August 31, 2015  •  7 Comments

We flew into Anchorage, picked up supplies for the two weeks, and then headed to the park. The initial plan was to head out to Donaho Basin for a backpacking trip, shoot some scenic over flights, then spend another few days in the Bremner historic mining district area. Inevitably, there were some bumps in the road but we were able to figure everything out as we went along.

If you’ve never been to the park, Wrangell is 13.2 million acres, the largest national park in the United States, roughly the size of Switzerland. Access is limited. There is only one main road into the center of the park, which dead ends in the town of Kennicott, a historic copper mining area. This is where we would be based out of for the next 10 days. We spent the first night in the Lodge and then packed for our backpack trip out to Donoho Basin.

Bohemian waxwing - Bombycilla garrulusBohemian waxwing - Bombycilla garrulus

Bohemian Waxwing seen along the McCarthy Road

Tundra Swans - Cygnus columbianusTundra Swans - Cygnus columbianus

Tundra Swans seen along the McCarthy Road

Kennicott Glacier view from Hotel PorchKennicott Glacier view from Hotel Porch

View from the Lodge

In order to get the Donoho basin you are required to traverse the Root glacier roughly 1 mile wide. Once on the west side of the glacier, there is a route towards series of unnamed lakes.  This is where we planned to camp because there are bear boxes. We had a bit of a late start but weren’t too worried since the sun wasn’t setting until 11pm. Hiking across the Root Glacier was a very unique experience. I have traveled next to glaciers and under glaciers, but never on a glacier. It felt exactly as I thought it would, walking on a giant piece of ice. It was fairly slow going because of the difficulty of the terrain, but also because of how scenic it was. 

Hikers on the Root GlacierHikers on the Root GlacierNPS / Jacob W. Frank

People on the Root Glacier

Backpackers Exploring the Root Glacier (8)Backpackers Exploring the Root Glacier (8)NPS / Jacob W. Frank Backpackers Exploring the Root Glacier (9)Backpackers Exploring the Root Glacier (9)NPS / Jacob W. Frank Pool on the Root GlacierPool on the Root GlacierNPS / Jacob W. Frank Backpackers Exploring the Root Glacier (12)Backpackers Exploring the Root Glacier (12)NPS / Jacob W. Frank Backpackers Exploring the Root Glacier (13)Backpackers Exploring the Root Glacier (13)NPS / Jacob W. Frank Views from the Root Glacier (3)Views from the Root Glacier (3)NPS / Jacob W. Frank Views from the Root Glacier (5)Views from the Root Glacier (5)NPS / Jacob W. Frank

We walked over rivers, along lakes, navigated through crevasses, and over moraines (all on the glacier) until we finally reached the other side. From there we needed to make a decision whether to camp or to continue to push on to the next campsite. Since it was only 5 o’clock and the map said we had 3 miles to go, we made the decision to continue. For those of you who have hiked off-trail bushwhacking in Alaska, you know that 3 miles is no easy task. We hiked, and hiked, and hiked some more, and it seemed that we were barely moving.  When one of our team members fell ill from food poisoning the night before, we decided that we would not make it to the bear boxes that we hoped to camp at and found trees to tie our food up into instead. Once camp was set up and we made dinner it was about 10:30 PM. I can honestly say that it was one of the most difficult hikes that I’ve ever done, not because of the elevation or distance, but rather the difficulty in pushing through the bush with a significantly large and heavy pack.  It seemed all the branches were reaching out to touch me and say, “Slow down, take it all in. There is no need to go so fast.” Ughh.

Lake 2 Creek Sunset and Mount BlackburnLake 2 Creek Sunset and Mount BlackburnNPS / Jacob W. Frank Mount Blackburn and Donoho Peak from Lake 2Mount Blackburn and Donoho Peak from Lake 2NPS / Jacob W. Frank Fireweed Sunset at Lake 2Fireweed Sunset at Lake 2NPS / Jacob W. Frank

When I woke up the next day and stuck my head out of the tent it was apparent that had made the right decision to push on. It was a beautiful sunrise with the perfectly still lake. It looked as if it were going to be great weather all day. We grabbed breakfast, packed our daypacks, and headed further up valley towards Gates glacier. As we made it past the second lake and eventually to the third lake we were directly alongside the Kennicott glacier. The 16K ft foot mountain Mt. Blackburn rose in the distance behind a sea of ice.

Morning Reflections from Lake 2 - Donoho BasinMorning Reflections from Lake 2 - Donoho BasinNPS / Jacob W. Frank Gates Glacier From Lake 3 - Donoho BasinGates Glacier From Lake 3 - Donoho BasinNPS / Jacob W. Frank Hiker viewing Kennicott Glacier near Wilderness Boundary - Donoho BasinHiker viewing Kennicott Glacier near Wilderness Boundary - Donoho BasinNPS / Jacob W. Frank Kennicott Glacier Crevasses with BlackburnKennicott Glacier Crevasses with BlackburnNPS / Jacob W. Frank Kennicott Glacier Lateral View - Donoho BasinKennicott Glacier Lateral View - Donoho BasinNPS / Jacob W. Frank Hiking the Kennicott Glacier Lateral Moraine (2)Hiking the Kennicott Glacier Lateral Moraine (2)NPS / Jacob W. Frank Kennicott Glacier and Hidden Creek PassKennicott Glacier and Hidden Creek PassNPS / Jacob W. Frank Panoramic View from Wilderness Boundary - Donoho BasinPanoramic View from Wilderness Boundary - Donoho BasinNPS / Jacob W. Frank

After a few hours of day hiking we decided to turn around, pack up camp, and head to our next camp spot alongside the Root glacier. This time we knew where we were going and we still managed to lose the route and ended up bushwhacking in 10+ ft tall alder. Gotta love AK.

Backpackers Near Lake 2Backpackers Near Lake 2NPS / Jacob W. Frank

Backpackers Bushwhacking in Donoho BasinBackpackers Bushwhacking in Donoho BasinNPS / Jacob W. Frank Porphyry Mountain and National Creek Rock Glacier From Donoho BasinPorphyry Mountain and National Creek Rock Glacier From Donoho BasinNPS / Jacob W. Frank

People are in the photo!!!

Blackburn From Lake 2 - Donoho BasinBlackburn From Lake 2 - Donoho BasinNPS / Jacob W. Frank

Views from first Lake and Mount Blackburn 16Kft​

Hiking the Lateral Morain of Root GlacierHiking the Lateral Morain of Root GlacierNPS / Jacob W. Frank

Once we made back to the Root Glacier it was time for a cocktail or two and a little time to soak in the scenery.

The next morning we woke to another bluebird day. After grabbing some breakfast we only had to traverse the glacier once more, this time deciding to take an alternate route. Walking on a glacier is like being on a maze of ice. You never know when your route will dead-end. Sometimes you can find a work-around; sometimes you just have to backtrack. It makes for fun, but tiring hiking.

Tent View of the Root GlacierTent View of the Root GlacierNPS / Jacob W. Frank Backpackers Headed Towards the Root GlacierBackpackers Headed Towards the Root GlacierNPS / Jacob W. Frank Backpackers Stepping onto the Root GlacierBackpackers Stepping onto the Root GlacierNPS / Jacob W. Frank Backpackers Exploring a pool on the Root Glacier (2)Backpackers Exploring a pool on the Root Glacier (2)NPS / Jacob W. Frank Views from the Root GlacierViews from the Root GlacierNPS / Jacob W. Frank Backpackers Exploring the Root Glacier (2)Backpackers Exploring the Root Glacier (2)NPS / Jacob W. Frank Recording the Sounds of the Root GlacierRecording the Sounds of the Root GlacierNPS / Jacob W. Frank Ice Climbing on the Root GlacierIce Climbing on the Root GlacierNPS / Jacob W. Frank Ice Climbing on the Root Glacier (3)Ice Climbing on the Root Glacier (3)NPS / Jacob W. Frank

Along the way we found some spectacular scenery and the weather was perfect. So much so that I thought I could catch a tan for a little bit.

The next day was a day of flying. We had two flights scheduled. The first flight we would head south to the Tana River, to the Tana Glacier, Bagley Icefield, and Icy Bay before heading back along Baldwin and Chitina Glaciers.  Instead of picking my favs I put all of them in a slide show so that you can view all of them in order if you like. I have also included a map of all of our flights. This first one is labeled Lynn Flight 1. http://caltopo.com/m/031C

After landing and grabbing lunch we headed back up in the air and out towards Tebay Lakes, the Bremner River, Fan Glacier, then north past the Chitina River to Hidden Creek and the Kennicott Glacier. Here is a slide show from that flight. It’s amazing what we saw up there. I think I am forever ruined about what will excite me in the future. I can’t remember the last time I felt so blown away by what I was seeing. Oh wait, yes I can. It was in Denali NP looking at the Mountain. Alaska is awesome if you aren’t picking up what I am laying down…

The next day was spent conducting interviews of some local residents before having the chance to tour the historic Kennicott Copper Mill. This entire building is nuts. It’s a 14 story building and was used to mine the copper our of the surrounding mountains. It was the most productive copper mill in the world profiting nearly $1.5 billion in today’s dollars. Everything was vertically integrated from the mines, to the mill, to the railway to the coast, and eventual boats that would transport the copper down to Seattle.  It’s really an amazing sight to see.

The next day we would be flying into Bremner historic mining district where we would be camping for the next 3 days. We were concerned about getting stuck out there so we planned for an early pickup just incase the weather turned and we needed to spend a few extra days out there. This time we were allowed to “pack” heavy because we were not carrying all of our gear. So we brought everything including a case of beer. We had a late arrival due to our plane breaking down just before takeoff (That’s not what you want to hear about your plane before you get in it). So when we landed we spent the remaining time exploring the area around camp and hit the sack.

Backpackers Watching their Flight LeaveBackpackers Watching their Flight LeaveNPS / Jacob W. Frank Bremner Campsite (2)Bremner Campsite (2)NPS / Jacob W. Frank Wildflowers of Bremner (6)Wildflowers of Bremner (6)NPS / Jacob W. Frank Dinner Near Bremner Landing StripDinner Near Bremner Landing StripNPS / Jacob W. Frank

The next day we woke up and explored around camp for a short while before heading up to the Bremner bunkhouse and checking out all the historic garbage. When I say garbage I mean artifacts including buildings, a powerhouse, cars, tractors, stoves, tools, etc. All very cool, very heavy stuff. It’s crazy they were able to get everything out to this remote spot. The stuff is so cool in fact that they hire volunteers to live on site and make sure people don’t steal anything. We met the volunteers, and their dog companion, and had a great time chatting about their experiences so far. The wildflowers were also still blooming despite a rather dry summer so I was excited to see all the familiar faces.

Wildflowers of Bremner (3)Wildflowers of Bremner (3)NPS / Jacob W. Frank Bremner Mine EquipmentBremner Mine EquipmentNPS / Jacob W. Frank Bremner Historic DistrictBremner Historic DistrictNPS / Jacob W. Frank Taking off from Bremner Landing Strip (2)Taking off from Bremner Landing Strip (2)NPS / Jacob W. Frank Hiking from the Landing Strip (3)Hiking from the Landing Strip (3)NPS / Jacob W. Frank Bremner CrossBremner CrossNPS / Jacob W. Frank Bremner VehiclesBremner VehiclesNPS / Jacob W. Frank Bremner Equipment (2)Bremner Equipment (2)NPS / Jacob W. Frank Bremner ToolsBremner ToolsNPS / Jacob W. Frank Inside Dry HouseInside Dry HouseNPS / Jacob W. Frank

Powerhouse Equipment (4)Powerhouse Equipment (4)NPS / Jacob W. Frank Powerhouse EquipmentPowerhouse EquipmentNPS / Jacob W. Frank

From the mining camp we headed up to one of the area tarns that was used as an aqueduct for the area water. Along the way we saw some nice waterfalls, cool animals like ptarmigan, pika, and marmots, and some great views of the mountains. Once we were done we headed back to the bunkhouse and made a plan to hike with the volunteer couple the following day.

Waterfalls Along the Aqueduct (2)Waterfalls Along the Aqueduct (2)NPS / Jacob W. Frank Hoary MarmotHoary MarmotNPS / Jacob W. Frank Collared Pika (3) - Ochotona collarisCollared Pika (3) - Ochotona collarisNPS / Jacob W. Frank Collared Pika (2) - Ochotona collarisCollared Pika (2) - Ochotona collarisNPS / Jacob W. Frank Wildflowers Along Shore of Tarn Above AqueductWildflowers Along Shore of Tarn Above AqueductNPS / Jacob W. Frank Historic Tools in BremnerHistoric Tools in BremnerNPS / Jacob W. Frank Hikers Along Shore of Tarn Above AqueductHikers Along Shore of Tarn Above AqueductNPS / Jacob W. Frank Hiker in Aqueduct DrainageHiker in Aqueduct DrainageNPS / Jacob W. Frank

The next day we woke up to the entire valley covered in fog. We took the old mining road up to another site where they used to mine for gold. As we went up in elevation we hike out of the fog and the sun was burning off what remained. Immediately when we made it into the cirque basin I noticed more pika, ptarmigan, and marmots. The ptarmigan were everywhere in fact. We noticed that the rock ptarmigan at higher elevations were not as skittish as the willow ptarmigan at lower elevations. In fact they seemed to like us. We even had a few chicks walk right up to us and scope us out. After a beautiful day of hiking we headed back to camp and waited for the plane to pick us up. 

Camping in the FogCamping in the FogNPS / Jacob W. Frank Wildflowers of Bremner (7)Wildflowers of Bremner (7)NPS / Jacob W. Frank Old Chevy in the Bremner DistrictOld Chevy in the Bremner DistrictNPS / Jacob W. Frank Rock Ptarmigan and Chicks - Lagopus mutaRock Ptarmigan and Chicks - Lagopus mutaNPS / Jacob W. Frank Wildflowers of BremnerWildflowers of BremnerNPS / Jacob W. Frank Taking off from Bremner Landing StripTaking off from Bremner Landing StripNPS / Jacob W. Frank

Once we were back in McCarthy we headed out for dinner and dumped our memory cards in preparation for our final day of flying.

The weather was a little iffy but since we didn’t have a particular agenda for this flight we were able to seek out the good weather. We went up the Nizina River to the Nizina, Federika, and Russel Glaciers via Skolai pass and then over to the Bonanza Ridge area including the Stairway Icefall, Root/Gates/Kennicott glaciers. This day wasn’t as spectacular as the other flights, but it was still a good opportunity to shoot some other areas of the park we had yet to see.

I mentioned that we had the chance to head out to Bremner for our overnight trip but we were supposed to hit Skolai Pass area also. I didn’t really know what I was missing until this flight. If you go to Wrangell for a fly-in trip, Skolai is like a mini Switzerland. If I get the chance to go back I hope that I can get a few days in that area.

After that flight our trip was pretty much over. We turned in all of our flight equipment, headed back to Anchorage to drop off the car. Then we headed out for some celebratory drinks. We had no car so we didn’t need to worry about a DD so we were all having a great time. So much so that when I ordered my 3rd or 4th drink I felt really tipsy, even sitting down. I looked at my drink and thought to myself, I better slow down here a little. Then I looked up and realized that I wasn’t the only one feeling this way. It wasn’t the alcohol making me feel tipsy but rather we were in the middle of a 6.3 magnitude earthquake. The ENTIRE building was shaking and people started standing up. Apparently that is a thing? After that we headed out to dinner and had a few more drinks before calling it a night to make our early flights the next morning.

Overall I shot around 6500 photos in 10 days pairing that down to about 500. The majority of those shots came during the scenic flights. It was totally amazing to see this park from the air. You lose all sense of scale when you are up there. Mountains that look close enough to crash into are a quarter mile away. Icebergs the size of houses are just dots in the bay. It’s the only way to really “see” the majority of the park. It’s a wild and untamed place. You could take any individual feature from this park whether it’s a mountain, waterfall, glacier, lake, etc. and place it in the lower 48 and it would be its own National Park. But here, it’s just another unnamed feature. Alaska really is the last frontier. It’s so freaking big and majestic that you can’t help but be humbled by it.

Going back to Alaska was like a breath of fresh air. It also sounds like there is opportunity to return to Alaska next summer for a chance to work with a different park, possibly Lake Clark or Katmai. I will be in Rocky Mountain, Arches, and Canyonlands National Parks next month. If you are in the area and would like to meet up for a drink, hike, or drink while hiking just let me know! Thanks again for following along with my travels and sorry it’s been so long. 

Cheers and happy travels!

 

 


Comments

Janet(non-registered)
You are so blessed to be able to this and make a living doing it! I always love your comments and photos.
Sandra(non-registered)
This is amazing Jake. Alaska is so vast and wild. It looks like you could live your entire life exploring it and never see a fraction of the beauty there. I enjoy the show Edge of Alaska and the town of McCarthy, the Kennicott Mine and Mill and the history of that area is so interesting. What's even more interesting to me is how the residents allowed cameras to invade and the resulting changes that must be happening in and around McCarthy. I hope to explore some of the beauty of Alaska including Wrangell and Kenai peninsula.
Barb Schrumpf Boettcher(non-registered)
Jake these photos are truly amazing as are your talents in capturing the beauty of Alaska. Thank you for that. I live in Fairbanks for 5 years where my son was born 33 years ago. I love in Ogden Utah now and would love to meet up with you in your next travels to Utah. I am from Billings. Your mother and I are Heights High School Forever friends. You have a most wonderful family who I know stand alongside you in all if your many accomplishments with many more to come. With much Gratitude and Thanks. Barb~*
Sherri Bornhoft(non-registered)
As always, Jake, freaking amazing photos! Thanks for sharing your adventures! I'm so glad the NPS saw your talent and put you on the payroll! It's nice to hear you're headed to ROMO if only for a little bit. Maybe I'll see you. ..Peace!
Linda Thornton(non-registered)
I thoroughly enjoyed this. Thanks so much for taking the time to share your experiences
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