TABLE OF CONTENTS
From Kirsten & Carl Dixon 5
Two Unique Adventure Lodges 6
Our Locations 8
Winterlake Lodge 10
Tutka Bay Lodge 14
Our Culinary Life 18
Our Other Season – Winterlake in the Winter 20
FROM KIRSTEN & CARL DIXON
Thank you, returning guests and travel agents, and welcome new friends. We look forward to spending time with visitors to Alaska in the coming season. We hope our brochure and extensive website will give you plenty of ideas and inspiration when planning your extraordinary Alaska adventure.
Our two unique lodges - Winterlake Lodge and Tutka Bay Lodge- are both located within Southcentral Alaska. Winterlake Lodge is approximately one hour north of Anchorage by small airplane. Tutka Bay Lodge is a half-hour boat ride across Kachemak Bay from the seaside village of Homer. You can travel to Homer either by vehicle, commercial airlines, or private air charter. Our gateway city for access to and from the lodges is Anchorage. Each lodge offers something different in style, activity, flora and fauna.
Winterlake Lodge in the summer is noted for helicopter adventures into the neighboring Alaska Range for hiking, glacier trekking and wildlife viewing. We offer sportfishing and rafting at Winterlake. Tutka Bay Lodge is ocean-based and offers sea kayaking, deep-sea fishing for halibut and other fish, wildlife tours and birding, and endlessly fascinating tidepooling. And, for culinary enthusiasts, join us at our Cooking School at Tutka Bay. In the winter, Winterlake Lodge is open for dog mushing excursions and our four-day dog mushing school along the Iditarod Trail.
Each year, we offer new and exciting packages and adventures. This year you might consider our Trimble Glacier Camp at Winterlake Lodge where we can visit sled dogs and play in the snow, even in the summer. At Tutka Bay Lodge, perhaps take a helicopter flightseeing trip around the fascinating beaches, nooks and crannies of Kachemak Bay.
We invite families to visit our lodges and offer a special children’s adventure program for children 12 years old and under.
WHO WE ARE
Kirsten and Carl Dixon and their family invite you to join them at Winterlake Lodge and Tutka Bay Lodge: two distinct and authentic Southcentral Alaska adventure properties.
The Dixon family has been living in the backcountry of Alaska for over 25 years. Summer adventures include sportfishing packages, natural history tours, bear viewing, wildlife excursions, helicopter adventures, and wellness programs. We offer lodge-based cooking classes at both of our lodges plus an extended culinary program at The Cooking School at Tutka Bay.
Winter activities include cross-country skiing, heli-skiing, snow machine outings, snowshoeing, wilderness dog mushing, culinary programs, and northern lights viewing.
Custom trip planning is encouraged.
Mailing address: Within The Wild Adventure Lodges P.O. Box 91419 Anchorage, Alaska 99509
winterlake lodge
Two Unique Adventure Lodges
WINTERLAKE LODGE
Winterlake Lodge is nestled alongside a one-mile lake that is home to nesting loons and swans. Nearby sits the dramatic Tordrillo Mountains and Rainy Pass. Our daily activities include guided hikes on the Iditarod trail, yoga and stretch classes plus cooking classes. Take advantage of our amenities such as a complimentary massage, hot tub, sauna and kayaks. For the adventurous, the presence of a Robinson R-44 helicopter gives the opportunity to touch earth that has never before been visited by humans. We go sportfishing, search for gold, look for wildlife, glacier trek, or raft a wild river.
Winterlake offers five individual guest cabins surrounding a spacious log main lodge where guests take their meals and socialize. The Iditarod Trail crosses through the property allowing easy access for hikes and exploration.
TUTKA BAY LODGE
Tutka Bay Lodge sits at the head of a rugged seven-mile fjord at the end of Kachemak Bay. The lodge is 125 air miles south of Anchorage along the southwestern coast of the Kenai Peninsula, and it is a 30-minute boat ride from the eclectic village of Homer.
We offer sea-kayaking, deep-sea fishing for halibut and other Pacific Ocean species, wildlife viewing, hiking, tidepooling, bear viewing, and other marine-based activities.
Tutka Bay Lodge is home to our Cooking School at Tutka Bay, offering daily cooking programs featuring Alaska cuisine. The lodge offers six individual lodging options surrounding a small main lodge where guests gather for meals. Guests enjoy socializing on our oversized deck featuring a hot-tub that looks out over the ocean.
MILES 0 25 50 75 100 TALKEETNA WASILLA SKWENTNA ANCHORAGE WINTERLAKE LODGE Mount McKinley
Mount Foraker Mount Hunter
Mount Gerdine Mount Torbert Alaska R ange TUTKA BAY LODGE SEWARD HOMER VALDEZ CORDOVA GLENNALLEN IDITAROD McGRATH PALMER GULF OF ALASKA Cook I nlet Iliamna L ake Lake Cl ark Iditaro d Natio nal Historic Tra il KODIAK PORT WILLIAMS Kodiak Island Afognak Island Mount Redoubt
Lodge Locations
winterlake lodge tutka bay lodge
Authentic. Alaskan. These two words are often used to describe the experience of staying at a Within The Wild Adventure lodge. Winterlake Lodge is an old, original Alaska hunting-camp site settled prior to statehood. Tutka Bay Lodge is situated near the historic Herring Islands and the village of Seldovia along the diverse and unique Kachemak Bay. Both
of our lodges are strategically located in beautiful areas within Southcentral Alaska. When you come to stay with us, you can count on more than a quarter-century of experience that the Dixon family brings to hosting guests in rare and unusual regions of Alaska.
WINTERLAKE LODGE
TALKEETNA
WASILLA Mount McKinley
Mount Foraker Mount Hunter
Mount Gerdine Mount Torbert Iditarod Na tional H isto ric Trail Skw entn a River Tordri llo M ou nta ins George Par ks High way Susi tna R iv er Alaska R ange Yentna Gla cier Kahi ltna Gla cier Ru th G lacier Yentna R iver MILES 0 10 20 30 ANCHORAGE
Winterlake Lodge
Remote and Peaceful... along the Iditarod Trail
THE LODGE SETTING
Winterlake Lodge’s five guest cabins surround a log main lodge where guests gather to socialize with other guests, meet with guides, take meals, and recreate. View details on each individual guest cabin on our website www.withinthewild. com. We offer a meditative yoga room and wellness program, including massage therapy. There is a hot tub on the main lodge deck, and a wood-burning sauna only steps away. Comfortable Frette robes and L’Occitane amenities help soften the rough edges of the wilderness.
We offer diversions from the daily routine in the main lodge – games to play, an Alaskana library, and stacks of stationery and postcards. Our bar offers ping-pong, darts and other games and is home to our legendary appetizers and daily wine and cheese tastings.
Our chefs serve meals in the main lodge (you can always opt to take a picnic lunch with you) and offer an in-between mealtime collection of snacks. Winterlake Lodge offers limited wireless Internet access throughout the main lodge only.
Winterlake Lodge
Remote and Peaceful... along the Iditarod Trail
WHAT TO DO AT
WINTERLAKE LODGE
Join us in the heart of Alaska’s backcountry at Winterlake Lodge. The one-hour flight to the lodge offers a landscape awash in every color of green imaginable – and, often-spectacular views of Mount McKinley. At the lodge, experience our brand of life lived along the Iditarod Trail.
We offer excursions utilizing our Robinson R-44 helicopter to surrounding terrain that is rarely accessed by people. Helicopter supported activities include fly-fishing for salmon and other freshwater species, rafting a nearby river, hiking to glacial ridges, hiking to a secret waterfall, wildlife viewing, and endless exploration of the mountain range surrounding the lodge. Around the lodge, we kayak our lake, hike along the Iditarod Trail, hike to the Wolverine Ridge behind the lodge, look for flora and fauna, and enjoy the many lodge-based amenities such as yoga, massage, cooking classes, garden tours, wine tastings, and more.
Join us at our exciting Trimble Glacier Camp accessed by helicopter only to see our sled dogs in action and perhaps ski or snowshoe around on ancient ice.
TUTKA BAY LODGE HOMER SELDOVIA MILES 0 10 20 30 PORT WILLIAM CO OK IN LET SEWARD Shuyak Island Afognak Island Tustumena Lake Harding Ice Field Kena i Pen insula GULF OF ALASKA Barren Islands Kena i M ount ains KACH EMAK BAY Chig mit Mou ntai
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THE LODGE SETTING
The main lodge at Tutka Bay offers areas for dining and socializing. On the property, there are four individual guest cabins and two guest rooms along a boardwalk, a sauna, hot tub, and boathouse situated over ten acres. The large deck offers seating for relaxing and an area for helicopter landing. The lodge faces towards Tutka Bay fjord to the east and offers views of Little Tutka Bay to the west.
There is an adjacent private two-mile hiking trail next to the lodge for guest use. A walk along our sheltered cove or a peek off of our dock at low tide offers opportunity to see sunstars, anemones, jellyfish and more. The lodge is located on the southern end of Kachemak Bay, a perfect location to explore coves and bays in the neighborhood by kayak or boat. We often visit the villages of Seldovia and Homer for art gallery hopping and cultural exploration. We are a full-service lodge offering award-winning cuisine, professional guide service, and lodging with a world-class view.
Tutka Bay Lodge is home to the Cooking School at Tutka Bay, located on the south side of the lagoon, accessed by our boardwalk. Lodge guests are invited to attend cooking classes at any time during their stay.
Tutka Bay Lodge
A Quiet Cove ... Alive with Nature
WHAT TO DO AT
TUTKA BAY LODGE
Relax at the lodge, take a massage, linger in the hot-tub on the deck, or join us at the school for a cooking class. In the afternoon, try our meditative yoga class or walk through the old-growth forest. Activities at Tutka Bay Lodge are as diverse and rich as the bay itself. Hike in Kachemak Bay State park and climb to a nearby ridgeline. Learn to ocean kayak and paddle to the nearby Herring Islands. Tour the deep fjord coastline in our boat in search of whales, otters, and other sea life. Visit nearby artist communities or search for sea glass at low tide. Try your hand at deep-sea fishing for halibut or salmon.
Optional programs include helicopter excursions to neighboring remote beaches and glaciers or bear viewing day trips into Katmai National Park and Preserve. We offer day trips to Redoubt Bay Lodge for bear viewing as well.
Tutka Bay Lodge is a perfect location for family adventures. We offer a special children’s program at the lodge for 12-or-under guests.
Our Culinary Life
AWARD-WINNING CUISINE & COOKING SCHOOL
Our Cooking School
The Cooking School at Tutka Bay is located adjacent to the Tutka Bay Lodge property.
The school offers a series of weekly cooking classes from 10:00 am until 2:30 pm with a rotating selection of culinary topics.
Overnight guests at Tutka Bay Lodge are welcome to attend the cooking school free of charge.
We feature local seafood including crab, halibut, salmon, and famous Kachemak Bay oysters. When in season, we gather homegrown vegetables, berries, mushrooms, Alaska honey, and other local fare.
Our chefs will guide you through a three-course menu featuring a personalized collection of recipes featuring Kirsten Dixon’s Alaska cuisine.
Check out Kirsten’s recipes on our culinary blog at: www.withinthewild.com
Meet Kirsten Dixon
When you are a guest at our lodges, you’ll experience Kirsten’s blend of traditional and modern rustic-style Alaska cuisine.
Kirsten and her talented team of chefs take pride in the uniqueness of their wilderness kitchens situated close to nature. With an emphasis on fresh and local ingredients, the culinary team uses herbs from the wild and from the garden.
Highlights include wild Alaska salmon, local berries, sourdough, fresh-baked breads and pastries, homemade jams and jellies, and specialty hand-crafted cheeses. Learn more about our cuisine at www.kirstendixon.com. Our lodge-based professional chefs offer a complimentary daily one-hour cooking class in our kitchens featuring lodge specialties.
Our Other Season
Winterlake Lodge in the winter
WINTER SEASON
Winterlake Lodge opens for the winter season January 20’th and remains open through April until the snow softens. Winterlake Lodge offers sled-dog tours and instructions on driving your own dog team. Join Carl and Kirsten at the lodge for an exhilarating 4-day dog mushing school program. We also cross-country ski, snowshoe the backcountry surrounding the lodge, and take exploratory trips down the Iditarod Trail. Our comfortable guest cabins and cozy main lodge are the perfect setting for a romantic weekend. All of our typical lodge amenities, such as daily cooking classes, massage, and yoga are available during the winter. The hot tub on the deck is a favorite spot to watch the northern lights. We often offer specialty programs throughout the winter season. Examples of specialty weekend events include snow camping along the Iditarod Trail, exploration of the Happy Valley, and specialty culinary weekends.
Join Us For an Adventure Race
Winterlake Lodge offers front-seats views for the Iditarod Sled Dog Race starting the first week in March. Known as the Last Great Race, the Iditarod encompasses 1,100 miles of terrain that includes two mountain regions, remote Arctic wilderness, and the severity of the ice-packed Norton Sound.
In late January, hearty Alaskan souls, both human and dog, traverse the frozen river valley from famed musher Martin Buser’s Happy Trails Kennel to our front door. The Northern Lights 300 is a 300-mile Iditarod and Yukon Quest dog mushing qualifier.
During the last week of February, we are a checkpoint for one of the most extreme and grueling races on the planet, The Iditarod Trail Invitational Ultrasport Race. Snow cyclists, skiers, and snowshoers compete against each other and must finish their journey in a week or less traveling 300 to 1000 miles by human power only.
You might consider visiting the lodge during the adventurous and exciting time when these races are passing through the lodge.
