jsonam

hey guys
i am hoping to travel to alaska around sept-oct 2012. i wish to spend most of my time in the wilderness and i want to visit the stampede(into the wild) trail as well.i plan on spending about 15 days there.
would anyone be able to suggest an itinerary and places worth visiting? plus i am travelling alone so is a camper/small rv the best way to see the place?
any advice would be much appreciated
thanks
sonam

Orlando_Vic

jsonam,
What do you want to see and do? In other words, what is your purpose in going to Alaska?

You might need to do some preliminary research and come back with more specific questions.

_____________________________________________
Vic's travels: http://my.flightmemory.com/vogilvie

jsonam

hi vic
for the lack of a better word, i want to see the alaskan wilderness...flora/fauna,the lakes, national parks and of course the stampede trail.
go to places where there are not too many people...my points of interest at this time include-denali,juneau and the stampede trail
thank you for taking the time to reply to my post
sonam

spirobulldog

You will encounter a few people at some of the smaller towns and cities. The only places with a lot of people is Anchorage and Fairbanks. Even with 15 days, you will not be able to see everything. I have only been once(Kenai and Lake Clark), so I can't really give you that much advice. I would concentrate on perhaps 2 or 3 of the National Parks. Maybe Kenai and Denali.

I think you are going very very late in the season and weather and closures could be a factor from what I have read.

In my opinion the only way to see a lot of the major interesting places is via a floatplane or bushplane and those get expensive, but are so worth it.

I trust that you are a very seasoned hiker in harsh harsh conditions and are knowledgable about bear safety to undertake a trail like you mention. I thought that trail to several weeks to hike? In Alaska you must be very self reliant. The National Parks there aren't like most of them in the lower 48. Their is noone there to rescue you if you get in trouble -for the most part you will be on your own.

Alaska is the prettiest place I've been. True wilderness in every respect.

Bill_H

Oct is pretty late, many places that tourists are drawn to are closing and the weather is getting dodgy in most areas. I would aim for the first two weeks in Sept, or no later than the 2nd and 3rd weeks in Sept.

The Stampede Trail is just north of the Denali Park border, Denali is peak for fall colors (tundra) the last week in August, then peak for wildlife viewing the next couple of weeks. Since you're in the neighborhood might as well spend some time there.

i wish to spend most of my time in the wilderness ... i am travelling alone so is a camper/small rv the best way to see the place?

These two are non-compatible, if you want time in the wilderness then you need to fly in or raft/boat in (usually after flying) or hike in. If you are in a camper or small RV you are not in the wilderness in Alaska, especially not in Oct when most non-National Park campgrounds will be filled with hunters after moose or caribou.

So maybe a packpacking trip like McCandless, either in Denali (maybe hard to get all the permits for a trip this long) or outside the park on the Stampede Trail ... though without dying as part of the deal like McCandless, for sure.

If you want a really exciting wilderness trip and are comfortable with bears then I recommend the Savonoski Loop wilderness canoe trip in Katmai National Park. You'll need to spend about $600 flying into Brooks and then rent a canoe from the concessionaire but then you're in paradise if you are looking for a really wild wilderness trip.

http://www.nps.gov/katm/upload/Savonoski%20Loop.pdf

This is like a 100x better wilderness experience than the Stampede Trail, which is almost a road.

dfrostnh

Please consider safety issues about being alone and what kind of experience you have. The people I know who frequently drive old trails don't usually go alone, have vehicles modified for off-roading, and are capable of doing repairs because breakage does happen. They carry spare parts, portable welders and air compressors and winches. Hunters might drive what is referred to as moose buggies.

If you can go with a small group, you could benefit from their experience and knowledge. The canoe trip described above sounds great.

Orlando_Vic

My son, who lives in Anchorage, sometimes goes fishing in very remote spots where you have to fly in. He always carries a shotgun for protection from bears. He never had to use it, but almost did once. I can't emphasize enough the need to take safety precautions including bear spray.

_____________________________________________
Vic's travels: http://my.flightmemory.com/vogilvie

Bill_H

sonam, I assume you're interested in hiking the Stampede Trail to the abandoned school bus where McCandless died, right? (For those not familiar with the story, this was the topic of the book and movie "Into the Wild", about an idealistic young man who went to Alaska, got in over his head and starved to death not far from Denali Park.)

If so, this thread will help you decide how to get there and whether it's a worthy hike or not. There are a lot of better places for a true wilderness adventure though, but if you wish to pay homage to Chris this explains how to get there.

http://forums.outdoorsdirectory.com/...Stampede-Trail

jetset1

Great advice, Bill. New visitors underestimate many of the risks involved, from rivers flooding, the realities of solo travel and accidents, to bears in the off-season, and weather.

The book about McCandless made a good read, but many viewed him as foolish and unrealistic, akin to the Grizzly Man, returning to a dangerous area, and bitter towards society, jeopardizing his life and that of his girlfriend. Use caution and thorough research, for all *bush adventures*.

jsonam

thank you all for taking the time to advise me! i am a seasoned hiker/camper but i will be the first to admit i hadnt taken grizzly's into consideration.i knew they were around but did not realise they were in such close proximity, plus i am not an expert car mechanic!
the stampede trail is to pay my respects to Mr McCandless, the book was very thought provoking and had a positive effect on me!
so i guess i should stick to the national parks and stick to small groups.the plane trips to these small places seem fascinating too.
i have started to train and learn to canoe but fighting off bears is beyond my capabilities! thank you all once again

spirobulldog

Bears are a definate concern. We nearly hit a grizzly running across the road in our car. We saw 20+ black bears while fishing, but we expected that.

A bigger concern though would probably be going that late in the season.

dfrostnh

Excellent link Bill-H. Last post about the possibility of the Landcruiser getting high centered or stuck in mud made a good point. I've seen pictures and heard stories of one popular river not far from Anchorage where it may be safe to cross in the morning but on a hot day, due to glacier melt, the water level can get much higher. DS had a friend who almost lost his 4x4 truck and another that did have his jeep swept away leaving all cold and wet and out of cell phone reception until they could hike to a better spot then wait for help.

I hated the book because he could have learned a lot (like the person in the link) but refused help and advice.

Best wishes jsonam for an exciting but safe trip.

tiga123

Dress very warm in layers as the weather can be very cold up north in Oct. Nights already getting cold here. Must have gun and watch out for all the hunters. Wear bright orange.KatmaiNational Park and the brooks range are nice fly in places so check the web for them. Won't have many tourists this time of year. if you're on a budget check couchsurfing.com. You may find places to stay as a base point and the locals can tell you of places not well known. I know of one in Homer and there is alot of hiking/backwoods on the peninsula, Good luck and stay safe

ChildVenture

I agree with Bill_H, to get a true wilderness experience you need to leave the road. We are headed out tomorrow on a fall raft trip with the family. I have posted a list of the cold weather gear we bring for the babies on the trip. http://childventure.com/gear/fall-wi...a-with-babies/ We have our own equipment; however, there are plenty of guides active this time of year that can get you into many remote places. Do your research on the outdoor gear needed. I have seen plenty of people in the bush in danger of hypothermia due to accidents, lack of preparedness and or poor choices.

A small camper can provide a good base camp for day/multi-day treks into remote areas. One possibility is driving to McCarthy and visiting the Wrangell St. Elias National Park. Base Camp” is a convenient/rustic campground at the end of the road. A foot bridge is required to get across the river into McCarthy. Once across it’s a short walk into town or the shuttle services may still be operational - contact Wrangel Mountain Air www.wrangellmountainair.com. Bring a mountain bike.

McCarthy/Kennicott is a busy area during tourist season. By October only the local residents are likely to be found. There are plenty of great trails to bike and hike and plenty of wilderness experience possibilities. Bring more than one spare tire, the dirt road covers the old rail bed supporting the mining operation. Our group has punctured many tires, including two vehicle and two trailer tires this summer alone. Most rental companies prohibit use of their vehicles on this road… http://www.nps.gov/wrst/planyourvisi...%20Web%203.pdf

emalloy

If you decide to go to the National Parks, do go to www.nps.gov. For Denali, winter starts with the first snowfall and the road into the park closes at the VC by Oct. 1, Before that, it is only open beyond that for cars that have reservations at the campgrounds or if you got a lottery win for a week or two in late September, otherwise you need to use the park busses for transportation in. We saw several grizzlies there this week, and they will still be about for a few weeks before they go for a winter nap.

Alaska is huge and Denali alone is as large as Massachusetts. Some of the other parks and forest areas might be open longer, but if you go before their winter, bears will be a concern, even in non-wilderness areas.