July 11: Departure Day, Seattle to Fairbanks

July 11 – 14: Fairbanks

Arrive in Fairbanks, a gold rush boom town nestled along the Chena River less than 200 miles south of the Arctic Circle, and take part in an in-depth orientation to get to know your leaders and fellow group members. Spend three days camping and working on an educational farm perched on a hillside outside of town. Learn firsthand the challenges and opportunities Alaskan residents encounter in growing fresh produce in a region of steep, mountainous slopes, discontinuous permafrost, and 24 hour daylight during the summer months. Harvest fruits and vegetables, hike in the aspen and spruce forests behind the farm, try your hand at blacksmithing and woodworking, and care for the resident sheep alongside the farm’s staff. Prepare pizzas as a group in the community brick oven, and roast s’mores over the campfire at night. Learn the basics of pitching your tent and preparing your campsite as you prepare to camp at the edge of Denali National Park.

July 15 – 19: Denali

A medley of boreal forest, tundra, sand dunes, and glaciers, Denali National Park encompasses six million acres of pristine wilderness and is home to Denali, the tallest peak in North America. Spend two nights in cabins at the park’s edge, then head to our campsite overlooking scenic Otto Lake to fully experience the great outdoors. Watch for moose and their young grazing in the early morning, take a canoe out for an afternoon paddle, or borrow some binoculars and spot a few of the over 100 species of birds that call the park home. Hike wilderness trails and scout for bears, wolves, caribou, and white Dall sheep on expert-led hikes. Try your hand at fly-fishing in a glacially-fed riverbed, then visit the last remaining sled dog kennel of the National Park Service and meet the rangers who undertake conservation and research missions throughout Alaska’s dark winters.

July 20 – 22: Girdwood

Next, journey south to the town of Girdwood, our base for exploring the coastal Kenai Peninsula. Visit the Alaska Native Heritage Center along the way and listen to a storyteller, attend a traditional Athabascan dance ceremony, and speak with members of Alaska’s native culture groups. Spend three days hiking and exploring the northernmost temperate rainforest in North America. Pan for gold at an historic mine and learn how its trade impacted the legacy of Alaska and the local economy. Witness the extreme boreal tides of Turnagain Arm as you scout for belugas, and spot wildlife as you kayak along the glaciated coastline.

July 23: Anchorage

To cap the program, don crampons and ice picks and traverse the Matanuska Glacier with expert guides. Try your hand at ice climbing, learn how glacial morphology has transformed the landscape over millions of years, and witness glacial recession firsthand. Travel to Anchorage in the evening for a final celebratory dinner as a group.

July 24: Return Day, Anchorage to Seattle