Backpacking down the Goat Trail, Chitistone Canyon, Wrangell - St. Elias National Park and Preserve, Alaska. Please click on the image above to view a larger version of this photo.

Hey Folks,

So now the “season” has officially ended, I want to thank everyone that came out this year for such a fun summer/fall. It’s always a treat to see familiar faces, those who’ve returned yet again for another Alaskan Alpine Treks trip, thank you. And for all those who took their first trip with us this year, thanks so much, and I sincerely hope you had a great time here. Thank you.

So now, it’s time for me to take off and explore some more. I’m taking 4 weeks to join up with Erin and Hig, of Ground Truth Trekking, for part of their ‘Life On Ice’ adventure, down around the Malaspina Glacier and the Lost Coast of Wrangell – St. Elias National Park, a little travelled part of the world for sure. I’m super excited about this trip,  for a number of reasons, one is simply to spend a month in the backcountry. I’m also stoked to join up with Erin and Hig, great people with a wealth of experience and wisdom to learn from. That’ll be a great experience. (more…)

Bret snapping a photo of camp and the killer scenery on the Goat Trail, Skolai Pass - Wolverine, Wrangell - St. Elias National Park, Alaska.

Hey Folks,

Just a quick note to say ‘At last’ .. the 2011 calendar is online. Take a quick look at the trips listed. Also, if you don’t see a trip you’re interested in, or the dates don’t quite match what you’re looking for, send me an email and we’ll see what we can do about scheduling that.

It’s set to be a great year …. the Gates of the Arctic trip to the Arrigetch Peaks should be a blast. 2 weeks exploring the Brooks Range, awesome. We have room for only one or 2 more people, so if this might be a trip for you, definitely drop us a note ASAP. This is an exploratory trip, so intermediate – advanced hikers only. All transport taken care of from Fairbanks to the backcountry and back! I’ve wanted to return to the Gates for 15 years now, and have long been wanting to explore the Arrigetch area. This one will be amazing.

More info on new trips and events coming soon. Stay tuned!

Cheers

Carl

Sunset over the Chitistone Valley and the University Peaks, Wrangell - St. Elias National Park and Preserve, Alaska. Please click the thumbnail to view a larger version of the photo.

Hey Folks,

And the Image of the Month for August 2010 is a photo of sunset over the University Peaks, just south of the Chitistone River. We’d backpacked down the Chitistone Canyon all day, set up camp after crossing the Goat Trail, had a GREAT dinner with superb views of Mount Bona (16 421′ high) and the University Range, and the light kept getting better and better. I’d long wanted to hike down this little creek to a plateau above the Chitistone River and shoot sunset there, and knew this would be a great opportunity to do so.

I couldn’t convince any of the hikers in our group to join for me the evening trek (2 miles one way), so I grabbed my camera gear after we’d finished dinner, and set out. Though this scene wasn’t my intended final destination, I loved the combination of clouds, deep, steep canyon walls, and the warm light hitting the distant unnamed mountain. I stopped and took a few photos before continuing on my way down to the plateau.

When shooting a scene such as this, with high contrast between the shaded depths of the steep canyon and the bright clouds and distant peaks (Mount Bona) I use either a Split Density filter or take multiple images of differing exposures and blend them together in the computer later. This image I used 2 split density filters, a 2-stop and a 3-stop. Handholding 2 filters is hard; handholding them when you don’t want them to align symmetrically is really hard. Lesson #1 – carry a Cokin filter holder.

The Goat Trail is the first route I ever hiked in Wrangell – St. Elias National Park and Preserve, and is always a welcome treat for me to return to. This one was a night I’ll remember for along time. I returned to our high camp at around midnight. What a fantastic evening.

Cheers

Carl