Emily Miner contributed research, writing, and ideas for Switchback Travel’s Alaska section. She was raised in Anchorage, often exploring the area’s mountains and valleys, and worked as an interpretive ranger for the National Park Service in Alaska. After traveling the world, including New Zealand and Nepal, Emily graduated from the University of Oregon with a B.S. in Political Science and an emphasis in International Environmental Studies.
I was struggling to get one ski in front of the other, eyes cast downward at the rope in front of me, for what seemed like an eternity. A quick glance at the pass and it still seemed as distant as when we started that morning. I tried to remind myself that this trip was something I had wanted since I was 6 years old. Here I was, 10 years later, finally getting to experience every hill, crevasse, and gust of cold air. I was finally skiing Alaska’s Eklutna Traverse.
The Eklutna Traverse was only 20 miles from my home in Anchorage as the crow flies, but from my vantage point that day—hunched over my skis, a mere speck on an enormous glacier—it felt light years away.
As a young girl, I spent summers earning “merit badges” by carrying gear to base camp for my uncle’s trips on the same route. My father, whom I idolized, first came to Alaska to successfully climb Denali at 19 and surprised me that summer by asking me to join him on the 5-day trip. I jumped at the opportunity and, together with two of his old climbing buddies, we planned the route, organized food, and packed the gear.
I slogged through that day because in the backcountry, there are few other options. Even when it was a struggle to slip my arms out of my pack or bend down to adjust my skis, pressing on all but guaranteed that I would finish the traverse. Three days later, I stood victorious (and exhausted) at the opposite trailhead.
These experiences are what made growing up in Alaska so special. My parents took every opportunity to raise us in the outdoors; before I could walk I was strapped in a child carrier and hauled up into the mountains. I grew up testing myself in the mountains and valleys near Anchorage, learning how to self-arrest with an ice ax before learning how to drive a car.
The journey on the Eklutna Traverse and many others throughout the state instilled self-sufficiency and confidence. They prepared me for a year of solo travel around the world when I was 18. They ingrained in me a respect for the wilderness and appreciation for conservation. And they are always a constant reminder to be humble in the face of such grandeur.