The Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes is the positioning of one of many world’s largest volcanic eruptions. Situated in Katmai Nationwide Park, a go to to this space makes an amazing day journey from Brooks Lodge.
I do know that it may be arduous to tug your self away from the superior bear viewing of the Brooks Falls viewing platforms, however if you wish to journey farther into the wilderness and see the dramatic modifications {that a} volcanic eruption can render to the panorama, then that is completely price it.
On a Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes tour, you’re going to get to see panoramic vistas of Katmai Nationwide Park, view the pumice coated panorama, and hike out to huge partitions of volcanic ash.
What’s the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes?
On June 6, 1912, Novarupta started to erupt. Over three days, it despatched 15 cubic kilometers of magma into the sky, making it the most important volcanic eruption within the twentieth century, in addition to one of many 5 largest in recorded historical past.
In accordance with the US Geological Survey, “This quantity [of magma] is equal to 230 years of eruption at Kilauea (Hawaii) or about 30 occasions the quantity erupted by Mount St. Helens (Washington) in 1980!”
Ash crammed the sky round Katmai Nationwide Park after which drifted east to Kodiak Island. Kodiak Island was in whole darkness for 3 days. The ash unfold throughout the planet, acid rain fell in Canada, and earthquakes rocked the bottom for a number of months following the eruption.
Since this eruption occurred in such a distant space, and since earthquakes main up the eruption prompted individuals to depart close by villages, the demise toll was zero.
The ash that crammed the valley covers an space that’s 40 sq. miles broad and it’s as excessive as 700 ft in some locations.
In 1916, Robert Griggs and a workforce of explorers with the Nationwide Geographic Society have been exploring the area that was devastated by the eruption. The smoking, steaming, ash coated panorama made an unforgettable impression on him, and he referred to it as The Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes.
The land is now not smoking or steaming however the identify stays.
This is among the most studied volcanic eruptions on the planet and this area was additionally utilized by NASA to coach the Apollo astronauts on how you can acknowledge volcanic options.
Largest Volcanic Eruptions within the World
The facility of volcanic eruptions is measured by the Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI). This scale ranges from 1 to eight, with 8 being probably the most highly effective.
In accordance with Dwell Science, right here is the checklist of the highest ten greatest volcanic eruptions on the planet:
1. Yellowstone: VEI 8, 640,000 years in the past
2. Huaynaputina, VEI 6, 1600
3. Krakatoa, VEI 6, 1883
4. Santa Maria Volcano, VEI 6, 1902
5. Novarupta, VEI 6, 1912
6. Mount Pinatubo, VEI 6, 1991
7. Ambrym Island, VEI 6, 50 AD
8. Ilopango Volcano, VEI 6, 450 AD
9. Mount Thera, VEI 7, 1610 BC
10. Changbaishan Volcano, VEI 7, 1000 AD
How Do You Get to the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes?
The Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes is situated in Katmai Nationwide Park, 23 miles away from Brooks Lodge.
The simplest approach to get right here is to take the Katmailand bus from Brooks Lodge to the Valley. This will both be executed as a part of a day tour supplied by Brooks Lodge, or you should use the bus as transportation after which spend a number of days exploring the backcountry by yourself or with a information.
Brooks Lodge provides day by day excursions to the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes. In 2022, this tour is obtainable from June fifth to September seventeenth.
Alaska’s Gold Creek Lodge additionally provides excursions of The Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes.
If you wish to discover the backcountry, you may enterprise deeper into the Valley, getting up shut with Mount Katmai, Mount Griggs, and Novarupta. Study extra on the Nationwide Park Service web site.
Map of the driving route from Brooks Lodge to The Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes.
The Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes Day Tour
We visited The Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes on the day tour supplied by Brooks Lodge. This part covers our expertise and what you may count on on this tour.
Overview: This tour runs from 9 am to 4 pm. It features a 1.5 to 2 hour drive every approach to get to and from The Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes. As soon as on the Valley, you have got the choice to hike down into the valley for an up-close take a look at the ash-covered panorama.
On the Drive to The Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes
At 8:45 am, we met our driver and Nationwide Park Service information and boarded the bus. This assembly level is situated subsequent to the Brooks Lodge Decrease River Platform.
On the day we did this, two vans stuffed with roughly 16 friends made the journey out to The Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes. There may be additionally a a lot bigger college bus that’s used for this present day tour, nevertheless it was present process upkeep the day that we took this tour.
The bus and the assembly level
That is the van we took on our day journey and a view of the highway that connects Brooks Lodge and The Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes.
To get to The Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes, it takes an hour and a half to 2 hours to drive the 23-mile highway. Alongside the best way, there are a number of creek crossings in addition to two nice viewpoints of Katmai Nationwide Park.
A Nationwide Park Service ranger attended this tour with us and at each of those viewpoints, offered details about Katmai Nationwide Park and the way the individuals who lived right here might inform that an eruption was imminent.
First viewpoint
Second Viewpoint
At The Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes
The highway ends at a small customer heart. Inside are reveals with a lot of details about the Novarupta eruption. Outdoors is a deck with nice views of The Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes.
Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes Customer Heart constructing
View from the customer heart deck.
The Nationwide Park Service ranger gave a speech in regards to the eruption after which we ate lunch. You possibly can convey your personal lunch or pay additional for the lunch offered by Brooks Lodge (sandwiches, fruit, chips, and cookies).
After the ranger speak, we had a couple of hours to hike into the Valley.
Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes Hike
The Ukak Falls Path leads from the customer heart all the way down to the Ukak Falls and river. That is effectively price it if you wish to get views of the large wall of ash. Simply bear in mind that it’s a steep downhill descent to the river and slower, uphill stroll to get again to the customer heart.
Ukak Falls Path Climbing Stats
Distance: 3.5 miles out-and-back
Problem: Reasonable to strenuous
Whole Ascent: 1,100 ft
Highest Elevation (customer heart): 1,270 ft
Lowest Elevation (on the seaside): 440 ft
Time: 1.5 to three hours
The above mountain climbing stats are for the out-and-back hike to Ukak Falls. There may be additionally a spur path that results in a unique viewpoint of The Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes. If you’re a quick hiker, you can even add this on should you like.
The spur path provides a further 1 mile and 150 ft of whole ascent. It’s principally flat and doesn’t add a complete lot of time (about half-hour), however our park ranger gave us a cut-off time for beginning the hike on the spur path. On the day we visited The Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes, we have been the one ones who hiked the spur path.
Elevation profile of the Ukak Falls Path with the spur path.
Ukak Falls Path Map
Climbing to Ukak Falls
From the customer heart, it’s an all downhill hike, principally by means of shurbs and small bushes. Once we did this, it rained on and off, and we ended up getting fairly moist, not simply from the rain, but additionally from all the water on the bushes and brush. This can be a slim path so our our bodies always rubbed up in opposition to this moist vegetation. Should you do that on a moist day, convey a rain jacket and water-proof pants.
The path ranges out and the views open up simply earlier than you attain the 1 mile mark. At this level, you might be strolling alongside Margot Creek.
On the finish of the path, you may keep to the fitting for a view of Ukak Falls.
View of the falls.
Should you keep to the left, you’ll hike down a steep rocky hill, which nearly appears like a staircase. On the backside, it’s a tough stroll alongside a ledge of rock, then you may step down onto degree floor and stroll out to a “seaside” and an superior view of this wall of ash. We bought very fortunate that the skies cleared, at the very least for a couple of minutes, for this a part of the hike.
That is view up the steep, rocky hill that leads out to the “seaside.”
Tim is climbing throughout the ledge.
The “seaside” and an amazing view of the wall of ash.
To complete the hike, retrace your steps to the customer heart. On the best way again you have got the choice so as to add on the spur path in case you are doing effectively on time.
As you hike alongside the creek, you get viewpoints like this one. Simply be very cautious as a result of the rocks might be moist and slippery.
On the Spur Path
Simply earlier than the path begins its ascent again uphill to the customer heart, search for a fork within the path. The spur path breaks off to the left and heads again out to the river.
For a half of a mile, you’ll stroll by means of dense brush, grass, and bushes, till you emerge for excellent views of The Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes. Once we did this, the rain began to fall once more and it bought extremely windy. It was wonderful how a lot the climate modified through the 2 hours that we spent mountain climbing this path.
To get again to the customer heart, it’s a reasonable uphill stroll on the identical path you took to get down into the valley.
This hike might be executed by yourself or you may hike it with the park ranger. We did it on our personal, in order that we’d have sufficient time to take the additional detour.
Return to Brooks Lodge
As soon as everybody returns from the hike, you’ll all climb again into the van or bus and it’s an hour and a half drive to Brooks Lodge. This goes somewhat sooner since you don’t cease on the viewpoints on the best way again.
We had the driving force drop us off on the Brooks Falls Path so we might go proper out and see the bears from the viewing platforms.
Our tour ended somewhat bit earlier than 4 pm.
Climate at The Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes
So far as what to anticipate with the climate, it may be in all places.
Once we did this, in early July, it was principally wet and the excessive temperature was within the low 50’s. This was an unusually chilly summer season day.
I’ve additionally learn that temperatures might be unusually sizzling, getting effectively up into the 90’s. So, be ready for all types of climate out right here. Test the climate forecast the day earlier than you fly to Katmai (since there isn’t a mobile service right here) so you already know what to anticipate. The climate was cooler at The Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes than it was at Brooks Lodge.
Is The Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes Price It?
This can be a huge query we had earlier than visiting Katmai…is taking a day of our valuable Katmai NP time price it to enterprise out to The Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes? Seeing the bear from the Brooks Falls viewing platforms was the expertise I used to be anticipating probably the most in Alaska, so I questioned if this tour can be price it.
Properly, it was.
How usually do you get to see a panorama that was dramatically altered by one of many world’s largest volcanic eruptions?
To hike out to the valley and see the ash and pumice coated panorama was superior. And even with the wet, chilly climate, the three of us had a good time.
We nonetheless had loads of time to see the bears at Brooks Falls, since we visited the viewing platforms within the morning earlier than the tour began and as quickly as we bought again to Brooks Lodge. The timing labored out nice, since we weren’t at Brooks Falls noon when it’s at its busiest, through the inflow of day trippers.
When you’ve got two full days at Brooks Lodge and need to see one thing actually distinctive, The Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes tour is price it.
Sensible Info
Excursions are supplied by Katmailand by means of Brooks Lodge. Click on right here for pricing and extra data. Make your reservation upfront as a result of the excursions can promote out.
It’s potential to do that tour in your final day at Brooks Lodge. Flights depart within the late afternoon and night so you could possibly schedule a flight out at 6 pm.
Convey rain gear, waterproof mountain climbing footwear, water, snacks, a digicam and additional batteries, and heat clothes.
The Ukak Falls Path goes by means of bear nation, so hike in teams and make a lot of noise to warn bears of your presence.
There have been a number of deaths close to Ukak Falls, as hikers try to cross the river. Keep away from the sting of the river, notably round overlooks of the falls.
Please apply the seven rules of Depart No Hint: plan forward, keep on the path, pack out what you convey to the mountain climbing path, correctly eliminate waste, go away areas as you discovered them, decrease campfire impacts, be thoughtful of different hikers, and don’t strategy or feed wildlife.
