Thompson Pass
Champ Camp: A Week on Chugach ICE
Words: Colin Wiseman
That’s peak 7061. It’s the egress if we have to walk out,” Jason “Champ” Champion says over his headset.
The pilot chimes in, “That’s a long way…”
We are 10 minutes into our heli shuttle to a distant glacial snow camp somewhere north of Thompson Pass, AK. The idea of walking out seems laughable.
“How far is it from the parking lot?” I ask.
“Around 15 miles to the Tonsina Glacier where snowmobiles could get us—if you can maintain a straight line across the glaciers,” he replies.
“At least we have a lot of cheese,” I say.
As it turns out, we don’t have enough cheese...
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