Overnight Explorations in the Wrangell Mountains

        Of course, on a trip arranged by Adventure Life, folks wouldn’t be left alone in the wilderness.  Our travelers would have a guide, a fair amount of group camping gear, and plenty of great food - all dropped off with them, in a series of these small flights into the backcountry.

        But being more experienced backpackers, we had specifically sought to spend this time alone, on a self-guided adventure.  We had met with Jared at Kennicott Wilderness Guides, poured over maps with him, discussed potential campsites and hiking routes, and rented a satellite communication device and bear spray for our journey.
          Once we had wrapped our mind around watching that small plane take off, we set out to the southeast on a 4-mile trek to find our campsite.  The goal was to attain a semi-flat bench, high above the valley floor - but still below the pass itself.  We would set up a campsite there, as a basecamp, from which we could do a few days worth of easy day hikes.

        Hiking without trails took a bit longer than expected, and I bit the dust on one little stream crossing when I tried to put too much trust on a remaining snowbridge.  But we did eventually reach that flat bench we had seen on the maps, and found a perfect - if maybe a bit windy - campsite in the tundra.

        The first full day’s exploration took us up over more and more benches to Chitistone Pass, where we wandered among the melting snow.  Creeks were swollen up here, and we played hide-and-seek with a few caribou enjoying the newly-accessible grasses and weeds that had just come out with the melting of the snow.

        The second full day’s exploration took us roughly along the same elevation from camp, curving further and further around the flanks of Chitistone Peak, until we had absolutely stunning views of a whole complex of long glacier tongues, as far as the eye could see, coming out of the University Mountains.