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A "High" Adventure Trip.
This is a sample itinerary which includes the Donoho Wilderness Backpack. For the Fly-In trip we hop on a bush plane upon arrival in McCarthy for the short flight to Allies Valley. We also fly back from Bremner Mine to McCarthy before the return to Valdez.
Sample Itinerary
Day 1 Meet at Pangaea Adventures in the Morning for an introductory instruction on sea kayaking and packing the kayaks. The first stop on the tour will be at Gold Creek. At this beach we will eat lunch and then explore the waterfalls and a lush forest of this enchanted area. Our destination for the evening will be Shoup Bay. A marvelous paddle along the lush coastline. (Lunch) (Dinner)
Day 2 The day will be spent exploring the upper bay of Shoup Glacier State Park. We will find seals and a spectacular rookery of Black-legged Kittiwakes. This will be our first experience with floating ice and calving glaciers. (Breakfast) (Lunch) (Dinner)
Day 3 Paddling out of Shoup Bay the group will head south toward Columbia Glacier. Our destination for the evening will be Sawmill Bay. En route we will paddle a dramatic coastline adorned with towering snow capped peaks and magnificent waterfalls. We may take a paddle into "Bears Kitchen" to see the Black Bears feeding on Salmon. There are also some good salmon fishing opportunities in this area. (Breakfast) (Lunch) (Dinner)
Day 4 After an evening in Sawmill Bay the paddle continues out into the open sound for a relaxing paddle to one of our favorite camping beaches. The beach has a small waterfall at one end which offers a refreshing bathe. We enjoy a camp fire and evening stories.
(Breakfast) (Lunch) (Dinner)
Day 5 The final stretch to Columbia Glacier. A full day of paddling brings us to Heather Bay. This bay is very well protected and is home to a wide variety of waterfowl and marine mammals. Cap with views of the Columbia Glacier Ice Field. (Breakfast) (Lunch) (Dinner)
Day 6 Our final day will be spent in the Heather Bay exploring Columbia Glacier before being taken back to Valdez on a motor boat. . You will have the evening to explore the town of Valdez, shower, and enjoy the night life. We supply a campsite in town but you may upgrade to a B&B for $70. You are on your own for dinner. There are plenty of great restaurants to choose from.
(Breakfast) (Lunch)
Day 7 - We'll meet in the morning for our scenic flight to McCarthy, the gateway to Wrangell-St. Elias National Park. The group is treated to panoramic views of both the Chugach and Wrangell St. Elias Mountain. We then hike to the base of the root glacier for the first night of camping.
(Breakfast) (Lunch) (Dinner)
Day 8- Clad with crampons on our feet we traverse the Root Glacier. This glacier crossing is always a good challenge and takes from 3-6 hours. We will set camp in the Donoho wilderness area. The views are out of this world! (Breakfast) (Lunch) (Dinner)
Day 9- A hike over the tundra below Donoho Peak will bring us out to a wonderful lake where we will enjoy lunch with a view. We commonly see fox, bear, and other wildlife in this area. We will spend the night at another camp in the Donoho wilderness. A lightweight backpackers meal always hits the spot on a day like this. (Breakfast) (Lunch) (Dinner)
Day 10- A walk down the Kennicott glacier will bring us to the same camp we stayed at near the convergence of the Root and Kennicott glaciers. We will take it easy in the afternoon so that we have the energy to make the glacier crossing on the last day. (Breakfast) (Lunch) (Dinner)
Day 11 - After a hot breakfast we again put the spikes on our feet and hike across the Root Glacier back to McCarthy. Participants have a n option to go ice climbing for only $90. A guide will meet us out on the glacier if anyone wants to try the vertical world. Our flight will get us back to Valdez by 5:30 p.m. to end the tour. (Breakfast) (Lunch)
We suggest planning to stay the last night in Valdez. Weather in Alaska often delays flights and can hold us in McCarthy beyond our planned time.
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