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Detailed Itinerary
DOWNLOAD THIS ITINERARY (pdf) (2008 Sample Itinerary)
Please note that this is a typical itinerary, and actual activities may vary to take advantage of weather conditions, local events, and to allow serendipity to play a hand in your experience. Accommodations are as outlined in the itinerary, although we reserve the right to change these should the need arise.
DAY 1
Meet in Anchorage; transfer to Kenai Peninsula; Caines Head and Fort McGilvray
Hike – easy to moderate, 2-3 hours on hiking trails.
Upon meeting our guides in Anchorage, our exploration of the Kenai Peninsula begins with a scenic drive south to Seward, where we will spend the first two nights of our trip. Our route is a fine introduction to the beauty of the peninsula as we pass through the massive Chugach Mountains just after leaving Anchorage.
Situated at the head of Resurrection Bay on the Kenai Peninsula, Seward is one of Alaska’s oldest and most scenic communities. Known as the "Gateway to Kenai Fjords National Park," Seward is a picturesque town that offers much to explore.
Following lunch on arrival in Seward, we board a water taxi in Resurrection Bay which brings us to a small beach where we begin our afternoon hike. A forest path leads us to the scenic site of an abandoned World War II fort. This massive headland rises 650 feet above the bay, against a backdrop of rolling alpine meadows and sharp peaks, giving way to a sweeping view of the northern Pacific Ocean. Early in World War II, as the territory of Alaska was attacked and occupied by Imperial Japanese ground forces, Caines Head and other Resurrection Bay locations became strategic spots for defending the Port of Seward. This port was the southern terminus of the Alaska Railroad, a critical supply line for the war effort and for Alaskans.
Late this afternoon, back in Seward, we have time to visit the Alaska Sea Life Center. The center’s exhibits immerse visitors in the dynamic marine ecosystems of Alaska, and provide a good introduction for our week’s adventure.
Seward Windsong Lodge, Seward
DAY 2
Kenai Fjords National Park
Wildlife Cruise – 6-8 hours.
Sweeping from rocky coastline to glacier-crowned peaks, Kenai Fjords National Park encompasses 607,805 acres of unspoiled wilderness on the southeast coast of Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula. Today’s exploration of this vast park is by boat, as a nature cruise takes us deep into the park to Aialik Bay. We witness a landscape continuously shaped by glaciers, earthquakes, and storms. Three tidewater glaciers flow into Aialik Bay and the area teems with wildlife. Orcas, otters, puffins, sea lions, bald eagles, bear, porpoises, moose, and mountain goats are just a few of the numerous animals that make their home in this ever-changing place where mountains, ice, and ocean meet. The awesome power of glaciers is on display all around us, as thunderous booms from calving glaciers send huge chunks of ice breaking off and falling into the water, creating waves and scattering birds.
Upon returning to Seward we enjoy dinner this evening in one of the town’s fine restaurants.
Seward Windsong Lodge, Seward
DAY 3
Exit Glacier; Ptarmigan Lake
Hiking – moderate, 4-6 hours.
Exit Glacier provides one of the most accessible opportunities in Alaska to view a glacier up close and offers an entirely different perspective than we experienced yesterday. Several short trails offer beautiful views of Exit Glacier and its deep blue crevasses, the surrounding snowcapped mountains, and the glaciated terrain in the valley. There is nothing more awesome than walking to the face of a glacier you can touch. The sheer size of Exit Glacier dwarfs visitors who stand in awe of this slow moving sea of ice.
Following a brief interpretive walk at Exit Glacier, a short drive brings us to the start of today’s hike. From the start, our trail follows Ptarmigan Creek upstream but occasionally leaves it to ascend a scenic knoll or rock outcropping. Our trail leads through spruce forest and ascends through large meadows on the way to the turquoise Ptarmigan Lake. We are rewarded with many grand views of the surrounding mountains and alpine areas, including two small mountain glaciers on the north side of the lake. Beautiful wild flowers, including dogwood, wild roses, and wild geranium, are everywhere. The abundant wildlife of the area includes moose and mountain goats. We may also have excellent views of the brilliant red sockeye salmon in Ptarmigan Creek during their run upstream in late July and early August.
Our return from the lake once again provides outstanding views of the surrounding mountains. Once back at the trailhead, we return to our lodge for a final night in Seward where dinner is on your own. You can enjoy a nice meal in the dining room of our lodge, or head to the lively waterfront of downtown.
Seward Windsong Lodge, Seward
DAY 4
Transfer to Homer (4 hours). Russian River Lakes
Hike – easy to moderate, 2-3 hours.
This morning our day starts by beginning our transfer to the artists’ community of Homer, where we spend the remaining days of our adventure. Homer, often touted as the most scenically located town in Alaska, is on Kachemak Bay, with the mighty Kenai Mountains as a backdrop.
Our beachfront hotel is at the end of the 4.5 mile Homer spit, jutting into the middle of the Kachemak Bay. Along our route we will stop to stretch our legs with a short hike to the lower Rusian River Lakes. Before reaching the lake, there is a spur trail to the Russian River Falls viewing platform, a great place to view jumping salmon when they are running. The Russian River Falls afford the hiker an opportunity to watch migrating salmon jump this obstacle, and thousands of sockeye salmon migrate up this stream each summer to spawn in the Russian Lakes. Our trail leads back the way we have come, and we then continue on to Homer where a rewarding dinner and a good night’s rest await.
Land’s End Resort, Homer
DAY 5
Grewink Valley
Hike – easy to moderate, 2-4 hours.
Optional bear viewing in Katmai National Park.
After a hearty breakfast, a water taxi brings us across the bay, where we begin our exploration of Kachemak Bay State Park with a short hike to Grewink Lake, which was formed from the drainage of Grewink Glacier in the distance. This is an excellent scenic hike which provides very close views of the glacier as well as Kachemak Bay. Our approach trail connects with the Saddle Trail, which leads us through a notch, or “saddle,” in the surrounding hills, and down to the quiet cove where our water taxi is waiting to return us to Homer. We return to Homer mid-afternoon and the rest of the day and evening is yours to explore on your own. For dinner, you have the pleasure of discovering one of the many fine restaurants in Homer.
Land’s End Resort, Homer
DAY 6
Peterson Bay and China Poot Bay
Sea Kayaking – easy to moderate, 4-6 hours; no experience necessary.
Following breakfast, another water taxi returns us to the wilderness of Kachemak Bay, where we meet our sea kayaking guides. Sea kayaking requires no previous experience and allows for a unique opportunity to connect with the marine environment that is such an integral part of the Alaskan ecosystem. After being outfitted with equipment, and receiving paddling instruction and tips from our professional guides, we begin our adventure.
Our sea kayaking route is abundant with diverse and spectacular scenery, winding its way through two bays, where we alternately paddle in narrow tidal channels, up close to bold sea cliffs, and into more open water. The loop provides varied scenery and sea life, including the Gull Island seabird colony where we enjoy close up views of puffins and other species of seabirds. China Poot Bay is often touted as one of the world's richest marine bays with its vast system of tidal channels. There are archways to paddle through, and beaches to rest on as well as short hikes to scenic vistas. Our kayaking is organized to take best advantage of fair tidal currents and the protected waters of small inner bays.
Before our final celebratory dinner, there is time to soothe well-used muscles in the hotel’s hot-tub overlooking the beautiful wilderness from which we have just returned.
Land’s End Resort, Homer
DAY 7
Homestead Trail Hike; drive to Anchorage to depart (5 hours); or fly from Homer
Walk - 3 miles, easy.
After a hearty breakfast, we hop in our van for a quick ride to the trailhead. Our final hike follows an old wagon road once used by rugged farmers who homesteaded in the hills above town before World War II. Fields of wildflowers line the path into Homer’s backcountry, which on a clear day offers beautiful vistas of mountains, bays, and inlets. A final climb brings us to the Reuben Call Memorial Bench, which looks out onto Kachemak Bay and is a tribute to one of Homer’s most famous hikers. We enjoy a farewell Alaskan lunch at serene Bishops Beach, where a wide coastline and covered picnic shelter makes for the perfect spot in any weather condition.
Following lunch we settle into the van for the scenic ride to Anchorage, where our Alaskan adventure draws to a close. If you’d like to extend your stay in Homer or simply want to skip the shuttle and return to Anchorage on your own, there are multiple daily flights available.