Alaska Gurus

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.  For the next 10 days, they'll be learning the skills necessary to travel safely in glacier country, manage avalanche terrain, and how to survive and thrive in a winter environment deep in the heart of the mountains.

The plan for the trip is to spend the first 5-6 days at a base camp, focusing on skills including glacier travel, avalanche awareness, efficient ski touring, and winter camping.  They'll spend their days ascending into the high country in search of stable snow, moderate slopes, and untracked powder - I don't think they're going to have a problem getting first turns where they're going.  We're confident they'll get their fair share of turns each day.

The second half of the trip will be dedicated to a backcountry ski traverse.  Each day they'll move camp in search of endless powder, hopefully completing a new circuit through the remote Neacola mountains.

Here's a link to Dan's spot messenger, showing their drop off location just north of Lake Clark Pass.  It looks like a great place to dig in, establish a comfortable base camp, and get out for some turns.  As the northern lights display was amazing last night, we can only imagine the 4 of them, wide eyed, staring at the sky as nature provided them with the most amazing evening entertainment - it's even possible that they skied while blanketed in the green hues of this electric sky.

Here's a link to Dan's spot messenger - follow along for the next few weeks as we watch they're progress.

http://fms.ws/7EvRg/60.86875N/152.77214W

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  photo above was taken in September of 2010 during a stretch of unparalleled early Autumn weather.  Looking past the connecting stream, beyond the upper lake, and east toward the Neacola Mountains it's easy to see why this part of Alaska captivated me enough to draw me permanently to the Great Land!

Twin Lakes really is Alaska at its finest!

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 Mark, pictured here at Dick Proenneke's cabin on Upper Twin Lake in Lake Clark National Park in 2010, completed his 11th expedition over 10 consecutive years with Alaska Alpine Adventures. And it's my honor to say I've been with him for 10 of 11 of those trips.

In August Mark and I completed what we believe to be the first summer-time traverse of the Neacola Mountains in Lake Clark National Park. Our route was 87 miles long, involved 55 miles of roped-up glacier travel, 7 glaciated passes, river crossings, some steep & scary terrain, and two rappels to get over our final pass. But in classic Oberlatz/Stevens fashion we completed the route in style - light (64 lbs going out), fast (11-days of travel), and with ample Kentucky Bourbon and fine cigars to make every finished day complete.

Mark owns a highly acclaimed deli & catering business in Louisville, KY called Stevens & Stevens. Guests of his catered events have included Queen Elizabeth and Laura Bush among others and his deli on Bardstown Road is on everyone's Louisville hit list. When it comes to food, Mark's game is always on. But he's more than an amazing chef and accomplished explorer, he's also an incredible family man and a person who has been an important mentor to me over the last decade.

Over the next few months, I'll be sharing a few photos from my trips with Mark through the years. And as the images periodically end up in your in-box, you'll be able to put in context the amount of commitment, dedication, training, and passion for Alaska that it takes to pull these adventures off year-in and year-out; not to mention the cumulative experience it takes in this type of terrain to execute these trips safely.