Mike Mihalik

Hikers are used to being confined to hiking trails most of the time. Kayakers ... not so much.How you get to Pedersen Glacier is the part that requires the most planning. Chances are very good that you'll be in the town of Seward, Alaska, and will arrange for either a water taxi or a guided paddle. If you're going with a guided paddle, your guide will most likely tell you what you're doing. For...

Drive along Scenic Drive in Capitol Reef National Park and you'll find this trailhead at the end of the road. After 7 miles of driving, you'll arrive at the Pleasant Creek Road turnout and parking area. From here, the road continues to Capitol Gorge, but is unpaved. We had to park at a small parking lot near Pleasant Creek Road because Capitol Gorge Road was closed to vehicles. This was not...

To get to this trailhead, you are going to have to take the Denali Park shuttle bus to the Eielson Visitor Center. The shuttle system is great, but it's also the only way you're going into the park in the summer months. Once you're on the bus, you can get out at any point, go for a hike, and catch a bus back to the Wilderness Access Center at the end of the day. This is obviously much easier to...

Huginnin Cove is located on the west side of the island close to Windigo and is a great day hike.  Many people feel it's an even better overnight trip.  If you're going to be spending the night on the island, you must first go through the orientation with park staff and then get your permit.  There are many campgrounds to choose from and this completely depends on how much time you have.  For a...

Most people will start this trail behind the Hotel Alyeska and parking is available there if you're not a guest spending the night. This trail can be broken down into 3 segments and the first section is .75 miles along many sections of boardwalk. It's all very flat and keeps you dry when the surroundings are rather wet. We have seen some cool things in the past along this section - moose tra...