2018 Eastern Alaska Range Traverse Expedition

The Eastern Alaska Range is a spectacular region of Alaska. It is also one of the most challenging and wild areas of the state. The 2018 traverse expedition is being led by Mike Hopper and includes a team with experience in mountaineering, photography and natural sciences. The journey will take the team across the Delta River at the start of the traverse and then work across the Eastern Alaska Range to the final destination at Denali National Park entrance area. Breath-taking scenery, glacier crossings, fording multiple rivers and streams will all be part of the journey. Please feel free to use the below link to follow the team as they make their way across this majestic portion of the Alaska Range. Map graphics are edited each day to reflect actual route the group is traveling. Daily camp locations are added to select figures above.

- See the following link for SPOT Expedition Tracking

Tracking is accomplished with a SPOT Satellite GPS Messenger. During the times the team is on the move, it will be reporting between 15 minutes and an hour, updates may lag a few hours based on satellite reception. You may need to refresh your browser to see recent location updates. Using the Satellite image mode helps see the terrain the expedition is crossing.

Travel Log

Day 1 - Aug 1 - Group departs Black Rapids Lodge, crosses Delta River, traverses drainages south of Mount Pillsbury to southeast of McGinnis Glacier terminus
Day 2 - Aug 2 - Group departed EART Camp1 and crossed two lobes of McGinnis Glacier to their second camp location north of McGinnis Glacier
Day 3 - Aug 3 - Group departed EART Camp2 and crossed the foothills north of McGinnis Peak to their third camp location east of and along Trident Glacier. Group reported rain each day.
Day 4 - Aug 4 - Group departed EART Camp3 and crossed the foothills north of McGinnis Peak to their fourth camp location east of Hayes Glacier. Fog and rain are limiting visibility.
Day 5 - Aug 5 - Group departed EART Camp4 and crossed two lobes of Hayes Glacier to their fifth camp location northwest of Hayes Glacier, northeast of Mount Skarland, and south of West Hayes Creek.
Day 6 - Aug 6 - Group departed EART Camp5 and crossed the foothills north of Mount Skarland and Whistler Creek to their sixth camp location up the East Fork of the Little Delta River.
Day 7 - Aug 7 - Group departed EART Camp6 along the East Fork of the Little Delta River and traveled up to the terminus of Gillam Glacier and over to their seventh camp along Buchanan Creek.
Day 8 - Aug 8 - Group departed EART Camp7 and worked their way down Buchanan Creek, toward the West Fork of the Little Delta River.
Day 9 - Aug 9 - Group departed EART Camp8 and worked their way down Buchanan Creek to the West Fork of the Little Delta River, then followed a glacier tributary to the south to an unnamed drainage leading to the west.
Day 10 - Aug 10 - Group departed EART Camp9 and worked their way down an unnamed tributary to the west, towards the Wood River, their next destination. They final had some good clear weather conditions, which did result in cold overnigth temperatures. The made their end-of-day camp on the Wood River (Camp 10)
Day 11 - Aug 11 - Group departed EART Camp10 on the Wood River and worked their way downstream towards Cody Creek, and then started upstream on Cody Creek and Camp 11.
Day 12 - Aug 12 - Group departed EART Camp11 and worked their way up Cody Creek and over the drainage divide and down to Healy River, along the last leg in their journey. The made thier Camp 12 on Healy River.
Day 13 - Aug 13 - Group departed EART Camp12 on Healy Riverr and working their way downstream to Healy, to complete the trip.