Wrangell-St. Elias National Park: Southern Traverse
Thirteen days of tough travel takes you through the heart of the world's largest protected wilderness.
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Be warned: This is easily the roughest trip we’ve ever published. Only one person had ever traversed the first 9 days from Tebay Lakes to the ghost town of Bremner, and our scouting party was the first to thru-hike the entire 94 miles to Iceberg Lake. If you’re up for the challenge, you’ll cross nine passes, six icefields, two major glaciers, and two dozen streams that often run thigh-deep. But the biggest obstacle is simply the footing: steep sidehills, thick vegetation, and unstable talus. Only about 10 miles of this trip could be called easy terrain.The reward is a remarkable trek through an unspoiled mountain environment in the world’s biggest wilderness.
This is the heart of Wrangell-St. Elias, which when combined with Canada’s neighboring Kluane National Park forms the largest stretch of wild country on earth, 24 million acres of raging rivers, turquoise lakes, flowing glaciers, and monster mountains.
Basically, though, the route runs west to east through a range of mountains delineated by the Copper River to the west, the Chitina to the north, and the Bremner to the south. From Tebay Lakes, you hike southeast, round massive Hanagita Peak, and descend the Klu River Valley before winding south again through high passes to Golconda Creek and the gold-rush ruins of Bremner. From there, the route turns south through a network of glaciated passes to Iceberg Lake.
Despite the remoteness and challenges, you shouldn’t need any special equipment aside from tough, waterproof boots, wading shoes, good raingear, trekking poles, and probably pepper spray. We carried crampons but never used them, since the midsummer glaciers proved gritty and the crevasses wide open. Leaving them behind creates more room for food and fuel.
MORE INFORMATION
Guide Service: Trek Alaska (907) 350-3710; trekalaska.com
Contacts: Backcountry Connection, LLC: (907) 822-5292; alaska-backcountry-tours.com; Caribou Hotel: (907) 822-3302; caribouhotel.com; McCarthy Lodge: (907) 554-4402; mccarthylodge.com; Wrangell Mountain Air: (800) 478-1160; wrangellmountainair.com
-Mapped by Steve Howe and Kris Wagner
Trail Facts
- Distance: 151.9
Waypoints
STT001
Location: 61.1800155639648, -144.391265869141
Be warned: This is easily the roughest trip we’ve ever published. Only one person had ever traversed the first 9 days from Tebay Lakes to the ghost town of Bremner, and our scouting party was the first to thru-hike the entire 94 miles to Iceberg Lake. If you’re up for the challenge, you’ll cross nine passes, six icefields, two major glaciers, and two dozen streams that often run thigh-deep. But the biggest obstacle is simply the footing: steep sidehills, thick vegetation, and unstable talus. Only about 10 miles of this trip could be called easy terrain.
The reward is a remarkable trek through an unspoiled mountain environment in the world’s biggest wilderness. This is the heart of Wrangell-St. Elias, which when combined with Canada’s neighboring Kluane National Park forms the largest stretch of wild country on earth, 24 million acres of raging rivers, turquoise lakes, flowing glaciers, and monster mountains.
Basically, though, the route runs west to east through a range of mountains delineated by the Copper River to the west, the Chitina to the north, and the Bremner to the south. From Tebay Lakes, you hike southeast, round massive Hanagita Peak, and descend the Klu River Valley before winding south again through high passes to Golconda Creek and the gold-rush ruins of Bremner. From there, the route turns south through a network of glaciated passes to Iceberg Lake.
Despite the remoteness and challenges, you shouldn’t need any special equipment aside from tough, waterproof boots, wading shoes, good raingear, trekking poles, and probably pepper spray. We carried crampons but never used them, since the midsummer glaciers proved gritty and the crevasses wide open. Leaving them behind creates more room for food and fuel.
*******
From the remote landing strip @ Teabay Lakes, hike SE picking the least resistant route through willow and alder. Scout your route from the air before landing.
STT002
Location: 61.1682319641113, -144.401733398438
Continue SSE, winding through thick brush and marshy pits. Your goal is the rocky point to the L. Consult the gps info and map often in the beginning to avoid cliffs.
Tip: Yell, and we mean yell, “Hey Yogi” when entering a thick scrub to warn grizzlies you’re coming. We never saw any grizzlies on our 13-day trip, but there was lots of bruin sign (tracks, fresh scat, even dens).
STT003
Location: 61.1464157104492, -144.352157592773
After a long climb, cross through this pass. From here, its several miles of sidehilling through waist-high wildflowers with tipsy boulders.
STT004
Location: 61.1283988952637, -144.321792602539
Camp 1: This flat spot is just big enough for a 2-person tent.
STT005
Location: 61.1245651245117, -144.317733764648
Cross moraine field, and keep traversing at roughly 3,500 ft.
STT006
Location: 61.1151847839356, -144.310012817383
Possible campsite on flat bench
STT007
Location: 61.119083404541, -144.248779296875
Slope up to the 4,000-foot contour line to stay above the cliffs.
STT008
Location: 61.1247482299805, -144.233993530273
From here, you can see a clear route down to the river.
STT009
Location: 61.1296005249024, -144.220809936523
Cross swift creek between rapids then pick up an impressive grizzly trail, a staggered row of plate-sized divots where generations of grizzlies had stepped in the exactly same spots.
STT010
Location: 61.1259155273438, -144.220993041992
Camp 2: A raised flat spot within the tight gorge. There’s also an undercut rock good for cooking away from the tent, and in case it’s rainy.
STT011
Location: 61.1145172119141, -144.226043701172
Small pond
STT012
Location: 61.1032676696777, -144.220443725586
Walk along the flat benches with white caribou lichen
STT013
Location: 61.0962333679199, -144.149520874023
Wade across a swift, icy stream
STT014
Location: 61.0751647949219, -144.06462097168
Camp near the headwaters of the Little Bremner after 3 days of hard navigation.
STT015
Location: 61.073917388916, -144.063629150391
Cross braided stream with gravel bars
STT016
Location: 61.0681838989258, -144.044143676758
Stay on left side of stream
STT017
Location: 61.062183380127, -144.035278320312
Purple flowers dot the rich tundra. Begin wrapping E around the flank of an unnamed peak. Glaciers miraculously hang from upper cliffbands in S, and every so often you hear the thunder of rockfall.
STT018
Location: 61.0561180114746, -144.018020629883
Pass to Harrys Gulch
STT019
Location: 61.0564002990723, -144.003219604492
Easy walking on flat green carpet. Continue marching through the druidic landscape of Harrys Gulch, descending mist-shrouded gullies through coal-black cliffs and crossing loud, cascading streams on remnant snow bridges.
STT020
Location: 61.0584678649902, -143.955307006836
Wrap N around multi-story waterfall. Avoid the thick alder by climbing up to about 4,000 ft. This will take a few leg-burning hours then slowly sidehill NE, dropping into side gully.
STT021
Location: 61.069450378418, -143.906234741211
Cross cold creek then onto more land draped in bone-white caribou moss; continue E-NE
STT022
Location: 61.0746841430664, -143.876693725586
Camp 4: Lots of rain and snow at 6,000 ft. forced us to stay two nights. From here, climb into a dramatic amphitheater overflowing with broad, sweeping glaciers and bulky peaks thrusting into the cloud ceiling.
STT023
Location: 61.0907173156738, -143.817962646484
Quickly traverse on the N side of a string bean-shape tarn. Watch for falling rocks then drop into the headwaters of the Klu River. The higher up you cross the Klu the better.
STT024
Location: 61.1188011169434, -143.76335144043
CAMP 5: The marmots on this grassy knoll whistled and chirped near our tent for hours. I don’t think they knew what to make our grey tent.
STT025
Location: 61.121898651123, -143.74577331543
Cross creek
STT026
Location: 61.1279678344726, -143.729415893555
Stay on grass bench along talus for easiest hiking. Lots of mountain-side traversing ahead in order to stay above the thick brush.
STT027
Location: 61.1357002258301, -143.668655395508
Cross stream
STT028
Location: 61.1279678344726, -143.630859375
Possible camp with a teardrop pond.
STT029
Location: 61.1161155700684, -143.611480712891
After a long day, we pitched Camp 6 on a gravel creek bed.
STT030
Location: 61.1154518127441, -143.610992431641
Cross creek then walk up the natural ramp choked with a rainbow of wildflowers. In a few hours, you’ll hike S into the easiest walking valley on the whole trip.
STT031
Location: 61.0620002746582, -143.585037231445
This was one of our potential bail out points. A remote supercub airstrip.
STT032
Location: 61.0413017272949, -143.55810546875
Camp 7 is in a wide valley with stellar views of many unnamed glaciers and giant peaks. From here, head E following the creek then up talus and snow to the pass.
STT033
Location: 61.0414009094238, -143.493438720703
Walk along the N side of the glacier
STT034
Location: 61.0419502258301, -143.482986450195
Unnamed pass: Descend the gritty glacier (easy ice walking).
STT035
Location: 61.0702018737793, -143.488159179688
Stay on talus and boulder fields above ponds then wrap S
STT036
Location: 61.0564842224121, -143.460052490234
Pass: We had to kick snow steps for the last few hundred feet up to this pass. Move swiftly but safely. We spotted wolf track at the top.
STT037
Location: 61.0520668029785, -143.451354980469
Ruins leftover from mining days @ Bremner, including an old shaft, pipes, even a car and tractor.
STT038
Location: 61.044750213623, -143.427307128906
Ghost town: We stayed the night in one of Bremner’s inhabitable cabins. There’s a lively population of marmots here, who madly whistle warnings when predators like wolverines roam through the broad, open valley.
STT039
Location: 61.0266151428223, -143.433700561523
Bremner Airstrip; a good pickup point if needed.
STT040
Location: 61.0158843994141, -143.383346557617
Unnamed pass with bear tracks. We saw lots of grizzly sign in the Monahan Valley below.
STT041
Location: 60.9949684143066, -143.349609375
Cross creek on flat rock
STT042
Location: 60.9819183349609, -143.328506469727
Camp 9 was on a windy knoll above the buggy bogs of Monahan Creek.
STT043
Location: 60.939151763916, -143.249786376953
Ford creek
STT044
Location: 60.9343490600586, -143.247055053711
Cross creek again; lots of swampy willow to bushwhack through
STT045
Location: 60.9228324890137, -143.251113891602
Important: Keep high above the brush when possible and don’t drop too soon.
STT046
Location: 60.9184837341309, -143.25
Carefully zigzag down the cliff bands and through thick alder to the Tana Lobe of the Bremner Glacier. Once on the glacier, head S. The crevasses are wide open, but the gritty ice is flat and easy to navigate.
STT047
Location: 60.886474609375, -143.233871459961
Take steep coulior up
STT048
Location: 60.8780174255371, -143.216217041016
CAMP 10
STT049
Location: 60.8695030212402, -143.175476074219
Beautiful alpine lake makes a great lunch spot
STT050
Location: 60.862548828125, -143.161880493164
Final pass; continue SE, staying at about 4,000 ft. The scenery here turns outrageous with rank after rank of nameless pyramids erupting above the Bagley Icefield.
STT051
Location: 60.8342018127441, -143.093551635742
CAMP 11
STT052
Location: 60.8297348022461, -143.047622680664
Leave the moraine line and take the glacier to Iceberg Lake
STT053
Location: 60.7882347106934, -142.962677001953
Airstrip on sandbar bench overlooking Iceberg Lake. This 3-mile lake drained itself days before leaving acres of giant ice blocks resting drunkenly on the sand.
****
MORE INFORMATION
Guide Service: Trek Alaska (907) 350-3710; trekalaska.com
Contacts: Backcountry Connection, LLC: (907) 822-5292; alaska-backcountry-tours.com; Caribou Hotel: (907) 822-3302; caribouhotel.com; McCarthy Lodge: (907) 554-4402; mccarthylodge.com; Wrangell Mountain Air: (800) 478-1160; wrangellmountainair.com