Alaska Gurus

We get quite a few questions about backcountry travel in bear country, which, safe to say, is really a good question for anyone traveling anywhere in Alaska.  While there are many schools of thought, and inevitably every Alaskan has their opinion on the best methodology - we've developed a practice that has allowed us to travel safely a ...

  It's hard to believe that we are wrapping up another season here at Alaska Alpine Adventures. It seems like just yesterday we were prepping gear, looking over maps and getting ready for the the hectic schedule that comes every summer. Now, the house is mothballed for the winter, the van's are in storage, and Dan and I are settled back ...

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Welcome to the first photo from my July, 2009 into the North Wrangell Mountains in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park.Longtime guests Mark & Joan Strobel, a couple from St. Paul, MN who likes to do long and difficult backpacking trips, joined me on this incredible trip into the northern most portion of Wrangell-St. Elias NP. Not only did we expl ...

You know, I was out skiing on the trails in Anchorage on Sunday, cruising along the coastal trail just west of downtown, and had to pause. In front of me was miles of groomed trail, to my left wooded, inviting neighborhoods, and to my right Cook Inlet. Across the inlet, less than 50 miles away, was the snow covered skyline of the Neacola Mountai ...

The trip was guided by Aaron Fetter, the General Manager of Alaska Alpine Adventures. My husband and I, Mark and Joan Strobel, did the climb with Aaron. Our ascent of Mount Martin was on June 27, 2012. We came in from Angle Creek valley via Windy Creek to get to the glacier leading to Mount Martin. We didn’t think that we’d get to do the ascen ...

  Over the years, you've grown accustomed to my images of people playing in big Alaska landscapes.  And based on the overwhelming positive feedback I get with each release, the photo of the month offers a momentary escape from the hectic reality of our busy lives and transports us, if only momentarily, to a place that is sublime.  ...

  Alaska is BIG!  Not only is it the largest state in the union (even if you cut Alaska in half, Texas would remain the 3rd largest!), it's also the most magnificent.  Some of what really sets Alaska apart from any other place North America is the incredible wildlife  diversity, the vast quantity of protected public land, ...

©Dan Oberlatz Is 3 in-a-row a record?  Anyone?So let's begin the new year with a shot from summer in Gates of the Arctic National Park. Even though our Alaska days are now growing longer by the hour and we're having a spectacular winter, we all long for the warmth of midnight arctic sunlight and yearn to shed a layer or two of winter ...

You Are Not A Passenger - Alaska Photo of the Month: December 14, 2011 I won't say "I'm on a roll here" because in addition to excuses and procrastination, I'm also prone to exaggeration. So I'll simply preface this photo of the month with a simple Happy Holidays! I'm way past overdue introducing you all to Mark Stevens. This past August ...

©Dan Oberlatz As I was sifting through images to feature for the March photo of the month, I discovered an unedited folder of pictures taken during an amazing Alaska backpacking trip into Katmai National Park in 2009.  While I hadn't forgotten about the trip (it was incredible), I had misplaced the folder of images - something any of u ...

  I first visited Twin Lakes in September of 1992 on what would eventually be a very pivotal trip for me - a backpacking adventure that would help set the Alaska hook firmly in my upper lip! Nearly 20 years later, I've spent dozens of amazing days at Twin Lakes and have explored more Lake Clark National Park than most.  The  phot ...

You Are Not A Passenger - Exciting Alaska News - May 1, 2010 We're excited to announce that our Twin Lakes Paddle combination kayaking and hiking trip in Lake Clark National Park has been awarded one of National Geographic "50 Tours of a Lifetime" in the May/June issue of Traveler Magazine! In addition to being the only outfitter listed in Ala ...

  After 10 years in the adventure travel business, I can honestly say I've seen some amazing places, had some extraordinary adventures and certainly spent some time way off the map. Last week, I had the opportunity for one last trip in 2010, and couldn't help but jump at the opportunity. Visiting the northern coast of the continent has a ...

  Following on the thread of my recent photo of the month, I figured you'd get a kick out seeing the Arrigetch Peaks in the winter.  Last spring, a team of world class climbers went into the area to attempt a first ascent on one of the area's stunning peaks.  Corey Rich, accomplished adventure photographer & film maker, along ...

Ski to Sea Alaska – A Prince William Sound Ski Cruise It’s not everyday that you get the chance to backcountry ski in a new place – to put in a fresh skin track, stand on top of a peak likely to have never seen another soul, and then carve virgin lines into a blank canvas of snow.  From the bottom, you stare up at your descent with awe ...

It's been an amazing winter in Alaska!  Some are calling it the best ski season in 20 years or more.  It's hard to argue the other side of that assertion.  We only hope that an equally spectacular summer of Alaska hiking, kayaking, backpacking, and rafting is in store.  In the meantime, we'll just have to suffer through through ...

  The 2012 season is certainly here, and starting with one of the coolest alaska adventure trip out there. IFMGA certified Alaska guide Joe Stock and 3 guests from France have just begun their 12 day Alaska adventure - backcountry skiing in the Neacola Mountains of Lake Clark National Park on our Alaska Ski Mountaineering adventure.   ...

Men's Journal (December 2006)"What Men Want 2007 - America's Best"By Bobby Model "If you're going to do something, or go someplace, it might as well be the best." AMERICA'S BEST - Whatever is worth doing at all, someone once said, is worth doing well. We believe in the corollary: If you're going to do something, or go someplace, it might as wel ...

  One of the largest investments you’ll make when preparing for an Alaska Alpine Adventure (besides the price of the adventure) is on the gear you’ll need.  We’ve spent over a decade paring down our list to the absolute essentials, not only to help save money, but to keep weight an bulk to a minimum.  As you know, wilderness trave ...

  Folks ask us all the time what we do in the winter.  While we dream of skiing 100 days a year, climbing when the ice is good, and going on plenty of adventure trips; the reality is that we spend most of the winter working on the next season’s Alaska tours.  From updating our website, working on marketing and chatting with potent ...