An indispensable resource for hiking, skiing, paddling, and climbing the backcountry of Southcentral Alaska

Features hiking, skiing, paddling, biking, and more New and substantially revised trips with all new full-color photos and maps throughout Emphasis on traverses and loop trips for both summer and winter, always with simpler and shorter options Originally published in 1972, the classic guide known as 55 Ways to the Wilderness in Southcentral Alaska has been fully updated and reinvented as Alaska Adventure 55 Ways. This robust reboot covers a diverse range of activities for year-round fun, from quick day trips to adventures that could extend to a week or longer, including canoe trails, wilderness cabins, easy summits, forest walks, cross-country ski routes, summer mountain biking and winter fat bike trails, wild skating, and more. John Wolfe Jr. and Rebecca Wolfe, a father-daughter team, describe activities spanning the broad swath of Southcentral Alaska, 300 miles north to south and 350 miles east to west. The guide features activities on the lakes and peaks of the Kenai Peninsula, the Anchorage front range, the Matanuska and Susitna Valleys, and the Copper River basin, taking in Chugach and Denali State Parks, Chugach National Forest, Kenai Fjords and Wrangell St. Elias National Parks, several wildlife refuges, and portions of the Iditarod National Historic Trail. With an emphasis on adventures regular people can enjoy and destinations that don’t require highly technical skills, expensive flights to remote locations, or demanding levels of athletic fitness, this guide appeals to all ages, with family-friendly shorter options and trip extensions adding up to more than a hundred "ways" to adventure.

"A staple for paddlers.... [The Packraft Handbook has] now become the bible for outdoor recreators taking their inflatable rafts into the backcountry." ― Anchorage Daily News 2021 National Outdoor Book Award Winner in Outdoor Adventure Guides 2022 Banff Mountain Book Competition Guidebook Winner Alaska-based author is a leading expert on wilderness travel Emphasis on skill progression and safety applies to wide range of outdoor water recreation Vibrant illustrations and photos inform and inspire The Packraft Handbook is a comprehensive guide to packrafting, with a strong emphasis on skill progression and safety. Readers will learn to maneuver through river features and open water, mitigate risk with trip planning and boat control, and how to react when things go wrong. Beginners will find everything they need to know to get started--from packraft care to proper paddling position as well as what to wear and how to communicate. Illustrated for visual learners and featuring stunning photography, The Packraft Handbook has something to offer all packrafters and other whitewater sports enthusiasts.