Thursday, July 23

 

Aquatic Plants along the Canoe Trail System

Cost:  $125.00

8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Trip Leaders:  Alan Batten & Marilyn Barker- University of Alaska

We'll be canoeing on a small lake, one of a complex of lakes on mostly forested glacial moraine in the Susitna River lowlands. At the end of the lake we'll land at a fen vegetated with low shrubs, sedges, herbs, and cryptogams. Later, we'll walk ¼ mile on a boardwalk across a swampy drainageway with large shrubs and emergent graminoids, and then on to a small pond with abundant emergent and aquatic vegetation. Time permitting, additional sites will be explored.

To get in and out of the boats, and to investigate the vegetation in the pond, we will need to walk in water 6-12 inches deep. High waterproof boots are strongly recommended and can be rented locally. Basic canoe experience is encouraged but not required. We will pair people off in the canoes, but a child could be a third person if necessary. The total distance to travel by canoe is about a mile and a half for the round trip. Please dress appropriately for the weather and canoe paddling. Bring a raincoat and be prepared for temperatures anywhere between 50° and 85° F. Bring personal items including drinking water. 

Includes continental breakfast and box lunch and waterbottle

Maximum Participants:  12

 

Portage and Byron Glacier Tour

Cost:  $65.00

9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Trip Leaders:  Kate Mohatt USFS Service

The Begich, Boggs Visitor Center, managed by the Chugach National Forest, offers spectacular views of carved glacial valleys, turquoise lakes, and lateral moraines. The drive south along the Turnagain Arm to the visitor center will have remarkable views of ocean and the lush Chugach National Forest, America's second largest national forest. Start with video and presentation at the visitor center followed by exhibits and picnic lunch lake. Forest Service Ecologists and Rangers will lead a group hike to the Byron Glacier Trail (0.8 mi one-way, ~100ft elevation change) in the afternoon with multiple stops along the way. There will also be the opportunity to see a large population of the Pale Poppy (Papaver alboroseum), a rarely encountered species.

Includes continental breakfast and box lunch and waterbottle
Maximum Participants:  40

 

Alpine Bryophyte and Lichen Communities of the Chugach Mountains

Cost:  $65.00

9:00 AM – 1:30 PM
Trip Leaders:  James Walton, National Park Service

 Flattop is Alaska’s most popular peak and the quickest way to access the alpine environment from Anchorage. On clear days, Flattop offers spectacular panoramic views of Denali and the Alaska Range, Cook Inlet, and the majestic volcanoes of the Aleutian Range. The trailhead is located at Glen Alps, a 20-minute drive from downtown Anchorage, and the aptly named mountain summit is reached by following a well-maintained 2.4 km (1.5 mile) system of trails.

The hike begins at treeline but soon ventures into graminoid meadow, low ericaceous shrub, and herbaceous tundra. At higher elevations, rocky outcrops and talus slopes offer even more habitat to explore. Geologically the area is a chaotic mix of morainal and colluvial deposits, principally from weakly metamorophosed siltstone, sandstone, greywacke, arkose, conglomerate sandstone, and greenstones commonly associated with chert and argillite. This trip is a great opportunity to explore a diversity of nonvascular taxa that occur across southcentral Alaska alpine environments.

Hiking difficulty will be easy to moderate at higher elevations. Sturdy footwear, bug protection, and appropriate clothing for changing weather are recommended.

 Includes continental breakfast and box lunch and waterbottle

Maximum Participants:  15

 

Alaska Wildlife Tour – And a Special Opportunity!

Cost:  $70.00

10:00 AM – 4:30 PM

Trip Leaders:  Annie Ronnsee

This is your chance to view migratory birds, salmon, beluga whales, bears, musk oxen, and other Alaska wildlife…oh my! 

Start with a guided walk at Potters Marsh, in Anchorage, with excellent habitat for over 130 migratory bird species, spawning salmon, and a variety of mammals. A wooden boardwalk provides 0.5 mile trail showcasing a marsh ecosystem. Continue with a drive south for scenic views of mountains and the lush Chugach National Forest along the Turnagain Arm. A picnic lunch at Bird Point offers scenery of the tidal mudflats and a chance to see harbor seals, beluga whales, and the bore tide. The bore tide can occur up to 40 ft and is one of the biggest in the world.

The last stop is at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center for a 2-hr tour of wildlife. The wildlife center is a sanctuary dedicated to preserving Alaska’s wildlife through conservation, education, research and quality animal care.   You can explore the park at your own pace. Everyone will end the Center trip with a Bears Business program at 3:30pm, where the Center will do a bear feeding and presentation on diet, environment, survival, adaptations of bears.

Includes continental breakfast and box lunch and waterbottle
Maximum Attendees: 40

A Very Special Add On!
Walk on Wildside Tour
A small group will have the opportunity for a private 90-minute tour where your personal guide will walk with you through the Center, offer history and personal stories of our resident animals. You’ll have the chance to be up-close and personal with a porcupine and have the chance to feed one additional animal. At 3:30 you will rejoin the group for a Bears Business program, where the Center will do a bear feeding and presentation on diet, environment, survival, adaptations of bears.

 Limited to 10 people $100.00 per person