BASECAMP NIKISKI: WRANGELL/ST. ELIAS NATIONAL PARK BASECAMP TRIP 2018

THE CREW:
Doug Armstrong
Rick Green
Dylan Hooper
Wally Hufford
Cari Martin
Julie Stephens

LOGISTICS:
We drove to McCarthy, Alaska in two vehicles. Upon arrival we set up camp at the National Park Service Meadow Camping area. We checked in with Wrangell Mountain Air that evening and had dinner at The Potato. The next morning it was raining and snowing at the higher elevations. We were supposed to fly to Iceberg Lake at 8:30 AM. However, weather conditions prevented us from getting there and we ended up going to Hubert's Landing at 4:30 PM.

THE STORY:
Our original plan was to fly to Skolai Pass and hike the Goat Trail to Glacier Creek where we would have packrafts delivered and essentially float back to McCarthy with a hike thrown in at the end. We had spent months planning and prepping for this trip. However, in a phone call with the Wrangell Mountain Air folks we learned that our desired route was impassable. The high passes were filled with snow and the stream crossings were torrents of melt water. Conditions were dangerous. In fact, two people drowned attempting to cross a stream in the Park while we were there, and we later read accounts of several individuals being washed down streams as they attempted to make crossings.

All Alaska backcountry travelers know that sometimes you are at the mercy of weather and circumstance. Commonly referred to as "The Alaska Factor," any adventure is best approached with an open mind. The ability to alter plans and objectives in accordance with unforeseeable changes in weather, flight times, abilities, and so on, makes being flexible an imperative trait. The lingering late Spring and the current weather conditions were just another exercise in humility. Nature's bold power was showing us who was boss. So, we came up with an alternate plan deciding to fly to Iceberg Lake and take day hikes around that area instead.

We were all set to go when we arrived at McCarthy and set up camp the night before we were scheduled to fly out. About 2:00 AM it began to rain and we awoke to wet, soggy, sagging tents. Everyone scrambled toward the Wrangell Mountain Air office where we knew it would be dry under the porch of the building. Just a little more chaos to add to the fun.

Following breakfast at The Potato, probably the finest eatery in McCarthy, we loaded our backpacks into a van and rode to the airstrip. The rain continued as we transferred our gear from the van to a small plane with huge Tundra Tires. Then we stood around waiting to hear the final assessment of the weather from our pilot. After looking at the current conditions on an iPhone and getting a report from another pilot we were informed that visibility was not good enough to fly. Back to the office we went for another cup of coffee and more food at The Potato.

The day was spent drying gear, eating more food at The Potato, napping, and rearranging our plans. There was 8-10 inches of snow at Iceberg Lake. We weren't going there. The Wrangell Mountain Air folks suggested a place called Hubert's Landing and we collectively shook our heads in agreement. It was lower in elevation and there was a cabin we could utilize. At 4:30 PM we were on our way back to the airstrip and loading our gear into a plane for the second time that day.

The flight to Hubert's was nothing short of spectacular. We flew over the braided Chitina River with mountains rising on either side and valleys, often filled with glacial ice and debris, winding their way miles into the distance. We had a hard time deciding which direction to point our cameras as every square inch of the place was photo worthy.

And, here's the best part, just as we landed on a gravel bar in the middle of nowhere, the weather began to clear.

Once camp was established it was obvious that we were in a stunning, wild place that none of us had ever been before. Beautiful, jagged mountains ran to the horizon in all directions and the wide Chitina River flowed into the distance beyond our ability to see. There were several drainages we could explore and it didn't hurt that the weather was improving with a forecast including more of the same. Civilization was several days walking away, but that really didn't matter because we had everything we needed--plus some.

Over the years we have made many trips to extremely wild locations. It is difficult to share a sense of these places. Granted there was a cabin at Hubert's Landing, but it was surrounded by miles of nothing. It is a nothing that touches your heart and calls to your soul. Places of wilderness are that way. They provide inspiration and purpose...a reason to keep your mind and body strong. That's why we go there. It is also a silent place with the exception of the wind and water. You can hear yourself think.

Days were passed with combinations of hiking, playing cards, and eating. The first day we enjoyed--ahem--a 7 1/2 hour bushwhack which left us tired and hungry. We celebrated with freeze dried meals and adult beverages upon our return. The next morning we took a 5+ mile RT hike up a drainage to a narrow canyon where we turned around after the canyon walls closed in tight against the creek flowing out from its depths. The remainder of the afternoon was spent washing clothes and tending gear in bright sunshine. The following days were spent in similar fashion as we also photographed plants and the prints wolves, coyotes, bears, and bison had left on the sand. Even though we weren't lucky enough to see any wildlife it was good to know the area was home to a variety of creatures. I'm certain they knew we were there.

As for the weather during the remainder of our stay, it was making nice. After all the turbulence and tumult it caused prior to our landing on that gravel strip, it couldn't have been minding its manners more perfectly. Glorious sun drenched days followed each other and we soon took for granted the warm and dry air as we lived amid the raw beauty of a 'place that's always been.'

On July 4th two of us flew back to McCarthy. The evening flight was remarkable and upon our arrival we passed a large group of people dancing to live music as we made our way to the Wrangell Mountain Air office. Our pilot accompanied us to The Potato where we ordered food while watching revelers celebrate Independence Day only as they are able in McCarthy. It didn't go without notice that there was a barrage of the sounds of civilization from a live band, four-wheelers, a motorcycle, people talking, and shuttle vans driving back and forth. There were even fireworks exploding in the Alaskan dusk at midnight. It was a stark contrast to the serenity and solitude of Hubert's Landing.

Several members of our party remained at Hubert's Landing to extend the trip a few more days. The weather remained pleasant for them and they continued the daily hiking routine making it up a ravine and near the glacier terminus.

In the end, even though our original plans were thwarted, we were able to spend time in a place that has no roads, trails, or hint of civilization (with the exception of an ancient, abandoned cabin), miles and miles from the nearest outpost, in the largest National Park in the nation. We would embrace all those things and appreciate the wilderness experience swooning at the views and listening to the silence. We created a sense of appreciation of the landscape that can only be built by soaking it in at a walking pace. It didn't hurt that the finest weather of the season was bestowed upon us during our stay either. Sometimes things work out just the way they are supposed to.

Here are some photos:

At the airstrip early in the morning. It was a false alarm. The weather wasn't conducive to flying so we went back to the Wrangell Mountain Air office.