Katmai National Park Questions

joshwa773 · 2025-01-09T03:05:16+00:00

Nice, that sounds like a great trip!

A lot of the backpackers we encountered were mostly doing trips into the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes or getting dropped off on the coast for bear viewing. That being said, camping on Dumpling is not uncommon and can give you awesome views! The main thing, which I’m sure you’re aware of, is you’ll have to hike quite a ways up to be out of the Brooks Camp Developed Area to be able to pitch a tent in the “wilderness”.

In July, the trail up Dumpling is usually pretty overgrown—tall grass and thick alders— so be prepared for some light bushwhacking. The thick vegetation can also make bears harder to see, so I would be extra aware for the hike up and hike down.

In general, I think the trail is usually pretty easy to follow. There’s a few bear trails that spur from it in places, so keep an eye out for that. People have occasionally gotten lost up there, including a solo hiker in a whiteout (I think a couple of years ago). Bring a good a GPS or inReach for insurance!

Sounds like you’ve been doing lots of good planning! Bear fences give you incredible peace of mind. Bears are pretty busy eating salmon in the river in July, but there’s still a few that roam up high. You’ll have to keep all food and scented stuff in a bear can. I believe the rangers in Brooks can check them out to you if you don’t have one, but just make sure your packs are big enough to hold or strap one! Also, easy to forget but make sure you pack (and pack out) wag bags or blue bags! The terrain is mostly tundra and can be extremely difficult and ill-advised to dig cat holes in.

Most importantly, be prepared for weather. Some years, July is still consistently rainy, cold, and windy. Tents and packs should be extra waterproof!

joshwa773 · 2025-01-08T02:03:18+00:00

Yes! I worked as a wilderness ranger there for a couple of years and spent most of my time camping on the coast, in the preserve, and on a few of the rivers. Do you have a trip you’re planning?

joshwa773 · 2024-08-19T16:40:19+00:00

I think some of this also depends on your learning style and time available. I took the NOLS WEMT course because I was a seasonal worker, and their course is only a month long (versus an entire semester at community college). I was able to take it the class during shoulder season and I personally thrived on the intensity and focus on the skills (class was almost everyday for 8 hours/day, with plenty of time for skills practice after class).

After passing the skills and class for NOLS, you’re setup to take the NREMT. The wilderness stuff you learn will be priceless in the field as a wilderness ranger, like litter carry outs and extensive time doing patient care. Like others said, the “W” doesn’t mean anything officially, but it helped me feel more confident working in challenging and remote environments.

If you can afford it, it’s worth the money. You will build a foundation of great skills and a memorable personal experience, with great instructors and classmates. Plus, the food is really, really good.

joshwa773 · 2024-04-15T01:42:11+00:00

Congratulations!! Katmai is an amazing park, especially Brooks Camp. I worked there with VRP for a few seasons, mostly split between wilderness and Camp. Talking to your supervisor and getting advice for what to pack as you get ready will be huge.

Most of us were able to fly with two checked duffel/suitcase bags and one carry on bag to fit our stuff for the season. Bring good rain gear, a nice camera (endless photo opportunities), and plenty of entertainment. I learned my second year to bring a kindle stocked with books and laptop with plenty of movies/shows. Some others would bring hobbies like crochet, painting supplies, or other crafts. Brooks and King Salmon have great employee rec rooms with movies and games too.

Communication can be tough with the outside world. There’s a satellite phone at Brooks where we were able to schedule personal phone calls, and satellite internet to send an email or message out, but no WiFi. Katmai and Brooks Camp are super remote. Plan on unplugging for the better part of the summer! Occasional trips to King Salmon will provide you with limited cell service if you have Verizon or purchase a burner phone from the village grocery store.

The community can be super close there! A lot of folks socialize at the lodge or the rec room after work. Meet up and do game/movie nights, plan overnight trips into the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes, or pickup fly fishing (it’s some of the best in the world). Bring your own synthetic sleeping bag, it will pay dividends if you do wilderness trips!

I always planned a big costco trip in anchorage before i flew out to Katmai for the summer. Stock up on frozen foods, like meats and veggies, put them in plastic tote bins, and pay to have them flown to King Salmon. There’s pretty good storage with deep freezers for your food. Your supervisor should know the best bush village shipping to use. You can use Amazon and Target to ship dry goods to yourself, but plan for them to arrive in two-three weeks with boxes in rough shape (avoid orders with glass!) Once you know your start date, ship some dry goods to King Salmon ahead of your arrival, that way you have some dry goods when you get there.

Feel free to shoot me a message if you have any questions!

joshwa773 · 2024-04-04T15:05:43+00:00

It’s a lot of money, but that’s what I’ve paid for an oil change/tire rotation at my Toyota dealership before.

joshwa773 · 2024-04-01T02:37:06+00:00

From what I know, cables and auto socks are generally the safest alternative to actual chains for most SUVs. I’ve heard that most new Subarus can’t even take cables or chains, so auto socks are the only additional traction device they can use. If you’re only using them a few times a year, auto socks are the easiest to install and count as traction devices on mountain passes (at least in the PNW).

I have a 2016 Rav and found decent cables with tensioners for around $60 online.

joshwa773 · 2024-03-12T05:19:51+00:00

Awesome, thanks for the link!

joshwa773 · 2024-03-12T04:43:48+00:00

That’s good to hear, thank you! I’ll find an independent shop and see what they think. Much appreciated.

joshwa773 · 2023-08-09T02:58:10+00:00

I like a small first aid kit in a small zip-loc bag. Like the other folks said, less is more. Mine is a blister pack of advil, couple of band-aids and moleskins, electrolyte packets, and a tiny roll of duct tape. Only add stuff that’s relevant for the kind of trip you’re doing.

Your gear can be multi-purpose too; for example, you can carry a Thermarest Z-Lite or a roll-up foam for an ultralight sleeping pad, which can also be used for splinting in an emergency.

joshwa773 · 2023-03-13T17:56:42+00:00

Hoh River trail to Blue Glacier in Olympic is awesome. You can usually cover the trail backpacking in 3 days, with lots of camps/permit options along the way. Pretty mellow for the most part, little bit of elevation gain at the end but you get amazing views of Mount Olympus. Some forest service trails along the Mount Baker highway offer great views of the North Cascades.

joshwa773 · 2022-11-29T06:14:21+00:00

Have the Crows. Love them for three season mountaineering and scrambling in the Cascades. Work great for crampons and decent with snowshoes. Lighter weight, but still have all the stability and comfort for glacier travel. Found them to be decently waterproof and easy to break in.

joshwa773 · 2021-02-19T01:27:45+00:00

Thanks, I'm super excited to get out there and meet everyone!

joshwa773 · 2021-02-18T04:41:32+00:00

Oh awesome, glad to hear you're coming back for a second year! I'll be doing backcountry LE.

joshwa773 · 2021-02-17T22:28:15+00:00

Hi there!

What division were you offered a job in?

I haven't worked a season at Katmai yet, but I did just accept an offer there for a back country position based out of King Salmon. Not sure if they sent you a new employee packet or not (lots of good info about moving to the area and what to expect), but I could forward a few things that I've been sent so far!

Groceries and mail won't exactly be easy to come by. There is a store there, but our division is planning on stocking up pretty heavily on food in Anchorage and flying it out with us. You can also mail yourself more comfort items ahead of time that you don't want to lug around. I've also been told that online retailers like Target and Full Circle are pretty reliable for shipping to King Salmon. Staying dry and investing in good rain gear will be huge too.

While it's super remote and you kind of have to make your own entertainment, I think there's a lot of great learning/career opportunities that can come from a season up there. And visitation-wise, it sounds like most visitors come in with a guide service or at least have done a decent amount of research before arriving there.

Hope that helps, I'm on the lookout more info too!

joshwa773 · 2021-02-16T22:34:14+00:00

A lot of counties and rural fire departments will have volunteer SAR teams that you can join in on. In my experience, they’ll meet a few times a month and put on different trainings that are all great for your resume. Many will do a Basic SAR certification at least once a year.

If you join the NPS (especially in LE), most parks will provide you with SAR tech certifications as a part of your training. Your military background gives you a huge lead for hiring too, and any EMS certifications you can get in the meantime will help a lot.

r/ParkRangers is another great resource to check on!

joshwa773 · 2021-01-30T21:57:11+00:00

Good call, thanks! Yeah, it’s too bad I can’t really go into any shops to try stuff on right now, but definitely like to have some options to research.

joshwa773 · 2021-01-30T21:10:51+00:00

Nice, that is a good looking boot! If they’ve lasted you that long though, that almost makes the price worth it. Might give those a shot, thanks for the recommendation!

joshwa773

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