Tomorrow marks the start of a week-long ski mountaineering trip into the heart of the Alaska Mountains. I'll be arriving in Anchorage on Saturday afternoon and driving 2+ hrs north to Talkeetna. The following morning (weather-dependent), we'll be boarding a small aircraft modified for glacier landings and enjoy a short (~30 min), but spectacular flight over and into the heart of the Alaska range.
Talkeetna Air Taxi:
We'll be landing on a small offshoot of the enormous Kahiltna glacier, unofficially known as the Pika Glacier. Located about 30 miles south of the highest mountain in North America, Denali Peak, this area has been dubbed 'Little Switzerland' for the spectacular alpine setting reminiscent of the Alps.
Little Switzerland:
The plane will leave and we will set up our basecamp at 5,600 feet. For 5 days, we'll be free to explore the beautiful soaring rock buttresses and surrounding glaciers for ski descents ranging from 500 - 2,500 feet. On Friday, the plane will return and we'll sadly be brought back to reality.
I've created and annotated a Google Map with a few areas of interest, including the Pika Glacier which will be my home for the next week. Simply click on the link and you should be directed to the custom map: Alaska - Pika Glacier. I highly recommend selecting the terrain or satellite views for topographic perspectives of the areas. You can also use the toolbars to zoom in on these areas.
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