Tour Activities

• • -Guided Backpacking
  • -Hiking
  • -Scenic Flights
  • -Camping

Trip Length

• 6-Days, 5-Nights

Price Includes

• -Meals Listed in Itinerary
• -Instruction
• -Group camping gear
• -Tents & Sleeping Kit
• -Guide Services
• -Bush Flights
• -Park Fees
• -Van Transportation

   

Difficulty

• Moderate - Strenuous

Sample Day By Day Itinerary - 6 Day Skolai to Wolverine Backpack

Backpack Wrangell-St. Elias National Park - Small groups and private trips! Incredibly scenic flights in a small plane to McCarthy, and then on to Skolai Pass start an incredible journey. Enjoy hiking above treeline on the alpine tundra through a sweeping valley amidst lofty peeks and flowing ice. Great views of Mt. Bona and various glaciers. Expect some scree crossing and tundra hiking. We consider this trip to be moderately strenuous and you should plan to carry 40 pound loads for up to 5 miles each day. A flight brings us back out to McCarthy for the flight and drive back to Valdez.

Day 1- Meet in Valdez. We suggest getting to town the day before departure. We spend an hour or so reviewing gear and packing the backpacks. We then drive (2 hours) to Chitina on the western edge of Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, whence we'll catch a scenic flight to the historic town of McCarthy to catch another bush flight even deeper into the park. After being dropped off, we take a short hike to set our first camp. (Lunch) (Dinner)

Day 2 - 5 - Holster your pack for 4 days of hiking up over Chitistone Pass and down the revered Goat Trail. While there is a distinct path in some areas remaining from the gold rush days, the path is not always visible. They call it the Goat Trail because it is mostly maintained by goats! Enjoy tundra hiking and grand views of crazy geologic features and possibly Dall Sheep, caribou, grizzly bear, or even wolverine. There is one exposed section of scree and a couple stream crossings, but otherwise this is a straight forward beauty of a hike. (Breakfast) (Lunch) (Dinner)

Day 6 - We usually enjoy a relaxing morning taking in the last bit of rugged scenery before the flight back to McCarthy. We may even have some time to explore town before the flight back to Chitina and victorious van ride back to Valdez. (Breakfast) (Lunch)