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
http://www.millenniumhotels.com/en/anchorage/the-lakefront-anchorage/
There are 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 hotel
There was a park nearby so we went for a hike
Our 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 committee
Surprise Lake: our base camp for the first part of our trip
I 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 camp
Clouds were moving in and the wind was picking up a little but still a nice day
After setting up camp we went for a short hike before dinner
One of the few pictures you will see of us without rain coats
View back toward camp
Day 2, long day hike to crater 1931
Weather was closing in and the wind was really starting to gust.
Rain coats are on
Welcome to the moon
We had no idea how these little mounds formed, they are not what you think they are
View 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 it
We 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 colors
Short 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 lake
We are moving camp on this day
Weather was looking a little better
NOPE.
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 further
No 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 thing
The 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 Heiden
Sun is trying to make a come back
The first climb of the day is going to be steep
Excuse me while I throw up
Fortunately 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 room
This was a long hard day, 12+ miles and that is a lot for Alaska
Caribou
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 climb
it was nice to see green for a change
False 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 moon
Another 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 challenges
First 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 my knees , of course it was deeper for Leann, she is behind me in this picture. You can see her left hand behind mine
Turns out this was the last night of the backpack trip
On 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 a real grind.
Apparently 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 exploring
Exit Glacier
We booked a day long boat tour. They provided lunch and an open bar, no I did not participate
Resurrection Bay
Lots of birds and poop.
Cataract Cove
blue jacket and glacier
Humpback whales: Bubble-net feeding.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/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.
HAPPY TRAILS, STEVE