Smith Family Trip 2010 part l (Lake Clark National Park)

Lake Kontrashibuna in Lake Clark National Park, Alaska

    "What are we doing up here?" the family must have asked themselves.  A thunderstorm was rolling over us and the wind was starting to howl.  Since crossing the river in the valley below over 5 hours prior, we hadn't had a refill of water and thirst was knocking at the door.  The trail had been rough and steep with inclines up to 45 degrees.  "Chris," I exclaimed, "we have to find a camp spot NOW or this storm is going to get us."
  
   This journey began when Chris Smith called me 6 months earlier......."So, what you are telling me is that you want your family to experience the 'Real' Alaska.  You want to hike mountains, kayak lakes, and camp in the backcountry?"  "Yes," Chris answered, "that's right!"  "How much experience do you have backpacking and camping?" I asked.  "None" he answered.  "Now Peter, we want the real experience; we want to be challenged!"  "Okay" I replied, "Lets do it".
    

Hiking towards Lake Kontrashibuna

     Chris and Renee Smith with their daughters Rayne and Autumn ("Mighty mouse") arrived on June 20th fresh from Tampa, Florida.  They looked more suited for a trip to the mall than an excursion into the Alaskan bush.  I was concerned that they may not know what they were in for.  Spending 7 days in the backcountry is not exactly comparable to a day hike in your local state park.  However, my concerns would soon be dismissed as I learned who this amazing family was and their capabilities together.  

Fishing at Tanalian Falls in Lake Clark National Park

   The following morning we checked our gear and started the hike to the lower end of Lake Kontrashibuna.  Stopping at the famed Tanalian Falls for lunch, the Smiths had their first taste of fly fishing.  After eating and landing a few arctic grayling we pushed on.  Heading east, we bush whacked our way along the lake where our sevylor inflatable canoes were stashed.  We hopped into boats and paddled 4 miles to our first camp site on a small peninsula along the lake shore.  After setting up the camp we dined on hamburger wraps, potatoes fries and hot chocolate.  We ended the night reeling in 5 nice lake trout while enjoying the campfire the girls had made. 
  

Paddling towards Gladiator Basin in Lake Clark National Park

    Day two and three were spent paddling and fishing the 18 mile long Lake Kontrashibuna.  Beauty is a dull word to describe this place!!!  The rugged Chigmit mountains rise straight out of the lake and end as rocky, jagged peaks high above.   The water, draining from the rugged peaks above, is as clear as any water in the Bahamas or Hawaii....a bit colder though.  The native Lake Trout and Dolly Varden are always eager to rush the lures as we attempted to catch our lunch each day.  To say the least, this place is heavenly and untouched by man. 

 As we arrived at the end of the lake and the trail head into Gladiator, we were enveloped in a windstorm that brought white capped waves into our small, struggling boats.  We decided to link our canoes together length ways since Renee and Autumn were unable to paddle against the winds' force.  After 1 hour of extreme paddling into the wind we limped onto our camp shore.  Tired and physically beat, we set up our tents and crashed.  I reflected that night on our journey so far and one thing stood out to me.  The Smith family had exceeded all my expectations to this point.  The  girls, especially, were mentally tough and full of vigor.  Never did I hear them complain or whine!  They had all done well so far but I knew the real test would come in the days to come.

Resting after long paddle in huge wind storm

"Air Mail" literally.  The best chocolate chip cookies ever!

The following day was spent recouping from our paddle, drying out our gear and lounging around the camp fire.  That evening we hiked out of camp to scout out our trail for the next day into the much anticipated Gladiator basin.  As we returned from the scouting trip we had a surprise.  A plane had slowly flown in and was circling our camp.  We all watched the plane for a bit before I informed the Smith's what was going on.   Before we left on our excursion I had made arrangements with  Jeremy Davis and my wife, Katie, to air drop us  fresh baked chocolate chip cookies.  The plane circled twice and slowed down to 40mph and some 30 feet high before dropping the bag of goodies.  Katie was in the back of the plane waving frantically!!!  It was great to see them and even better eating the freshly baked cookies!!!! (you can see the black bag being dropped from the plane if you look close)
 What a few days it had been and the best was yet to come!
                      to be continued........

If you are interested in taking a similar trip to the backcountry of Alaska please check our many trips at http://AlaskanVentures.com

Review: The North Face Big Fat Frog

Camping in Lake Clark National Park

In the market for a good tent? This one has got you and your gear covered.

The tent testing ground: Alaska.

Living year-round in this rugged and unforgiving land, I am a little biased. I don't really think it's too much of a boast to say that the hiking and camping in Alaska will put nearly any product to the test--- but especially a tent. In the high alpine country of Alaska, it rains with regularity and the terrain demands easy portability. In fact, the rain makes a tent with no storage really quite worthless. You end up having to pack a tarp to put all your gear under.  It makes it a giant pain if you actually want to get to your gear in a downpour. With this in mind, I have been on the lookout for a tent that had a large enough vestibule to store two packs comfortably and, if needed, do some light cooking within.

Here is our new lodge in Lake Clark National Park

 

Winter Camping with North Face Big Fat Frog -12degrees

   I already own a North Face Tadpole Tent and have been pleased with its durability and quick set up. I love it as a roomy one-man but it's pretty small for two, especially with gear. So with my affinity for my Tadpole, I decided to purchase two North Face Big Fat Frog tents. Our first adventure using these tents was an our Kontrashibuna/Gladiator Basin in Lake Clark National Park  with a family of four. We used them for camping eight days straight on everything from the rocky backcountry and river sand bars to the thick, black spruce forests. I was very impressed!!! These tents weigh just a little more than the Tadpole, at 5 pounds, but the extra square footage makes well it worth it. The 14.5 sq ft. of vestibule space was a huge advantage on this trip. It rained hard several nights and all of our packs and boots stayed dry.

Also, we were able to test out the tents' wind durability and set-up time. While, on the top of

Gladiator Basin, a squall moved in out of nowhere. The Fat Frogs set up in a flash--- around 3.5

minutes with two people. We jumped in our tents and braced ourselves for the worst. The wind quickly picked up and blew with gusts up 40-50 mph! These little tents held up great. We found the key was positioning the foot of the tent into the wind.

  We used them all season and overall they held up great.  We even took them on a winter expedition we attempted in January.  The temperature was brutally cold and the wind blasted us at high speeds.  I was concerned the moisture build up would be considerable as is the case with most winter camping.  I intentionally staked the side flaps out wide and it did the trick.  When we awoke each morning there was virtually no ice on the tent walls.  The main tent body is 100% mesh except for the floor.  This allows all moisture to pass through to the underside of the rain fly.  As it travels through the gap between the mesh and the fly a lot of the moisture is whisked away by air flow coming through the tent. It is a great design and dramatically cuts down on moisture build up.  NOTE:  I would not recommend using the Big Fat Frog if you think it may snow.  It is definitely not a four season tent able to handle snow loads.

Here are the Big Fat Frogs with a North Face Tadpole in background

As far as features go there are several we want to point out..... seven, to be exact. First, there is enough room in the vestibule to do some cooking. It's great for a simple dinner using a jet boil or to prepare sandwiches.  Second, is the fact that its completely mesh, as mentioned earlier.  This is great on sunny afternoons when the bugs prevent a nap in the open. Third, the internal storage is actually pretty good. There are 5 pockets for catching all your goodies from flashlights to journals. Fourth, at the foot, there is a raised air vent that funnels air through the tent eliminating most condensation. Fifth, the opening to the mesh tent is almost a 360 degree zipper allowing unhindered access in and out. Sixth, all of the poles and clips are color-coded for easy placement. Seventh and finally,we highly recommend the footprints for this tent. Footprints are custom-fitted ground covering that go under the bottom of the tent. They protect your investment for years to come and weigh next to nothing.  After a whole season the bottoms of both Big Fat Frogs looked brand new!

Are there downsides to the North Face Fat Frog? Just a few..... The stakes that come along

with the tent are a joke. They are very cheap and bend easily. So, definitely purchase after

market stakes. Secondly, the carry sack for this tent is oversized. You can roll this

tent to a pretty small size which helps with your bulk. However, when you stuff into

sack it expands and becomes bulkier than it needs to be. The roof of the tent towards the back has little to no slope.  During a downpour this last summer I noticed that there was standing water pooling on top.  I quickly tightened the rain fly which helped but not completely.  The waterproof material kept the rain out but it is only a matter of time before the water will breakdown the waterproof treatment.  Again, we did not get wet but keep this in mind and treat your tent every year.   Lastly, the poles on this tent breakdown to a length of 22” . This makes the tent longer than desired when backpacking through thick brush. In my opinion they should have shortened the breakdown length of the poles for easier transport.

THE BOTTOM LINE: Overall I give the North Face Fat Frog tent a 3.5 out of 5 and would recommend it to anyone that loves a little extra room for gear or cooking. It is a little heavy for long backpacking trips but great for short 3 dayers or canoeing trips. We used it pretty hard this year and it held up well. Happy Camping!

Here is a quick video on setting up the tent...........

If you are interested in exploring Alaska's true backcountry then check us out.  www.AlaskanVentures.com 

Dick Proenneke and the Twin Lakes of Alaska

Dick Proenneke in Alaska

Dick Proenneke is famed for living off the land  in remote Alaska for more than 40 years.  He was a true outdoorsman and conservationist.  He chose to live in one of the most beautiful places in Alaska-- the Twin Lakes region.  It is located inside Lake Clark National Park, southwest of Anchorage.  He built his cabin by hand and lived off the land almost entirely.  My family all had the pleasure of knowing Dick while he lived here in Alaska, and in fact, they used to fly supplies to him on the lakes.  Below is a short video of his first year in the "bush".  If you have ever dreamed of escaping the concrete jungle and living in a peaceful mountainous vista, then you have to watch this video.  Not that any of us will ever take it to this extreme, but it is an inspiring video to say the least.  

   Most of our trips take place in the backcountry of Lake Clark National Park, including a trip to the Twin Lakes.  The footage in the video shows the amazing mountains, wildlife and of course the pristine Twin Lakes.   Dick's cabin still stands today and visiting it while exploring the surrounding landscape is a cherry on top of an amazing trip.  The video to the right is a couple who came to explore Twin Lakes and see Dick's cabin with us this summer.

If you are interested in finding more info on the Twin Lakes region and exploring this amazing land check us out at http://AlaskanVentures.com/.  
Below are a few pictures from our past trips exploring the Twin Lakes region.

Hiking to Low Pass.  Twin Lakes and Emmerson creek in background.

Hiking in Emmerson Pass on our way to Twin Lakes

Hiking in Twin Lakes country Alaska

Paddling on the Upper Twin

Paddling the Lower Twin Lakes Alaska

Turquoise mountain pass on our way to Twin Lakes

Review: Vibram Five Fingers Trek Sport (First Impression)

 At Alaskan Ventures we like to review our gear in two stages.  First, when we purchase the gear we will write a "first impression" on the apparent quality and design.  Secondly, after a season of use we will write our follow up review on the actual performance.  Enjoy.....

 Okay, I finally broke down and bought a pair.  I made fun of them when they first came out, but like most things they grew on me! I was working out with my brother-in-law the other day and he brought out the new "Vibram Five Fingers Trek Sport" from his gym bag.  I couldn't take my eyes off of them!  He had the new Trek Sport which is super rugged and has a great traction sole.  I used my "REI" gift card and bought my own just two days later.
   First impression....LOVE EM'.  I didn't take them off for two straight days! My wife made me take them off before I got into bed only after I put up a fight!  I wanted to spend a lot of  time in them just to see if any sore spots developed.  No sores after two days of inside use--just pure comfort.  I wore them to the grocery store, and the way people were staring at my feet they must have thought I had major frost bite. 
Everyone asks, "Is it weird having something in between your toes?"  I have to say it feels quite normal and comfortable.  Something I really like is the thick, aggressive sole that seems to guard my feet well and provide excellent traction. They also have a 4mm raised arch which gives you added support--I like this a lot!
    I was anxious to try them outside and convinced myself that they must be insulated with some amazing state-of-the-art fabric.  I ventured outside in -5 degree weather and 12inches of snow, and unfortunately found out they would not be replacing my winter Pac boots.    So they have their limits...

For now they will have to be my gym shoes until spring comes and I can hit the trails. Overall, they seem to be of great quality and design!   I will keep you posted on how they perform this upcoming season!!


Update:
  It was a warm 25 degrees the other day, so I just had to try them out!  I ran in them for 3 miles and they felt great.  I could feel the previously unused muscles in my calves really working hard.  They felt very natural--almost like I was a kid again running around outside without shoes.  I do have to admit that I couldn't feel my toes when I returned home and re-warming them was very painful! Once again I conclude that these will not be my winter running shoes.

    Stay tuned for my second impression!

   

At Home In the Wild

While guiding in the backcountry our senses are always on alert for Alaska's wildlife. Bears come to mind when I think of dangerous animals but moose can be just as dangerous. During the off season my wife and I reside in Soldotna, Alaska. It is a small town with a population of around 15,000. Our awareness tends to fade as we settle into our routine throughout the winter. However, just when we think things are safe and normal we are reminded that we live in the wildest place on earth!!!!

 
   Peter and Katie Goodwin own and operate  Alaskan Ventures.