Camping trip to Gulkana Glacier

Yay! I finally was able to go to glacier. I went with my friend Wendy for 3 days. We drove South from Fairbanks on the Richardson Hwy until we reached the road to the glacier (just past the Richardson Monument before Summit). We set up camp on a sandbar of Phelan Creek.

View of Gulkana Glacier from the Richardson Hwy

At around midnight a guy and his daughter pulled up and said they had seen a grizzley about 200 m up the creek. We packed up camp and the guy suggested that we all camp together further down the creek. We weren't opposed to the idea until we noticed that the guy's behavior was extremely erratic and wierd. He told us that he was in the military and did the northern training. Then he suggested that we all go on the glacier tomorrow and he wold lower us in to a crevasse and take us ice climbing and skiing. We were getting very odd vibes from him, so we decided to camp at Fielding Lake Camp Ground about 2 miles North on the Rich. Hwy.

Fielding Lake

The next morning we had breakfast at Tangle Lakes on the Denali Hwy in hopes that the weather would clear up and be more enjoyable for hiking.

Tangle Lakes on the Denali Hwy

The weather got better and so we headed back North to the glacier. We saw the crazy guy and his daughter leaving as we were making our way in.

Wendy and the old suspension bridge crossing Phelan Creek



Me at the terminus of the glacier.


it's melting! AH!

The glacier was extraordinary. It made us feel very vulnerable and insignificant. There was lots of falling debri and creek was rushing with water. Hiking back out we passed about three groups of tourists. None of them had bear spray, or even backpacks. One girl was wearing flipflops. It was slightly rediculous.

We spent Sunday night at Coal Lakes about 20 miles from Delta Junction. In the morning we were awoken by heaving breathing and gravel moving. A large mammal was inspecting our tent and romping around. We are pretty sure it was a bear by the sound of the movement and breathing, though we couldn't find any tracks or animal signs. I have never been more scared in my life. We we thought it was gone we crawled out of the tent and made as much noise as possible and packed up camp. We had breakfast by Donnely Dome and then made our way back to Fairbanks.

Coal Lakes camping site


A lovely AK sunset