Hello, Dan Michels here. It's been said that after 36 seasons at Crystal Creek Lodge, I am the only constant. Yet, that being said, it's not about me. It's about our guests, and the staff, of Crystal Creek Lodge. Our guests dedicate their free time to experience what we do and our staff dedicate their careers to serving our guests. This blog series is about snippets of insight as to what we do, and how our guests experience Crystal Creek Lodge. Enjoy.
Becharof National Wildlife Refuge embraces the largest lake in the National Wildlife Refuge System. Becharof Lake nurtures one of Bristol Bay’s largest sockeye salmon runs, part of the foundation for the regional economy. The Refuge, protecting 1,157,000 acres, also includes an active volcano, unusual geological features, historically significant landmarks, and a federally designated Wilderness. …
Read more »
The Valley of 10,000 Smokes In the year 1912 on June 6th, the Katmai Eruption (also known as the Novarupta Volcano eruption) occured, sending nearly 30 cubic kilometers of ash and debris into the atmosphere. The Katmai eruption was the largest of the 20th century. This cataclysmic event created a barren and Martian-like landscape in the…
Read more »The weather has been spectacular during the final week of our season. Realizing we had a rare opportunity at hand, we invited several guests to visit Aniakchak National Monument to witness the fall colors and light. A truly inspirational day.
Read more »On September 19 five Crystal Creek Lodge guests took a hike and enjoyed the incredible scenery of the Kanatak Trail in the Becharof National Wildlife Refuge. The Kanatak Trail rises 1000 ft into a pass within the Alaska Peninsula Mountains to connect the Gulf of Alaska and Bristol Bay. It has been used for over…
Read more »A Crystal Creek Lodge first was landing upon Aniakchak National Monument. Located 120 miles south of King Salmon on the west side of the Alaska Peninsula, Aniakchak is one of the most remote and infrequently visited National Monuments. The main feature of the Monument is a 6-mile wide caldera created 3,500 years ago…
Read more »The Valley of 10,000 Smokes is a prominent feature of Katmai National Park. It is a gigantic ash field about 10 miles long and three miles wide remaining from the eruption of the Katmai Volcano, shown in the background, in June, 1912. The eruption was the most powerful of the 20th Century and was felt…
Read more »Giant Rainbow Trout lurk in the wide-open Naknek River and the air is stone silent, save the occasional whistling wingbeat of diving ducks as they trade amongst their flocks. Crystal Creek Lodge awaits the throng of staff to arrive late May to begin another season.
Read more »