There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man. ~ Winston Churchill

Everything You Need
To Plan Your Adventure And
Be Ready To Relax

Without Wondering What You (or anyone else)Forgot This Time!

 

Enjoy the planning of your Adventure as well...

First, a personal introduction, Master Guide Terry Overly. Terry Overly is a State of Alaska Master Guide Outfitter. Living and growing up in Chisana and guiding in the area have made the knowledge and understanding of the remote interior mountains first and second nature to him.  With more than 8 decades of Pioneer Outfitters being family owned and operated, living a lifestyle that many people have forgotten, the personal and active experience in the training, guiding and hunting industry, Terry Overly provides you with a safe and unforgettable trip.

Schedule Your Adventure or Excursion
Call Pioneer Outfitters soon to schedule your preferred dates. Be sure to ask for Amber-Lee, so that she may send your Welcome Packet and contract to sign. You will also receive the information you will need to make a 50% deposit to lock in your timeframe. Amber-Lee will also get you the information you need to secure your deposit and be available to answer any "women in the wilderness" questions you may have.

Your Physical Conditioning
Please evaluate your physical condition prior to booking your adventure.  As in most places within Alaska the terrain can be difficult to negotiate.  Using horses on our trips allows us to provide comfortable camps, plenty of good food and of course- saves us from packing entire camps on our backs. However, some people do not have the experience with horses to know that horseback riding itself is very hard work. To optimize your adventure we strongly recommend some sort of daily exercise prior to your Alaska Wilderness Adventure. If horseback riding is available to you, this is also a good idea- to strengthen riding muscles and to toughin’ up your seat.  There is virtually nothing that impedes us from having a good time, except a client in poor physical condition.  Please give us notice and let us know if you have a handicap so that we can formulate a plan to optimize your adventure while lessening your physical output. (This we can do!)

We Conduct All Of Our Adventures On Horseback

If you do not ride horses a lot (or at all) you are going to be stiff and sore. You should be feeling fairly good to go by the time you head for home. If it is possible for you to ride a horse before you get here, for a few weeks, it would have your body ready for hours in the saddle. If not, no worries! When you get sore, your knees start aching, have an old injury giving you trouble, or you get cold ~ give a haller, get off, stretch your legs and / or walk a bit. You will be and do better for it.  You will get tired, thinking you are too tired to get back on your horse. Not so, and if you have troubles, remember that this is what we do and we are there to help.

Pioneer Outfitters Lodge

Comfortable cabins await you in Chisana, when you arrive for the first time and when you return from your adventure. Home cooked meals and snacks taken family style and the showers are always hot and ready. If you are coming with your wife or honey, or brought a young one, we have couples and family accommodations as well.

We are located in the Wrangell St.-Elias National Park and preserve, surrounded by the Wrangell Mountains and the Nutzotin Mountains. Chisana is accessible only by aircraft and is home.

To find us on a map, Chisana is at 62*4 min 3 sec  North (Latitude), 142*2 min 7 sec West (Longitude). There is always one of us there waiting to answer questions, chat awhile or just to be sure you have what you need.

Your Guides

All the Guides here at Pioneer Outfitters are experienced and licensed by the state of Alaska. Your safety and comfort are the first priorities for Pioneer Outfitters. Each guide has been chosen by Master Guide Terry Overly to give you the adventure or excursion of a lifetime. Going on an Alaska Wilderness Adventure, many of our guests end up as lifelong friends. Make friends with your guide, he wants to be your riding buddy anyway. Taking people into the wilderness is the most rewarding level of guiding. I have never met a Professional Guide yet that didn’t thoroughly enjoy sharing their knowledge and learning interesting tips, by taking people out and showing what they see with someone who hasn't ever been anywhere like this.

Personal Gear:
50 pounds seems to be the magic number for travel weight. This is very restrictive for many of our guests.  Our guests find it much easier to mail the bulk of their gear ahead of time to reduce the stress of traveling with it.  Please be sure to mail it at least 4 weeks ahead of your adventure date, with your boxes clearly labeled with your name.  The return of your packages back to your home is your responsibility. We would be happy to put them on the twice weekly mail plane for you as long as the postage money has been left with Terry Overly or his Manager and the boxes are resealed, labeled for return and left at the Lodge in Terry Overly or his Manager’s possession.

Weather:

An old timer told me, "only fools and greenhorns predict the weather."
Our weather averages vary considerably.  It is important to consider the weather conditions that are most likely to occur during the time period you have chosen for your adventure and to bring the appropriate clothing and gear. 

Being in the interior of Alaska as we are, our weather is usually mild and stable compared to some of the coastal areas. May and June can be hot and dry or cold and wet. July is most often hot or hot and wet.  On clear, sunny days in August you may see temperatures in the mid to upper 70’s with the evening temperatures of 30* to 50*.  Rain is more likely in August with the possibility of a little snow at higher elevations.  August snows as a rule will melt off in a day or two.  Cloudy and stormy days in August will bring temperatures of 35* to 55* and usually with winds of 10 to 20 miles an hour. In September temperatures and weather conditions may change considerably between the beginning and end of the month. 50* to 70* is not uncommon on clear, sunny days and likewise 20* to 40* is not uncommon on cloudy, stormy days. 

Very little rain is usually expected in September and as mentioned before, snow is likely at anytime. For our  Winter and Spring Excursions, we have a seperate list. Cold, Cold, Wet and Cold! Basically, it comes down to this, folks, even on the nicest, hottest days (which by the way, it can be in the upper 80’s*)  You will be riding horses in the interior of Alaska, its cold and wet at the heart.

Pioneer Outfitters Adventures & Excursions

Our Adventures and Excursions are true wilderness adventures. We cook over an open fire or on camp stoves, sit around campfires, sleep on the ground, in tents. We'll spend our days living an adventure, exposed to sunshine, wind, thunderstorms and whatever else Mother Nature throws at us! We'll see spectacular sunrises (if you are so inclined) and even better, sunsets. It never really gets dark during the summer, but the sky changes so beautifully, you wont forget one.

Airport & Airlines Considerations

Before your trip (and possibly before you book your flight), you will want to familiarize yourself with airport/airlines requirements for baggage weight and size.
 
We’ve done some research to help you quickly and easily find the proper pages within the Web sites of
each of the most common airlines that people use to travel here.
 
Baggage weight, size limitations, additional pricing:
   
Alaska Airlines: http://www.alaskaair.com/as/www2/help/faqs/CheckedBaggage.asp  
 
Northwest Airlines: http://www.nwa.com/travel/luggage/checked.html  
 
United Airlines:
http://www.united.com/page/middlepage/0,6823,1031,00.html?navSource=Dropdown07
&linkTitle=baggage  
 
American Airlines:
http://www.aa.com/aa/i18nForward.do?p=/travelInformation/baggage/baggageAllowance
.jsp&anchorEvent=false  
 
Sun Country: http://www.suncountry.com/hometools/helpBaggage.shtml