Backpacking in Wrangell St. Elias late in the season has its risks: you are likely to be at the whim of the Pacific storms which can dump a lot of moisture. And the short summer here means that you are going to be cold, damp and miserable if you are not moving. And if you are really lucky, you are going to be frozen in the icy north too. My sojourn in the Park had all of these, and more. But it was still an amazing experience.
Waking up in the morning after a day of hiking in the cold miserable rain, I was treated to a landscape blanketed in snow, with the morning light slowly peering through. The warming sunlight led to fog forming and drifting over the rolling hills and snow-capped peaks all around. And for a while, the landscape glowed with alternating pastels of yellow and blue. This magical landscape was the only factor that helped me brave the freezing cold that morning.
Here I tried to capture one such scene from that delightful morning walk.
Wrangell St Elias National Park
AK USA
Scenes from Wrangell
After a week long backpack that traversed 27 miles of vertiginous terrain in Wrangell St Elias, I was stunned by the breathtaking scenery in just one small portion of this vast park. I have many more stories to share, but here is a quick preview of the beautiful landscape hidden in the largest National Park of the country.
Wrangell St. Elias National Park
AK USA