Yukon and Alaska Discovery

Itinerary

Day 1 Arrival Whitehorse

Arrive in to Whitehorse at any time. There are no planned activities, so check into to the hotel (check-in time is 3 PM afternoon) and enjoy the city. In the late afternoon (approx 17.00) you will meet your fellow group members to go over the details of your trip and for the leader to collect your local payment. Check the notice board (or ask reception) to see the exact time and location of this group meeting. After the meeting we will be heading out for a meal in a nearby local restaurant (optional). If you arrive late, no worries, the leader will leave you a message at the front desk.

Day 2 Kluane National Park

Travel to Kluane National Park. Set up camp in Haines Junction Village, Yukon (Canada) and visit this ancient town. Kluane Park is located in the Yukon's southwest, which is dominated by North America's highest mountain range, the Saint-Elias range; its highest peak, Mount Logan tops out at 5959m. Amidst these giants sleeps the world's largest non-polar ice field, from which entire seas originate, as from the Kaskawulsh Glacier. This UNESCO World Heritage site is as challenging as it is fascinating, where vast ice steppes are dwarfed by immense mountains and inhabited by grizzlies.Depending on group fitness and temperature we choose the best hike to be done in the park. Among the possible trails are: Sheep Creek trail (10 km), Dezadeash River Trail (13 km), Auriol trail (15 km), Kokanee (2 km), Kings Throne (10 km), Rock Glacier (2 km). Overnight camping in the middle of the endless Yukon sky. Total driving: 170 km. 2.5 hours.

Day 3 Tatshenshini River (L)

This morning experience the adrenaline adventure of a lifetime: rafting the mighty Tatshenshini River. Exhilarating rapids, canyons, soaring mountains, and unequalled opportunities to view big game all combine to make the Tatshenshini one of the greatest river trips anywhere. The river supports an unusually large population of grizzly bears, both in number and size. Other big game includes Dall sheep, woodland caribou and moose, while peregrine falcons, bald eagles, golden eagles, goshawks soar overhead. The Tatshenshini is an important salmon spawning river, providing food for grizzlies as well as humans. The Champagne and Aishihik peoples traditionally harvested salmon along the Tatshenshini. At the village of Klukshu, visitors can learn about the importance of salmon to their way of life, how they caught salmon with fish traps and gaffs and dried them as a winter food staple. Today, the Tatshenshini is considered to be one of the top river trips in the world for rafters and kayakers.

Day 4 Tok

In the morning we make it to the shores of scenic Kluane Lake and Mount Wallace. Mount Wallace is better known in the area as Sheep Mountain because of the numerous Dall sheep that live and feed in this area. Take a short hike before moving on to Soldier’s Summit for an interpretive hike explaining the construction and challenges of building the Alaska Highway. The trail takes you to the site of the official opening of the Alaska Highway in 1942.Next cross the Alaska border at Beaver Creek, a small gold prospector’s town established in 1955. Welcome to Alaska! Travel towards Tok, home to one of the region’s most famous breeds of husky sled dogs. In the evening watch the dogs training while pulling a sled on wheels! Total driving: 450 km, 6.5 hours

Day 5 Wrangell St-Elias Mountains

Today wind your way south to the Wrangell St-Elias National Park in Alaska. Alaska's Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve is at the top of more than one list of superlatives. It is the largest U.S. national park, which, when combined with other nearby parks (Kluane National Park, Glacier Bay National Park, and Canada's Tatshenshini-Alsek Park) is the biggest part of the largest internationally protected area in the world (24 million acres) and has been recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Nine of the 16 highest peaks in the United States, and some of the largest mountains (by volume) in the world, are located here. Today is a long travelling day, but the distance is worth it! At the end of the road we reach the small town of McCarthy (pop 42), which grew to serve the Copper mine at Kennecott. Camp for the night with views of the Chugach Mountains and Icefields. Total driving: 410 km, 6 hours.

Day 6 Wrangell St-Elias Mountains

Today is filled equally with history and nature: hike the famous Bonanza mine trail (14.4km round trip), and discover the abandoned Kennecott mine with its exceptional views of the glacier. The historic mining town of Kennecott, now a National Historic Landmark, was purchased by the National Park Service in 1998. A must-see, Kennecott is one of the finest surviving examples of an early-20th-century copper mining community. The high-grade copper found in the area resulted in a self-contained company town complete with a hospital, general store, schoolhouse, ball field, skating rink, tennis courts, recreation hall, and dairy. Today only the remains of this beautiful village can be seen with the surrounding nature of the Chugach Mountains, Mt Blackburn and the Kennecott Glacier dominating our hike.

Day 7 Valdez

Return to Chitnia and transfer to Valdez. Stop on the way for the discovery of native fish wheels, as well as a stop for a quick photo op and short walk along the Alaska Pipeline.Next stop is at the Worthington Glacier, which descends from Girls Mountain, passing within a few feet of the parking lot and viewing shelter. Located near Thompson Pass, the snowiest place in Alaska, Worthington Glacier receives a significant amount of snow in the winter. In the 1990s, the upper areas of Worthington Glacier became the setting for Steven Seagal's film "On Dangerous Ground." Situated at the head of a deep, stillwater fjord in the northeast section of Prince William Sound, Valdez is surrounded by the Chugach Mountains, the most heavily glaciated mountains in the Northwest. Covering 274 square miles, Valdez is the northernmost ice-free port in North America; as of 2000, the population was 4,100. On arrival in Valdez, head out for a town discovery and small hike in the surroundings for photos (weather permitting). Welcome night in a comfy inn in Valdez. Total driving: 280 km, 4 hours

Day 8 Kenai Fjords - Seward

Travel by ferry to Whittier in Prince William Sound. The star attraction of Prince William Sound is the Columbia Glacier, one of the largest and most magnificent of the tide-water glaciers along the Alaska coast. Named for the 1899 Harriman Alaska expedition by New York’s Columbia University, the Columbia Glacier is also the world's fastest moving, retreating at a speed of 80 to 115 feet per day. It has receded more than 6 miles since 1982. The glacier is currently 34 miles in length, 3 miles wide and more than 3,000 feet thick in some places. Visitors to Prince William Sound start at the tidewater terminus 6 miles away; how close you get to the glacier's face depends on iceberg production: the more icebergs, the less chance boats have to get close. We need very good temperatures to see the glacier, but don’t worry—if we get rain you can always take an optional flight over the glacier once in Seward. Continue by bus to Seward to discover stunning Kenai Fjords National park. The ferry arrives on the Kenai Peninsula in the afternoon. After setting up camp at our idyllic oceanfront site, head out by foot for a scramble up Mount Marathon, or discover the Caines Head trail. Ferry 6 hours 45 mins. / Total driving: 150 km / 2.5 hours

Day 9-10 Kenai Fjords National park

This morning hike along the magnificent Exit Glacier; optional activities include sea kayaking or cruising along fjords and glaciers. Other optional activities available: whale watching; grizzly fly-in safari resurrection bay cruise; sea kayaking; deep sea halibut fishing. Kenai is a landscape continuously shaped by glaciers, earthquakes, and storms. Orcas, otters, puffins, bear, moose and mountain goats make their home in this ever-changing place where mountains, ice and ocean meet. The Park offers a range of opportunities for visitors to explore, study and enjoy this special piece of North America’s natural and cultural heritage.

Day 11 Denali State Park

Free morning in Seward for optional activities, or just sleep in and relax on the ocean front. After lunch travel north towards Alyeska ski resort for a short hike into Winner Creek Gorge before continuing to Denali State Park.100 air miles north of Anchorage and nestled against the backdrop of Mount Alyeska, Winner Creek Gorge is a small piece of paradise in Alaska; the hand powered tram that spans the canyon high above the river is unforgettable. Situated between the Talkeetna Mountains to the east and the Alaska Range to the west, the region’s landscape varies from meandering lowland streams to alpine tundra. Dominating this diverse terrain are Curry and Kesugi Ridges, together forming a 35 mile-long north/south alpine ridge—the backbone of the eastern half of the Denali Park. "Kesugi" is a Tanaina Indian dialect word meaning "The Ancient One" and is a fitting complement of the Tanana Indian word "Denali" which means "The High One"—the original name for Mt. McKinley. At 20,320 feet, Mt. McKinley is North America’s highest peak, literally and figuratively towering over South-central Alaska from its base in Denali National Park. Denali State Park was established in 1970 and expanded to its present size in 1976. Its western boundary is shared with its much larger neighbour, Denali National Park and Preserve, formerly Mt. McKinley National Park. Total driving: 430 km / 5.5 hours

Day 12 Denali National Park

In the morning hike around Denali State Park’s many trails, which vary from the regularly maintained trail around Byers Lake to serious backcountry routes. In the afternoon travel to Denali National Park. Pitch your tent, then relax and enjoy the incredible views from our campground.

Day 13 Denali National Park

Take a morning shuttle bus into Denali National Park, with the option of stopping to hike along the way; your tour leader will arrange activities with group depending on weather and group wishes. Spend one last glorious night camping in the bush, complete with a gigantic BBQ dinner, and share tales of the last two weeks’ adventure. Shuttle bus service and guided tours into the park’s wilderness are mandatory, as private vehicles are not permitted within the National Park. A 91-mile road traverses the park, offering views of Wonder Lake, Savage River, Polychrome Pass, the Outer Range, Sanctuary River, Muldrow Glacier and the Kantishna mining district. Keep your eyes peeled for caribou, grizzly bears, wolves, moose, Dall sheep, lynx, marmots, fox and snowshoe hares. Many of the park’s birds only visit during the summer months, but year-round residents include ravens, great horned owls and three species of ptarmigan.

Day 14 Anchorage

Transfer to Anchorage and visit the town in the afternoon, before checking into our hotel and spending a welcome night in a bed.Anchorage was established in 1914 as a railroad construction port for the Alaska Railroad, which was built between 1915 and 1923. Ship Creek Landing, where the railroad headquarters was located, quickly became a tent city. Anchorage was incorporated on November 23, 1920, and throughout the 1920s the city's economy centred on the railroad. Between the 1930s and the 1950s, the city experienced massive growth as air transportation and the military became increasingly important. Today, Anchorage is a major port, receiving over 95% of all freight entering Alaska, as well as a hub of the Alaska Railroad. Major industries include government and military, petroleum and tourism. There are two U.S. military bases bordering Anchorage on the north: Elmendorf Air Force Base and Fort Richardson. Total driving: 480 km / 5.5 hours

Day 15 Departure Anchorage

You are free to depart at any time on Day 15, though remember check out from the hotel is approx. 12pm midday.

Trip Details

Accommodation	Participatory camping (11 nts), hotels (2 nts), Inn (1nt)
Group Size	Max 12, Avg 8
Included Highlights	Entry fees to National Parks, full day rafting trip in Tatshenshini, dogsled demonstration in Tok, visit to Kennecott mine, bus tour in Denali National Park.
Local Payment	USD250
Meals Included	1 lunch
StartFinish	Whitehorse to Anchorage
Transport	Private van with roof rack, Ferry, Walking, Raft
Brochure Intro	The wild open spaces of the Yukon and Alaska are a pristine playground. Explore the wildest part of North America, and walk over glaciers in the land of the midnight sun.

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