Tordrillo Mountain Lodge is about 40 min by float plane from Anchorage
Located on Judd Lake in the Tordrillo Mountains,
the lodge provides a luxury Alaska experience
Every where you look on the property, you see Alaska’s beauty
Judd Lake has terrific fishing and the lodge provides a variety of boats for water fun
Tordrillo offers a fun, exciting, and safe trip for beginners and experts alike
The main log building sits on a rise above the lake
The lodge is beautifully crafted with several decks and plenty of space to enjoy
The decks provide beautiful views and tranquil solitude
There is a wood-fired hot tub for soaking
And a wood-fired sauna with a small porch on the lake
This deck has views of the lake and the Tordrillos in the distance
Inside, the lodge is just as beautifully crafted with a copper bar and knotty details
The main area is a cozy and inviting place to get to know the other guests
Twin staircases lead to the 2nd floor where the guest rooms are located
Throughout the lodge, the Alaska details add a rustic, authentic touch
The 2nd floor has a cozy little area with books and a small deck overlooking the lake
At the opposite end, there’s a comfy bed and a second deck
Guests can almost watch the fish from here
The decks are a great way to relax and reflect after a day of fun
Each of the rooms has two twin beds that can be pushed together to make a king
The guest rooms also have private bathrooms, some with standup showers only
From the doors to the decorations, each detail says “Alaska”
Next to the main building, near the dock, is the boat house
Our guide shows us the options available and helps us decide on an activity
Behind the lodge is a trail leading to some great fishing
We decide to go for a hike and check out the rest of the property
We head out, with lots of bug dope
The hike takes us past some beautiful flowers…
And some tasty berries!
Bruce gladly volunteered to be the subject of this photo shoot
These berries aren’t quite sweet yet
But they do offer a yummy treat for hungry hikers, and Bruce can’t stop eating them
Along with blueberries, we see several other kinds of berries
It’s not a good idea to eat berries without confirming what they are first
Some poisonous berries look a lot like edible ones and vice versa
As we hiked, we saw some delicate flowers along the way
The guides are very knowledgeable and can help guests identify what they see
Bringing a book of Alaska plants and flowers along adds fun to the hike
The grounds at the lodge provide many opportunities to take photos, even for Alaskans
After the hike, it’s time to pick out waders and boots to go fishing
Our guide Chris helps choose the right gear for every one and checks for licenses
The lodge provides some gear, but not for fly fishing usually
Bruce snapped a photo of a birdhouse made out of a western boot
Talk quickly turns to who will catch the most fish
Now it’s time to head back down the trail and go kill some fish
This creek feeds into Judd Lake and runs alongside the trail
The trail is an easy walk and doesn’t get steep when it heads uphill
Bears poo in the woods…
And so do people….
A ways down the trail, we see a weir used for counting fish returns
You could almost walk across the water on the fish, there are that many of them
It’s illegal to fish within 100 yards of the weir, so we keep going along the trail
Shortly we arrive at a good spot and make our way down to the creek
Even here, we can see reds right away
Ruth takes a look around to see where the prime spot is
And then she’s off and casting!
Not surprising, our guide immediately hooks a fish
It’s a runner!
The lure “snags” in the side of the fish
This type of catch is not legal, since it has to be in the fish’s mouth
Everyone plays by the rules, so Chris unhooks the lure from the fish
and gives it a nudge to get it back into the water
Now it’s Peter’s turn…he’s hooked a rainbow trout
Yea baby!
Ruth is up next, with a splashing silver
She decides to coax him into shore
He knew he didn’t have a chance, so he gave up peacefully!
Our guide gets the hook out and hands Ruth her bloody trophy
Ruth happily shows off her catch
Bruce got fish too!
You can fish from right in front of the lodge, or head out to the lake for fun
Paddle boarding is another activity the lodge offers
As are heli-fishing and heli-hiking
Ruth and I took a canoe out and paddled around the lake
We stopped at a spot that was teeming with fish
They were so thick they looked like blood in the water
The lake is small enough that two people can easily paddle around it in an afternoon
Too soon it was time to get ready to go
Our pilot helped us stow our luggage and bags of processed fish
It started raining a little as we taxied across the lake
But was sunny again once we were above the lodge
We had a great time at Tordrillo!!
