Cantata Boots and Boats
« Trip Reports on Winterbear.com Cantata Boots and Boats 20.3-mile hike and packraft loop around Cantata Peak, in Alaska’s Chugach State Park September 8, 2018 The September 2018 heatwave was so intense that Alaskans started referring to it as a … Read More
Fjällräven Abisko Trail T-Shirt
Purchased September 2017, reviewed August 2018 The Abisko Trail T-Shirt is a “lightweight trekking” lyocell-blend base layer from Swedish company Fjällräven. At $60 retail this is about as expensive as a short-sleeved base layer top gets, but last year I … Read More
Blackbird Traverse
« Trip Reports on Winterbear.com Blackbird Traverse 25.3-mile variation on the Bomber Traverse backpacking route, in the Talkeetna Mountains of Alaska August 24-26, 2019 In early August I found myself at the Snowbird Glacier Hut, poring over the Bomber Traverse … Read More
The Bad Kash Traverse
« Trip Reports on Winterbear.com The Bad Kash Traverse 36.6-mile attempt to run the Kashwitna River, in the Talkeetna Mountains June 30-July 4, 2018 Some trip reports are inspiring. Some are informative. Others are warnings. On the last day of … Read More
Cumulus Mountain
Cumulus Mountain (5,815 ft.) Ram Glacier Route: 5.9 miles each way, 4,500 ft. elevation gain. Difficulty: Class 2+. My time: 6 hours round trip ▼KMZ Dragon Tail Ridge Route: 5.2 miles each way, 4,800 ft. elevation gain. Difficulty: Class 3-. … Read More
McHugh Peak
McHugh Peak (4,311 ft.) Bear Valley route (North Ridge): 5.4 miles round trip, 2,300 ft. elevation gain. Difficulty: Class 2s4. My time: 2.5 hours Rabbit Creek routes (East Ridge): ~10 miles round trip, ~2,900 ft. elevation gain. Difficulty: Class 2+s4. … Read More
Gold Cord Lake Trail
Gold Cord Lake Trail Less than 1 mile each way, ~600 ft. elevation gain. Difficulty: Class 1. My time: 1 hour round trip The Talkeetna Mountains of Alaska are a maze of lush alpine valleys, old mining roads, and black-stained … Read More
Fjällräven Greenland No. 1 Special Edition
Purchased February 2018, reviewed August 2018, updated December 2018 According to Fjällräven, the original Greenland jacket was introduced by Åke Nordin in 1968. Fjällräven (pronounced “fee-ahl-rah-ven”) has produced various versions of their “most classic” climbing jacket ever since, in a … Read More
Arctic to Indian
For some, skiing the Arctic to Indian traverse through western Chugach State Park is a bucket-list accomplishment. For others, it’s an annual tradition. Either way this 21-mile tour across ice bridges, through serene cottonwood groves, up tundra valleys between shining snow-laced peaks, and down a hair-raising luge to Turnagain Arm is bound to be an adventure.… Read More