Backpacking in Alaska - Alumni

NOLS hikes extensively in Alaska’s South Central Mountain ranges and we consider it one of the gems of our program. Join a small group of alumni, friends and family for a weeklong backpacking expedition in this area to find out what continues to draw us to this wild place year after year.

Photo by: Isaac Miller

We will explore the ridges, valleys, and alpine meadows of Alaksa. This area has an incredibly diverse ecosystem with forests, tundra, glaciers, and bare alpine rock. There is extensive biodiversity including bears, wolves, sheep, caribou, moose, ptarmigan, and other birds. With luck, we may see some of these animals. With certainty, we will encounter Alaska’s most common wildlife, mosquitoes. Proper gear, fitness level, and a little dose of tolerance for adversity will help us endure them.

Photo by: Isaac Miller

Alpine wildflowers are abundant along this route. A keen eye may be able to spot multiple varieties, including Alaska’s state flower, the forget-me-not, especially in the tundra that is common up on along the ridges you’ll be traversing.

Photo by: Jorge Pena

We will typically spend 6-8 hours hiking each day. This includes both on trail and off trail travel, wayfinding through dense shrubs (bushwack), scrambling on talus, and river crossings. The terrain may be challenging at times, but it’s part of what makes travel through this area unique and special. Expect to gain over 1,500 feet of elevation at least one day during this trip.

Summer in Alaska can involve a wide range of weather conditions, to prepare for. Sunshine for sure, but there might be rain, wind, snow, and even hail, and that is just one day! Temps could rise as warm as 80 degrees and you could also experience snow and graupel with temps in the 30s.

Photo credit: Javier Perez De Acha

Evenings in camp will be relaxed, and allow time for hanging out with the group, cooking up NOLS favorites on backcountry stoves, and possibly exploring the area around camp.

Photo by: Jorge Pena

We will tent camp throughout this expedition. Nights are short at this latitude during the summer, and sleeping under the midnight sun is one of the highlights.

Photo by: Ansley Newsom

Formal classes are few on alumni trips, but instructors will ensure that your group is refreshed on Leave No Trace, basic camping skills, map reading and navigation, water treatment, and group travel.

If you want to get back to the basics of a traditional backpacking trip in an incredible locale, this is the trip for you!

Photo by: Isaac Miller

Overall Difficulty*:

*Full 35-45 pound backpacks and off trail terrain make this trip hard.