7 Days in Alaska

After a bit of mountain biking in town, we headed into Chugach State Park -- practically Anchorage's backyard. The epic ridge lines, green valleys and endless peaks on the horizon were a treat. It's easy to be jealous of the insanely close access to these beautiful mountains.

The Matanuska River

It's good to have local friends...with a raft. We took off on spur of the moment overnight trip on the Matanuska River. This 75-mile long stretch of water begins at the Matanuska Glacier and eventually empties out into the Cook Inlet (we didn't do the whole 75 miles). While much of our time was on easy flat water, we did have some fun running the Class IV section. With daylight that lasts until 11pm, we were in no rush, and it was great to take our time, catch up with friends, and enjoy ourselves.

The Talkeetnas

After our rafting trip, we packed up our backpacks, donned our rain gear, and headed into the Talkeetna Mountains. Our destination was a small backcountry hut at the end of the Snowbird Glacier.

Torrential rain and near-zero visibility doesn't usually make for the most motivating weather. The Talkeetna's are a beautiful place, but we didn't see much. Regardless, it was an excellent reminder of how wild and unpredictable Alaska can be.

Prince William Sound

With inclement weather continuing in the forecast for the Talkeetnas, we decided to hike out early and explore another part of southeastern Alaska. We rented some kayaks in Whittier for a short paddle into Prince William Sound, and then a hike over Portage Pass to Portage Glacier.

And with that, it was time to head home. Mountain biking, hiking, overnight rafting, backpacking, kayaking, and more hiking...not bad for 7 days. It's pretty incredible the amount of access you have within a couple hours of Anchorage - not only to beautiful places, but to wild, wild places where you won't find many other people.