Tuesday, October 28. 2008
 Well it's definitely official....Winter is here to stay for this year. October can be a month that pendulums between late fall and winter-esque condtions, but the quiet season has not wasted any time this year; it has been consistently snowy and cold for a few weeks now. Already there is waterfall ice to climb, nordic skiing to be had on some local trails and roads, and the soft, low-angled light whose hours get shorter by almost 6 minutes every day. If you enjoy doing winter things, you'd love it here! I took this photo this morning before taking my husky Genaro out for our daily skijor. This is definitely his favorite season...a respite from the (to him) unbearable summer heat, snow to play in, and the prospect of going for a good healthy run every day. Husky heaven!
Sunday, October 5. 2008
 We can't keep quiet about it anymore.....we're moving forward with some big plans for a very special and unique plot of land on an alpine knoll 1,800 vertical feet above Kennicott. This is an amazing perch, overlooking the Kennicott and Root Glaciers, and Mount Blackburn, the tallest peak in the Wrangell mountains. Since acquiring the land, we've begun brainstorming for the future and this summer took several groups of campers to the undeveloped site. We're setting a goal of moving supplies up there and having a completed structure by mid-summer of 2009. This Mountain Haus will be used as a base for exploration and research, as well as a retreat for reflection, yoga seminars, wilderness counseling, youth groups and adult conferences, and nearly endless other possibilities. This will be a place for everybody, with vehicle access available for those that may not otherwise make the strenuous hike. If you've been looking for a place to relax, bond with friends, family, or co-workers, or bring an alpine wilderness experience to someone who really needs it, this is the place. This piece of land is the best thing to happen to KWG in nearly 10 years, and we're super excited about it!! If you have ideas or input for us concerning this "field of dreams" vision, please send us your comments; all are welcome.
Sunday, September 21. 2008
 This is "moulin month".....from a guide's perspective, September is one of the best months of the year to go ice climbing in glacier moulins. There are a couple of reasons for this: this time of year the work slows down so we have lots of spare time to spend on the ice, and by now these giant drain holes in the glacier have had all summer to melt out and expand. These fantastic features are at their largest, grandest, and deepest proportions by now...if you're into 150 vertical feet (or more) of perfectly vertical bulletproof blue ice, this is the place to get it! Possibilities exist for all kinds of glacial exploration, even some "spelunking" opportunities for those that are daring enough to check it out. It's a great way to get into shape for the winter climbing season, and a good healthy scare as well!
Wednesday, September 17. 2008
This is one of the best times of the entire year. As the sun makes its speedy departure towards the southern hemisphere the landscape seems to quiet down a bit, relaxing from the manic summer months and getting ready for the sleepy winter blanket that will soon arrive. I always get the same sentiment in September, not only picking up the feelings from the land but also feeling the effects of a summer season of hard work and play. (The end of the tourism season marks a huge sigh of relief when you work seasonally!) Always known to go out with a bang, the leaves of plants great and small erupt into a riot of color that lasts a mere week or two at its peak....an eye-popping palette of colors: fire-engine red, bright orange, canary, mango, light pink, violet, and maroon, all splashed across the ridges and valleys in the plant world's best and most competitve beauty contest. A dusting of fresh snow in the high country, an "indian summer" weather window at times, cool and crisp air, ripe berries galore, the return of starry nights and northern lights...what's there NOT to love? I wouldn't leave Alaska in September for the world.....its like getting a vacation, without having to go anywhere.......
Friday, September 12. 2008
 Greetings from the height of the autumn season! We just had a backpacking trek get back from the field that was a truly historic trip for the company. This was the longest & fastest hike KWG has ever led with a client, a trip so tough that it inspired a new difficulty rating: "Extreme." 80 or so miles, with 3 passes, 1 high alpine ridgewalk, 3 "Alaska-sized" glaciers, huge boulder-field and moraine crossings, and a few notable creek and river crossings, all accomplished in 5 days of travel. Howard turned out to be a real trooper, always keeping good pace with KWG guide Paul as they traveled long hours every day through the sometimes demanding terrain.
Backcountry travel this time of year can be amazingly rewarding, with the autumn colors at their peak, the crisp and refreshing air, and opportunities for lovely "indian summer" weather all making for a truly magical experience. You do need to be prepared for anything, however, and as it turned out these two guys got a dose of just about everything.
 *Click on the camera to check out the slideshow (Note: you need to have Javascript enabled in your browser)*
Continue reading "Going for the extremes"
Monday, August 25. 2008
 David, Amanda, and KWG guide Betsy just returned from their 5-day basecamp trip to Skolai, and everybody is all smiles! Skolai is known for its raw mountain scenery, BIG open spaces, dramatic cliffs and waterfalls, and relatively easy tundra hiking. Even though David and Amanda are fairly new to backpacking and wilderness travel, they did a great job with the experience and were strong and capable enough for whatever mother nature dished out. A skolai basecamp trip can have many different formats; often times we decide to move our camp every few days to have new "doorstep" scenery and to minimize our impact. This group did just that, enabling them to cover quite a bit of ground!
Continue reading ""Breathtaking!""
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