Day  1     The adventure begins at 8AM, meeting in downtown Anchorage at the Susitna Place B&B (727 N Street), unless otherwise previously arranged. From here we'll head northward with a quick stop in Wasilla at the headquarters for the 1000 mile Iditarod Sled Dog Race. The displays and short video here give a good insight into dog mushing in general, as well as the lifestyle and the commitment it takes to train for and run the Iditarod itself. Pushing northward towards the beacon of North America's highest peak Denali (also still referred to as Mt. McKinley), we'll enter into the great Alaska Range of mountains which serves as the divide between the vast drainages of the Yukon to the north and the Matanuska-Susitna Rivers to the south. The location of our hike this afternoon will depend upon recent weather and trail conditions, but will certainly feature some wonderful scenery and the possibility of coming across wildlife such as moose or caribou. Our alpine camp for the next two nights is a private one on a bluff overlooking Jack River, with The Great One, Denali, hopefully deigning to fill our tents' doors . . .

Day  2     In the morning we'll drive the last 30 miles northward to the entrance of Denali National Park. A stop at the Visitor's Center will better acquaint us with Denali, and it is here that we will board a Park Service bus to travel into the Park, as the vast interior is closed to private vehicles. The round trip is a full day, and opportunities are some of the best anywhere for wildlife viewing. And then there's the scenery . . . chances are very good to see bears, caribou, moose, and possibly even wolves. Photographic possibilities are excellent, as the bus will stop at any desired location at the group's request. In the late afternoon when we exit the Park, our legs will most likely demand a stretch and a variety of trails await. Should the weather be cooperating another option is flightseeing from a nearby airstrip ($250-275/person). It's a truly indescribable experience to witness the stark and formidable higher elevations from this perspective --and if "The Mountain" is "out", then there's just no question. It's then back to our camp for dinner and an evening tundra exploration.

Day  3     After breakfast we'll pack up and turn east to cross the spectacular Denali Highway. It is a 140 mile gravel road across wide valleys, alpine tundra and haunting scenery that is open only in the summer months and the only road through this remote area. Crossing glacial river and lake country, wildlife viewing opportunities abound in this large stretch of wilderness inhabited year-round only by the occasional trapper and wilderness hermit. We'll stop along the way at a couple of the unique establishments to mingle with some of the locals. After crossing the beautiful Maclaren River we will gradually climb up to Maclaren Summit (elev. 4082 ft), the second highest point on Alaska's road system. Here we will leave the van for a great ramble above treeline, walking north towards the impressive Maclaren Glacier and mountains of the Alaska Range. This alpine tundra hike is spectacular, allowing for expansive views in all directions. Numerous kettle lakes dot the landscape and the possibility of seeing migrating caribou is good. After reaching Paxson, we will turn north on the Richardson Highway and depart the road to reach the base of the imposing Gulkana Glacier for a quick hike across a swinging bridge and onto the glacier's terminal moraine. A few miles south we'll find our dinner, and evening's lodging in the comfortable rooms of the scenic Meier's Lake Roadhouse.

Day  4     From Meier's Lake we will get an early start to continue north through the Alaska Range following the Delta River to Delta Junction, and then take the Alaska Highway to Tok. Here, we'll pick up the twisting gravel road to historic Eagle, home of the early Army outpost of Fort Egbert, the army's northernmost presence until World War II. Eagle has long served as the last supply post for the vast upper Yukon valley, providing the earliest miners and current wilderness dwellers with their link to mail delivery, telephones and the rest of the world. Its frontier nature hasn't changed much, as it is still cut off from the rest of the road system during the eight winter months of the year. We'll bunk for the evening in historic cabins overlooking the Yukon. Listed in the National Register of Historic Places, the cabins are where the famous Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen "wintered", after arriving in December of 1905 from mushing by dog team from his ship locked in the ice 1000 miles to the north. It was by telegraph from Eagle that he was able to notify the world of his success in finding the long sought Northwest Passage, after three years with no communication.

Day  5     After a morning historic tour of old Eagle and Ft. Egbert we'll load up the canoes and kayaks and head down the road toward Dawson City via the "Top of The World Highway". The road follows magnificent ridgelines and descends through many old mining camps from days gone by, including the tiny outpost of Boundary, Alaska. After crossing the Canadian border, the road descends into the Yukon River Valley and to the goal of all the Stampeders of the Great Klondike Gold Rush of 1898, Dawson City. Dawson is still a frontier town with plenty of its history evident in the old structures and dirt streets. That afternoon will be left open to those that would like to explore on their own or get cleaned up before dinner on the town. Lodging will be in a bed and breakfast, nestled against the hillside, after sampling a bit of the nightlife.

Day  6     After breakfast, an excellent recitation of famous works at the cabin of the poet laureate of the north Robert Service, is optional but highly recommended with the rest of the morning open for prowling around, shopping, and visiting the museums. We'll meet for lunch and then have some more free time for a last taste of "civilization", as the guide readies the equipment for us to set out on the mighty Yukon River in kayaks and canoes in mid-afternoon. First we will float past a steamboat graveyard a short ways downstream, and from here continue on past the Native village of Moosehide for a three hour paddle/float past rock bluffs and waterfalls to a creekside camp on the river.

Day  7     Slipping into our boats after breakfast we will continue downriver to explore the abandoned homestead of Percy "Iron Man" DeWolfe, who ran the mail up and down the Yukon between Eagle and Dawson by boat in summer and by dog team during the harsh winter months, until he was well into his seventies and was forcibly replaced by the airplane. Percy's presence is still felt in the many items of his life hidden in the overgrowth and wild raspberries (delicious!) that have claimed the site since. An afternoon stop at the wilderness homestead of Cor Guimand will give an idea of what it's like to live in the wilderness year-round, hunting and trapping with his dog team and leading a subsistence lifestyle. The evening’s camp will be at the remote abandoned gold rush town of Forty Mile with many structures still standing; including a church, store, and the log cabin headquarters of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. A prowl through this ghostly presence is mandatory . . .

Day  8     Another day on the river past many islands, drainages and cliff walls dropping directly into the river, before lunch at Old Woman’s and Old Man’s Rock (a native legend that will have to wait for on-site explanation). We'll see if we can pick out any of the wood camps that supplied fuel to the hundreds of steam boats that used to ply the river until roads were built opening up the great river valleys to more economical vehicle traffic in the 1950’s. Camp for the evening will most likely be just shy of the US border on an island. The views are magnificent.

Day  9     An early morning departure will have us paddling back across the U.S. border and into Eagle around noon for lunch (and showers!) at the riverbank cafe. In the early afternoon we are solidly back on "terra firma" and those opting can stretch their legs with a short but vigorous hike to the top of Eagle Bluff, long a landmark to river travelers. The history is so palpable in Eagle, you'll probably want to spend a few hours just strolling about, maybe talking with the locals about how and why they might live in such a remote outpost with road access only a few months a year. After a hearty dinner, we'll again spend the night in the cabins by the river.

Day  10     After breakfast we climb out of the valley of the Yukon, back to the road through "downtown" Chicken and on to Tok. This time we'll turn south on the Tok Cut-off, through Mentasta Pass and a valley of small lakes and streams, great for spotting moose before breaking out into the great basin of the Copper River. Long a corridor for game and hence migrating peoples, our route follows the border of Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, our nation's largest. Passing through Slana and the old mining community of Chistochina, we'll continue southward, stopping just before the junction with the Richardson Highway that follows the old Valdez-Eagle Trail. Camp for the evening will be on a wonderful bluff overlooking the Copper River, as it winds its way around the imposing snow capped volcanoes of Mt. Sanford and Mt. Drum across the broad valley. It's an exquisite place just to sit and "glass" with binoculars for wildlife below, or roast marshmallows over the open fire.

Day  11     The Richardson Highway, following the old Valdez-Eagle trail, leads us southward through Glennallen to the Visitor Center of our nation's largest National Park, Wrangell-St. Elias. An undeveloped jewel, the Park coupled with the adjoining Kluane National Park of Canada, is the largest piece of protected wilderness on the planet. We'll pick up a one-lane abandoned railroad grade at the confluence of the Copper and Chitina Rivers, that leads us 60 miles into the center of the Park and the near ghost towns of McCarthy and Kennicott. The road ends at the Kennicott River, with public access to McCarthy limited to a footbridge. We though, will utilize a private vehicle bridge to access our own private facility on the island between the Kennicott River and McCarthy Creek. It's truly a fantastic spot with views in all directions, from the towering icefalls up high, to the glacial creek tumbling just out front. Legs and palates will no doubt demand a short walk to the tiny ghost town of McCarthy (possibly wetting whistles at the unique tavern/watering hole) followed by an "untrailed" hike over the glacial moraine below where the Kennicott and Root glaciers join. It's an eery landscape seemingly of another planet, and darned beautiful. Working our way back along one fork of the Kennicott river to the confluence with McCarthy Creek, leads us back to camp and surely an evening fire on the river gravel bar.

Day  12     A post breakfast van trip up the remainder of the road four miles to the abandoned company town of Kennicott overlooking its glacier namesake, allows an almost unbelievable exploration of an entire town sitting much the way it was when the mines closed in 1938. It is almost eery to find the company store, a hospital with patient records still in the attic, dozens of other buildings, and the incredible 14-story mill building itself. Kennicott is truly a ghost town without equal, with its remoteness dictating that many things were not worth transporting out, coupled with a fortunate lack of vandalism. We'll continue onward by foot paralleling the glacial moraine to reach the face of the Root Glacier itself. If careful, it's possible to walk up onto the face for a little ways. It truly is another world. Heading back down, possibly by the manual method along the old Wagon Road, brings us back to McCarthy for possibly an appetizer and drink in the local bar. The contrast between the two towns is now very apparent, with Kennicott the regimented company town, and McCarthy, the nearby free wheeling outlet for all of the those lonely miners . . . Another delicious camp dinner and evening creekside fire with views all about is definitely in order.

Day  13     Today feels a bit more leisurely, with the morning open to explore such options as fantastic flightseeing, hiking, or just plain relaxing. In the afternoon we'll reluctantly be on our way, winding out of the park and back to pavement for the beautiful trip to Valdez, up and over the Chugach Range. Crossing Thompson Pass, we descend to follow to the ocean, the long impenetrable Keystone Canyon, whose shear cliff walls kept the route from even being discovered for many years. Valdez, situated in beautiful surroundings, feels a bit different than many of the old Alaska places we've seen, in that it was "moved" after the near complete devastation of its former, geologically unstable location during the great 1964 earthquake (9.2 Richter!). Though the urban planning "grid" ideals of the mid-60's is quite apparent, all's you have to do is turn in any direction to see the mountains meeting the sea. Dinner will be on the town in Valdez, with bed & breakfast accommodations nearby to allow an early morning trip to the ferry terminal.

Day  14     After breakfast, we'll board the Alaska State ferry for the five hour ride across spectacular Prince William Sound, passing the Columbia Glacier with its calving icebergs and numerous harbor seals. There is a good chance of seeing humpback and maybe even orca or killer whales as well as porpoises as we weave amongst the many islands of the Sound before reaching the small harbor town of Whittier. Here we will meet up with our van and drive through the longest combined vehicle/train tunnel in North America to reach the 1964 earthquake-destroyed town of Portage on the other side, which will lead us through the Kenai Mountains to the tiny end-of-the-road frontier town of Hope on Cook Inlet. Far older than Anchorage, this first gold rush community in Alaska is still a place of log buildings and an atmosphere that can only be experienced. After dinner in a local cafe, we'll settle into our cozy cabins on the edge of rushing Bear Creek.

Day  15     Bright and early we'll head down the road to Seward and board the tour boat to head out into the Gulf of Alaska for the spectacular Kenai Fjords National Park, passing through the Chiswell Islands Refuge. Here we will view calving glaciers up very close in our small vessel and cruise the rugged coastline to view a tremendous concentration of wildlife, possibly including orcas and humpback whales, sea otters, sea lions, porpoises, eagles, and many different kinds of sea birds. Returning that evening, we'll take a look around Seward before heading north through the mountain lake community of Moose Pass and back to Hope for a barbecue on the deck. If the weather's conducive we'll have a campfire and contemplate a walk to the historic Seaview Bar down on the waterfront to meet some of the local "wildlife". Or, you might just like to poke around the old settlement and see the magnificent views of the mountains bordering Cook Inlet. Lodging for the night is again at Discovery Cabins.

Day  16     After breakfast, and perhaps a bit of gold panning taught by a local miner (optional), we will follow the road to the small town of Girdwood, home of the world-class Alyeska Ski Resort. Here there is an option to take the tram ride to the summit if the clouds permit for a spectacular view of the surrounding Chugach Range and Cook Inlet, while others might opt for a short hike through the rainforest (yes, rainforest) before having lunch at the locally famous bakery. We'll return to Anchorage in late afternoon and officially end our incomparable journey on the Last Frontier . . . and now is the true test of, the Spell of the Yukon . . .