No votes for this vacation, Leann and I agreed to head back to the Arctic and see two National Parks while we were there. Since our first trip with Arctic Wild went really well we decided to sign up for their backpacking trip to Gates of the Arctic. This trip started and ended in Fairbanks, Alaska
Our ride to BettlesLeann and I have always wanted to drive on the Dalton Highway that connects Fairbanks to Prudhoe Bay, Maybe in the van? Bettles Airport, this is our first stop and where we get on the float plane#47, not sure why we decided to stand on the table for the picture, Fun fact: this sign is not in the national park.Gates of the Arctic would be the 42nd largest state.Our first float plane trip, this was a Beaver, fairly old and very loud. Our pilot offered ear plugs to everyoneRainbow to start the trip, I hope this is a good sign. It was a good sign if you love rain everyday.Less than 20 people a year do this routeAfter landing on the lake we had a short hike to our first camp. Unfortunately we had to hike through Tussocks. According to Merriam-Webster tussocks are “an area of raised solid ground in a marsh or bog that is bound together by roots of low vegetation” They are brutal to hike on with a full pack, you have to plan your step from one mound to the next, miss a step and you end up with water in your boot, maybe a sprained ankle or worse. I hated them.Camp 1Typical day for this trip, down a valley make a turn and go up the next oneIt rained all day but we stayed warm and dry in our new Columbia Outdry rain gear. This was another guided trip with Dory leading the way. She is an awesome cook, great food in the wilderness. Nothing like a good hot meal to start or end end your day. The pancakes were awesome.Camp 2 was on a gravel bar and we had to do one of my least favorite things backpacking, setting up a tent in the rain. Another one is taking the tent down in the rain. We got the Hilleberg set up in no time and it was bone dry inside.We spent the entire day hiking up this valley but we were going to be here for 2 nights. Still raining and Leann is still smilingMost of the day looked like the weather was getting betterA hint of blue skyNope, more rainIt was nice to keep the tents set up and just do dayhikesWe climbed up to a ridgeline and got a nice view of camp, weather was still lousy.A view the other way, what do you see in the middle of the rocks?Leann’s new rain jacket blended into the rocks, Where’s Leann?Up and over the pass today and then down to camp which will be for 2 nights.Clear and CaribouYours truly filtering water, not one of my favorite camp choresPart way up the valley and we can’t see the pass yetWe are headed to the pass between the two ridges on the right, looks like a hundred miles away.Looking back to where we startedSince the views in Alaska are wide open you lose perspective. You are never as close to where you are headed as you think you are. Not sure if that makes senses but hopefully you understand what I am trying to say. Whytes at the pass.Looking down into the valley where we will spend 2 nights.It’s a miracle, no rain coat for this day hikeThis was our lunch spot for the day, nice views all aroundThis was a beautiful lake on the edge of a hanging valley. I wanted to spend more time here but it started to rain so we put on rain gear and headed to camp.We spent most of the day heading down this valleyDay 7 and the first day with no rainIt’s a miracle, blue skyOur first grizzly bear in the wild. This was a beautiful tri-color: black, brown and blond. He was across the valley from us at a very safe distance. We stood and watched him until he took off up the valley.Hard to tell but this section of trail was brutal. We are on a side hill bushwhacking through willows. Our destination for the night is to find a flat spot by this creek.We are headed to Pingo Lake for our last night of the trip.Heading into Pingo LakePingo Lake, I loved this area. We talked about just getting a bush flight to here and spending a week. Moose! Look closely and you can see the nose of a baby moose on the left.Last tent night of the trip.Last day we did a day hike to the Noatak River, one of our group was staying over for a week long trip down this river. His next group was meeting him at Pingo.More goats than I have ever seenWhat the hell, is every bush pilot in Alaska tall, young and good looking?After the backpack trip we headed to Kotzebue so we could visit another National Park. yes, we actually stayed in a hotel, the Nullagvik Hotel. The rooms were nice and the food at the restaurant was really good. Bummer: the town is dry
We booked a bush flight with Golden Eagle and planned to see Cape Krusenstern National Monument, Kobuk Valley National Park and Bering Land Bridge. I laughed out loud when I read their company moto.
The itinerary for the day: fly to Krusenstern and then on to Kobuk.I have no idea how far we were from another human, we sure did not see anyone
It is a very strange feeling watching the plane leave. Cool and a little bit intimidating. You just hope he comes back, we are screwed if he doesn’tLeann is very happyVery peacefulWaiting at the gate for our flight, I sure hope he comes#48!Our Uber for the dayWe hiked around the dunes for an hour or two and then headed back to the planeThe next day we planned to visit Bering Land Bridge but the flight was cancelled due to weather. We spent the day walking around the city and went to the Northwest Arctic Heritage Center. We had all day and there was a selection of movies you could see. For some reason we chose a movie about The Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes within Katmai National Park and Preserve. HmmmmBack to Anchorage before our flight home. Beluga Point, is off the Seward Highway south of AnchorageKincaid Park near the Anchorage Airport, you don’t get to see Moose drinking out of a puddle every day
It rained a lot on this trip but we had a great time and plan to go back.
