Alaska: The Kenai

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Date: (6 days, 5 nights; Sun-Fri) July 18-23; Aug. 15-20 Assembly Point: Girdwood (airline service to Anchorage; Timberline van transfers prior to and following tour) Tour Cost: $1,395 (includes all lodging, all meals, van shuttles, Kenai Fjord boat cruise, train from Seward to Anchorage, leaders, trail maps & narratives) Alaska, perhaps more than any other region in North America, is cloaked in a mystical aura that ignites the imagination. To some extent, that aura obviously is the product of Alaska's incredible, incomparable natural beauty. Its mountains, glaciers, coastline and wilderness are without equal. Arguably, though, without in any way diminishing its physical magnificence, Alaska's irresistible attraction is that it symbolizes the "Final Frontier," a last oppor-tunity to experience the wilderness in its most pristine, unspoiled expression. Alaska still promises the opportunity to see a bear scramble through the brush of a mountain valley or to sit in a kayak and watch a massive glacier calve ice off its face into the fjords below. Our Alaska Hike assembles in Girdwood near Anchorage mid-afternoon of Day 1 (we'll provide van transportation from Anchorage earlier in the day) and we'll spend our first of two overnights at Aleyeska Accommodations. The Winner Creek Trail is planned for our first hike as we explore the historic Iditarod Trail that provided access to the gold fields near Crow Pass during the early years of the 20th century. We'll continue to climb moderately along the upper reaches of the creek to the picturesque falls of Winner Creek Gorge. We'll then return to Aleyeska for a second evening (9 miles). Early morning of Day 2, we're headed for the historic Iditarod Trail as we climb towards Crow Pass. Along the way, we'll pass the remains of the Monarch Mine, a hardrock gold mine that ceased operations in 1948. Nearby Crystal Lake lies nestled beneath a steep mountain wall and then its on to the Raven Glacier overlook before descending to the trailhead. We'll spend our third evening at Moose Pass in the Trail Lake Lodge and then hike to beautiful Ptarmigan Lake in the heart of the Chugach National Forest on Day 4. We'll follow Trail Creek to the lake, picnic along its shores and then descend along Ptarmigan Creek to the Ptarmigan trailhead. A short van shuttle and we're in Seward where we'll spend our final two overnights at the Taroka Inn. A change of pace is planned for Day 5. Seward is the gateway to Kenai Fjords National Park and we'll explore this extraordinary treasure in the context of a boat cruise. The glacier-laced fjords offer an exceptional wildlife opportunity that, with a little luck, can include whale sightings. Our visit to Kenai Fjords Park continues on our final day. We'll hike the Harding Trail along Exit Glacier to the Harding Icefield, one of the largest icefields in North America (7 miles). The icefield is 35 miles long and 20 miles wide, and is the source of the glaciers of Kenai Fjords. Following our visit to the Icefield, we'll board the famous Alaska Railroad for a memorable return journey to Anchorage. T I M B E R L I N E   A D V E N T U R E S 7975 E. Harvard Suite #J  Denver, Co. 80231 Telephone: (800)417-2453; or (303)759-3804 Fax: (303)368-1651 E-Mail: timber@boulder.earthnet.net