Leann has always wanted to see the Aleutian Islands in SW Alaska. Lots of birds that you cannot see anywhere else in the US. We looked for trips and did not find anything that sounded good until I clicked on a random web site. I should have hit the back button and forget that I ever saw it but too late.
BACKPACKING THE RING OF FIRE – ANIAKCHAK NATIONAL MONUMENT
The web site said this trip should be on every backpacker’s life list, up to now it was not on ours. We read the details: fly into the caldera, land on Surprise Lake. Base camp for 4 days and then hike out to Port Heiden on the coast. We promised ourselves we would not do another backpacking trip in Alaska, packs are heavy, terrain is rugged and the weather can be horrendous. Of course we decided to go, idiots.
We arrived in Anchorage Saturday around 3:00 PM. We thought about renting a car since our pre trip meeting was not until Sunday night for dinner. We changed our minds when the car was going to cost $500/day.
We stayed the first 2 nights at the Lakefront hotel, there was plenty for us to see nearby so we didn’t mind not having a car. The hotel had super friendly shuttle drivers that would take you to the local attractions.
There were 3 airports very close to the hotel: Float planes, Bush Planes and Ted Stevens International. It was a very busy area, float planes would fly right over the hotel and land on Lake Hood.Leann looking for birds behind the hotelThere was a park nearby so we went for a hikeOur first warning: the fire alarm went off at 3:00 am the night before the start of our trip. Apparently there was a kitchen fire so we stood outside for about 30 minutes waiting for the all clear. Is somebody telling us something and we are just not listening? Start of the backpack trip: We took a commercial flight to King Salmon and then a float plane to the caldera. Our plane into the wilderness. In Alaska they say you are guaranteed at least one good weather day when you arrive in a bush or float plane. The day you land in the wilderness will be good since pilots can’t fly when they can’t see. Well our first day was a good one, after that……Our welcoming committeeSurprise Lake: our base camp for the first part of our tripI thought about not taking the Hilleberg due to weight but changed my mind. OK, Leann changed my mind and I am glad she did.view of campClouds were moving in and the wind was picking up a little but still a nice dayAfter setting up camp we went for a short hike before dinnerOne of the few pictures you will see of us without rain coatsView back toward campDay 2, long day hike to crater 1931Weather was closing in and the wind was really starting to gust.Rain coats are onWelcome to the moonWe had no idea how these little mounds formed and they are not what you think they areView of the 1931 crater. Wind was really blowing when we got here and we laughed about moving camp to the bottom of the crater.We had 3 straight days of intermittent rain, 30 mph consistent winds and guides estimated wind gusts to 50 mph. This made for a mentally challenging trip but everyone kept a good attitude about itWe did not see any bear but this one was probably BIG!Jamie (lead guide) cooking dinner under the tarp
Leann took this video from inside our tent to capture the wind noise, this was not even the worst of it. A couple of tents were damaged: bent poles and torn flies. Ours went through with flying colorsShort day hike in miserable weather, we pretty much hunkered down for the day and hoped for the best. Most of the day I just stayed in the tent and read.White caps on the lakeWe are moving camp on this day
Weather was looking a little betterNOPE.This river drains the caldera. Hardy souls will backpack to the Caldera carrying pack rafts and then take the river to the coast. No thanks.This looked like a nice place to camp but the guides wanted to check out a lake a little furtherNo camping at the lake so we headed back to the place we saw before.Guide said he had a plan if winds did not die down. He would place our tent as a wind break and put the other tents in a line behind us.Pre dinner leg stretcher, apparently we did not want to look at the same thingThe weather sucks but I appear to be having a good time.This is the day we went up the pass and left the Caldera and started our trek to Port HeidenWe are optimistic for improved weatherSun is trying to make a come backThe first climb of the day is going to be steep
Excuse me while I throw upFortunately after a few nights of high winds they dropped back to normal for the rest of the trip. This campsite was nice to experience without the constant roar and tent flapping. We planned for the worst just in case. I tied my guy lines around rocks and then buried the rocks.Kitchen and dining roomThis was a long hard day, 12+ miles and that is a lot for AlaskaCaribou
You have to careful when walking trough a snowfield, it might not be solid and you could break through and end up in the river.Snack break part way up the climbit was nice to see green for a changeFalse summits: you think you are at the top until you get high enough to see and realize there is more fun to be had. This climb had numerous false summits and was starting to piss me off. One of the guys was close to a meltdown but made it through.The real summit at last.sunset on the moonAnother long day but it was mostly flat, we had to mash our way through thick brush and cross 2 creeks.The vastness of the landscape here led to a funny story. One guy said he saw a bear and another agreed with him. Leann looked with her binoculars and said it looked like an eagle. The guy was positive it was a bear and a big one. Leann said it looks like an eagle to her and handed over her binoculars……confirmed as an eagle.The gang still together after some rough challengesFirst view of the coast and weather was good.We had about three miles of thick brush and two creek crossings before finding camp but at least we had blue sky.I saw this creek and knew we had to cross, crap. It looked deep.Water only made it to me knees , of course it was deeper for Leann, she is behind me in this picture. You can see her left hand behind mineTurns out this was the last night of the backpack tripOn to Port Heiden and we planned to camp near the “airport”After breaking camp we hit the dirt road we would follow into Port Heiden. Road walks can be real grindApparently as we walked through the village, the locals called ahead and said there were backpackers headed to the airport ( we were a day early). One of the airport workers drove up to us and said they could get us out that day if we were interested. You never turn down a good flying day so the guide immediately said yes. Our plane back to King Salmon where we would spend the night before leaving for Anchorage.The guide company set us up at a local campground. The owner picked us up at the airport. After a hot shower, they drove us to a nice restaurant for dinner.Back on the mainland, we got a rental car and headed to Seward for more exploringExit GlacierWe booked a day long boat tour. They provided lunch and an open bar, no I did not participateResurrection BayLots of birds and poop.Cataract CoveAnother waterfall in Cataract Cove.blue jacket and galcierHumpback whales: Bubble-net feeding.
Back to Anchorage and we had a late flight so we headed back to Potter Marsh. Not a bad way to end a trip mother and baby moose
Another Alaska trip and at this point I usually say we are not going backpacking there again, ever. Who am I kidding? I can’t wait to go back, I am a very slow learner.
