Within the Wild

This morning at 7:15am, meet your complimentary transfer streetside with bags ready for a quick ride to Lake Hood, the world’s largest floatplane base and your departure point for Winterlake Lodge. At approximately 8:00am, depart by floatplane for a 1-hour flight northwest of Anchorage, ascending with views of three distinct mountain ranges. Lodge managers greet you dockside and invite you to the main lodge for a brief orientation over coffee, tea and fresh pastries. Settle in and start your day with a morning walk on the trail system, stopping to meet sled dogs and learn about the National Historic Iditarod Trail that runs through the property.

Lunch is served in the main lodge. Chefs craft each dish to articulate local wild flavors and inspire continued exploration of Winterlake Lodge. After lunch, explore around the lodge. Enjoy a 3-hour saddle hike and take in the views of the Tordrillo Mountains and the Skwentna River Valley. Return for an afternoon yoga class while settling into the serenity of the lodge’s surroundings.

Evening appetizers are served in the main lodge followed by a three-course dinner served table d’hôte style. After din­ner, gather around the table for games, drinks and conversation. Finish the evening paddling on Winter Lake, keeping an eye out for loons, swans and shore wildlife.

Begin today with optional morning yoga at 7:00am, followed by 8:00am breakfast served in the main lodge. Then join your guide for a helicopter-supported adventure. Lunch and snacks will be provided. Options today include the following:

Heli-hiking

Board a Robinson R-44 helicopter with your guide to the summit of Wolverine Ridge or the surrounding area mountains in the Tordrillo Range. Spend the day hiking along the ridge or exploring the tundra ecosystem, watching for caribou, brown bear and moose. Other favorite spots include Lupine Falls and Glacier Ridge for views of Tremble Glacier and delightful patches of blueberries and wildflowers.

Glacier Trekking

Explore the features and ancient beauty of your precious glacial surroundings. During the flight, search for moulins, glacial pools, animals traversing the moraine and dramatic crevasses. Land on the ice to explore a 1000-year-old glacier. No prior glacier experience is needed for this opportunity and you may try sledding or snowshoeing in the summertime!

Happy River Float

Fly from the lodge to meet your river guide on the Happy River. Meander along this rarely visited glacier-fed class III river while looking for bears, eagles, Dall’s sheep and salmon. This is a favorite spot because the deep gorge and surrounding mountains offer outstanding views and serenity.

Fly Fishing

Set out to one of the many secluded rivers – all gear included. Throughout the summer, guides scout the top-secret spots to fish for salmon, rainbow trout and Dolly Varden. Float, walk or wade down a quiet Alaskan river in this pristine region.

In the evening, join lodge managers for a wine and cheese tasting, appetizers, local Alaskan brews and gourmet sodas. Dinner is server at 7:00pm, after which you may choose to relax in the hot tub or enjoy the wood-fired sauna.

Start the day with optional morning yoga at 7:00am, followed by 8:00am breakfast served in the main lodge. Then choose to either explore Red Lake or go on a big adventure challenge to summit Wolverine Ride (a full-day adventure). For Red Lake, hike down an old trap line trail; spot for moose, black bears, swans and loons. Canoe the lake with your guide and paddle to the Iditarod trail. Along the way, fish for grayling in the lake. The return route will loop you back to the lodge through an old growth boreal forest filled with wild berries. Forage as you explore!

Return to the lodge for lunch. After lunch, enjoy complimentary massage and join the afternoon stretch class. Grab a stand-up paddleboard with your guide to explore or read a book on the deck rocking chairs. At 4:00pm, meet back in the kitchen to learn a new recipe using Alaskan ingredients. In the evening, join fellow travelers over appetizers and wine to share stories of the day’s adventures. Dinner is served at 7:00pm. After dinner, practice your fly fishing cast on the lake in the Minn Kota.

Enjoy 7:00am optional morning yoga followed by 8:00am breakfast served in the main lodge. After breakfast, take one last walk through the sled dog yard and bid farewell to your fellow travelers and lodge employees. At 9:00am, meet your floatplane at the dock for an 1.5-hour flight south to Tutka Bay Lodge.

After settling into the Tutka Bay Lodge, meet with your guide to plan adventures. Take a morning walk on the trail system and learn about the old-growth Sitka spruce forest that surrounds the property. Hike to Tutka Lake to forage and enjoy views of the surrounding peaks. Sea kayak from the lodge to the Herring Islands to look for otters, whales, seals and eagles.

Lunch, crafted to articulate the local and wild flavors of Tutka Bay, is served in the main lodge. After, board M/V Sea Salt for a ride to the neighboring bay and a visit to an oyster farm. Learn the unique conditions of raising oysters and mussels in the cold waters of Alaska and taste them fresh out of the water. At 4:00pm, join a cooking class with remarkable chefs. Participate in preparing a featured house recipe inspired by Chef Kirsten Dixon.

Appetizers are served in the main lodge in the evening, followed by a three-course dinner served table d’hôte style. After dinner, join the lodge manager for a sea life safari and educational discussion about the area. If the tides are right, head to the beach and learn about the 13 intertidal zones distinctive to Kachemak Bay, where sea stars abound in an array of colors.

After an early 6:00am breakfast at the lodge, depart for your full-day excursion: either deep sea fishing in Kachemak Bay or bear viewing on the wild coastlines of Katmai National Park.

Deep Sea Fishing

With an early start, this excursion will take you to the deep, pristine waters of Kachemak Bay. Spend the day fishing for salmon and halibut alongside informative local captains with all gear included. Kachemak Bay is home to one of the most productive fisheries in the world due to intense tidal fluctuations. Listen to stories from your guide about this unique region. A specialty lunch will be provided from the lodge chefs for your day on the water. At the end of the day, your captain will clean and fillet your catch at the dock. Ship it home or take it to the lodge for the chefs to prepare.

Bear Viewing

This excursion provides an amazing opportunity to explore one of the most populated wild habitats of Alas­kan brown bears. The day starts with an early rise at Tutka Bay Lodge and a water taxi over to Homer where you meet your pilot and guide. At the hanger, you will be fitted with waders for the day, then take off for a 1-hour scenic flight. The destination flight takes you over glaciers, volcanoes and the rugged coastlines of Katmai National Park and Lake Clark National Park. Land on a remote beach where you may walk alongside bears in their natural habitat and, depending on the time of year, see bears grazing on sedge grass, digging for clams, playing together, courting, resting and/or fishing. Expect to make some stream crossings and do light hiking (2-6 miles) alongside highly knowledgeable and helpful guides. (Please note this is a remote trip and there is no access to facilities.)

When you get back to lodge, enjoy a hot sauna or soak before your complimentary massage. This evening, join the lodge managers for wine, local Alaskan brews and gourmet sodas during appetizer hour. Following dinner, take a walk to Sunset Beach to relax before views of Mt. Illiamna.

Begin today with optional morning yoga at 7:00am, followed by 8:00am breakfast served in the main lodge. After breakfast, explore one of the many trails through Kachemak Bay State Park or travel by boat with your guide to the Grewingk Glacier. View the glacier’s exposed gravel field and learn the anatomy of an Alaskan glacier. Take the Glacier Lake hike and admire icebergs in the lake nestled up in the mountains. Make it a full-day adventure and bring a picnic lunch, or plan to return to the lodge for lunch after exploring.
Venture out on stand-up paddleboards from the dock for marine life viewing, or walk the beach tide pooling with your guides.

This evening, join fellow travelers for appetizers and wine and tell stories of the day’s adventures. After dinner, join tje boat captain for a sunset cruise around the neighborhood, watching for whales and other sea life.

After optional morning yoga at 7:00am, enjoy breakfast at 8:00am in the main lodge. Bid farewell to your fellow travelers, favorite lodge employees and resi­dent sea otters. Maybe enjoy one last low tide experience as you await your floatplane ride back to Anchorage. At 10:00am, take your included floatplane flight back to Anchorage.