| |
Alaska Winter Adventure Vacations
Alaska and winter are practically synonymous. The first images that probably pop into your head when you think about “the last frontier” are snow-capped mountains, stunning glaciers, and such wintry activities as heli-skiing, snowshoeing, and viewing the Northern Lights. Then there’s dogsledding and the famous Iditarod—“The Last Great Race on Earth.” With the “Ceremonial Start” the first Saturday in March each year, the race is the ultimate test of man and beast as teams of 12 to 16 dogs and their intrepid mushers battle wild Alaska over 1,150 miles from Anchorage to Nome on the western Bering Sea coast. With portions of the trail having been in use for hundreds of years—peaking during the early 1900s, when dog sleds delivered mail, food, firewood, mining equipment, and other needed supplies across the Interior and western coast—the race is as historic as it is exhilarating. Though the first “sporting event” wasn’t held until 1967, most consider the 1925 “serum run,” during which teams of mushers relayed a package of much-needed diphtheria serum to remote Nome, to have been the birth of the race. It’s the perfect tale to explain the origins of a race now close to the hearts of all Alaskans—full of nobility, daring and determination.
Northern Lights in the Last Frontier
See the aurora borealis in all their glory from Chena Hot Springs Resort near Fairbanks—which, due to its position under the auroral oval (a ring-shaped region around the North Pole), offers a great balance of occurrence, frequency and activity. Indeed, this could very well be the brightest, most reliable show of the beautiful and mysterious curtains of light anywhere! During the days, learn about dogsledding, visit the Aurora Ice Museum, check out ice sculptures at the World Ice Art Championships, and relax at the Stolichnaya Ice Bar.
Heli Skiing
Imagine fresh powder as far as the eye can ski, 3,000 to 4,000-foot vertical runs over hundreds of peaks, with no one but you and your friends to enjoy it. Every track is a fresh track, every descent verging on the Biblical. This is what it is to heli-ski in Alaska. On Resort Heli-Skiing, accommodations are at the Hotel Alyeska in the ski village of Girdwood, and the Western Chugach Mountain Range—with its famously high quality powder snow—is your playground. Alternatively, settle into an elegantly rustic log resort just minutes from the first run on Tordrillo Mountain Lodge Heli Ski and ski one of the most remote and untouched ranges in all of Alaska. Best for advanced-intermediate and expert skiers and featuring a humbling expanse and diversity of terrain, the Tordrillo Range is among the most sought-after heli-ski locations in the world.
Dogsledding
If you’ve dreamed of witnessing the famed Iditarod sled dog race and seeing Alaska at its wintry best, consider an Iditarod Wilderness experience. You’ll experience the ceremonial race start—but only after enjoying your own dogsledding adventure at Winterlake Lodge. When you’re not learning to drive your own team, you can try your hand at such other winter essentials as snowmobiling, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, and Northern Lights viewing. Alaska Winter Wilderness Adventure offers a similarly active experience based out of the idyllic Winterlake Lodge—call us for details and more wild winter programs. |
 Dog Sledding
 Snowshoeing
 Aurora Borealis
 Heli Skiing Evans Expanse
-
Alaska Winter Wilderness Adventure
This 6-day/ 5-night trip offers the perfection introduction to wintertime fun in Alaska. Two nights in Anchorage complement a three-night stay at Winterlake Lodge. One of the few fly-in lodges open year-round, Winterlake offers wonderfully remote, rustic accommodations—ideal for partaking in such quintessential Alaskan activities as dog mushing, snowshoeing, snowmobiling, and cross-country skiing. At night, watch the Northern nights after enjoying fine wilderness cuisine (the chef is well-known throughout the state). Ski plane flights to and from the Lodge provide spectacular views.
Alaska Winter Wilderness Adventure
-
Iditarod Wilderness
This 7-day/ 6-night trip is designed to introduce you to the Iditarod, “The Last Great Race on Earth”. Extending for over 1,049 miles through some of the roughest and toughest country in North America, mushers and their dog teams race from Anchorage to Nome, facing bitter cold, fierce winds and long, lonely hours of darkness. Being a spectator to the race is unforgettable, and though you can’t experience all of it, you’ll get a great taste of the excitement as you learn about its history, how to raise championship dogs, and how to drive your own team—then watch as the pros cross the start line. And as the renowned Anchorage Fur Rendezvous Winter Carnival now coincides with the Iditarod festivities, you can savor two great Alaskan wintertime traditions in one visit!
Iditarod Wilderness
-
Northern Lights in the Last Frontier
This 5-day/ 4-night trip focuses on two great wintertime experiences: Northern Lights viewing, and ice sculpting! Because Fairbanks is closer to the highly active area over the Arctic—and because winter nights here are longer than they are to the south—the light show is often much brighter and more reliable than over other areas of Alaska. And with three nights based out of the Chena Hot Springs Resort, you’ll have three different opportunities to watch “the show”—beautiful and mysterious curtains of color ranging from green to red to purple (intensity varies from night to night). Other trip highlights include dog sledding, visiting the Aurora Ice Museum (and Ice Bar!), and attending the World Ice Art Championships. At night, relax in natural hot springs or in front of a roaring fire.
Northern Lights in the Last Frontier
-
Resort Heli Skiing
This 5-day/ 4-night adventure is based out of luxurious Hotel Alyeska, tucked amid the Chugach Mountains just 40 miles south of Anchorage. Easy to access yet wonderfully pristine, the Hotel Alyeska’s location is ideal for accessing the Western Chugach Mountain Range, with its 700,000 acres of mountainous terrain featuring gentle bowls, giant mountain faces, massive glaciers and sheltered tree skiing. Together with highly trained mountain guides, you’ll experience the ultimate backcountry adventure—and see why the Chugach Mountains are recognized for having some of the best heliskiing and snowboarding in the world.
Resort Heli Skiing
-
Tordrillo Mountain Lodge Heli Ski
This 8-day/ 7-night adventure is based out of the new Tordrillo Mountain Lodge. Part of the Alaska Range, the Tordrillo Mountains are located just 75 miles west of Anchorage yet remain one of the most remote and untouched ranges in all of Alaska. Hundreds of glaciers, granite spires, and the largest mountains in North America provide a surreal backdrop. These are ski lines that only nature could design, with endless steep and incised couloirs set in golden granite that catches the light. It is rapidly becoming known as one of the most spectacular and sought-after heliski locations in the world, and is perfect for advanced intermediate and expert skiers.
Tordrillo Mountain Lodge Heli Ski
|
|
