(As always, click on the image for a larger version)
This is a view of Russel Glacier from the airplane as we flew over Chitistone Pass towards our drop-off point.
You can never truly feel solitude until you have been dropped off by an airplane deep into a wilderness area. Watching the airplane take off left us both grinning from ear to ear as we realized how truly alone we were! This was our starting point, called Skolai Airstrip. From here, we would travel 35 miles over the course of the next seven days to Glacier Creek, where Kelly, our bush pilot, would pick us up. He did, however leave us with another option, basically telling us that if we get to the steep sections and can't make it through, we should turn around and hike back here. If he didn't see us at Glacier Creek, he would fly back to this airstrip to look for us. We both looked at him and asked, "You mean people would actually turn around?!?" We didn't believe him...until later.
You don't realize how much food weighs until you start carrying a weeks worth on your back. Here we are stopping for dinner on day one. You can see the bear canister that we stored most of our food in sitting in front of Sonja.
We went for a hike the second day to get a closer look at some of the glaciers in Chitistone Pass. Here's Sonja on the edge of the pass overlooking one of them. I won the spitting for distance contest.
On day three, we left Chitistone pass and began the trek to Chitistone Gorge. This is an unnamed glacier along the way. The first few days we took our time and enjoyed the low clouds and rain as much as we could. This picture was actually taken looking out the front of our tent.
Sonja and I decided to stop on day four for a rest, and to build up our courage for the trek through the gorge. Sonja was busy studying the map while I wandered around taking pictures.
The first section of the "Goat Trail". There is a further explaination when you click on the image (the same is true for the next two pictures as well, so be sure to scroll down and read the story).
This is a sample of what some of the 'good' sections of this part of the trail looked like. Areas like this seperated the scary parts, giving us a false sense of finality.
Well, we made it through the gorge after about a day and a half of hiking, and one bear encounter. Sonja was so hungry that she ate a sheep! Here she is gloating over her kill.
Chitistone Falls was one of the coolest waterfalls I've ever seen (I just tell myself that to make the trip through the gorge seem worthwhile). Actually, it was pretty cool. After we took this picture we ate our way through the massive blueberry patches on this ridge, all the while shouting, "Hey Bear!!" at the top of our lungs.
There are more photos to come...once we finally finish off the last two rolls of film in the cameras. So be sure to check back for the finally of the Goat Trail!