Alaska 2026


After much deliberation I am headed back to Alaska. I am sad to miss Western States (Jim, Killian, and Zack running an hour from where I used to live? That will never happen again.) But it's probably better to have my own adventure than to spectate someone else's (even if I've admired them for ten-plus years, watching as the sport grew exponentially.) 

I initially planned to go to Alaska last week, but there was a late snow storm that took the snowpack in the Brooks Range from below-average to above-record. It's mostly gone now (10" at Atigun Pass as of this morning) but ideally it would be *completely* gone. The data station at Atigun Pass is at 4750 feet or so. About 10% of my route is higher than that. I could stay lower by staying further south, but that is likely to be super brushy, gnarly bushwhacking. 

I considered delaying to August, but August is typically rainier, has less daylight (everything has less daylight compared to the 24 hours of light now) and is colder. August would probably be fine, but it would have cost me a bit to change my flights, and I'm kind of sick of DC and work right now. (Can you sense that I was still waffling even until last night? It's a tough call. There's a lot going on.)

I'm flying to Fairbanks, then Tuesday morning I take the 12-hour long shuttle ride up the pipeline highway to the Brooks Range. I'll hike a loop to the East along the continental divide in ANWR, and catch the shuttle returning south Wednesday of the following week. That Friday I fly to Colorado for Hardrock #3.

I've had a nagging on-again-off-again injury in my left foot for a few months now. Maybe I'm silly but I expect backpacking will be easier on it than running.

No blog updates from the wilderness until I return to Fairbanks. Even if the weather sucks, I've got A Tale of Two Cities, John Muir's Travels in Alaska, a small flask of Amaro Averna, and a lot of Snickers bars.

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