Turquoise Kayak and Hike – Lake Clark National Park

This morning you’ll start the day with an orientation and gear check at our headquarters in Anchorage 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.  You'll enjoy a delicious lunch along the shores of Lake Clark, discuss the adventure with your guides, and wrap up the trip orientation.  You’ll check into the Farm Lodge (or similar) after lunch, strike out on the first hike of the trip along the park’s only developed trail to Tanalian Falls – a spectacular waterfall along the Tanalian River, and then finish the evening with a delicious welcome dinner at the lodge.

This morning you’ll load into float planes and lift off into the afternoon skies bound for the east end of Turquoise Lake; a spectacular 40 minute flight. We’ll spend 2-3 hours setting up camp along the lakeshore and inflating our kayaks, while we begin the process of absorbing the solitude of this silent wilderness. We’ll then shoulder day packs and head off to explore one of the mighty drainages that bring glacially churned waters to the head of the lake. We’ll practice our river crossing techniques and surely discuss the forces that have shaped this landscape for thousands of years. We’ll return to camp for an amazing Adventure Appetites dinner and wilderness celebration.

After leaving the comfort of your sleeping bag, you’ll sip your preferred morning beverage as your guide prepares a sumptuous breakfast sure to fuel you for the day ahead. We’ll then strike out for a day of hiking up and into the “grand canyon” of Lake Clark National Park. If weather and river conditions allow, our goal today will be the Turquoise Glacier, via a 6-mile hike up-valley. As you marvel at the 5000’ walls of the canyon and the waterfalls cascading from distant summits, you’ll be left speechless by the surrounding majesty and the vertical relief enveloping you. Otherwise, your guide will take you up one of the incredible side valleys that feed the Turquoise watershed. Regardless, today’s hike will simply leave you in awe and wanting more.

After a leisurely shore-side breakfast, we’ll break down camp, swap our trekking poles for paddles, and launch our inflatable sea kayaks into the pristine waters of Turquoise Lake. Kayaking on Turquoise Lake is both awe inspiring and humbling. As we paddle our way west to our next camp, located on a prominent spit of land on the southwest end of the lake, we’ll crane our necks to take in all of the amazing scenery and scan the shore and surrounding mountain sides for some of the critters that call this place home. Our campsite on the spit provides easy access to the tundra country characteristic of the western slope of the Alaska Range. This is the part of the trip where we’ll really accumulate some hiking miles!

The options are staggering! Whether crossing the mighty Mulchatna and exploring the country to the north, or making an ascent of 5500’ Crag Peak, we are sure to find true adventure in the alpine tundra country surrounding Turquoise Lake. Our guides know the country well and will be happy to suggest hikes to their favorite locations!

We dedicate our final full-day in the wilderness hiking to and visiting one of the most unique locations in Lake Clark National Park. A few miles south of our camp, nestled deep in the mountains, is the magical ‘sheep lick.’ This mineral lick is a favorite haunt for the majestic Dall’s sheep and we’ll likely see ewes and lambs frolicking on its incredibly steep slopes. This valley has also provided us with some memorable wildlife encounters over the years, so be on the lookout for caribou, wolves, grizzly bears, and wolverines as well. Bound for some to be a trip favorite, this hike is sure to put a satisfying finish atop an incomparable adventure to Turquoise Lake.

Today we will break camp and await our floatplane pick-up. We’ll return to Port Alsworth on Lake Clark by early afternoon. After showers and a celebratory lunch, we’ll tally up our wildlife sightings, and revel in an adventure not soon forgotten. We’ll then pay an afternoon visit to the Lake Clark National Park visitor’s center where you’ll have a chance to purchase maps and postcards. You’ll then board an afternoon charter flight to Anchorage. If you are departing Alaska on this day, please schedule all homebound flights for after 8PM.