Will Covey
NOLS hikes extensively in the Northern Talkeetna Mountains and we consider it one of the gems of our Alaska 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 beautiful range year after year.
Just a stone’s throw from Denali National park, the Talkeetnas have spectacular views of North America’s highest peak and its sprawling valleys and glaciers. It’s often overlooked by visitors to the area allowing us to have the quintessential Alaska experience without the crowds common in the National Park.
This trip begins with a short shuttle ride from Anchorage, AK (where participants can fly into ANC) to NOLS’s Alaska campus in Palmer. At the campus we’ll pack tents, sleeping systems, cook systems, and food for the duration of the trip. We will spread the load amongst our group, dispersing group gear and food equitably. Each group member should expect to carry a full 35-45 lbs pack.
For the next 6 days we will explore the ridges and valleys of the Talkeetna mountains. This area has an incredibly diverse ecosystem with forests, tundra, glaciers, and bare alpine rock. Lower elevations of this route foster an 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 and a little dose of tolerance for adversity will help us endure them.
We 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.
We will spend 6-8 hours hiking each day. This includes both on trail and off trail travel, wayfinding through dense shrubs, 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.
Summer in Alaska can involve a wide range of weather conditions, to prepare for. Sunshine for sure, but there might be rain, wind, snow, gropple, and even hail, and that is just one day! The weather near Denali and in all of Alaska can vary dramatically and change quickly. Temps could rise as warm as 80 degrees and you could also experience snow and graupel with temps in the 30s.
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.
We will tent camp throughout this expedition. Sleeping under the midnight sun is one of the highlights. Nights are short at this latitude during the summer but when darkness comes, the stars are incredible.
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!
Overall Difficulty*:
*Full backpacks make this trip hard, but we'll keep the elevation changes and mileage low.