Go On An Expedition and Go Hiking

Go Hiking and Make It An Adventure

When you go hiking sometimes you can make it an adventure of a lifetime. The picture above was taken in the Yukon after climbing Goat Mountain. Goat Mountain got its name because there are lots of goats. You could see the tuffs of goat hair on the bushes. We floated 100 miles down the Tatshenshini River from Dalton Post (in the Yukon) to Dry Bay in Alaska. It took five days.

You can expect to see as many Eagles as you do Seagulls in coastal cities along in the lower forty-eight. Bears are abundant too. One swam out to our raft or as close as he could get before we paddled away. Then there are the mosquitoes.

Do You Know Your Mosquito Types When You Go Hiking

In most areas of North America the is one size mosquito, but in Alaska and the Yukon there are two. One is almost as large as a 747. You can see those coming and because they are heavy, they are also slow so batting them away is easy.

The second type of mosquito is very small, almost invisible and extremely fast. Hitting them is next to impossible. Repellent is your best offense. Sometimes combining offense with defense makes sense so wear a mosquito net.

Why do I send so much time taking about bugs? Well, in this case I am allergic to these critters. They make me swell up like a puffer fish. During this particular trip I got about 25 bites even after taking all the precautions.

Bushwhacking Is Not Like Going Hiking

Discussing bugs reminds me of our bushwhacking adventure. Beginning at the camp, our guide asked who would like a little adventure. I raised my hand of course and with a couple others we followed him into the bush. No trail. You step over things and climb over other things. After a a half hour of this I noticed what specks on my pants and shirt so I asked about it. The guide said they were “just” worms common to the area.

You Don’t Have to Go Hiking to Enjoy Lake Alsek

One of the most interesting and beautiful sites during this trip was Lake Alsek. It is surrounded by glaciers which deposit icebergs into it. They come in all shapes and sizes. Some of the icebergs are small and some are giants. When the sun shines on them it creates contrast of shadow and sparkle. Of course there is no current in the lake so you row through and around the icebergs. Having the opportunity to see these creations was worth the cost of the trip by itself.