Students, staff and family members from the Kimball Area experienced an incredible trip to Alaska in early June through WorldStrides Educational Travel and Experiences company. The group from Kimball was made up of four staff members, six additional adults and 19 high school students.
Planning for this “once in a lifetime” excursion began two years ago. The students and families worked hard to fundraise the dollars needed to visit Alaska.
While in Alaska, the group witnessed breath-taking scenery, wildlife, rivers, lakes, oceans, bay areas, trains and much more.
“The entire trip to Alaska was amazing!” commented Kimball junior Hunter Gebhardt. “I loved seeing all of the mountains and glaciers. I especially loved learning about the Alaskan way of life.”
On the first day, the group landed safely in Anchorage, Alaska, and made a stop at the local Farmer’s Market where reindeer hotdogs, salmon quesadillas and halibut burritos were tried and enjoyed by most. The group visited the Salmon Fish Hatchery along Ship Creek. The Elmendorf Power Plant Dam, which was built in 1942 to divert Ship Creek water to cool the power plant’s turbines, ceased operation in 2006. After visiting the hatchery, the group visited a local park and hiked down to Kincaid Beach, which displayed a black beach and clay-like material in the water bed.
On the following morning, the group enjoyed a train ride on the Wilderness Express from Anchorage up to the city of Wasilla. The group saw a black bear along the tracks and a galloping moose along the way with beautiful mountains in the background.
After the train ride, the group took their coach bus over to Happy Trails Kennel. It is there that staff train dogs to compete in the famous Iditarod…the last great sled dog race. Students received a video presentation and a chance to meet and pet the race dogs, including 2-week-old puppies. The group also got to meet the son of the famous musher, Martin Buser.
From there, the group made their way to Healy, Alaska, stopping multiple times en route for picturesque landscapes and incredible wildlife viewing.
That evening at the hotel, the group received a Denali presentation and learned about the allure of this incredible mountain and heard real-life stories from one of Denali’s famed mountaineering experts. They also discovered and considered the engineering challenges that climbers face while on the mountains.
Day three was without a doubt one of the highlights on the trip as the group traveled deep inside Denali National Park on a day-long journey.
The tour guide explained that only 30% of tourists actually get to see one or both of Denali’s peaks (formerly known as Mt. McKinley), which is the highest point in North America. Kimball travelers were fortunate to see both peaks on that clear day and what a sight it was!
After seeing Denali from nearly 70 miles away, the group ventured off for a hike on the tundra of Denali National Park. Students were able to spend time by a river, skipping rocks across the water and building rock towers.
The group also saw wildlife in the forest, including birds and a moose…up close and personal.
On day four, the group traveled from Healy back south towards Anchorage to visit the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center. This is an organization dedicated to preserving Alaska’s wildlife by taking in injured and orphaned animals. The group was able to watch animals display their natural behaviors in the center’s spacious enclosures. Those animals included: Bison, brown bears, black bears, reindeer, wolves, owls, coyotes, porcupines, birds, and much more.
The group then made a stop at Pyrah’s Pioneer Peak Farm in Butte, Alaska. The students learned the history of agriculture and current farming techniques in Alaska.
They also learned about “agritainment,” which allowed the students to ride pedal tractors, play farm mini golf, walk through a plant maze, pet goats and play yard games.
Another fun fact that the students learned was that Alaska’s farming season is less than 100 days, due to the permafrost, which doesn’t allow a very long growing season. The 22+ hours of daylight in the summer months in Alaska allows for crops to grow faster and plentiful. Folks working at the farm stated that their goal was to grow enough crops to be self-sustaining in Alaska.
From there the group headed south to Seward, Alaska, where they spent the next two days near the Gulf of Alaska. The group got to experience dinner at a local restaurant, nestled by a small lake with Puddle Jumper airplanes, mountains and local Alaskan cuisine.
The fifth day was another highlight for most on the trip. That morning the group woke up bright and early to view over 300 boats on Resurrection Bay in Seward.
“Being somewhere new like Alaska was a dream come true,” said Alex Ludlow, a senior from Kimball Area High School. “My favorite part of the Alaska trip was the boat dock area in Seward because I like boats. My favorite boat was the Sovereign because the coach bus that we traveled on was also named Sovereign.”
The group then boarded a tour boat to explore Kenai Fjords National Park by water. They witnessed swimming of orcas, humpback whales, stellar sea lions and sea otters while en route to the Aialik Glacier.
“Seeing the glacier in an ice-filled ocean was breath-taking,” said Kimball’s Director of Community Education, Celest Stang. “I’m so proud of our Kimball students. Multiple tourists commented on how well-behaved our students were on the trip. Our students represented the entire Kimball community, and the state of Minnesota, very well.”
After the boat cruise the group docked and headed to Exit Glacier Nature Center to hike to Exit Glacier, which has been retreating since the end of the Little Ice Age in 1815.
Kimball group hiking in Exit Glacier Park.
Erik Ludlow, the father of Alex, added, “We had so much fun on this trip. What an amazing adventure had by all.”
While in Seward, members of the group also walked on the boardwalk to view the Benny Benson Memorial. Benny was in seventh grade when he designed the flag for Alaska in 1926.
He is quoted for submitting the following, “The blue field is for the Alaska sky and the forget-me-not, an Alaskan flower. The North Star is for the future state of Alaska, the most motherly in the union. The Dipper is for the Great Bear-symbolizing strength.” It wasn’t until 1959 that Alaska was admitted as the 49th state of the United States of America.
On the final day of the trip, the group visited the Alaska Sealife Center in Seward before heading back to Anchorage. Here, the group learned from scientists about the rich ecosystem of the Bering Sea, understanding the work being done to protect the endangered sea lions, and discovered the secrets of the harbor seals that call Resurrection Bay home.
For most in the group, witnessing the sea lions being fed at the Center was thrilling entertainment for days to come.
The group made a quick stop amidst 50+ mph winds at the Chugach National Forest, America’s second largest single national forest, before traveling to Potter Marsh, just outside of Anchorage.
Here, the group walked on a boardwalk that extended 1,500 feet into marsh, giving easy access to view a moose with her twin babies near a river. Group members also viewed a variety of birds, including Canadian geese, canvasback ducks, northern pintails and Bald Eagles nesting at the base of the bluffs. Observing these birds and animals in their natural habitat was incredible.
“This was a trip of a lifetime,” added Kimball’s agriculture science teacher, Michaela Gallup. “I especially loved being on the boat cruise on the ocean and seeing the whales.”
Members on the trip who traveled to Alaska included:
Kimball District Staff (4): Melissa Carriveau, Michaela Gallup, Celest Stang and Vicki Woods.
Adults/Family Members (6): Shelly Bogatzki, Patricia Caird, Michael Erpelding, Luann Higgins, Erik Ludlow and Jacob Stang.
Kimball Area Students (19): Kendra Bogatzki, Tyler Charboneau, Ethan Erpelding, Benjamin Foos, Hunter Gebhardt, Nathan Halloran, Katie Hommerding, Brody Hooper, Callie Klema, Alex Ludlow, Nolan Mertens, Camden Morris, Aiden Murray, Brooklyn Ochsendorf, Lucas Peterson, Eden Schwartz, Andray Stang, Tayler Verhey and Lakatia Zimmerman.
Kimball Area High School’s next trip through WorldStrides is scheduled to tour Washington D.C. in July of 2024. Contact the high school for more details at 320-398-7700.
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