About 150 miles due west of Anchorage and nestled in the southwest corner of the mighty Alaska Range lies Twin Lakes, perhaps the finest and most appreciated piece of wilderness in Alaska. Tucked away in an amphitheater of glaciated 5000' peaks, this pair of crystal-clear bodies of water provides some of the finest wildlife viewing and alpine hiking in the country! Given its elevation of 2000' above sea level, Twin Lakes sits tantalizingly close to the alpine tundra that inspires hiking. Our endeavors here will focus on the peaks and valleys of the area around Hope Creek, a small watershed feeding the south side of Upper Lake. From our comfortable basecamp, we'll spend our time here exploring the high country around Upper Twin.

Perhaps the greatest treat of a Twin Lakes adventure is a visit to the hand-hewn log home of Dick Proenneke, a man who, until his departure in 1998, lived a 30 year dream as the only full- time resident of Twin Lakes. As you wander around his stunning piece of property and marvel at his handiwork, keep in mind that even in this age of information and technology, Dick chose to live without electricity, running water and telephone. The fuel for his wood stove came from the surrounding forest, the fuel for his body from the land and water in his backyard, and the fuel for his soul from the total wilderness of which he was ambassador. To many of us, Dick Proenneke is a hero, and his small cabin is our reminder.

Though Dick's footprints have long since faded into the ecosystem, we still follow his tracks to places like Hope Creek, Low Pass, Cowgill Bench, Teetering Rock and Eye of the Needle Pass. After a week of hiking in this amazing place, you'll understand why it took very old age to pull Dick from the country. Twin Lakes is Alaska at its absolute finest!  More photos from Twin Lakes, Alaska.

This trip originates in Anchorage, Alaska. Getting to Anchorage is a snap. Alaska Airlines, your travel agent, or the carrier of your choice can easily arrange roundtrip airfare from the lower 48.  Once you land in Anchorage, your adventure really begins. For this trip into Lake Clark National Park,  you'll find that the areas we visit won't be found on any road map; out here there aren't any roads!

Bush Flights: Access to Lake Clark National Park is limited to air travel in a small airplane flown by an experienced bush pilot. This adventure includes internal floatplane bush flights between Anchorage and Lake Clark National Park. Have your camera at the ready, your trip begins here.  For most, this will be your first experience in a small aircraft – a memorable one to be sure.  The flight to Lake Clark takes you through the southern portion of the Alaska Range with towering peaks and tumbling glaciers right off the wing tips.  The 110 mile flight to Twin Lakes, in Lake Clark National Park, takes approximately an hour.

Accommodations: This is a real wilderness camping trip and you will be sleeping in expedition quality tents for the three nights in the Lake Clark wilderness.  You will have the choice of a single, double, or family size tent which is capable of sleeping 2 adults and 2 children.  You will need to bring a sleeping bag, rated to 30 degrees F. or warmer,  and a sleeping pad (details below).  We will also have a group tarp erected for eating, relaxing, and getting out of the weather.  There will be no hot running water, showers, beds, or cabins.  This is "real" Alaska and you will be completely immersed in it for the 5 nights.

The Experience: Our first day in the wilderness will allow us to collect our senses, gaze at the surrounding beauty, and get a feel for the terrain we will be covering.  You will quickly become acquainted with our style of wilderness travel and camp etiquette.  Meals are planned to be sumptuous, filling culinary adventures of their own.  Because weight and packaging is critical, careful consideration is taken in planning and packing the ingredients.  You can be assured every meal will be something you may never have experienced in the wilderness. We use organic and real food products when possible and the very best freeze-dried and dehydrated ingredients available.

What’s Included:

• All group gear (tents, stoves, fuel, etc.), satellite phone,  and safety equipment.
• Ground Transportation to Chugach State Park and Lake Hood on Day 1.
• Round trip bush flight transportation from Anchorage to Lake Clark National Park.
• Professional guide service at a maximum 4:1 client to guide ratio.
• All meals from lunch on day one through lunch on the final day of the itinerary.
• Storage for your extra travel items while in the field.

What’s Not:

• Lodging in Anchorage prior to and after your adventure.
• Personal gear (sleeping bags, packs, rain gear, etc.). - See Equipment Lists
• Trip cancellation insurance.
• Additional room nights in Anchorage due to weather delays.
• Alcoholic beverages.
• Guide gratuities.

Everyone asks:

What about the mosquitoes?
In case you've heard horror stories... the number of mosquitoes is greatly dependent on hatching season and annual weather conditions. While we are bound to encounter some mosquitoes during the course of our adventure, their numbers have not generally presented major problems on past trips in these specific areas. That said, please arrive prepared with insect repellent and a head net to fend off any mosquitoes that are present.

Will bears be a problem?
Alaska is bear country! There are both grizzly and black bears in most of the wilderness areas of Alaska we visit. We love seeing bears in the wild and it really is one of the most thrilling experiences common in Alaska backcountry travel. With that said, traveling safely and taking precautions to minimize a negative encounter are things we take very seriously. In addition to being subject to our thorough bear safety orientation, you’ll also see that we take many precautions when traveling in Alaska’s wilderness – 1 all of our food has been packaged to minimize odors – we vacuum seal most of our fresh ingredients and sauces, we pack our food in bear resistant food canisters, and we store our food well away from camp. 2 We make noise when we’re hiking in thick brush or when we’re hiking in windy conditions to minimize surprise encounters 3 we keep an exceptionally clean camp and 4 as a last resort we travel armed. Our guides carry 44 mags or shotguns. Alaska’s national parks allow for the use of firearms and our guides are thoroughly trained in firearm use. Again, using a gun is a last resort and thankfully we’ve never had to call one into service on a trip!

What kind of food might we expect?
Our food is excellent – in fact it is something that clearly differentiates us from our competitors. We have spent the past decade fine tuning our backcountry menu. Breakfasts include pancakes, scrambles, various homemade granola and cereals, French pressed coffee, assorted teas and hot drinks. For lunch we enjoy foccacia sandwiches, bagels and Alaska lox, hummus and toasted pita chips, and assorted wraps. We also have homemade snack mixes both salty and sweet and energy and candy bars available throughout the day. Dinners could include lasagna, pad thai, beef mole’ tacos, penne pasta with a roasted red pepper pesto, wild mushroom risotto, etc. And we ALWAYS enjoy one of Derek’s home baked desserts after dinner.

When would you require a deposit? and how much? Trip cancellation insurance? Can we get it through you?
We require a deposit of $1000 per person to officially reserve a trip. Really the deposit is due as soon as you’d like to book. That way, we have the trip inked in on the schedule and can begin the effort to coax others into joining the adventure. When you decide to book, we then generate an invoice that we send by email. You’ll then have the option to pay the deposit by mailing us a check, calling us with a credit card number or by using a Visa, Master Card, or American Express on our secure online payment system. As for trip cancellation insurance, Alaska Alpine Adventures is licensed to sell Travel Guard - an industry leading insurance product designed specifically for adventure travelers. Please contact us for details, or click here to obtain a quote.

Lake Clark National Park:

Why are so many of your trips in Lake Clark National Park?
Simply because we believe Lake Clark National Park to be the most spectacular and diverse park in Alaska. At over 4-million acres, this wilderness park has something for everyone - miles of coastline, active volcanoes, spectacular lakes, glaciers and icefields, wild and scenic rivers, stunning mountains, and very few visitors. If you seek solitude and the perfect Alaskan landscape, Lake Clark will not disappoint.

Where is Lake Clark?
Lake Clark and its surrounding 4 million-acre national park is located approximately 150 miles West-Southwest of Anchorage.

How do you get to Lake Clark?
Access to Lake Clark National Park is solely by small aircraft or, in some instances, by boat.

Is transportation to Lake Clark included in the price of the trip?
Absolutely, our trips are all inclusive from Anchorage.

Where will you meet us?
Alaska Alpine Adventures will provide a shuttle to Merrill Field on the morning of day 1.  Your guide will meet you at the airplane when you arrive in Port Alsworth - the gateway community to Lake Clark National Park.

Who will I be flying with and what time will we be departing on day one?
You'll be flying with Lake and Peninsula Air. On occasion we also use Lake Clark Air. Both air taxis are located at Merrill Field. We usually schedule our departures for 11am on day one. You need to arrive at Merrill Field one-half hour before your scheduled departure.

Where is Merrill Field?
Merrill Field is located just east of downtown Anchorage.  “Bush” flying is an adventure in and of itself and variable weather conditions may cause delays. We will try to keep you informed of any changes or delays as they occur. Remember to please be ready at least 45 minutes before your expected departure.

Who was Dick Proenneke?
Dick Proenneke lived on Twin Lakes, in the heart of Lake Clark National Park, from 1968-1998. He resided in a small hand-hewn log cabin on the South shore of the upper lake near Hope Creek. Dick, who has been called a modern-day Thoreau, was a prolific writer and photographer. His cabin, which we visit on a number of our adventures, is a testament to his simple lifestyle and a reminder of his dedication to wilderness and conservation.

Is Lake Clark National Park a good place for viewing wildlife?
Absolutely. Lake Clark has been called Alaska's epitome and Little Denali, though at 4 million-acres and roughly the size of Switzerland the term little doesn't really apply! In addition to seeing all 5 species of Pacific salmon, the park is home to grizzly, coastal brown, and black bears, dall sheep, caribou, moose, wolves, and tremendous seasonal populations of migratory birds.

Itinerary:

Day 1: This morning, our group will meet at 9am in Anchorage.  After a short orientation and gear check, we will then make the drive to Chugach State Park where you’ll take a beautiful hike and enjoy a trail side lunch with your guide.  By early afternoon, we’ll then make our way to Lake Hood Seaplane Base, the busiest float-plane airport on earth, where we’ll board a floatplane bound for Lake Clark National Park and our home for the next 5 nights.  This 1.5 hour scenic flight will take us over alpine tundra, braided rivers, cascading waterfalls, and stunning alpine lakes.  Our skilled bush pilot will then take us down to upper Twin Lake nestled in a stunning Aleutian Range basin , where we will unload our gear on a small beach and then wave the airplane goodbye.  We’ll set up camp on the lake, bask in the newfound solitude, and then take short early evening hike to Dick Proenneke’s cabin before dinner.  Lunch and Dinner Included.

Day 2 – 5: We will spend the next four days exploring the surrounding landscape of Upper Twin.  Whether following glacially fed streams to their source or surmounting high-mountain passes, our days are sure to be filled with adventure, outstanding hiking, and absolutely stunning Alaska landscapes.  All meals included.

Day 6: As we enjoy a leisurely morning, we’ll enjoy our final breakfast in the wilderness, will break down camp and perhaps make one last visit to Proenneke’s cabin.  We are surely to feel moved by this amazing man and the surroundings that he called home for so long. As the floatplane descends on the Lake, we’ll depart knowing that this amazing place has made lasting impact on our souls. We’ll return to Anchorage by early afternoon. If you are departing Alaska on this day, please schedule all homebound flights for after 4PM.  Breakfast & Lunch included.