Flightseeing in Wrangell-St. Elias

[Jay H]

My trip to Alaska this year was postponed due to my hiking friend from Idaho breaking her foot in a kayak accident. (instead, I biked to Maine/NB!, not a bad 2nd choice, always wanted to do that)...

Anyway, our trip to Wrangell was also put off because of it and thought I'd ask this again. We're both thinking of splurging on a 5-7 day trip in the backcountry in Wrangell, by using a charter air service to drop us off and pick us up. Nothing other than basic survival, don't plan on doing the Wrangell traverse or anything. Just pure wilderness and stuff. Looking at Wrangell Mountain Air as the outfitter. Anybody have any experience with them or any other charter group serving the park?

Might try to go two weeks up there, would love to spend the other week kayaking somewhere but not sure if I could afford that since the air service is not cheap and neither would a kayak excursion, unless I make one there.. ha!

Jay

 

[sardog1]

Anybody have any experience with them or any other charter group serving the park?

Without commenting at all on the operator that you named (I don't know them):

1. Safety is your primary concern. There's a saying in AK -- "If you live here long enough, someone you know will die in an aircraft accident." (And yes, I have had that experience.) If you cannot make a connection with someone up there who really knows the operators, you might at least go to the library and look at old (>5 years old) Alaska Magazine ads to see who's been in business for a decent while. You would be shocked to find out how easy it is to get hired as a pilot, or start an air charter business, in AK. (Read John McPhee's Coming Into the Country for a tale on this point that is just as valid today as it was thirty years ago.)

2. Reliability for the return trip pickup is your next concern. You're headed to a very remote area. Clients do get stranded sometimes, by pilots who forget them or forget to tell someone else where the client was to be picked up. (Sometimes the pilot doesn't make it back to town from dropping you off .....) Double and triple check the arrangements and the backup arrangements. You'll want to be very sure that you, the pilot, your next of kin, and the pilot's backup all know exactly where and when you're supposed to be picked up.

You could send me a private message if you want more tips on AK travel.