BREMNER MINE
BASECAMP HIKING
Multi Day
- Backpacking
- Moderate
- Advanced
A journey back in time in the wilderness!
Visit the Bremner Historic District, an abandoned gold mine from the turn of the century, nestled high up in an alpine valley. Get a unique glimpse into what it was like to be part of the great “gold rush” to Alaska a century ago – very much a backcountry experience, even back then!
Buildings, artifacts, and relics of the little bush mine remain deep in the wilderness and help history come to life, blowing you away with how the early prospectors navigated the rugged wilderness!
The lush green brush gives way to sweeping tundra-covered slopes and rocky passes. Day hike opportunities here range from comfortable hiking to alpine lakes and meadows or more challenging excursions that can include several local summits!
- Fascinating exploration of the historical connection to Kennecott, frontier Alaska and the Gold Rush
- Multiple hiking options available based on ability
- Scrambling opportunities for peak-bagging
- Stunning alpine scenery of tarns and wildflowers
- Rarely visited, remote backcountry location
Trip Details
Trip Length
3.5 days
Total Mileage
10-13mi
Total Elevation Gain/Loss
1,700-4,000’’
Rates
Private Solo
$5,025
Private 2 Participant
$3,075/person
Private 3-6 Participants
$2,730/person
Private 7-8 Participants
$2,500/person
This trip is only offered on a Private Trip basis. Book the dates that look best to you or schedule a call with our Expedition Coordinator to plan your Private Trip today!
The “Alaska Factor”
There is a reason Alaska has such a rugged allure for the lower 48 and beyond: it is still wild! This raw and untamed landscape offers our clients the opportunity to authentically pioneer new territory and have real adventures. Part of embracing the “Alaska Factor” is understanding that things may not always go as planned and expecting the unexpected. Water levels might rise, snow might fall, glaciers may shift and move – the landscape is dynamic and unpredictable is what makes Alaska, Alaska!
All of our trips are customized as they unfold and your guide will fluidly make decisions based on weather, logistics, and group dynamics to maximize each day’s experience. There can be quite a bit of variation, but on each trip we promise a big slice of the real Alaska and authentic adventure!
DAY 0
DAY 1
Make sure to have your camera ready for the 40-minute flight over the vastness of the Chitina River Valley and into the Chugach As the plane takes off, breathe in the fresh alpine air and feel the palpable stillness of this remote mountain valley.
Move your gear a little ways a from the strip and set up your camp. The rest of your day is for exploring around camp, getting a lay of the land and making a gameplan for your remaining time here. Draw inspiration from your incredible surroundings and tell your guide what you’re most excited to do and see tomorrow as they dazzle you with the first of several of your best backcountry meals to date!
DAY 2
Sleep in till the smell of coffee and the bright summer sun beckon you out of the tent. An alpine paradise welcomes you, complete with wildflowers, the occasional marmot and an invigorating mountain breeze. Today is the day to take advantage of good weather and go on a hike!
You may choose a casual walk to a nearby alpine lake for some swimming, reading, or journaling. Perhaps a high pass with great views is calling your name, or a nearby summit to connect with an exciting ridge walk – whatever your mode of adventure, the backcountry is your oyster! The evening concludes with a fabulous dinner with even better conversation!
DAY 3
The pitter-patter of raindrops means you can go ahead an put on your rain pants first thing – good thing you packed everything on the Equipment List! A little rain isn’t going to stop us from exploring this incredible place – today we’ll go check out the buildings and artifacts of the abandoned gold mine! The site takes a little hike to get to so we’ll still get our steps in, but it can definitely be a less rigorous day.
Discover clues from the past and put yourself in the shoes of the brave men and women who called this wilderness home over 100 years ago. Could you have survived their venture?
DAY 4
Enjoy a delicious backcountry breakfast before a late morning flight back to McCarthy. The winds at this airstrip are best in the mornings, so this means an earlier departure from the time-machine valley of the Chugach. Back in Kennecott, you’ll be connecting endless historic dots from the rich narrative of early prospectors you gained out at Bremner Mine!
What’s included?
- Customized trip planning
- Logistics consultation*
- Your professional guide(s) – 4:1 ratio
- Orientation and a Gear Shakedown
- Stunning 25min bush flights in and out of the backcountry
- All the food on the trip
- Group gear (bear canisters, cookware, fuel, tents**)
*Upgrade to a Trip Package and have logistics included with your trip!
**We recommend that you bring your own tent if possible
What’s not included?
- Gratuities
- Personal camping and hiking gear
- Logistics
You’ll need to be in McCarthy the day before your trip begins for an Orientation and Gear Shakedown. You’ll meet your guide, grab group gear and make sure you are fully prepared to go into the backcountry.
Please account for a full day for travel both to and from McCarthy and the next Alaskan destination. We don’t recommend leaving McCarthy the last day of your trip as this cuts significantly into your last backcountry day and usually makes for a very hectic drive.
Check out our Transportation Page to learn how to get to and from McCarthy. Check out our Lodging Page for lodging recommendations in the area.
Trip Package
If you are planning your trip +2 months before your trip start date, upgrade to a Trip Package! A Trip Package will include transportation to/from McCarthy, local lodging, and any other local activities you’re interested in. We charge a non-refundable $50 Trip Package fee per person for this service.
This is a Backpacking Trip with a flexible route plan that can be customized to a Moderate or Advanced Level. Take a look at our difficulty ratings and decide what kind of adventure you’d like to make it!
GALLERY
FAQ
All the pictures and descriptions sound amazing! How do I know what’s right for me? Here are some things to think about when selecting a trip:
What is my #1 goal for this adventure? Do I want to relax and get away from a hectic schedule? Do I want to push myself on an epic and athletically challenging journey? Create life-long memories with my family or partner? Learn skills from the experts and grow my scope as a mountain athlete? See new landscapes and experience Alaska’s unique glaciated terrain?
What are my interests? Birding, animals, photography, geology, wildflowers, journaling, athleticism, spirituality, art, technical climbing, etc.
Will this trip be part of a bigger Alaska trip? Where else am I going and what else will I see? Our glaciated terrain, history, high-altitude peaks, and vast backcountry wilderness are what set us apart from other areas in Alaska.
What am I comfortable with at my current level of knowledge, experience, and physical and mental ability? Alaska is bigger and tougher than anything in the lower 48 and it’s a great place to push yourself, but you want to be realistic and make sure you have a good foundation to build upon if reaching for higher heights.
We pride ourselves on cooking healthy and delicious meals even under the most adverse conditions! Your exact menu will depend on the trip, your guide, and the dietary preferences/restrictions you list in your Trip Application. No matter what kind of cook your guide is at home, all our guides are well-trained backcountry chefs and use time-tested recipes from our proprietary cookbook for their trips. We carry a plentiful and varied stock of ingredients and most meals are prepared from scratch (allowing for easy substitutions, additions or subtractions of ingredients). We onlyt use pre-packed freeze-dried meals on summit pushes on our mountaineering expeditions.
On our backpacking and basecamp trips, you can expect 3 meals a day, plus snacks of your choice. Breakfasts and dinners are usually hot meals and lunches are served cold. On mountaineering trips lunches consist of a variety of snacks as it can be hard to organize group meals while on a rope team.
We use a combination of fresh, dehydrated, and freeze-dried ingredients to make our delicious meals, however on longer backpacking and mountaineering trips your guides will use more freeze-dried foods than fresh foods to keep pack weights as low as possible. On our rafting trips, we cook full multi-course meals with fresh ingredients and enjoy hot and cold breakfasts, cold lunches and hot dinners.
Meals for most trips start with Lunch on the first day and end with Lunch on the last day. *
*If you are signed up for a Custom Trip Package with us, it may include more meals. Check with us if you’re not sure. Mountaineering trips also include meals in McCarthy before and after the backcountry expedition.
This is one of the most commonly asked questions!
We practice Leave No Trace principles and make sure to minimize our impact on the natural landscape as much as possible.
In Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, the recommended practice for backpackers is to either individually dig small holes (your guide will carry a small trowel) to use as a personal latrine per-use or choose a place near camp but with some privacy and dig a trench for use as a group latrine, depending on the location. You will carry out all your used toilet paper and all other sanitary products and trash.
On rafting trips, we carry a plastic toilet box with a seat that is set up near camp and your guides will carry out all waste on the boats.
On mountaineering trips, the latrine is commonly a crevasse or snow-pit protected from camp by a wall of snow.
Your guides will instruct you on the particulars of the situation per camp to set you up for success and all possible comfort. Please don’t be shy to ask them questions on this matter. It’s a necessity that has been given lots of thought your guides are experts in ALL things outdoors!
