Matanuska Glacier-sheep Mtn.
 

Tickets are purchased, bear trip is reserved and we are set to pick up our car on Thursday morning. We will visit Eagle River Nature Center, Eklutna, do the longer hike at Matanuska Glacier, and spend the night at Majestic Valley Lodge. Next day, we want to hike 2 -3 hours at Sheep Mtn. Should we stay at Majestic Valley another night, go on to a B & B on the Edgerton Hwy. or go on to Valdez? If we stopped at Copper Moose B & B, would this allow enough time to drive to and hike at Liberty Falls?

On the way to Valdez, we do want to stop at Worthington Glacier, Thompson Pass, Bridal Veil Falls and possibly do the Shoup Trail or Goat Trail hikes.

On our way to Valdez, we do want to stop at

Shoup Trail is not ON the way TO Valdez. The trailhead for this hike is on the other side of the town IN Valdez.
I would stay one night near Matanuska and hike at Sheep Mountain next morning. Then continue to Copper River Center. Stay there one night, NOT on the Edgerton Hwy. Hike in the morning to Liberty Falls, then drive to Valdez. Plenty of time to stop at Worthington, Thompson, both Falls. You can hike a short distance on Goat Trail or come back next day for a full hike. Copper Moose is a convenient stop if you have an early flight to McCarty/Kennecott otherwise continue to Valdez. Liberty Falls is a short hike. No need to stay overnight. My 2 cents only.

Thanks, Pat2003 for your always excellent advice. I hate to be so dense, but do I understand that we COULD hike Sheep Mountain in the morning and easily continue on to Valdez with the sightseeing stops/hikes in between? That really would suit our schedule better. After the first night in Valdez, the plan is to Kayak to Columbia Glacier and take the ferry to Whittier the next morning.

Is this your first visit to Alaska? Truly, I would skip hiking around Sheep Mountain and after your morning hike on Matanuska Glacier continue to Valdez. You should have more than enough time for leisurely stops and short hikes in the all above places except Liberty Falls. It is a very nice hike but for your first visit to the area focus on Shoup hike or many more attractive hikes around Valdez. Give yourself sometime in Valdez to visit museums and maybe fish hatchery, depends what your interests are. Leave Liberty Falls for your next visit to Alaska when you include Chitina with Kennecott and McCarthy in your itinerary. It is impossible to include all amazing places Alaska has to offer in one visit. Your itinerary looks great.

Yes, this is our firsts trip, and I am sure it will be our only trip. That is why we're trying to get in as much as we can.

I don't mind not hiking Sheep Mtn, but we will be doing the guided Matanuska hike, and I'm sure we can't get there before the 2 p.m. trip since we don't pick up the car until that morning. They are at 9, 2, and 6 and last 4 hours. That means we wouldn't leave

Sorry, I don't know what I did.

Anyway, we won't be through with the glacier hike until 6 pm. (We don't get into Anchorage until 9:00 pm. the night before). and that's the main reason we were going to spend the night at Sheep Mtn. However, we could get up and go directly to Valdez without hiking or, if you don't think it would take too awfully long, maybe we could go as far as the Copper Princess after hiking the glacier.

My other question is, are we wasting time staying in both Girdwood and Talkeetna after Seward? Although we do have lots of stops planned between Girdwood and Talkeetna. Would it be better to skip the overnighters at both Girdwood and Talkeenta and go from Seward to Willow the first day and then on to Denali?

As the itinerary stands now, we can have an extra night either in the Sheep Mountain to Valdez leg or in the Seward to Denali leg.

Thanks again.

I don't know why I forget every time!!

6/20--Arrive Anchorage
      Overnight Anchorage
6/21--Pick Up Car
      Matanuska Glacier (We could do
Eagle River, Eklutna, Musk Ox
Farm here)
Overnight Sheep Mtn. (Or Copper
Center Princess?)
6/22--To Valdez:
      Bridal Veil Falls; Horseshoe
Falls, Thompson Pass,
Worthington Glacier, Shoup or
Goat trail? (We do want to see
the museum and the hatchery)
      Overnight Valdez Best Western
6/23--Kayak to Columbia Glacier
      Overnight Valdez Best Western
6/24--Ferry to Whittier
      To Homer
      Overnight Homer
6/25--Emerald Air Bear Trip
      Overnight Homer
6/26--Water taxi to Kachemak Bay SP--
Pratt Museum (back-up day for
bear trip)
      Overnight Homer
6/27--To Seward
      Hike to Russian River Falls
      SeaLife Center
      Overnight Seward
6/28--Kenai Fjords Cruise (probably 9
hrs.)
      Overnight Seward
6/29--Exit Glacier/Hike to Harding Ice
Field
      Overnight Seward
6/30--To Girdwood/Portage Visitor
Center/Tram/Hike  
    Overnight Girdwood
7/01--To Talkeetna/Bird Creek Trail,
Beluga Point, Turnagain Arm
Trail, Potter's Marsh, (time for
Eagle River, Eklutna if not
first day?)
McKinley Flightsee (if not
enough time for 7 pm flight,
will do the next morning
Overnight Talkeetna
7/02--McKinley Flightsee if not time
or weather conditions the night
before
To Denali National Park
      Hikes at entrance/Sled Dog Demo
      Overnight Denali
7/03--Shuttle to Fish Creek or Wonder
Lake (bugs too bad this time of
year?)
      Overnight Denali
7/04--Ride shuttle; get off and hike
      Overnight Denali
      McKinley Flightsee if not
possible on way up
7/05--To Hatcher Pass/Independence Mine
      Overnight Hatcher Pass Bed and
Breakfast (Or Hatcher Pass
Lodge)? Or in Palmer? Or back to
Anchorage?
7/06--Alaska Native Heritage Center;
Coastal Trail, Earthquake
Park/Other sites we didn't see:
Eagle River and/or Eklutna
      Drop car at 7:15-7:30 for 10:05
p.m. flight

From Seward, I would plan on getting to Talkeetna, your stops can be done if you leave in the morning, which you should be able to do since you were several days in Seward??

Also- If you are going into Denali Park 2 days- it might as well be 3 since the shuttles are the same price, buy 2 get 3.

After Sheep Mt. again with an early start you can get to Valdez that day. I agree, forget the Edgerton Highway. You can't go far enough which is to McCarthy.