menu facebook twitter instagram pinterest youtube search chevron-down chevron-up
Be My Travel Muse
  • About
    • About
    • Contact Me
    • Press
    • Work With Me
  • Blog
    • Archives
    • Best of BMTM
  • YouTube
  • Solo Female Travel
    • Bucket List
      • The 31 Cheapest Places to Travel in 2025
      • 31 BEST Places in the USA for Solo Female Travelers in 2025
      • 25 Unexpectedly Awesome Destinations for Solo Female Travelers
      • 25 Best Countries to Travel Alone for the First Time
      • 13 Perfect Weekend Trips for Solo Female Travelers in the USA
      • 10 Best Weekend Trips from Phoenix, Arizona
    • Resources
      • How to take the best travel selfies
      • 41 safety tips for solo female travelers
      • The ultimate solo female travel guide
      • Best group tours for solo female travelers
      • Why Every Woman Should Travel Alone
    • All solo female travel blogs
  • Be My Travel Muse
  • Tours
  • Destinations
    • USA
      • Hawaii
      • California
      • Nevada
      • Idaho
      • Arizona
      • Florida
      • Alaska
      • Utah
    • North America
      • Mexico
      • Costa Rica
      • Canada
    • Asia
      • Thailand
      • Philippines
      • Indonesia
      • Japan
    • South America
      • Argentina
      • Aruba
      • Chile
      • The Galápagos
    • Europe
      • Germany
      • Iceland
      • Italy
    • All Destinations
  • Trip Planning

Eight Days in the Alaskan Wilderness

09/18/2017 by Kristin Addis 16 Comments

How to spend 8 days backpacking in the Alaskan wilderness. It was an experience of a lifetime, being away from it all, and being part of the nature. Itinerary, tips, and a women-only tour to Alaska are included in this article | Be My Travel Muse #Alaska
Pin me!

The email came through in December as I was sitting in California. Rain pitter-pattered outside as I read – it was a particularly rainy winter after all. I can still remember where I was sitting on the couch while I imagined the adventure proposed.

“Want to come backpacking in Alaska?”

Um, yes! 

Eight months later I boarded a plane to Anchorage to hike for 8 days in the backcountry with two near-perfect strangers.

Though hiking is a favorite pastime of mine, I’d never done so without any kind of trail, and without the prospect of seeing any other people. Bears, moose, and wolverines would grace my presence several times, though.

hiking in alaska
Hi bear!

You guys, this was the hike of a lifetime. I never realized prior to this how profoundly life-changing it can be to not only disassociate from the world of news, the internet, and whatever drama plays out, but to be in a place so remote that you can’t hope to drive there, can’t get a GPS signal, and completely let go of typical human life amenities.

I’ve never felt so connected even though I was totally disconnected. I’ve never felt my humanness more. I’ve never been so present in my life.

When you’re out in the Alaskan backcountry, you’re truly in the palm of mother nature’s hand.

And it can change your life.

hiking in alaska
Real adventure is defined best as a journey from which you may not come back alive, and certainly not as the same person – Yvon Chouinard

The adventure took place in Wrangell St. Elias National Park in the southeast corner of Alaska, right on the border with Canada. I’d never heard of this park before, but it’s actually the largest in the United States – large enough to encapsulate six Yellowstones. It’s also home to the majority of the tallest mountain peaks in the US.

And yet there was almost nobody there, especially on the portion from Iceberg Lake to Bremner.

Over the course of eight days we saw one other hiking group in the distance, barely close enough to wave and be acknowledged, and that was it.

hiking in alaska
Taken from the flight to the start of the hike

For all intents and purposes I was completely at nature’s mercy, searching for moose trails and passing several sets of grizzly tracks. I wonder how many bears watched me as I hiked on by.

I thought about all of this as I stared at the glaciers before me, stretching around every mountain in sight with joining lobes of glacier pouring out of valleys and topping peaks. Everyone said that Alaska is vast and enchanting and those words are simply too weak to fully describe it. I’m not sure that any words can.

hiking in alaska
Frolicking in my version of paradise.

There were a few planes here and there taking scenic flights but otherwise it was ours. I kept wondering how something so beautiful could be so empty but in truth it’s not that hard to figure out.

hiking in alaska
A random discovery just over a rock pile from where I slept one night.

You have to fly in, and the hike is tough.

hiking in alaska
You have to hike over this kind of terrain.

It’s a lot of steep ups and downs on rocks, traversing glaciers with crampons, bush whacking for hours, and walking through terrain that sinks below your feet – it is exhausting.

hiking in alaska
This is marshy. My feet were often wet.

It’s also the best hike I’ve ever done because it was impressive sight after mind blowing sight and I just could not get over the feeling of having nobody else around (am I perseverating yet?).

No selfie sticks, no bus loads, no noise, no ambient lighting.

hiking in alaska
Stop it, Alaska.

Just clean air, some of the clearest water on the planet, mist, rainbows, moose (did I mention moose? I love moose), sun, mist, snow, and bucketloads of wild blueberries.

hiking in alaska
Moose!

Honestly, how does one find such unspoiled beauty otherwise?

I’ve tasted it in Kyrgyzstan and saw some of it on the toughest hike of my life in Patagonia ,but this!

This was even more remote, vast, and untouched.

hiking in alaska
This view, though.

Plus, it turned out that taking a hike with these particular two near-perfect strangers was a fantastic idea.

hiking in alaska
My guide, Pete, the sender of the email invite. Master of the compass.

Because it so happens that we share the same inner 13-year-old sense of humor.

And when you’re hiking for 8 days with someone, you hope to dear God almighty, whatever you understand him/it to be, that y’all get along.

hiking in alaska
Did I really just use ‘y’all’?

Though I do love solo traveling, this is not something to attempt alone, so it was awesome to be with such laid-back, fun-loving people.

hiking in alaska
Pete was all, “You’ll scare the bears away wearing that,” and I was all, “Nope I’ll blend in.” Who was right?

Now I’m left with a desire not only to seek out hikes where I might not see other signs of human life, because something about returning to the root of humankind is cathartic, but to explore a whole lot more of Alaska.

hiking in alaska
Exploring ice caves

And I want everyone to know what this feels like.

Want to have the same experience in the Alaskan wilderness?

Let us help you plan the most epic adventure to Alaska! Spend a week backpacking through untouched wilderness in a remote corner of Alaska, and hike through spectacular alpine tundra in the Talkeetna Mountains. This is truly a dream trip for anyone interested in backpacking and/or landscape and wildlife photography. Click here for more information! 

Get the guidebook for solo female travelers!

About Kristin Addis

Kristin Addis is the founder and CEO of Be My Travel Muse, a resource for female travelers all around the world since 2012. She's traveled solo to over 65 countries and has brought over 150 women on her all-female adventure tours from Botswana to the Alaskan tundra.

« Komodo National Park; Indonesia’s Hidden Gem
25 Reasons Why Women Should Never Travel Solo »

Hello There!

headshot

Welcome to Be My Travel Muse, one of the top female travel blogs in the world, welcoming over 5 million readers annually.

I'm Kristin, and my vision of a better world is one where more women are empowered and living out their dreams. Solo traveling is the best method I've found to become the best, bravest version of me. This site is all about how YOU can have the adventure of a lifetime in an easy, fun, approachable way, so that you can feel empowered, too. Want to learn more about me?

Click here!

Get the Solo Female Travel Guidebook

Popular Posts

I am currently in:

The USA!

Check it out on Instagram Stories!

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Comments

  1. Nate says

    09/18/2017 at 7:46 am

    Awesome! I’ve been wondering if you’d offer tours like this some day. So cool. Nice write up and I can’t wait to see what else you have in store for 2018. Cheers!

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      09/18/2017 at 10:00 pm

      Thanks Nate!

      Reply
  2. Pete C says

    09/18/2017 at 10:35 am

    Your posts on Patagonia inspired us to do the crossing from Villa O’Higgins to El Chaltén and helped us plan our O Trek at the TdP, and now I’m pretty sure I’m going to have to go to Alaska. Keep it up!

    Also, I’ve learnt a new word – perseverate. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      09/18/2017 at 10:00 pm

      That’s awesome! Thanks for letting me know! I loved seeing the O’Higgins glacier. So much more under the radar than the other more famous ones in Patagonia.

      Reply
  3. Ioanna says

    09/19/2017 at 3:34 am

    Stop killing me with all those photos! Alaska is so beautiful and I really hope I can visit it one day… but as much as I love hiking alone, I think I would only go with a well-experienced guide – I am too scared of bears and getting lost 🙂

    Great idea with the trips, too!

    Happy travels,
    Ioanna
    A Woman Afoot

    Reply
  4. Rahul says

    09/20/2017 at 7:25 pm

    This looks beautiful, Kristin! I ended up doing the Huemul Circuit last year after first finding out about it through your blog post. Now I’m certain I’ll find myself in Alaska at some point after reading this.

    If one wanted to do the same hike you did, how would one do it? I see you listed the name of the park and where to fly into, and some of the landmarks in the park. Do you know if it’s possible to find a guide, or someone to go with who knows the area well for your particular route? I imagine this requires a fair bit of navigational and outdoors experience as well.

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      09/21/2017 at 1:25 am

      Yeah you should go with Pete! He’s an expert navigator and he’s done this route several times – he’s the one who I went with and who I’ll be partnering with to lead tours myself: Sparkexpeditions.com

      Reply
  5. Anja says

    10/02/2017 at 2:02 pm

    Wow, what a great adventure!

    Reply
  6. Jillian Michelle says

    10/11/2017 at 3:50 pm

    I feel a little embarrassed that I’d never even heard of Wrangell St. Elias National Park until now, but — freaking wow — it’s definitely going on my bucket list now. Your photos are amazing! Absolutely breathtaking! I’m a tad bit afraid of getting eaten by a grizzly bear (lolololol), but I’m determined to do this hike one day for sure!! <3 <3

    Reply
  7. Carla says

    10/30/2018 at 3:05 am

    Are you planning to do this trip again in 2019?

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      11/04/2018 at 12:40 pm

      Iceland hiking instead! Perhaps another time though, if enough people are interested!

      Reply
  8. Valeria says

    11/11/2018 at 2:39 pm

    Hi Kristin, I live in Patagonia and with my husband we love hiking.
    We would like to do this hike? Can you recommend the company? or some details?
    Thank you in advance, Valeria

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      11/11/2018 at 11:48 pm

      Hi Valeria, I did this with my tour partner at Spark Expeditions http://www.sparkexpeditions.com/ feel free to contact him.

      Reply
  9. Mak says

    05/09/2019 at 6:48 pm

    Beautiful! Would love to do this summer of 2020.

    Reply
  10. Ben says

    08/07/2019 at 9:39 am

    Do you have a map of the route that you guys took? Currently planning a week long trip for 2020. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      08/08/2019 at 10:38 pm

      I don’t, but I noted the pickup and dropoff spots. The rest we plotted day by day with a map and compass as we went.

      Reply

Stay Connected

  • Home
  • About
  • Contact Me
  • Archives
  • Privacy Policy and Disclaimer

© 2025 · Be My Travel Muse. All Rights Reserved

footer-icon