Our True Alaskan Experience in 10 Easy Steps!

August 09, 2019 • Leave a Comment

Last week we had our true Alaskan experience and here's how we did it in 10 easy steps.

1. Drive 90 miles down a gravel road into the heart of the backcountry. This is State Rt8, the Denali Hwy, which actually is a main secondary road.

2. Encounter breathtaking views, glaciers, mountains and rivers.

3. Arrive at the Maclaren River Lodge (in the middle of nowhere).

4. Hire a jon boat to take you, your camping gear and kayaks 10 miles up river (more nowhere!) to a remote backcountry wilderness camp.

5. Pick a tent and move in.

6. Enjoy your surroundings and the view of Mount Maclaren and the Maclaren Glacier. It's a five mile hike to the glacier.

Community Tent, Maclaren Backcountry Camp

7. Visit the community tent.

8. Check out the outhouse with a view.

9. Relax around the evening campfire. Yes, this is an evening photo. Remember it doesn't get dark up here in the summer!

10. The next day kayak the river back to the lodge! The Maclaren River is glacial fed. All the water comes from the melting glacier. It is cold and very dense with silt. It is also fast moving, about 5-6 miles / hour. It is not deep and braided, meaning it branches out into many little fingers or braids. Avoid the sand bars if you can but getting stuck just happens.

The rocket contrails in the sky are from the air force jets. They practice here and when they break the sound barrier there is a loud Ba-boom! The first one is scary.

Back at the lodge we had lunch and then started back on the 90 mile gravel road back to our little patch of civilization, which we thought was in the middle of nowhere before this Alaska camping and kayaking trip .

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Our True Alaskan Experience in 10 Easy Steps!

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