Your Itinerary . . .

Day 1 - Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Meet in Anchorage for dinner. Get to know your tour guide and your fellow adventurers. If you arrive early, there are opportunities for exploring local museums and parks to get a feel for Alaska.

Day 2 - Thursday, July 30, 2009

Let the adventure begin! We leave early from Anchorage to Seward and the the Gulf of Alaska. Along the way, we pass through mountain ranges and beautiful scenery. Have your camera ready! Once in Seward, we will take an afternoon hike to the Exit Glacier. This guided hike takes us through woodlands that offer us opportunities to spy moose, deer and other wildlife. Once at the glacier, we don crampons and pick up trekking poles to hike onto the ice.  As we explore the slow moving ice, our guides tell us about history and geology of the glacier, and the life that lives and thrives in the region. We return to Seward for dinner and a bit of exploring around the town. (B,D)

Day 3 - Friday, July 31, 2009

Time to explore the coast! We do this via sea kayaks! We take a tour along the coastline of Resurrection Bay and look for sea life - from sea stars to sea lions, otters to orca, and shoreline dwellers like black bear and eagle. Our tour also offers us opportunities to visit scenic spots like waterfalls. We take time out to come ashore, to stretch out legs and to enjoy a snack before returning to Seward.  Once back in Seward, we visit the Alaska Sea Life center to learn more about the wildlife we encountered and to see up close what we missed earlier in the day. We drive back to Anchorage tonight. (B)

Day 4 - Saturday, August 1, 2009

We start with a short drive out of Anchorage to the Chugach Mountains and Lake Eklutna. The lake has a hiking/cycling path that leads to the far end of the lake. We will take bicycles for an easy ride along the lakefront, stopping for breaks and to snap photos of the mountain peaks towering above the lake. There will be a picnic lunch and long break before returning to our private van. We continue our journey northwards to the hamlet of Talkeetna, with opportunities for stopping and exploring along the way. Talkeetna is our home for the night. (B)

Day 5 - Sunday, August 2, 2009

Today we embark on a two-day river float trip, with a quick overview of the river as we travel to our launch site - by air! A floatplane from Talkeetna to our river launch site off Bunco Lake. There, we will paddle down the Tokositna River, the closest river to the Alaskan Range. Care to fish along the way? Our guides have gear ready for you. (Don't forget to buy a license, first!) Today's short float trip offers us glimpses of wildlife and incredible scenery. Our guides prepare a riverside campsite as our accommodations for the night. There we will share camp stories, learn about Alaska from our guides, and soak in the scenery. (B,L,D)

Day 6 - Monday, August 3, 2009

On the road again! We have a short drive from Talkeetna toward the Denali National Park entrance. We break up the trip with stops for photo opportunities and day hikes. We pass along Denali State Park, which has some excellent hiking trails just begging us to explore. And why not? That's the point of being here! (B)

Day 8 - Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Denali is calling. Let's answer! Today we plunge into the heart of the park, taking the tour into Kantishna and Mirror Lake. Our tour departs early from our cabin lodging. Traveling on a fully-narrated coach tour, our guide will help us search for bear, moose, caribou, Dall sheep and other wildlife. We stop frequently for photo opportunities of these animals and for views of North America's highest peak. At more than 20,000 feet, Mount McKinley towers above everything in the Alaska Range and is the centerpiece of Denali National Park. Once we arrive in Kantishna, we have lunch. After that,  you may pan for gold, take a guided hike or explore on your own. We return via our motor coach, again stopping for rest breaks and photo ops. We reach our lodging in time for dinner. (B, L)

Day 9 - Thursday, August 6, 2009

Today is an open day for the exploration of your choice. Options include flight-seeing tours, a jet boat tour, white water rafting, dogsledding and hiking trips. Explore on your own or join your fellow adventurers for a day's adventure. (B)

Day 10 - Friday, August 7, 2009

We have a leisurely morning before boarding our ride back to Anchorage. You'll be taking the Alaska Railroad through the breathtaking scenery of central Alaska. Guides on the train will point out sites and scenes of interest along the route. Feel free to stroll along the train to stretch your legs or to make your way to the outside observation platform for taking photographs. After you arrive and settle in to your room in Anchorage, we make our way to our final feast before departing from our adventures in wild Alaska. (B, D)

Day 11 - Saturday, August 8, 2009

Spend the morning exploring Anchorage before catching your flights home. We'll keep in touch to share photos and memories of our adventures. (And we'll start planning the next adventure together!) (B)

Trip Fees:

 - With 6 guests - - - - - - - - - $4349.00

 - With 8 or more guests - - - $3995.00
    Compare our tour to others. All activities mentioned above are included. We give you more bang for your buck!

Included in the trip -

 - All transportation in Alaska - Alaska Railroad, float plane, private van

 - All lodging - breakfast included 

 - All activity fees - Guided hikes, kayak trip, cycling trip, rafting trip, Denali wilderness tour

 - Meals - breakfast daily, evening meals the second and last nights in Alaska, some meals included with activities.*

Not included in the trip -

 - Airfare to/from Anchorage, Alaska

 - Tips to activity guides – kayaking, glacier hiking, river rafting

 - Meals: lunches and dinners (except those mentioned above)*

 - Optional Activities**

 - Alcoholic Beverages

Minimum Group Size – 6 Guests

Maximum Group Size – 10 Guests

* Included meals are indicated at the end of each day's description. B-Breakfast, L-Lunch, D-Dinner

** Our itinerary includes opportunities for guests to explore on their own. Some of these activities have fees that are not covered in the trip fee.

Payment Schedule/Cancellation Policy -

 - $500 Non-Refundable Deposit Due at Registration - Deposit applied to total fee.

 - 50% payment due Wednesday, March 25, 2009 – 90 days before trip start date

 - Full Payment due Wednesday, April 29, 2009 - 90 days before trip start date - $500 non-refundable

 - Cancellations made after Friday, May 29, 2009 forfeit 50% of total trip fees (60 days before trip)

 - Cancellations after Friday, June 26, 2009 - no refunds (30 days before trip)

 - Trip cancellations must be made in writing

 - We strongly advise that you purchase travel insurance for any trip.

For more information, contact:

Michael Hughes

Tread Light Adventure Travel
615-646-4823
treadlight@comcast.net

Cumberland Transit
615-321-4069

info@cumberlandtransit.com

Please note: This is the planned itinerary. This itinerary is subject to change due to bad weather conditions, bad road conditions, and/or other unforeseen circumstances. We will do everything in our power to adhere to this schedule. Any changes will be made so that the guests still can enjoy their experience in Alaska. We strongly advise that you purchase travel insurance for any trip.

About your flights: Flights are in to, and out of, Anchorage (ANC). Please schedule your flight to arrive in Anchorage on Wednesday, July 29th, 2009 (we have a VERY early start on Thursday morning). Please schedule your flight out of Anchorage on or after Saturday, August 8, 2009.