Traverse Alaska - Private Hiking and Rafting Adventures

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Going into Denali National Park? Spend a day with us first!

August 16, 2018

Spend a day with us to prepare for your independent trip into Denali National Park!

Denali National Park is a unique and incredible wilderness, especially because it contains very few developed trails.  Hiking off-trail is an empowering experience, as the entire park is open to your curiosity and will to explore – it’s the true magic of Denali, and one of the many reasons why this place is so special.  However, hiking without the guidance of a trail can be intimidating. At Traverse Alaska, we can help you prepare for an Alaskan adventure in the Park, by empowering you with the necessary skills to make the most of your independent trip into the Denali backcountry.  

If you’re planning on riding the shuttle bus into Denali National Park with goals of day hiking—spend a day with us first.  We can not only demystify the somewhat complicated shuttle system for you, but can teach skills regarding wildlife safety, off-trail route finding, orienteering, weather expectations, and gear necessities.  Our guides have worked and played in Denali for years, and can teach you to read the landscape to understand how to decide where you’ll explore on your own. In addition, you’ll learn all about the geology, history, flora, and fauna of Denali, providing richer context to your adventure.  After joining us on a day trip, you’ll feel confident to step off the shuttle bus and explore Denali at your own pace.

If you are planning on backpacking in Denali overnight and need some direction, consider a preparation day with us prior to the start of your trip.  Backpacking in Denali is different from overnight trips in the Lower 48, due to the lack of trails and what we like to call “The Alaska Factor” (Thanks Joe Stock!). There are important considerations to take into account when planning a backpacking trip in Alaska, such as specific gear needs, safety tips in bear country, route possibilities, river crossings, and fickle weather patterns – and that’s before we start talking about the permit system in Denali!  Although the logistics can seem complicated, we’ll explain everything you need, provide gear lists in advance, clarify how to navigate getting a backcountry permit, and can work with you to ensure that your gear and your skills are ready for the journey. By booking a private day trip with us, you will have a personal guide dedicated to you to help with a “dry run” of your backpacking adventure, so that you feel equipped and comfortable in the Denali wilderness.

Contact us to start planning your adventures in Denali, or anywhere in the state!

To find out more about the backcountry permits in Denali National Park, please visit: https://www.nps.gov/dena/planyourvisit/backcountry.htm

Filed Under: Blog

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Traverse Alaska Philosophy

We are dedicated to providing experiences that build meaningful connections with Alaska. Our team works diligently to immerse clients in educational exploration. Each and every adventure is personalized to challenge clients while discovering the last frontier at their own unique pace.

Traverse Alaska

Human Powered Adventure

Phone
(907) 903-0979

Email
info@traversealaska.com

Mailing Address
PO Box 90875 | Anchorage, AK 99509

Testimonials

Kumar S., San Francisco, CA

"Mollie took us on a day hike in the Denali area. We planned at the last minute, but they were able to accommodate us. The hike was well organized, taught us the basis of Learn More

Read All Testimonials

Instagram

“I think of two landscapes: one outside the self “I think of two landscapes: one outside the self, the other within. 
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The external landscape is the one we see-not only the line and color of the land and its shading at different times of the day, but also its plants and animals in season, its weather, its geology… Perhaps a black-throated sparrow lands in a paloverde bush… the smell of the creosote bush….all elements of the land, and what I mean by “the landscape.”
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The second landscape I think of is an interior one, a kind of projection within a person of a part of the exterior landscape. Relationships in the exterior landscape include those that are named and discernible, such as the nitrogen cycle, or a vertical sequence of Ordovician limestone, and others that are uncodified or ineffable, such as winter light falling on a particular kind of granite, or the effect of humidity on the frequency of a blackpoll warbler’s burst of song….
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The shape and character of these relationships in a person’s thinking, I believe, are deeply influenced by where on this earth one goes, what one touches, the patterns one observes in nature- the intricate history of one’s life in the land, even a life in the city, where wind, the chirp of birds, the line of a falling leaf, are known. These thoughts are arranged, further, according to the thread of one’s moral, intellectual, and spiritual development. 
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The interior landscape responds to the character and subtlety of an exterior landscape; the shape of the individual mind is affected by land as it is by genes."
― Barry López, “Crossing Open Ground”
📸 @molliefostermedia
2020 Highlights: Getting outside safely with trave 2020 Highlights: Getting outside safely with travelers.
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This year was different in so many ways, however safety has always—and continues to be—a top priority for us. Whether exploring in the backcountry for multiple days, or front-country day hikes, or driving on a main highway, safety is always on our minds.
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In 2020 we did not guide as many people as a typical year of course, however we made adjustments such as people driving their own private group in a separate car, and keeping at least 6 feet distance when outside. We’ll see what the next year brings, but whatever it is, safety is always on our minds.
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This photo was captured pre-covid. Although in winter with buffs and face coverings to stay warm, we were following covid protocol before it was a thing! 
#2020highlights
We have so much fun hiking and learning with activ We have so much fun hiking and learning with active families! Photo from a Private, Custom Full-Day Adventure on the tundra in the Denali area. We spent the day hiking, learning about the flora and fauna, and even stumbled upon a caribou shed along our hike away from crowds and maintained trails. Contact us to customize a private trip for you and your loved ones next year!
#FindYourWildLife #denaliofftrailhike
Sometimes the best wildlife viewing is literally o Sometimes the best wildlife viewing is literally out your front door. That is, if you're staying at @tonglenlakelodge. Opening February 2021 for private stays at the Guesthouse this winter.
Video: Sarah Crowley
What a difference a day can make in the winter. Fr What a difference a day can make in the winter. From frosty trees in subzero temperatures with minimal snow
—>snow-covered limbs and above zero temperatures. 
#winterindenali #officeview
Just like that—it’s winter in Denali! #openyea Just like that—it’s winter in Denali!
#openyearround #traversealaska

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