Backpacking the Revelation Mountains – Lake Clark National Park

This morning you’ll start the day with an orientation and gear check our office/warehouse prior to the flight from Anchorage to Port Alsworth. From Merrill Field, located in the heart of Anchorage, you’ll fly west through the glacially carved splendor of Lake Clark Pass, one of the most spectacular bush flights in Alaska, arriving 1.5 hours later in the small community of Port Alsworth.  After lunch, we’ll load into float planes and lift off into the afternoon skies bound for a small alpine lake nestled on the west side of the Revelation Mountains, about 75 minutes north of Lake Clark. As our pilot bids us a fond farewell and maneuvers the float plane over the ridge to the south, we’ll hoist packs and begin backpacking to our first camp in the tundra-carpeted alpine country above of the lake.

We’ll spend the next seven days moving from our first camp beneath a stunning peak, aptly named The Angel, to our pickup location on the Big River. We’ll likely have at least two layover days during which we’ll explore glaciers, valleys, and peaks with packs stripped down to the bare essentials. These layover days are also used as weather days, if necessary. Backpacking through the Revelations will throw a sampling of the Alaska backpacking challenges at you, including a few river crossings, some alder bashing, abundant talus and scree, some steep ascents, and a two high mountain passes. By the evening of night 7 or 8, we’ll be camped at the toe of the Revelation Glacier, enjoying views of one of Alaska’s most magnificent glacier valleys. The vertical relief above this camp on the river will exceed 7000′ – from the river itself to the lofty summit of Mt. Hesperus (9828′).

By the afternoon of day nine, we’ll arrive at a small airstrip on the Big River. At this point we will have trekked over 40 miles of amazing wilderness. Too soon for most, our pilot’s small bush plane with tundra tires will arrive to return us to the Farm Lodge at Lake Clark Resort in Port Alsworth. After checking into your lakeside cabin, enjoying showers and a celebratory dinner in the lodge dining room, we’ll tally up of favorite views and meals, and revel in the post-trip euphoria common to all who’ve completed a big backpacking expedition in Alaska.

After breakfast at the lodge, we’ll pay a morning visit to the Lake Clark National Park visitor’s center where you’ll have a chance to purchase maps and postcards, enjoy interpretive displays and videos, and share your experience with park staff. We’ll spend the rest of the day hiking to Tanalian Falls, along the park’s only developed trail, before boarding a late afternoon charter flight to Anchorage. If you are departing Alaska on this day, please schedule all homebound flights for after 9 pm.