I just returned from my latest group trip which was a camping and hiking adventure in Alaska! This was my first time to this amazing state and it did not disappoint.
I arrived around 9pm and was greeted with mountain views from the airport!
I arrived a day early and stayed one night in a hostel in Anchorage called Base Camp. Two other ladies from my group trip were also there that evening so we got to meet and chat. Accommodations were comfortable there and we got brunch together in the morning then met up with the rest of the group at 1pm for our pick up.
Day 1: All 8 of us got to meet Brance who was our local guide! He loaded all of our luggage into the trailer, then we got into the van and we were off for our first campground--Creekbend Company and Campground.
"Ghost trees", these are petrified trees that died after an earthquake several decades ago and they still stand to this day.
We arrived to the tiny town of Hope and got out to see the buildings, views, and stretch our legs before heading to set up camp.
After setting up camp in the rain, we headed next door to the Dirty Skillet for our welcome dinner! We tried out reindeer fried rice balls and crab cakes for appetizers.
I had a blue cheese burger with a hard cider. Delicious!
I shared my peanut butter chocolate pie for dessert.
Unfortunately one lady had flight delays and didn't get in until late that night so she missed our welcome dinner. However she joined us after and got caught up!
It was so weird how late it stayed light out! This was at about 10pm. It was only dark enough to need a light from around midnight to 2am.
Day 2: Breakfast each morning was a buffet of yogurts + toppings, pastries, fruits, and breads. Plus coffee of course!
Massive ravens were everywhere! As well as magpies.
For our first day we headed up to the town of Whittier! This secluded town is in a mountain pass requiring all vehicles to drive 2 miles through a tunnel (that is shared with a train track) below the mountains.
We were blessed with clear weather for this short hike on Portage Pass Trail to see Portage Lake. We had amazing views of the mountains and surrounding glaciers.
After this hike we headed to the marina to join a 4hr glacier cruise! We were served lunch where I chose salmon chowder, and amazing close up views of glaciers and wildlife.
We got to see a humpback whale!
Sea lions
Shipwreck
These birds are called black legged kittiwakes (they look like seagulls) and they nest all along the cliffs. We saw a bald eagle eating one then flying off!
The large building on the right is the entire town! They almost all live in it, and the stores are in it. With a glacier for a backdrop.
They pulled a small piece of glacier ice out of the water for us to touch!
After the glacier cruise our guide took us on a special short hike not on the itinerary for Byron Glacier Trail. This was a popular and easy trail that led right into a valley with views of a glacier! There was also "avalanche snow" that is compacted and similar to glacier ice that we could go on and check out.
That evening the rain moved back in so we all pitched in to help cook a spaghetti camp dinner under the canopy.
11pm tent selfie!
Day 3: This day after breakfast we headed into Girdwood for a hike and tram ride at the Mt Alyeska resort. While we were waiting in the lobby we had our first moose sighting!
Another unscheduled hike that our guide Brance recommended was a sure winner! This one is called Winner Creek Trail and went thru a beautiful forest thru gorges and bridges. I love the group shots we got!
After that trail we were supposed to ride the tram up the mountain then hike the trail down. However due to a rock slide a couple of days before the whole trail was closed! So we enjoyed the tram ride up, then ate our packed lunch at the top and saw the gift shop before riding the tram back down.
Views of the closed trail on our way up
Since we had time to spare our guide treated us to an afternoon coffee in Girdwood at a local coffee shop! Just what we needed.
After that he had another off-itinerary trail recommendation for Virgin Creek Falls. This super short trail is nestled in a residential area and leads you through amazing moss covered trees before ending at a breathtaking waterfall.
To end this fabulous day we enjoyed dinner at a local restaurant where I got the grilled Alaskan salmon and veggies. YUM.
On our way back to Hope from Girdwood we were treated to a "sunset" view--I say that because it's not really a sunset at 8pm in Alaska haha! See the actual sun at the top?
And I spotted another moose on the coast that we quickly pulled off for to take pictures of.
Day 4: This day we packed up our tents after breakfast in preparation for our next destination in Seward! On the way we stopped to hike a portion of Johnson Pass trail. This trail is actually over 20 miles long but we only hiked the first 2.2 miles of it to a bridge where we stopped to rest and have lunch before turning around.
On our way into Seward there's an artificial waterfall that is pretty impressive!
In the late afternoon we happily arrived at our next campground in Seward called Miller's Landing. This was a larger and better campground and we all immediately took showers! There was a minor mixup with the campsites however that delayed our evening relaxation but it got worked out after playing some musical tents. We were supposed to have another camp dinner but our guide did not have time to make it to the market so instead he took us out to dinner at the campground cafe. I ordered pierogi and kielbasa which was pretty good.
After dinner we enjoyed the bayside views and a campfire!
Day 5: This day was a hard hike that some of us were anxious about. We all loaded up after breakfast and drove to the Kenai Fjords National Park to hike the Harding Ice Trail to Exit Glacier. We did not hike the entire trail which ends at the beginning of the ice field, however we did hike about 3/4 of it to a very scenic cliff overlook and had lunch at the top.
Behind me in this picture is Exit Glacier! There were reports of black bears at this very spot about 30 min prior to when we got there.
After this breathtaking hike, our guide Brance dropped us off in Seward to explore while he loaded up on groceries (me and a couple others also enjoyed a drink at the town bar). We met back up with him then headed back to camp where we enjoyed a camp dinner of burgers and chips.
Day 6: The next morning I surprised the group by cooking us all a hot breakfast! I made scrambled eggs, sausage links, and toast to go with the usual fruit and pastries.
This day we had a fun day of kayaking! We all loaded up in tandem sea kayaks to explore Resurrection Bay for the afternoon.
Wildlife spotted includes sea otters, sea lions, and bald eagles.
At our hafway point the kayak guides beached us at a rocky spot and took us on a short hike to see Bridal Veil Falls. We enjoyed our packed lunch on the beach then loaded back up to return to the marina.
For our last hike of the trip our guide took us on a short but difficult trail call Tonsina Creek Trail. This started very close to our campground and snaked down the hills to Tonsina point in Resurrection Bay where we saw a beautiful glacial river into the bay.
After this full day it was time for our farewell dinner! We cleaned up then headed back into Seward to have dinner at the Gold Rush Bistro. I ordered the grilled garlic Alaskan halibut and all of the food was delicious.
Even though we were all stuffed from dinner, we found room for gelato that our guide Brance treated us to afterward! I had the coffee gelato.
Day 7: Our adventures came to an end this day after breakfast. We packed up camp and loaded the trailer then hit the road for the long drive back to Anchorage. Along the way we had lovely views of the cloudy bay, as well as some surprise mountain goats that Brance was able to pull off for us to see.
After 24+ hours of travel and airport time I finally made it home safe and sound the next afternoon! Sleeping in an actual bed, with an actual pillow, and taking an UNTIMED hot shower was perfection. This was a great group of ladies and I'm so happy I had the pleasure to meet them all and experience Alaska together.
I've only got a few days at home to unpack then repack--I leave on Friday for my next adventure!
