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Our Brooks Range trips: What are they really like?

By Andrew Skurka / August 9, 2023 /

In June and July, Christy Rosander and I guided two 7-day trips in Alaska’s Brooks Range. This is our marquee location, and at the end I felt exceptionally thankful for the experiences that this wilderness had provided. Christy put together videos for each trip. They’re not polished or narrated, and don’t have any drone footage,…

Spots available: 11-day Olympic Traverse, September 2023

By Andrew Skurka / May 30, 2023 /

In 2022 we offered two 11-day trips in the High Sierra, with one resupply in the middle. The guides and the clients rated the experience very highly, because they had so much time to explore and connect with the area, so for this season we offered this trip length in Alaska, again in California, and…

Ask Us Anything: Backpacking the High Sierra in 2023

By Andrew Skurka / May 27, 2023 /

Last week I wrote about the High Sierra’s record-breaking 2023-23 snowpack and its implications for trip planning, gear selection, and essential skills. In short, this season will be far from normal. Are you ready for that? This week Katie Gerber and I are hosting an “Ask Us Anything” online event to answer your questions about…

High Sierra record snowpack: Implications for trip planning, gear selection, and skills

By Andrew Skurka / May 25, 2023 /

As atmospheric rivers crashed into the High Sierra during the 2022-23 winter, I had two primary reactions. I was: In 2023 backpacking trips in the High Sierra will be more difficult and risky than identical itineraries in past seasons. However, it’s possible to accurately predict, entirely avoid, and/or safely manage the challenges. Personally, I think…

More damaged bridges in the High Sierra

By Andrew Skurka / May 22, 2023 /

Two more reports of damaged bridges in the High Sierra have emerged. I suspect we may be looking at a few more before the water levels drop in July or August. I’ve updated my High Sierra Creek Hazards resource with these updates already. One is over the Middle Fork of the San Joaquin near Red’s…

Detouring: San Joaquin River bridge alternates

By Andrew Skurka / May 18, 2023 /

During a flight tour in April, the National Park Service discovered that a critical bridge over the South Fork of the San Joaquin had been damaged. For photos, refer to the PCTA website. This bridge is in the northwestern corner of Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Park, just south of the boundary with Sierra National Forest, and…

One spot available: 7-day trip in Alaska’s Brooks Range

By Andrew Skurka / May 16, 2023 /

Due to a recent cancellation, a spot has become available in the Alaska 1B group. This trip has been full since January, when we first accepted applications. Trip details: If you need to check your schedule, base your plans on these details: The group will meet in Fairbanks, fly to Bettles on a regional flight,…

PSA | Hazardous High Sierra creeks: List, map & alternates

By Andrew Skurka / March 20, 2023 /

Update (May 18, 2023): Refer to this post for detouring around the damaged bridge over the South Fork of the San Joaquin. Update (May 22, 2023): More bridges are down. Plan accordingly. Every spring, creeks in the High Sierra rage with snowmelt. For one to two months, they are a grave danger, especially after snowy…

Help wanted: Prepping breakfast & dinner rations

By Andrew Skurka / March 16, 2023 /

To readers who live in or near Boulder, Colo: I need help in preparing breakfasts and dinners for our upcoming guided trips. Would you be interested in making some extra cash? For the 2023 season I’ll need several thousand meals. The work is easy but detail-oriented: you’ll need to proportionally mix the bulk ingredients, then…

Meet Katie Gerber, new Co-Director

By Andrew Skurka / February 27, 2023 /

I’m delighted to publicly announce that Katie Gerber has been hired as Co-Director and my first full-time employee. To start, she’ll be helping me run the guided trip program; as time and interest permits, I hope that her role will expand. Katie has been involved in the program since 2020, as a guide and online…