Traverse Alaska - Private Hiking and Rafting Adventures

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • TripAdvisor
  • Search

907-903-0979 | info@traversealaska.com

  • About
    • What We Provide
    • Our Team
    • Gallery
    • Blog
    • FAQ
    • Contact Us
  • Day Trips
  • River Trips
  • Multi-Day Adventures
    • Lodge-Based
    • Tent-based
  • Custom Adventures
  • Other Adventures
    • Transportation
    • Winter
    • Courses

True’s Alaska Wish Points North

December 18, 2018

True and his family on their custom photography/hiking trip. It was True’s Wish to go to Alaska to take photographs.

High school didn’t unfold exactly the way True envisioned it would. In August of 2017, just before the start of his junioryear, True was diagnosed with Burkitt leukemia and started five months of aggressive treatments.

Hospital stays made True’s passion for photography hard to practice, but he still dreamed of being able to spend time outdoors with his camera someday. 

“Before cancer,” said True,” I was doing photography as a hobby. During treatment, I started thinking about what I wanted to do with my future. That’s when I realized that I love art and photography, and there’s a big industry out there. That’s when I realized I might like to pursue photography as a career.”

When True found out he would receive a wish, he decided to combine his passion for travel and photography and take a trip to Alaska to see the beautiful landscape and take pictures of it. 

While in Alaska, True and his family hiked, fished, met sled dogs, and explored Denali National Park. One day during his trip, True and his family enjoyed a custom, private guided photography and hiking excursion with Traverse Alaska. Professional photographer and Traverse Alaska guide, Mollie Foster, led the family on a full-day adventure, including a hike in the tundra specifically designed for True to be able to take photos. 

True captures a photo of a rainbow during their hike in the tundra.

“It was fun for me as a guide and photographer to have a family that was both interested in Alaska and capturing the outdoors through a photo lens,” said Mollie. 

On that day in Denali, True captured many of Denali’s wonders: moose, tundra, glaciers, stormy skies, and mountains. 

The weather forecast was stormy, but in the end they were able to capture beautiful landscape scenes including storm clouds and rainbows.

“We were living in the moment that day,” said Mollie. “We didn’t talk about True’s condition. We were so immersed in the present, in the hike, in the weather, and the photography, that there was no time to reflect on his health.”

That’s the impact of a wish. It was a chance for True and his family to focus on the future, not the hardships of the past, and to explore True’s dream to be a professional photographer. 

The wish didn’t end when True and his family traveled home from Alaska. 

“It was the best vacation we’d ever had as a family,” said True. “I’m very thankful I got to do it. Now I’m thinking about trying to work in Alaska after college. That’s how much I loved it.” 

With cancer behind him, and the final months of his senior year of high school in front of him, True is excited to study art and photography in college and work his way back to the Alaska tundra someday.

Wishes impact the whole community, not just the wish child. Mollie Foster said, “Taking True and his family out was definitely a highlight of the summer for me.” 

Enjoy some of the highlights of True’s wish as he continues his adventure to become a professional photographer. True’s photos here: http://akwa.wish.org/wishes/wish-stories/wish-to-go/true-alaska

Right now, we could fill seven school buses with the children who are waiting for wishes. That’s about 500 children! Why are these kids waiting? Because we don’t have enough volunteers and financial support to grant their wishes. Can you step up and donate your time or money to help make wishes come true for other kids like True?

Filed Under: Blog

From the Blog

Hiring Guides for 2023 Summer

March 4, 2023

Denali-based guide position: Traverse Alaska seeks applicants for professional wilderness guide positions. We are looking Learn More

Trip Planning and Covid-19

January 1, 2022

Safety is our top priority and our team continues to monitor and evaluate best practices associated with the Covid-19 Learn More

Custom delivery service news story

May 29, 2020

Tourism business shifts to deliveries for locals: “We had to pivot.” So they created Traverse Alaska Logistics and Learn More

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

Steven B., Cleveland, OH

"My family went on a private tour with Joe. Joe was an amazing guide and we thoroughly enjoyed our experience with him. We started the day with Joe picking us up and he shared Learn More

Read All Testimonials

Instagram

The aurora borealis have been really active the la The aurora borealis have been really active the last few nights in Denali! 
✨
Have you always wanted to visit Alaska in the winter and see the northern lights? Contact us for winter trips this year, or start planning for Feb-April next year!
📸 @mollieofdenali 
#traversealaskainwinter
Client POV on a 4-day Traverse Alaska / Tonglen La Client POV on a 4-day Traverse Alaska / Tonglen Lake Lodge trip package: 
Watching the sunset over a glassy Tonglen Lake after an introductory walk in the entrance area of Denali National Park. Tonight the chef served delicious halibut, and we’re going to listen to some music later in the lodge. Tomorrow we’re going on a full day of adventure, hiking and river rafting with our team of private, local guides. After exploring we’ll enjoy the mountain views at Tonglen, and sip wine and tasty appetizers until dinner. The following day we’re going on a bus trip into the national park, and are planning on hiking on our own (thanks to our new skills from our guided hike) and soak up the views of the Alaska Range mountains. Our final day we plan on going for another walk with our private guide, before we get a private ride to Anchorage, for the next portion of our 2-week-long Alaska adventure. 
✨
Interested in seeing this client POV for yourself? Traverse Alaska and Tonglen Lake Lodge still have some availability for our 3, 4, 5, and custom itineraries this summer. Contact us to learn more.
Happy solstice from Denali! ✨ Tomorrow we shift Happy solstice from Denali! ✨ 
Tomorrow we shift toward the light.

Sunrise: 10:42am
Sunset: 3:06pm
4hrs 23min of daylight
2022 Summer highlights: August. ✨ Bush planes, h 2022 Summer highlights: August.
✨
Bush planes, hiking and backpacking in fall colors (and pouring rain), river rafting trips, and taking in midnight sunset views of Denali.
#traversealaska #privatepersonalcustom
2022 Summer highlights: July. ✨ Packrafting, ri 2022 Summer highlights: July. 
✨
Packrafting, river rafting, hiking in the alpine and the ice, having fun with Iditarod champions, and enjoying the warmest month of the year with a big group of dall sheep rams. 
#traversealaska #privatepersonalcustom
2022 Summer highlights: June. ✨ Whales breachin 2022 Summer highlights: June. 
✨
Whales breaching, backcountry backpacking trips, day hiking, whitewater rafting, overnight packrafting trips, and teaching and learning with the next generation of naturalists. 
#traversealaska #privatepersonalcustom

Follow Us on Instagram →


Tonglen Lake LodgeDenali National ParkMacLaren River LodgeCamp Denali & North Face LodgeDenali Mountain Works
Top of Page
Copyright © 2023 Traverse Alaska - Private Hiking and Rafting Adventures · All rights reserved. Website by Sundog Media, LLC · Log in