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  • Company
    • About Pangaea
    • About Valdez, Alaska
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Equipment
    • Why Choose Pangaea?
    • Web Specials
    • Alaska Partners & Helpful Links
    • Shop for Gear
    • Employment
    • Meet Our Guides
  • Our Trips
    • Sea Kayak Day Tours
    • Glacier Hikes
    • Whitewater Rafting Trips
    • Sea Kayak Camping Trips
    • Multi-Sport Trips
    • Backpacking Trips
    • Alaska Mothership Charters
    • Wilderness Lodge Adventures
    • Kayak Rentals and Instruction
    • Alaska Water Taxi Services
    • Open Trips
  • Reservations
    • Reserve a Trip
    • Reservation Policy
    • Multi-Day Questionnaire
  • Resources
    • Lodging
    • Getting to Valdez
    • Gear Lists
    • Recommended Reading
    • Trip Conditioning
  • Contact
    • Contact Pangaea
    • Download A Brochure
    • Press Kit
    • Reviews and Feedback

8 Day Alaskan Sampler



TRIP DETAILS

Length:  8 Days
Difficulty:  Medium - adventurous people in good condition
Dates:  Custom Dates Only
Price:  $2793 (Donoho) | $3360 (fly-in option)


BOOK IT!


St. Elias Guides

Wrangell-Saint Elias National Park

TRIP LOGISTICS
TRIP ITINERARY
EQUIPMENT LIST

8 Day Alaskan Sampler Multi-Sport

Our most popular high adventure trip, the sampler offers 3 days of sea kayak camping in Prince William Sound, 1 day of rafting and flight-seeing, and 3.5 days backpacking in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park.

 

Tour Activities

  • Sea kayaking
  • Rafting
  • Camping
  • Backpacking
  • Rafting
  • Scenic flights

 

Price Includes

  • Meals listed in itinerary
  • Instruction
  • Kayak equipment
  • Tent and camping kit
  • Bush flights listed in itinerary
  • Guide services
  • Van transport
  • Motor boat transport
  • Park fees

 

Difficulty

Easy - Strenuous (trip dependent) 

 

Itinerary

Two Choices

1- Budget Sea and Sky with a Donoho Wilderness Backpack. This option is more strenuous with a beautiful glacier crossing. Great scenery and a variety of hiking options. This tour is below tree line, so there is some "alder exploration" to access the Donoho lakes. This is also your best bet if you'd like to integrate ice-climbing.

2- Sea and Sky with fly-in base-camp at Iceberg Lake. This is the guides choice! Or, fly up the Chitistone Gorge to Skolai Pass to hike the classic Alaskan-style open tundra and take in the expansive views.

Flight fee depends on group size.
B&B upgrade also available.

A "high" adventure trip is perfect for a sampling of Alaska's best! This is a camping tour designed to experience camping in Alaska's backcountry in a week's trip. This is our most popular trip because we have taken a kayak camping tour that visits our favorite destination in Prince William Sound and combined it with an unforgettable backpacking or base camping trip in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park. There is also the option to integrate ice-climbing and/or rafting along the way. The Alaskan Sampler is a must do trip if you only have a week! It's a  must if you have longer! It's basically the best of the best!!

This itinerary is for the preferred Iceberg Lake fly-in option.
The hike-in option to Donoho Wilderness is great if you are on a budget and would like to ice-climb and backpack across a glacier. The fly-in is well worth the price to access some of the best hiking in the National Park.

Day 1- Meet in Valdez at our shop in the morning for a safety briefing and orientation. From there we board our water taxi for the brilliant cruise out to Heather Bay, our access to the mighty Columbia Glacier – the largest tide water glacier in Prince William Sound. Here we embark on our journey into the massive floating icefield and amongst its towering icebergs, eventually to a secluded moraine with a view of the glacier. As we paddle away from the Columbia we keep a look out for numerous marine mammals, possibly seeing harbor seals, sea otters, and perhaps a glimpse of an orca. On this night we make camp in Heather Bay and settle in for some tasty camp cuisine cooked by our guides.
(Lunch) ( Dinner)

Day 2- After our first night camping we're off towards Glacier Island. With the Columbia Glacier to our backs, we make a two mile crossing south to Glacier Island where we are treated to more ancient rainforest and icebergs grinding against the shore. There is a multitude of inlets and bays to explore on the north side of the island, plus numerous hikes and beach-combing opportunities. We may climb one of the spectacular ridges giving us wonderful views of Naked Island and the Columbia Glacier. The elusive snow covered peaks of Montague Island may even come into view. Our guides will provide another fine meal before settling in for the evening.
(Breakfast) (Lunch) ( Dinner)

Day 3 - An early start will lead us around the corner of the island to Bull Head. Here we'll find a colony of Stellar Sea Lions which can be seen feeding, fighting, swimming and sleeping. As we watch these curious creatures, be on the look out for puffins and cormorants which inhabit the rugged caves found along the coastline. We stop at a secluded beach for lunch and a hike up through the rainforest. After lunch we're off to Chamberlain Bay for some more exploring before we are picked up for the water taxi ride back to Valdez. Lodging is included at a local hotel or B&B for a proper regroup and mid-trip shower.
(Breakfast) (Lunch) (Dinner on your own in Valdez)

Day 4- Meet at the shop for the impressive van ride over Thompson Pass and into the rugged interior, to the forgotten town of Chitina on the western edge of Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, rafting the dramatic Keystone Canyon of the Lowe River along the way. From Chitina, you’ll catch a scenic flight to the old mining remnant of McCarthy/Kennicott located in the heart of the park. There we have a bit of time to walk around town before taking the final flight even deeper into the park to the Iceberg Lake landing strip. We hike a short distance away from the air strip to set up camp. Remember, this air strip is basically the dried-up lake bed!
(Breakfast) (Lunch) (Dinner)

Day 5- 7 Iceberg lake is set in the alpine tundra above tree-line, yet still located at a fairly low elevation offering comfortable camping and no need to travel through snow or over ice. Enjoying the 3 days we have to explore, we will head off in various directions from camp on day hikes that will bring us to high ridges overlooking the valley. We will also have time to walk along the shoreline of Iceberg Lake, admiring the floating and beached ice and abundant wildflowers. We have witnessed grizzlies and wolverine traveling through the valley as well as a variety of birds.

Each time we visit Iceberg Lake we find a new hike so the guides leave a very open itinerary. Most trips take us up the valley and across an easily-accessed glacier. Other days we head down valley towards the face of the Tana Glacier where it meets Iceberg Lake. The lucky group will get to witness the power of the glacier lifting up and allowing the massive volume of water to drain from the valley.

Groups have the option of keeping a base camp or moving around the valley to enjoy various views. The guide will prepare backpacker-style meals which are always a good time. (Breakfast) (Lunch) (Dinner)

Day 8 - Before the first plane arrives to pick everyone up, we have time to take short walks or just find a comfortable perch and reflect on the trip. These are our last moments of pure wilderness. The bush plane usually arrives just after lunch. A short flight brings us back to McCarthy where we once again may have a bit of time to explore the quaint town before boarding the second flight back to Chitina, from where we'll van back to Valdez. The flights and van rides themselves are a treat as they follow the landscape through the Chugach Mountains all the way back to Valdez. The trip ends in Valdez around 5:00 p.m., where a victory shower is always welcome. (Breakfast) (Lunch)

We suggest planning to stay the last night in Valdez, as the weather in Alaska can sometimes delay flights. The tour includes a three day guided sea kayak camping tour, one night of lodging in Valdez on night 3, a van ride from Valdez to Chitina and back, all bush plane flights, 3 1/2 days guided backpacking, everything you need to kayak and camp, all park fees, and all meals while on tour. If choosing the Donoho route, you may also opt to include scenic fly-out rafting of the Kennicott, Nizina and Chitina Rivers for an extra $325 per person, ice-climbing on the Root Glacier for $145 per person, and/or an Historical Kennicott Mill Tour for $28pp.

 

Trip Gallery

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   What Our Clients Say


We’ve been in Alaska for 1 week and have had a phenomenal trip. Today was my favorite day: outstanding weather, fun & knowledgeable guide, amazing glacier features, both kids did a polar bear plunge in a gorgeous heart-shaped blue pool. Incredible!


Andrea E.
Root Glacier Hike
2014

Andrea ERoot Glacier Hike 2014
We had the most amazing trip of our entire life. It was perfect…the itinerary, the lodges, great activities, amazing river. Leo’s aloha spirit made the trip. I’ve never been so relaxed in my life.


C. Kubota
Multi-Sport Package Trip
2003

C. Kubota Multi-Sport Package Trip, 2003

This was an amazing experience! Food was top notch – exceeded expectations. These memories will last our lives. I highly recommend your company and guides. Thanks!


Brandon E.
Nizina Canyon Raft & Flightsee
2014

Brandon ENizina Canyon Raft & Flightsee 2014

Your guides are competent and interesting individuals who work amazingly well as a team.


Ronald I.
Copper River
2012

Ronald ICopper River 2012

The Nizina trip was wonderful, as was the Glacier Climbing. […] Thank you again for a fabulous experience. You, Carleton, Jules and the entire group are just great.


M. Chodos
Nizina River Raft, Hike & Fly
2007

M. Chodos

All of our expectations were more than exceeded! Gaia was more than helpful in organizing our flights to McCarthy, she organized free transport while we were there to visit the mines, She gave us a bedroom free of charge in the power house. She simply tried harder. Gaia was very quick replying with emails… very detailed emails too!!

The whole Copper River Rafting Trip trip was totally amazing, each day was spectacular! The knowledge, skill and professionalism of the guides in each area each day was very interesting. The spectacular “Groover” scenery each day was awesome. The food was way better than we expected too… It was camping with luxury food and the worlds most scenic camp sites each night.

But the main thing was forgetting about regular life, not seeing anyone or any cars for the whole week. Thank you to Gaia, Nik and Jake for making it a special time away for us. We have been away from home in Australia for almost a year now and this has been our most special part!

Ashley and Renee
Copper River
2008

Ashley and ReneeCopper River, 2008

Having never spent a full night in a tent before, you’d imagine it a big task for me to flawlessly enjoy my first experience, particularly in such a remote place. Such was the level of service and comprehensive provision of equipment that I traveled with only hand luggage. Our trip was tailored before and during the trip as we wanted to encompass all in the trip description, as well as mushrooming, hiking a rockslide, an extended period of time on the glacier, time to do our own walking, and dressing up as pirates. It really was a lifetime experience, and if I never find myself returning to the area, I can rest content having seen as much as I could in a week and in the best possible way.


Kyle S.
Grand Alaska Adventure
2010

Kyle S.Grand Alaska Adventure, 2010

[The guides] worked themselves to death for us. They were pleasant, professional, and personable. I loved each one of them.


Christina Y
Copper River
2012

Christina YCopper River 2012

It was all I expected and more. … Andy and Gaia were both super friendly and informative, and if all of the staff is just as awesome I would expect all of your trips to be just as great. You will see me again in the future!


Nick T.
Nizina Canyon Raft & Flightsee
2014

Nick TNizina Canyon Raft & Flightsee 2014
Thank you so much for the Copper river trip. It was fabulous. The guides were the best I have ever been with. I’ve done a lot of river trips and this was the best!


N. Magee
Copper River
2004

N. Magee - Copper River, 2004

Our Clients Tell the Story

  • We took the one day Columbia kayaking tour. It was my first time on a kayak. Our guide is very nice!! So much fun!!!

    Shirley, Columbia Kayaking Tour, 2015

Contact Pangaea

  • 107 N. Harbor Dr. Valdez, AK 99686
  • 907-835-8442
  • info@alaskasummer.com

Toll Free

  • 1-800-660-9637

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