AMS September 12 Day Mountaineering Course

Bottom row: Amos, Instructor Melis Coady, Paris, Jeremy
Top row: Instructor Josh Murphy, Matt, Shaun, Instructor Jeremiah Phelps, Liam, Tony, Damien and Gayland

After two rainy weather days,  The 12 day mountaineering course led by instructors Melis Coady, Josh Murphy and Jeremiah Phelps flew to Backside Lake in the Alaska Range.  The students CRANKED out some great curriculum here at  the AMHQ and are ready to put it to the test on the glacier.

Backside Lake is located in the terminal moraine of a glacier that feeds into the Ruth Glacier.  The course will be exploring above the lake to the head of Backside Glacier toward Mt. Dickey, and onto the Ruth Glacier and surrounding side glaciers and peaks.  This is a stunning landing area, a enclave of green within the rock and ice of the Alaska Range.

Photo: Alaska Alpine Adventures
This is Backside Lake in the summer,  fresh snow will be covering the hillsides now and our team will be moving up and on to the glacier (out of photo but beyond and to the left).  Ruth Glacier's ice is seen in the background to the right.