Crow Pass Hike

We hiked the Crow Pass Trail with Daniel & Heidi in early August. It was a classic Alaska day - cool and misty - with testy winds on the pass. Wonderful!

Thanks, Daniel and Heidi, for the photos and fine companionship.

On the route up the pass.

The way down.

Raven Glacier



Daniel & Heidi at the alpine tarn.

Bull Moose a plenty on Anchorage Day Hike

Wonderful day out with Marsh & John from Texas that were on an Anniversary trip to Alaska. they booked several trips with us: Anchorage Day Hike, Glacier Hike & Rainforest Hike. On our anchorage day hike we stalked and found 5 moose and a huge Bull moose we were able to get fairly close to for pictures. What a great day to see so many moose. It was pre-rut so we had been consistantly seeing mooses at Glen Alps area on every Day Hike. The fall colors were technicolor, the alpine blueberries ripe and tasty and still farily warm temps with some flowers still visible. I was finding wild geraniums still in some of the areas around the muskeg which blew me away since they are some of the first flowers to bloom of the season! I gasped and my clients I don't think were nearly as excited as I was....I guess sometimes I am a geek and get super enthusiastic for flowers, moose, birds and animals. I never get bored of nature.---Heather

Portage Pass Private Day Hike

Amazing 70 degree day on a day hike to Portage Pass from Whittier. Had amazing heat that we could hike in shorts and a tank top!!! No bugs, tons of Salmonberries, spectacular views of the Portage Glacier and Prince William Sound, ripe alpine blueberries for eating and pristine kettle ponds and tarn lakes in the alpine pass. I was hoping to see a wolverine but no such luck! Just saw a docked cruise ship in the Whittier harbor, birds, other hikers etc.

8/24 Rabbit Lakes Anchorage Day Hike

On my full day Anchorage Day Hike to Rabbit Lakes we saw 17 Dall Sheep in the cirque and we walked up onto a family of 8 or so ptarmagin in changing plummage. they were amazing in color. the Alpine Bear Berries were glowing red and the lichen around Rabbit Lakes was vibrant orange! Great day out to a new guiding location. I'll get my photos up soon! Heather

Tons of wildlife on 10 am Anchorage Day Hike

My clients and I saw 7 Moose of which there were huge Bulls with large racks, 1 Dall Sheep with a coiler for horns, and an arctic ground squirrel with the hugest goiter from packing his jowls with berries for his winter food cache!!! We hiked up to the saddle of little O'Malley Peak and had a great time! It was a bit of a hike for one of the teenagers. But she was really impressed with her accomplishment after the fact--I knew she could do it with coaxing and a comfortable pace!!! We had a great hike-Heather

Anchorage 1/2 Day hike 6pm 8/11/09

Tundra Rose or Shrubby Cinquefoil.

There is always a silver lining in life :)

Fireweed in its fall colors.

White puffy clouds on the south-eastern flank of O'Malley peak.

Moose on Willawaw Trail 8/11/09

The momma moose is checking us out. Wondering if we are a threat or if her and her calf can continue nibbling on the grass. Who is looking at who here? Peek-a-boo.

Not a very good picture of water fowl and ducks.

Power line pass and Ptarmagin Peak lit up in the amazing light.

Anchorage 1/2 Day Hike 8/11/09 6pm

The Sunlight is absolutly amazing this time of year. I found myself toting my large SLR and lenses around on a few trips this time of year for the first time. My clients were kind enough to let me photograph them. I was discreet but couldn't help myself wanting to capture the light. I am not a photographer but thought of my time in Alaska since 1991; I don't have many pictures of the summers as I am always working them. Thus, I needed to capture the beauty that I surround myself when sharing alaska to summer clients to help jog my memory in the dark depths of winter :) Heather Szundy We watched this moose calf and cow for about 45 minutes....funny thing is my clients had not seen moose on their trip to Denali and Seward. i had them for their last hours in Alaska and not even 15 minustes from the car we spotted 2 about 20 feet from the trail. I am the moose whisperer :) not really but I just know where to find them. I love moose even after seeing hundreds over the years. The sight of them still makes me get excited like a school child!

Lisa & Hanna entertaining me for a photo.

The Wedge & Powerline pass, Glen Alps.

Ptarmagin Peak, Glen Alps.

Flat Top Half Day Hike

Bright and sunny 6pm Hike at Glen Alps trail head to Flat Top. My two clients, mother and son, were from Mexico City. The mom had never hiked before but she was very physically fit. With encouragement, she made it to the upper saddle just below the last 600 ft to the summit of Flat top. Her son and I ran/hiked up to the summit and back down while taking photos of the awesome sunset. It was an accomplishment for the mom that she was marveling about the entire car ride back to downtown, Anchorage. I knew that the mom could do more than she thought. So, it was very gratifying to me to know that she pushed her limit just a little higher. Her sense of accomplishment was overwhelming to her. I love my job!!! I have a feeling she will become a hiker as she loved the bonita vistas!!! They have headed up to Denali and Fairbanks but they might come out on a Glacier Hike or Ice Climbing on their way back through Anchorage :) Yahooo, it is great bonding with clients and having an extraordinary time in the Alaskan mountains. For some, Flat Top is not wilderness but for others it can be the most wilderness they have experienced. They get a taste and then they get hooked :) ----Heather Szundy

07/02 Wolverine Peak Day Hike Anchorage

Dear sirs,

I am writing to you to say that I was very satisfied with your services.

The full-day hike on July 2nd, with the tour guide Beth, was really pleasant.
We went all the way up to Wolverine Peak and it was a real learning experience. Besides mentioning interesting information about the vegetation and animals of the region, she also tought us how to recognize animals footprints and type of plants/trees.

I hope to go back to Alaska next summer and enjoy some more of this beautiful state.
Next time, I would like to do Ice Climbing, Rock Climbing and Glacier Hiking!

Have a nice summer!

Ana Licia Sudo
São Paulo, Brazil

Crow Pass Day Hike

Though it was rainy most of the outing, we had a large group of 24 of hearty Alaskan visitors from Japan. They were awesome hikers and thoroughly prepared in full rain gear! We had a great time with the Japanese guides interpreting what the Ascending Path Naturalists were pointing out and discussing. We were fully impressed at how fit and well trained for hiking our guests were (we even had a few hikers in their 70's)! Everyone enjoyed the day. We look forward to more Crow Pass outings but perhaps in the sun next time :)

Flat Top Glissade with client from Washington

April Hike up Flat Top