In a previous article, I described my favorite hikes around Anchorage. In this article, I describe five hikes further south from Anchorage on the stunning Kenai Peninsula. The scenery couldn’t be more dramatic than the soaring peaks and water views of the Cook Inlet and Gulf of Alaska. These five hikes on the Kenai Peninsula …
Alaska has long been a favorite destination of mine. I love the majestic mountains, remoteness, lingering pioneer spirit, and softly angled light. I’ve flown in and out of Anchorage, Juneau, Fairbanks, and Whitehorse, Yukon, but never spent much time around Anchorage, using it as a launching point for other adventures. Over the last two years, …
The far northern reaches of the continent have long been a draw for me and Steve. We’ve been to Alaska and the Yukon to hike, backpack, canoe and sightsee so many times that I’ve lost count. On our very first trip we took the Alaska Marine Highway System (state ferry) from Ketchikan. It was so …
“Have a good time, see you at the other end,” said the outfitter cheerily with a wave after wheeling our well-stocked canoe to the riverbank on a dolly. I gazed at the swift current in the middle of the broad …
The Chilkoot Trail, the original Klondike gold rush trail, is a classic hike that attracts history buffs and appeals to experienced wilderness backpackers. It spans two countries (U.S. and Canada) with distinctly different terrain in each country. The U.S. side is characterized as a coastal rain forest, heavily wooded with a thick understory of berry …
It’s almost time for the annual running of the Yukon Quest, a 1,100 mile dog sled race that rivals the Iditarod in length and challenge. The race alternates each year between Whitehorse and Fairbanks, AK, and race organizers from both Canada and the US are busy every winter preparing the remote course in their respective …
We had just spent two and half weeks tracing the Klondike gold rush trail from Alaska to the Yukon, testing ourselves against the elements and spending 14 nights in a micro-mini tent.
As we ascended from sea to summit on the Chilkoot Trail my thoughts wandered back to the footsteps that came before us, back to the Klondike gold seekers of the 1890’s, and even further back, to the original bushwhackers who created and controlled the trail centuries ago.