Tour description: Trekking and bear viewing
Requirements: This tour is recommended for trekkers who are well trained and can carry 45 pounds in a backpack for several hours per day (4-6). We carry all camping equipment and food with us and since there is little water in the Valley of 10,000 Smokes we must carry enough water for 2 days and depend on melting snow for the rest of the trip.
2012 Booking Code: KMNP
2012 Price per person: USD 2885.00
Date: Sunday, September 2nd - Sunday, September 9th, 2012
Duration: 8 days/ 7 nights
Number of participants: min 5 pax, max 9 pax

Surcharge per person if minimum is not reached:
minus 1 participant USD 200.00
minus 2 participants USD 500.00
minus 3 participants USD 1200.00

Included:

• flight: Anchorage - King Salmon - Anchorage
• floatplane: King Salmon - Brooks Camp - King Salmon
• bus travel in Katmai National Park
• guide
• cooking equipment
• food (camping style)
• all national park fees

Detailed itinerary:
Day 1
Flight Anchorage – King Salmon – Brooks Falls in Katmai NP Brooks Falls, where the bears catch salmon, is famous for bear viewing. Pitch tent in the nearby campground. View bears from the viewing platforms.

Day 2
Ride the bus into Valley of 10,000 Smokes enjoying the great views of the desert like valley. Start hiking down the valley. After crossing Windy River we hike a little further into the valley and set camp.

Day 3
Following and finally crossing Lethe River, a river that cuts deep into volcanic ashes, we hike deep into the Valley of 10,000 Smokes. After reaching the crater of Novarupta, we understand how this valley got its name (having hot ashes under our feet, smelling the sulfur, seeing the fumes rising) Camp above the craters which produced the eruption of 1912, which was bigger than that of Mt St Helens.

Day 4
Hike up to Katmai Pass where we can see the Pacific ocean in the east. Rising above the pass is volcano Mount Mageik, a volcano that is covered by a glacier, with hot fumes still rising from it. We see the huge pyramid of Mt Griggs. To get a better view of Mt Katmai and the volcanoes we climb to the active Trident volcano. Camp in Katmai Pass.

Day 5
Hike the road back through the valley. Camp at the end of the road with great views.

Day 6
Ride the bus back to Brooks Camp and camp at the campground in the NP.

Day 7
Dedicated to watching the bears catch salmon. In the rotation with other visitors, we can watch the bears from close range.

Day 8
We fly back to Anchorage via King Salmon.