"What would be a guide without someone to lead."
-Gaston Rebuffat
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 Bring on the Fall!
What makes fall such an enjoyable season? The crispness in the air? The vibrant splashes of color on the
mountains? The anticipation for all
the fun that winter holds? Likely, it's
a mixture of all these reasons and many more.
As we settle in to our winter homes we are thankful for the people who
made this another outstanding season full of fun and adventure. THANK YOU ALL and wherever you are this season, we hope you're enjoying life and soaking up the richness of fall!
All the best,
The SEAG Crew
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 Spotlight On Adventure
Epic Father/Son Adventure:
Establishing a new mountain traverse in the Wrangell-St. Elias
What do you get when you cross an adventure-hungry
father/son duo from Sonoma, California
with an unknown route in the St.
Elias Mountains
and one of our top mountain guides, Eli Potter? A first ever grand traverse of the
Twaharpies and lots of stories!
The
Twaharpies are a group of stunning peaks located in the University
Range of the St. Elias Mountains. Flanked on all sides by some
of the largest mountains and deepest canyons in the Park, this is a rugged,
seldom-visited region. To the north, the mighty Russell Glacier lumbers
towards the White River and to the southeast the Twaharpies Glacier winds up
from the Chitistone
River canyon.
Between these two glaciers lies a true mountaineers' paradise. Stunning,
snow-covered cirques, 60 degree snow fields, technical alpine
terrain........and no record of anybody completing the traverse between the
glaciers. Enter Dan Goldfield. Dan works in the wine industry in California and has an
adventurous streak. He'd been in the
area before and like many inspired explorers, started looking around at the
terrain and getting ideas. Later, after
looking at maps of the area he came up with a concept. Travel up the Russell Glacier to its origins
near the base of the Grand Parapet, cross the pass, and travel down the
Twaharpies Glacier; a traverse that to our knowledge is a first in the Park.
Click here for the complete story and more photos of the trip
 At St. Elias Alpine
Guides, we specialize in leading trips in the spectacular Wrangell St. Elias
National Park. Whether you're a wildflower
photographer, hardcore mountaineer (like Dan and Jamie are now), wilderness
lover, or first timer looking to explore Alaska's
finest wilderness, we can put together a trip for you
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Cheap Insurance for Winter Travelers
By Matt Vial
The Japanese Couloir has 24 inches of fresh snow in it,
beckoning you to drop in and leave your mark on its pristine surface. As you ski in and make your first two turns you
notice that the snow in the couloir seems to be moving with you and..........Avalanche! You fight to stay on the surface but as the
snow slides to a stop you find yourself buried alive. Just as panic sets in, you remember the
little electronic device strapped to your side and as the sounds of your
partner's frantic shoveling above you makes its way to your ears you thank your
lucky stars that you decided to buy an avalanche beacon and that you're with a partner who knows how to use it.
These days avalanche beacons come from a wide array of
manufacturers with an even wider array of features and functions. With advances in antennae technology
and by incorporating digital signal processors, avalanche beacons are more
accurate and relatively easy to use. In
other words it will take your partner less time to find you and dig you out,
increasing your chances of survival. So
how do you select the avalanche beacon that is right for you? There are a couple of websites that provide
great reviews and comparisons of avalanche beacons to help you choose. Check out Lou Dawson's Wild Snow site or Steve Achelis' Beacon Review site. Educate yourself on the options, choose a multiple-antennae beacon that is easy for you to use, and practice using your beacon until it is second nature. If you're still having trouble deciding, SEAG recommends the Tracker DTS by Backcountry Access for ease of use and the Pieps DSP for its larger range and advanced features. All of these beacons are available from Backcountry.com
We also strongly recommend that you take an avalanche course such as those offered by the American Insititute for Avalanche Research and Education(AIARE) to enhance your winter travel skills. Stay abreast of current avalanche conditions and read local forecasts on websites such as Avalanche.org. Finally, continue to educate yourself through practice, reading, and taking more advanced courses. Bruce Edgerly of Backcountry Access has some
great articles on the research he is doing like an article that stresses the importance of
efficient shoveling techniques.
Be safe.
Be smart. And we'll see you in
the backcountry this winter!
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 Featured Guide
Jake Wilkens
In his two years as a guide for St.
Elias Alpine Guides and Copper Oar Rafting, Jake Wilkens has proved himself to
be an exceptional member of our team.
Clients and co-workers love his quiet sense of humor and steady,
reliable personality. Whether he is
guiding people on a river trip, exploring new backpacking routes, or on the
business end of a chainsaw, you can count on Jake to get the job done safely
and with a style that's all his own. We
caught up with Jake this fall between hunting trips and convinced him, with
offers of fame and fortune, to share a little more about himself for this
article.
"Growing up on Skyline
Drive in Eagle River,
Alaska, I had the unique opportunity of having
the Chugiak Mountains in my backyard. As I grew older, I found myself venturing further and
further, always wanting to see what was beyond the next summit. As I grew older
yet, the Talkeetnas and the Kenai Fjords were added to my playground. I feel very fortunate to work with SEAG. One of the best side-benefits of
having such a cool job is all the amazing people I get to meet, both clients
and co-workers. As for my future plans, I am very much set
on not making any. I do know that
the mountains will always be home to me. I will continue to travel the hills
with the love and respect that they command, and I will always continue to
challenge myself to see what's just over the next ridge."
Of course, Jake doesn't mention anything about earning his private pilot's license, playing semi-pro ice hockey, playing guitar in a band called Old Joe and the Clarks, or roaming the Alaskan backcountry as a hunting guide when he's not working for SEAG. You'll just have to come take a trip with him to hear those stories!
2010 will be Jake's 3rd season with St. Elias
Alpine Guides. A true multi-purpose guide, he has the skills
to lead everything from historical tours and day hikes to ice climbing,
multi-day backpacking, and rafting trips. You can feel confident that with Jake as your guide, you'll be well taken care of on the adventure of a lifetime.
Click here to meet more of our Alaska guides!
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 Wilderness Recipe Ideas
How do you make oatmeal edible?
Try these ideas from our guides to give the old standby a little more pizzazz:
Transform it! Office manager and guide Nina Winegar-Thurston adds cinnamon, nutmeg, brown sugar, apple chunks, and raisins to her oatmeal. "Its like eating apple pie for breakfast!"
Camouflage it! Guide Matt Vial likes to sprinkle things such as dried blueberries, chopped dried apricots, chocolate chips, sliced almonds, walnuts, brown sugar, and powdered milk to his morning gruel. "It's sort of like putting toppings on your ice cream!"
Spice it! Guide Nabil Kashyap recommends steeping Chai teabags (or a flavor of your choice) in the boiling water as you cook the oatmeal. Then adding toppings to taste.
Stick with the hashbrowns and bacon! Well known for thinking outside the box, owner Wayne Marrs has definitely consumed more than his fair share of oatmeal in his many years as a guide. He may have a point!
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 Parting Shot
Congratulations to river guide Danny Amos on tying the knot
with his sweetie Tessa Dahlen. We wish
you all the best and hope you have a wonderful time exploring New Zealand!
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