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Hut-to-hut · Hatcher Pass & Talkeetnas
Bomber Traverse
Three huts, several glaciers, and the bomber wreckage on Bomber Glacier, in the Talkeetna Mountains above Hatcher Pass.
- Season
- Summer and winter. AAC calls Snowbird Hut a year-round destination; snow season adds serious avalanche exposure.
- Distance
- MCA lists Mint Hut 9 mi from the Gold Mint parking lot and Bomber Hut 8 mi from the Reed Lakes trailhead. MCA gives no single end-to-end total, so check the Winterbear map.
- Elevation
- Mint Hut 4,350 ft, Backdoor Gap 5,650 ft (Mint to Bomber), Bomber Hut 3,900 ft (MCA). Total gain isn't published, so check the source.
- Huts
- Mint Hut and Bomber Hut (MCA), plus Snowbird Hut (American Alpine Club)
- Booking
- None of the three can be reserved. They're first come, first served. Carry a tent.
- Avalanche center
- Hatcher Pass Avalanche Center (HPAC)
Overview
The Bomber Traverse links the Gold Mint (Little Susitna) valley and Archangel Valley at Hatcher Pass by way of three backcountry huts. MCA's route notes go right past the bomber wreckage on Bomber Glacier.
Every glacier way into these huts needs glacier skills. MCA says so outright for Mint and Bomber, and adds that the glaciers look tame but still aren't safe. Mint Hut alone can be reached without glacier travel, up the Gold Mint Trail.
Huts and cabins
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Mint Hut (Rainery Hut)
Built in 1971 at the head of the Little Susitna River, about 0.5 mi from Mint Glacier. Sleeps 12. It has a stove, but you bring the white gas. It has pots and an emergency kit. MCA calls it the most popular hut, and Mat-Su Trails reports summer weekend crowding, with overflow camping on the tundra.
Source: MCA: Mint Hut · Mat-Su Trails & Parks Foundation: Mint Hut expansion
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Bomber Hut
In the Bartholf Creek valley, about 1.5 mi north of Bomber Glacier. Sleeps 7–9. Insulated, with a lantern and a 2-burner stove (bring fuel). MCA's October 2026 notes report the Coleman stove is leaking and needs to be removed.
Source: MCA: Bomber Hut · Mountaineering Club of Alaska: hut inventory and current needs
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Snowbird Hut
Sits on the north edge of Snowbird Glacier and is reached from Archangel Valley. MCA's notes say the kerosene heater can leak a little and the Coleman stove fumes up the hut.
Source: American Alpine Club: Snowbird Hut · Mountaineering Club of Alaska: hut inventory and current needs
Rules, permits, and etiquette
- MCA says every hut user needs a signed MCA waiver on file before heading out. You can sign it when you join MCA or send it to huts@mtnclubak.org. Mat-Su Trails describes the Bomber Traverse huts as open to club members.
- Bring your own stove and backup shelter. MCA tells hut users this for every hut.
- Pack out all trash. Follow the outhouse rules posted at each hut. At Mint, burn toilet paper and don't urinate in the barrel outhouse.
Access, trailheads, and fees
- Gold Mint Trailhead (Hatcher Pass East Management Area, Alaska State Parks) for the Mint Hut approach up the Little Susitna. MCA warns the hut is hard to find in bad visibility, and some parties have spent the night about 300 yards short of it.
- Reed Lakes Trailhead off Archangel Road, for Bomber Pass and the Snowbird Mine approach to Snowbird Glacier.
- Fees: State Parks lists a $5 day-use fee at Gold Mint and Reed Lakes. Gold Mint also shows a $15/vehicle camping fee, and the October 2026 conditions report lists Gold Mint at $15 for parking or camping. Check the fee page before you go.
Hazards
- Glacier travel and crevasses. The Mint, Penny Royal, Bomber, and Snowbird glaciers are all on the traverse. Rope up, and know crevasse rescue.
- Avalanche terrain. MCA flags avalanche-prone slopes on Bomber Pass, the Snowbird Glacier route, and the scree below Backdoor Gap. It also warns against approaching Mint Hut from the head of the Little Susitna, where slopes are steep and avalanche danger is high.
- Rockfall and steep scree. MCA notes rockfall on the steep slopes between the Bomber and Penny Royal glaciers.
- Creek crossings. The Little Susitna crossing on the Mint approach is easy at low water. At high water MCA suggests crossing about 50 yards upstream. Bartholf Creek is crossed on boulders.
- Navigation and weather. Boulder fields, cairns, and whiteouts make route-finding hard. Carry GPS waypoints for the huts and passes.
- Bears. This is bear country. Store food properly, and carry bear spray and know how to use it.
Avalanche: before any snow-season trip, check our avalanche conditions page and the full HPAC forecast.
Skills you need
- Roped glacier travel and crevasse rescue for every person in the party, not just one
- Map, compass, and GPS navigation in low visibility
- Scrambling on steep scree and boulders
- Avalanche training (AIARE 1 or equivalent) plus a beacon, shovel, and probe for any snow-season trip
Gear
On top of a normal backpacking kit you'll need harness, rope, crevasse-rescue gear, crampons, and an ice axe, plus your own stove and fuel.
Our lists: Backpacking kit · Avalanche gear (on our avalanche page)
Map: huts, cabins, and trailheads
Hut and pass points only, from MCA and AAC coordinates. No route line is drawn. For the route, use the Winterbear Bomber Traverse map. Basemap: USGS The National Map. Don't navigate with this map.