Greetings. Has anyone done NCL cruise line’s Laughton Glacier hike? You take the train to mile 14 and hike a loop from there. You then return on the train. The actual “Laughton Glacier Trail” goes to a cabin and is only 1 1/2 miles; it sounds like the NCL hike goes on from there, since it’s 9 hours. I can’t get any more information than this, though I’ve called NCL and Skagway Chamber of Commerce, and looked at USGS topo maps of the area. We are interested in learning more because we don’t know what NCL means by calling it a “difficult” (Level 3) hike without knowing whether that refers to duration, terrain, elevation, or other factors. Can anyone help us out? Thanks!
I haven’t hiked the trail, but if it’s a nine-hour hike, then you will be obviously going beyond the maintained trail. The trail you follow will be unimproved, steep, rocky, etc, and at a higher elevation, thus the “difficult” designation. You will likely be hiking on the glacier itself, which can be trecherous. The trail may not show up on topo maps because it probably changes every year due to washouts, etc. Any hike of this nature in Alaska/Canada requires good footwear and preparation for rain and cold. Sorry I can’t be of more help.
Thanks, Chefguy. I’m still hoping that someone has actually done this hike and can tell us about it!