ExploringEyes

Dear Explorers,

It’s always a great pleasure for me to write and share my travel experiences with you. Trip to Alaska is one of my bucket list item and i can tell you that it had lived up to all my expectations.

When i think of Alaska three things come to my mind

1. Mountains

2. Glaciers

3. Grizzly bears.

You will see all these around you during your time in Alaska.

Alaska is the biggest state in United states. It is so north that it’s just 55 miles away from Russia, and this is the farthest north i ever travelled. You must be wondering where to even start this adventure ! Don’t worry i got you cover with the recommendations in this blog.

Wherever you are coming from , your first pit stop mostly will be Anchorage , it is the largest city in Alaska and gateway for nearby wilderness areas and mountains including Chugach , Kenai Fjord, Talkeetna and of course Denali.

Day 1 – Seward – Harding Icefield Trail in Kenai Fjord National park

We reached pretty late at night in Anchorage. It was easy to find the uber to drop us to the Airbnb. Uber driver was very friendly and told us there are many small coffee shops and restaurants around which are open 24 hours. But i was so sleepy that i just went the airbnb and call it a night.

Next morning i made chai to kick off the alaskan adventure 🙂

We went to the downtown to pick up our Turo rental car and have breakfast but the the wait was more than 60 mins for the most of the restaurants and cafes , so we decided to start driving towards Seward and stopped by Sami’s city Diner, 20 min from Anchorage downtown for breakfast.

We took the Seward Hwy from Anchorage to Seward , and the view for most of the drive was mind-blowing. The roads were through mountains and ocean. This is were you will get the first glimpse of 360 view of humongous snow capped mountains all around you. Just soak in this view with some melodious music during the drive to Seward. It’s approx. 120 miles / 200km / 2.5 hr drive.

Our first stop was Exit glacier at Kenai Fjord national park , where you will get the magnificent glimpse of the Harding Icefield glacier from far.

Once we entered the Kenai Fjord National park, we head towards the Harding Icefield Trail. By the time we reach there it started to drizzle. In Alaska there is a saying, do not plan your trip based on the weather , always be prepared to face the weather and enjoy the adventure it brings with it. Hence, carry a rain jacket , waterproof shoes, bear spray and a warm layer of clothing always with you.

We took this trip during early july. It was little wet and cold (highest 55 F/ 12 C, but i felt that the rain added the extra layer of beauty in the Alaskan majestic mountainous landscape,

Harding Icefield Trail

Distance: 8.2 miles out-and-back
Total Ascent: 3,500 feet
Elevation at Trailhead: 420 feet
Highest Elevation: 3,525 feet
Time: 6 to 8 hours*
Difficulty: Strenuous

i am not going to sugar coat it for you. It’s a strenuous hike as you gain 1000 ft every mile. But trust me the view totally worth hiking this trail. I hike for the views and i am very happy with this hike.

There are two notable points along the trail (Marmot Meadows and Top of the Cliffs) that make great rest stops or turnaround points. You will still have a great experience if you decide to turnaround at either of these points.

You’ll travel through beautiful meadows which once were covered with glacier(you will see year marker on the way) to an area well above treeline.

It’s a good idea to be prepared for storms and big temperature changes, even in the summer months. Snow can stay on the trail through early July.

For more information on trail conditions, visit: https://www.nps.gov/kefj/planyourvisit/conditions.htm

We have hiked till the Top of the Cliffs because of low visibility due to the rainy and foggy weather conditions.

Few people have seen Mountain goats , Bear and Marmot during the hike but we got to see the Marmot only. So, be prepared to encounter wild animals during this hike. Always carry bear spray during any hikes in Alaska.

We wrapped up our day by having hearty seafood dinner at the Exit Glacier Salmon Bake restaurant

Day 2 – Ptarmigan Lake trail – Chugach National forest

I woke up fresh the next day but the weather was really wet with the forecast of a storm. When we were out for breakfast talked to few of the locals and based on their suggestions we had to change the original plan to hike “Lost lake trail” due to low visibility to the Ptarmigan (P is silent when you pronounce) lake trail at Chugach national forest.

Distance: 7 miles out-and-back
Total Ascent: mostly flat
Time: 3.5 hrs
Difficulty: Moderate

Fun fact – Ptarmigan is a state bird of Alaska. But we haven’t found any Ptarmigans in this trail !

This trail offers great views but can be overgrown and muddy, especially in the last mile. i recommend wearing long sleeves and pants due to the thick vegetation. The trail follows the river in the beginning , then you will enter a mystic forest area , which will give you a gnome village vibe with lush green trees and mosses around you and finally you climb a bit to get a view of the mountain ranges and the Ptarmigan lake surrounded by snow capped mountains. Overall a very satisfying hike .

Day 3 – Kenai Fjord Glacier Cruise

After two days of back to back hiking in somewhat wet and cold conditions , i wanted to have a relaxing day 🙂 We had two options. 1. Take a Kayak tour to the glaciers or 2. Take the cruise to the glaciers.

If you are feeling adventurous and weather is good , i would recommend the Kayak tour, it’s approx. 10 hours trip and will cost you ~500 USD , but if you want to have a leisure day , you can take the cruise , it’s approx. 7 hours and will cost you ~250 USD. I would recommend one of these tours for you just explore the alaskan wildlife on the way to the two tidewater glaciers (Holgate and Aialik) which you can only explore from the ocean.

We have seen so many wildlife during the cruise. Started with a bald head eagles waiting patiently to hunt , Puffins relaxing on the water , Otters on their back eating mussels , Orcas circling the island where sea lions are relaxing and couple of humpback whales swimming around. Finally when we entered the Aialik bay we got to experience the grand Aialik tidewater glacier and a pretty loud calving where icebergs broke off from the glacier and fell into the ocean right in front of us.

The sun finally decided to show up and it was a lovely view all around. No wonder why Alaska is called the Land of Glaciers. I am glad that we got to see the cloudy and mystical side in the morning and sun kissed mountain views in the afternoon on the way back.

After coming back from the cruise, we went to the downtown to have dinner, a perfect ocean to table experience

Also found local band playing the music and the people are just having a good time. Looks like everyone came out to celebrate the sunny day.

Day 4 – Drive to Denali and Camp

Today we are leaving Seward and heading to Denali National Park. It’s a 6 hours (360 miles / 580 km) drive from Seward. Most of the drive was in AK-3N. Out first pit stop was Denali south viewpoint. On a clear day you will be able to see Denali peak , but we were unable to see the Denali peak from this viewpoint. As per the stats only 30% people visits Denali can actually see the Denali peak during their visit , but our hopes were still high since we are going to spend next three days in Denali.

Once we entered the Denali Park reserve area the whole scenery changes drastically with you surrounded by mountains 360 degree and valleys covered with spruce trees. You will feel like you are transported to a different world. We checked into our Camp , had dinner in the nearby Cafe and then drove until 15 miles to soak in the view and spot some wild animals.

When we were between Mile 10 and 12 the sky cleared up and we got to see Denali Peak 🙂

The sunsets around 1 am and rises at 4 am 🙂 so you have longer day to explore . The sky looked absolutely stunning during the sunset and once the sun gone down we got to see a Moose crossing the road in front of us and got lost in the forest. It was a very eventful day.

Our campsite was at Denali Hostel and Cabins and they have a Cafe and a Pizza place right across the street 🙂 They also have a place to shower and freshen up , along with a kitchen and a well stocked pantry. i used eye cover before going to bed as sun stays up pretty late and rise very early during summer. You need it if you want a good night sleep.

Day 5 – Savage Alpine trail – Mile 15

We started the day with some hot chai by the creek. Had some breakfast and packed some food from the across the street cafe and head towards our first hike in Denali.

You can either park your car at the visitor center and take a complimentary bus to the Mile 15 , which is the starting point of the Savage Alpine trail. Also, passenger vehicle without camping permit are not allowed to go beyond Mile 15. We drove until Mile 15 and parked there and started our hike.

Distance: 4.3 miles one way
Total Ascent: 1800 feet
Time: 3 hours
Difficulty: Strenuous

The Savage Alpine Trail is one of the popular day hikes in all of Denali National Park! This gorgeous point-to-point hike ascends into the alpine and spends a few miles climbing along the side of a stunning mountain ridge. On a clear day, you’ll enjoy spectacular views of 20,310-foot Denali all along the way.

While the climb from Savage River is steep and relentless, the trail is well-built and well-maintained, making for a non-technical hike. Yes, you’ll have to hoof it up some big steps and grind up a long climb to reach the traversing sections of trail, but the views make it all worth it!

On the descend down we got to see the Willow Ptarmigan family. The trail continues to Mountain Vista trail which is best spots to catch views of Denali on a clear day. The trail is mostly flat and entirely smooth, making it accessible for everyone visiting the national park.

After completing the Mountain Vista trail you can either take the Savage river shuttle to the parking in Mile 15 or walk the gravel road for 2 miles to reach Mile 15 Savage river parking lot.

Day 6 – Savage River Loop and Backcountry hike – Mile 36

Today is the day we decided to go beyond Mile 15 and do a backcountry unmarked trail from Mile 36 to Cathedral mountain. Since passenger car is not allowed beyond Mile 15, you need to get a shuttle bus from Denali Bus depot. The bus runs every 30 mins from early in the morning until 6 pm in the evening. Make sure to book the ticket a day before if you want to head out early and do some backcountry hiking beyond Mile 15.

We did the mistake of not getting the tickets earlier and when we reach the bus depot at 10 am, the earliest available slot was 1.30 pm. Hence, we decided to go back to Mile 15 and do the Savage River loop to kill the time until 1.30 pm. We saw some mountain goats during this hike.

After the Savage River loop , we head back to the Bus depot and got the shuttle which runs until Mile 42. No vehicles are allowed after that.

There are few hiking options in Mile 42(last stop of the shuttle) as well, but since we were running out of time, we decided to get dropped at Mile 36 and did the backcountry hike to the Cathedral mountain peak. It was my first backcountry hike and i totally loved it. It was little scary , because we saw a Mama Grizzly with her cubs not to far from us and a fresh bear poop on our way. But as we climbed higher and higher the view got clearer and got a stunning view of the snow capped Denali mountain range. I think this is one of the best hike i ever did.

I would say this is just a sneak peak of what Alaska has to offer. I think with this trip i just scrapped the tip of the ice-berg. There are some many places to explore in Alaska that the options for outdoor activities and spotting wildlife in their natural habitat is endless. I would love come back to Alaska again during summer and winter to continue the great Alaskan adventure !

Ciao for now. Hope you have enjoyed reading this blog.

Share your comments on what you would like to see more in my blogs !

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