This trip is entirely north of Anchorage...glacier trekking in the Matanuska Valley, hiking in the Talkeetna mountains, and exploring Denali National Park. Day 1 – We’ll meet in Anchorage, and after a gear check and orientation, we’ll drive north to the huge Matanuska Glacier where we’ll don mountaineering crampons to explore and hike around. Bottomless crevasses and towering walls of ice are always impressive. That night we're back at our homestead for a big Alaskan welcome barbecue and soak in our wood-fired hot tub. Our homestead and Base Camp is about halfway between the Matanuska glacier and Anchorage. It's nothing too elaborate but a lot of visitors really enjoy staying with us and sampling a little of our lifestyle; solar power, a home made water system, garden, greenhouse and a small log cabin we built ourselves. You'll stay in comfortable cabin tents equipped with cots and foam mattresses. Our other guests sometimes include moose and bear wandering through our "yard". Day 2 – An early start and we’ll head up into the alpine areas of scenic Hatcher Pass for a great day hike. Traveling fast and light we'll take in some exceptional views. At the end of the day we’ll load up and head north, its about a 2.5 hour drive after which we’ll reward ourselves with a nice meal out, a shower and a cozy bed at an inn in Talkeetna renowned for its local color. Day 3 – After a hearty breakfast at the inn, you’ll have a chance to wander round town. Talkeetna is a quirky historic town that, rumor has it, was the inspiration for the television show “Northern Exposure”. After lunch we’ll head north to Denali to set up camp at an established campground close to the park entrance. Day 4 – We’ll get out and about in the park to see what we can find. There are no trails in Denali so we’ll be scrambling up river drainages and traversing ridges in search of great views. We’ll try and be quiet and see if we can sight some unsuspecting moose, caribou or maybe even a bear. If opportunity arises we might attend one of the educational lectures at the Visitors Center in the evening. Day 5 - The bus is far and away the most reliable way to see wildlife in Denali, there is no other vehicular traffic and animals are accustomed to these non-threatening daily visitors. During the ride we’ll be looking for bear, moose, caribou, fox and everything else. A picnic lunch and hike before heading back for pizza out and a comfortable night in an inn or B&B. Day 6 – Our last day, we’ll start with a raft trip on the exciting Nenana River before we head back to Anchorage to say our goodbyes. If the schedule allows we'll try and stop at the Iditarod sled dog race headquarters to break up the drive. Although the trip officially ends when we drop you at your hotel, good restaurants and nightlife are easy to find in Anchorage for those who choose to meet up for a last hurrah! Read more: www.frolichawaii.com/urbanmixplate/northern-exposure-heading-to-denali/
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