A Land of Superlatives! The Far North & Boreal Wilderness Alaska
An EcoLodge partnering opportunity in a (UNESCO) United Nations World Heritage Site (WHS)
Imagine – surrounded by 38,000 square miles of national park wilderness. Where grizzly and black bear, wolf, coyote, moose and lynx roam. Wild rivers to run, soaring peaks to scale, crystal clear lakes to fish, and alpine routes to hike. Amid the splendid isolation comes a feeling of discovery, a feeling you're the first to set foot!This is Boreal Wilderness Alaska LLC, at the center of Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, America's largest park. It is one of four (4) national parks that comprise the largest contiguous protected wilderness in the world. An immense 38,000 square miles! Along with Glacier Bay National Park and Canada's Kluane and Tatshenshini-Alsek National Parks, these parks were designated in 1979 a (UNESCO) United Nations World Heritage Site for their unique cultural, natural and scientific attributes. A land of superlatives, these parks offer a myriad of wilderness adventure options. Come visit Boreal this summer and experience the Far North!
Boreal Wilderness Alaska LLC
Mission/Objective, Operation Equation & Partnership Buy-In
- To partner with an existing operator/vendor who has an established pipeline to the adventure travel market
- Boreal's unique site and facility + Strategic partner w/pipeline to the adventure travel market = Success
- 50% equity partnership in 65 acres, turnkey self-sufficient/off grid lodge facility, eight (8) outbuildings, fixtures, vehicles and all personal property: $1.5 million
- Guest unit(s) installation necessary for operation
- http://www.AlaskaEcoLodge.com for Property Portfolio PDF (details and hi-res images) and other related PDF downloads. email: [email protected]
Wrangell-St. Elias National Park is one of America's wildest national parks. A true wilderness park, there are only two (2) roads that pierce its 20,000 square miles. The community of McCarthy is the commercial and visitor center of the Park and is road accessible by the McCarthy Road, a scenic and historic 60 mile (2+ hours) drive from Chitina. Anchorage is another 5 hours.
The Boreal Wilderness ecolodge and compound is perched on the Nizina River bluffs on a spectacular 65 acre south facing site overlooking an expanse of park wilderness. Most areas of the Park are within an hour bush flight and the other three (3) parks within a 2 hour flight from Boreal's airstrip.
- Half mile (2640 ft) of river bluff frontage
- 9 miles SE of the historic communities of McCarthy and Kennicott
- GPS N 61 22.237 W 142 46.602
- ATV ground access by 9 mile double track trail from McCarthy
- Air access by adjacent 2200 ft grass airstrip at Boreal
- Lodge designed by award winning Arkin-Tilt Architects of Berkeley (CA). Construction incorporates four (4) building technologies: log/log hybrid, frame, timber frame and straw bale
- Eight (8) support outbuildings
- Commercial kitchen
- 3KW solar (PV) power with azimuth tracking arrays
- 24 Trojan L-16 batteries (1050 ah 48v) battery bank
- Alaska DEC Class C commercial permitted water & wastewater system (24 guests)
- Summer: Late May through September, almost 24 hr daylight
- Winter (aka Spring): Mid February through March, about 12 hr daylight
Potential Markets
There are a number of potential markets and product strategies. Pioneering a new product category (hybrid) could offer a distinct competitive advantage in a market comprised of many small businesses with similar positioning. Options include:
- Most active adventure travelers: Summer (May-Sept) activities include hiking & backpacking, rafting, kayaking, mountain biking, glacier trekking, mountaineering, and more
- Most active adventure traveler: Spring (February & March) activities include cross country skiing, snowmachining (snowmobiling), snowshoeing, aurora viewing, glacier skiing, and more
- Family and/or active adventure market: Summer & Winter
- Instructional market
- Natural & Cultural History market
- Corporate travel and/or incentive market
- Ecolodge “ base camp” for conducting daily fly out multisport wilderness adventures, 7 or 10 day all inclusive packages
- Hybrid, new product concept: Focus on mountaineering/glacier trekking for outbound groups while accommodating 7-10 day packages for guests learning/participating in mountain/glacier adventures (overlap both markets) and/or other activities
- Ecolodge “base camp” for conducting daily fly out “soft” natural history/interpretive activities for family adventure market
Boreal's application of passive solar design, solar (PV) power and sustainable building technologies is a primary facility feature presenting opportunities for showcasing and interpretation. The current global trend toward carbon-free energy, green and sustainable building aligns with Boreal's facility design and philosophy.
Ecosystem & Conservation Opportunity
Boreal Wilderness is located in the boreal (northern) forest biome, one of earth's largest biomes at 4.6 million square miles. The circumpolar boreal forest acts as a huge carbon sink through the extensive amount of evergreen forest and frozen peat/permafrost soils. Global warming threatens the release of vast amounts of carbon dioxide as permafrost soils thaw. A greater frequency of wild fires in the northern forest release even more carbon. Limited attention has been drawn to the issue and research is lacking. An opportunity exists to support boreal forest research and the role the northern forest has in maintaining the earth's carbon equilibrium.
World Heritage Site (WHS) Features & Statistics
• The premier mountain wilderness in North America
• The largest contiguous protected wilderness in the world at 38,000 square miles
• Comprised of four (4) wilderness national parks: Wrangell-St. Elias (WSEP), Kluane (KP), Glacier Bay (GBP), Tatshenshini-Alsek (TAP)
• Contains the largest non-polar icefield in the world (Bagley Icefield)
• Four (4) mountain ranges converge, the Wrangells, Chugach, Saint Elias, and Alaska Range
• Twenty-six (26) mountains from 14,000 ft to 19,550 ft Mt. Logan
• Countless glaciers and ice fields for skiing and trekking
• Countless wild rivers, many of which navigable by raft and kayak
• Extensive alpine areas for hiking & crystal clear mountain lakes for fishing
Developer Background
Frederick (Fred) Dure has guided commercial river trips since 1975 and was a founder of one of the first river rafting businesses in Alaska. He has guided thousands of guests on over 60 rivers in Alaska and the Yukon, Canada. He is a founding member of the Association of Alaska Mountain and Wilderness Guides (AAMWG), predecessor to Alaska Wilderness Recreation Tourism Association (AWRTA).
In 1998, he began developing Boreal Wilderness, a solar (PV) powered backcountry ecolodge, using sustainable building technologies. His vision: to bring a unique facility in a spectacular location to market targeting the adventure travel segment(s). Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, where Boreal is located, is on the cusp of becoming a widely recognized wilderness recreation adventure destination. The Park is one of four (4) national parks that comprise a United Nations World Heritage Site (WHS). Opportunity for a new product and product category within the World Heritage Site are apparent.
Fred attended the University of Alaska for studies in Natural Resource Management and Marketing, and did post graduate study in Marketing at the University of Texas. He has been a graphic designer for 35 years. He now splits his time between Alaska and Austin, the renewable energy and green building capital of the US.
Contact Information
Email: [email protected]
Web: http://www.AlaskaEcoLodge.com
Phones: 907. 441. 2643 & 512. 656. 9302
