33 Days Across Wrangell St Elias NP, AK: The Southern Spiral (NSR)

**The Gnarwhale** · 09-26-2009, 01:54 PM

Originally Posted by SPREAD EAGLE

I love AK and was wondering if you know if some of the glaciers you traveled were known to be receding rapidly?

Yeah, lots of dying glaciers out there. According to the locals, this summer the firn line was higher than anyone could remember it ever being. Many glaciers had retreated 1/2 mile or more from where they were drawn on maps. Big bathtub rings on the mountainsides where the glaciers are retreating faster than the alders are colonizing.

Originally Posted by Kevo

What was the game plan if you were held up or simply could not cross one of the larger glaciers?

What would the game plan have been if you were a few days behind and couldn't make it to meet up with a resupply?

On a somewhat related note- I know a guy who was on the first exploration expedition of the Revelation Range in AK back in the 60's with the Harvard Mountaineering Club. They were supposed to get picked up at a certain date. They were there and ready to go, but had bad weather. They waited and waited for days and the weather was better, but nobody came. They waited more, and nobody came. Turns out that the bush pilot had died on an unrelated flight and had neglected to tell anyone about the mountaineering party out in the middle of nowhere. Somebody back home got worried after a long time and had a pilot go out looking for them. They were all pretty much ok, but hungry.

Cool story. Doing anything in the wilderness was so much more core a generation ago. Like Don and [ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phyllis_Munday"]Phyl Munday[/ame] who discovered Mt Waddington. Those two did huge, unmapped icefield ski traverses and skied peaks through BC while cooking over wood fires. I mean, how does that even work? Carry cordwood on one's rucksack? Ski to treeline each night?

Tana Lobe was the big question mark for the trip. We didnt know if we'd be able to cross the glacier and there was also the possibility of it not bridging Granite Creek. We talked about the possibility of having to v-thread the ice and rap into the river, which sounds terrifying. Worst case, we would have back-tracked to iceberg lake and called the pilot from the sat phone.

**adam** · 09-26-2009, 01:59 PM

This is so fucking awesome. Must go there!

**Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer** · 09-26-2009, 02:06 PM

So, just re-read this again. This is really an amazing TR, both words and photos.

Gnarwhale, if you have the time, I would love the hear the background on this coming together. You touched upon it in some responses, but it would be cool to understand (high-level at least) the immense logistics that go into a trip this remote and long.

Thanks.

**camlax** · 09-26-2009, 02:13 PM

so fucking cool. nice work

**jong_luc_picard** · 09-26-2009, 02:21 PM

It was totally worth coming out of lurk-mode and making my first post just to tell you how FUCKING AWESOME this TR is.

EPIC CITY.

Well done, sirs.

**Nick_C_123** · 09-26-2009, 02:22 PM

AWESOME!

That is all.

**tone capone** · 09-26-2009, 03:40 PM

Most epic modern adventure I have ever seen documented. Amazing images of things I could never have imagined. I really appreciate you sharing them. It's my lifelong dream to live adventure that big someday. Thanks for showing how its done. Congratulations and good luck on your future plans.

**alev** · 09-26-2009, 05:22 PM

incredible pictures. definitely a trip to consider in the future. THANKS!!

**RiderX** · 09-26-2009, 06:18 PM

Epic trip of a lifetime. Thanks for sharing.

**Out_to_lunch** · 09-26-2009, 06:55 PM

I'm supremely jealous. That trip obviously kicked ass!!

Thanks for sharing, some of those shots are awesome!

**cmsummit** · 09-26-2009, 07:34 PM

Absolutely incredible. Thank you for taking the time to share.

**HikeforTurns** · 09-26-2009, 07:48 PM

Gorgeous.

**Tech Tonics** · 09-26-2009, 08:41 PM

Epic! Coolest TGR post ever!!!

**Skibum2** · 09-26-2009, 08:42 PM

Wow! Now that was a TR.

**couloirman** · 09-26-2009, 08:58 PM

yep, that kicked ass. Honestly, one of my favorite parts, was finding work to pay for the ride back.

Talk about Into the Wild man, geesh...

**IridePow** · 09-27-2009, 05:45 AM

Unbelievable adventure!!!
Congratulations to this outstanding trip.

Great pictures, great write-up....... great everything!

Hugh Conway · 09-27-2009, 05:52 AM

looks like a fun trip. the mundays fucking rocked

**Moralkaka** · 09-27-2009, 06:45 AM

Originally Posted by Skibum2

Wow! Now that was a TR.

What that guy said! Amazing!

**heath bunn** · 09-27-2009, 07:07 AM

WOW...........Amazing

**harpo** · 09-27-2009, 08:00 AM

Thanks for sharing - great read!

**keksie** · 09-27-2009, 02:12 PM

Originally Posted by The Gnarwhale

Also, we also borrowed a SPOT and it was incredibly useful in that girlfriends and family would get emails with a pre-set "OK" message, assuring them we hadn't died nor mutinied, each time we pressed a button. Along with the "OK" it also gives coordinates and a google maps link to the place the message was sent from. It wasnt until I got back that I learned that the more backcountry-savvy folks on the email list were theorizing about our route choices based on these messages.

If none of us get one as a Christmas gift this winter I'll be extremely surprised. Having said that, SPOTs have some substancial design shortcomings and I'm not inclined to buy one until after a re-design.

Could you elaborate on the shortcomings? Did you have some kind of problems with it?

**Pinner** · 09-27-2009, 04:08 PM

Tremendous.

Somehow I suspect the four of you aren't finished adventuring yet.

**wrinkledpants** · 09-27-2009, 05:16 PM

Originally Posted by Trackhead

That is seriously one of the best things I've ever read on the internet or print. Unreal adventure. Props to you guys for having the vision and balls to pull it off.

And Adam Barker like photos on the fly, too.

Sick.

Exactly what Trackhead said. Most only dream to have an adventure of this magnitude. Truly epic...........