Lake Clark

Other Courses: Baja | Denali | Spanish Immersion

•	Course Overview
•	About Lake Clark
•	Course Description
•	Course Schedule
•	General Info
•	Photo Gallery
•	Tuition

Climate
The weather in Lake Clark National Park varies widely and can change quickly. It can be in the 40s and raining or 80 degrees and sunny. Enrolled students will be provided a detailed gear list ensuing preparedness for temperature and weather variations. Mostly we dress in layers so we can easily change the warmth of our clothing as temperatures fluctuate throughout the day.

Travel
The group meets in Anchorage, and travels in a float plane together to Lake Clark. We have reserved an Otter that can transport 10 people and luggage, allowing us to go in one field course. During the flight we will have great views of the mountains and glaciers in the heart of Lake Clark. Please keep in mind that our flight schedule is subject to weather. The pilot says it's usually not a problem in that area, but you never know. That's partly why we have a day built in at the end of the course in Anchorage. If we need to, we can wait out the weather and we will bring extra food in case of this.

Lake Clark National Park & Preserve
Lake Clark is an ideal outdoor classroom. In regards to safety, the area we are flying into is a common recreational backpacking area an hour flight from Anchorage. In fact, there is a ranger cabin on Twin Lakes where a ranger is stationed in the summer. The route we have chosen takes us through mountainous tundra. We selected this so we would have good visibility for route-finding and wildlife.

If an emergency occurs, we will have instant communication with the Park staff and emergency personnel via the satellite phone we carry.

Student Equipment List
Enrolled students are provided a detailed gear list. Classroom with a View provides group gear such as tents, cook gear, first aid kits and other emergency gear. Students are responsible for bringing individual gear, such as rain gear, a sleeping bag, sleeping pad, hiking boots, and a backpack.

Accommodations
Students stay in tents during the field course. Instructors, boys, and girls sleep in separate tents.

Physical Conditioning
The best way to remain safe is to arrive in top physical condition. This is required. Injuries are more likely when you are out of shape. If you are not in shape for backpacking with an estimated 45 pound pack, you put not only yourself at risk, but also the group. After beginning the hike, if the instructors assess that a student is not in adequate shape to complete the hike safely, the student will be flown home early at the parents' expense. We will ask you to inform us of any medical conditions upon being accepted.

Food
What will we eat? Food is always a big concern for anyone setting out on a field course in which someone else has planned the food. Learning to cook outdoors is an element of the Outdoor Leadership course. We learn about and practice preparing low maintenance meals that provide balanced nutrition to fuel us through our active days. Our goals are to minimize preparation time, necessary dishes and utensils, and the cost of groceries, all while learning tasty and useful menus and tricks for camping and backpacking. We organize a system to divide and share the group responsibility of cooking. A wide variety of meals and snack foods is an important element of the field course. We can accommodate any individual dietary needs.

Safety
Provided below are safety details specific to the Denali course. For aspects of safety planning that apply to all courses, visit the SAFETY page.

All students receive a safety orientation during the first two days in Talkeetna. This includes a briefing on rules, procedures and expectations of the field course. Students learn about bear and moose safety, hiking safely, first aid procedures. Students do not leave the group without permission. Other pertinent safety issues such as preventing common health problems like dehydration, colds, sleep depravation, sun exposure, and hypothermia are also included in the safety orientation. We also talk about the importance of proper dress for days that may be as cold as 30 degrees and as warm as 80 degrees.

Students are instructed on emergency procedures and equipment should anything unexpected happen while on the field course. We carry a satellite phone with us at all times for emergency use. The satellite phone works anywhere in the world. The group is also always in possession of two first aid kits, which allow for the treatment of anything that doesn't require seeing a doctor. Instructors are trained in first aid.

No student is ever permitted to wander off by him or herself. If students do wish to explore, they must be with a group.

Clinic
If a student needs more advanced medical care than what we can provide on the trail and we determine evacuation is necessary before the hike is over, the student will be evacuated to the appropriate level of care. For example, they may be flown to a hospital in Anchorage. You are responsible for this cost. Please make sure your health insurance covers medivac.

Bear Safety
We lead many courses in bear country: Denali, Chilkoot Trail, Kenai, Lake Clark, and Yukon, Canada. As a large group making noise, you can imagine the likelihood of us running into a bear is low. Although we've had the opportunity to observe bears from a distance, we have never had any encounters. However, we still take all possible precautions. There are many things we do to prevent bear encounters.

First, we select locations and routes that afford high visibility, such as the alpine tundra over which we hike. While hiking cross country, we avoid routes with low visibility such as congested drainages, alder covered slopes, or willow thickets. If we must cross through a low visibility area or go around a blind corner, we make lots of noise. This is not hard for us! In this situation, the instructors cover the front and back of the tight group.

Before we even begin hiking, students are given a safety orientation. Included in this orientation is detailed bear safety information. We cover how to behave in bear country, how to prevent encounters, and how to act if we do see a bear. We go over many scenarios. Mindy, who trains the instructors, was trained by wildlife technicians at Denali and spent 4 years teaching bear safety to visitors of Denali, which has one of the best safety records in the country.

Instructors carry an air horn to make noise and/or bear spray in case we do see a bear in close proximity. One instructor will carry a handgun. The instructor is trained in the use and safety of guns. Students are instructed by us to never touch the gun with a strict consequence that they will be immediately sent home at the parents' expense if they do. We instruct them in how we will handle a situation and what they should do if we have to use a gun.

For more general information on CWAV safety, visit the SAFETY page.

“Going to a remote part of Alaska with a group like this is nothing less than a chance in a lifetime. It is important to note that our daughter also recognized this without us telling her. We know the strengths of this program will be hers for the rest of her life.”
- Parent, LC '05

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