alaska trip planning - katolb90
 

Hello everyone. I am currently in the infant stages of planning my trip to Alaska in June 08 with hopes that it will be a full grown plan by early Nov. I plan to take a cruise (princess or celebrity) from Vancouver followed by at least 2 weeks land (3-5 destinations) with emphasis on scenery and outdoor activity. I will be traveling alone so I'd prefer to do all my land activities as part of a group tour. For my first post I'd like to know:

What is your favorite flightseeing tour?

Top 5 scenic views or scenic outdoor adventure trips (including boating, hiking, biking, rafting/kayaking etc)

Not sure if I want to do Denali or not. The shuttle bus seems like a pain and my bladder has a short attention span if you know what I mean. I was however thinking of doing some other activities at Denali like rafting, biking or hiking. Any tour suggestions?

You can do Alaska without Denali ... but realize it is an experience that tough to duplicate through other trips, tours, etc.

Other than an enclosed environment, there aren't really similar opportunities to see that variety of wildlife and scenery in an afternoon ride. If the road was open to more traffic -- i.e., private cars -- the viewing won't be nearly as good.

You won't see much biking and hiking doesn't cover as much ground.

The buses make plenty of stops and unless there's a real problem it's a small price for access you can't otherwise get.

The buses get a lot of grief on this board, but I'm betting a number of the those who complain don't realize that the shuttles are one of the main reasons that the road can be so rich with wildlife.

As for flightseeing, I enjoy the aeronautic aspects of the glacier landing, but others like the summit flights. Both are very good.

Shoot, even the time the 737 dipped its wing on a flight from FBX to ANC was impressive to see Denali's Wickersham Wall. I kind of miss ol' MarkAir.

Hi,

I was in Alaska, with my husband, last year and it was amazing. We stayed few days in Denali, we booked some activities via city discovery. com. You can find on this website a lot of attraction ideas like park tour, rafting, fishing.... I recommend you especially the flightseeing (Knik Glacier, i did it, it was a wonderful adventure. You fly over mountains, views are splendid...

I am in Denali Park EVERY trip, one of the best scenic and wildlife bargains in all of Alaska. I would not even consider being in the area without getting into the park. The other highlight area for wildlife is Kenai Fjords on a boat tour of at least 6 hours. Excellent extended glacier viewing with varied wildlife.

As for flightseeing, I've done probably 50 trips. All great. I do suggest you consider several, there are endless opportunities. In my opinion a glacier helicopter landing is probably my favorite, but I also love floatplanes, no matter where it takes me. There are ski planes out of Talkeetna although my preferences are for summit flights. Cargo flights offer a great look in a very different way of life and some real remote areas.

I'm just in the stages of planning also - a 7 day cruise and 6 day land.

We are going to do Denali, absolutely - but just to be pre warned, am I reading this post correctly that there are no places to stop for washrooms if you do the shuttle bus?

<b>We are going to do Denali, absolutely - but just to be pre warned, am I reading this post correctly that there are no places to stop for washrooms if you do the shuttle bus?</b>

No, there are several bathroom breaks on the shuttle ... first bathroom stop is at Teklinika, which is about mile 30, 15-20 minutes break. Second bathroom stop is at Polychrome Pass, mile 47, usually 10-15 minute break. When I was doing this often the next stop was Eielson Vistor Center at mile 66 and that's usually where we turned around.

Typically took 4 hours to Eielson so three breaks in 4 hours, then half-hour at Eielson and then return, with bathroom stops at Toklat (mile 54) and Teklanika (they skip stopping at Polychrome on the way back). Eielson is being torn down (damaged in earthquakes) so the current turn-around is at Fish Creek. This was the 8 hour round-trip, you can also do a 12 hour round-trip to Wonder Lake.

So plenty of bathroom stops.

Bill

My favorite flightseeing tour without a doubt was Island Wings float plane out of Ketchikan. It was absolutely an &quot;emotional experience&quot;! We also did a helicopter glacier landing which was also awesome!

I don't think I can list my top scenic views - it was like every time we turned a corner!! As others have said, PLEASE don't miss Denali - the scenery even tops the wildlife there. (I think it would definitely be easier on your bladder than a rafting trip with the many stops they make.) We also loved the road to Valdez, Turnagain Arm south of Anchorage, the Glenn Highway, and I sure can't forget Glacier Bay!

Thanks Bill_H, you put my mind at rest!

I had visions of looking up that 'Freshette' post over on the Africa board! :-)

Thanks guys. One stop per hour is good. I should be able to handle that. Just can't drink any coffee.

Was wondering, if you can get off the shuttle bus at certain stops how does that work if there can be bears along the road? If you get off the bus, what's the assurance of walking around without running into an unhappy bear. Help me here. I'm trying to imagine this? This is my first trip.

Cjnky, what's the 'Island Wings' float plane? I plan on doing the Misty Fjords float plane tour with the cruiseship. Perhaps I can do this one as well. Bankrupcy anyone?

<b>if you can get off the shuttle bus at certain stops how does that work if there can be bears along the road?</b>

The bears have separate toilets so there is no crowding, not to worry :)

Seriously, at Teklanika and Polychrome there will be up to a dozen busses when you stop (even more busses at the turn-around spots) and bears don't like the activity, so they aren't around. At Toklat we did have a bear stroll close by once and everyone just calmly got back into the busses (some more calmly than others).

At Teklanika we've sometimes seen bears in the river channel below the toilet area, there's a viewing platform where you can watch. But I haven't seen one near the parking area.

<b>If you get off the bus, what's the assurance of walking around without running into an unhappy bear.</b>

At the toilet stops there's not much chance of seeing a bear up close.

You can also get off the bus pretty much anywhere else you want (highly recommended) ... if you do this you should know how to act around bears without appearing threatening to them or without appearing like food to them. There has never been a fatal attack in Denali, though a few people have surprised bears in brush or photographers have pushed them too close and these guys were mauled.

Getting off the bus at passes like Sable, Polychrome, Highway and Thorofare and walking downhill, even on the road, is a lot of fun and beats sitting on the bus all the time. Here are some of our Denali pics, all of them were made &quot;off the bus&quot; except the grizzly and wolf images ... http://members.aol.com/bhilton665/al...nali/index.htm

Bill

Bill H - your photos are fabulous! The colors are incredible. I don't know how I'm going to wait until my August 2008 Alaska trip!

We did our first Alaska trip in June without seeing Denali. Trip was fantastic. Top things we did were Kenai Fjords (renown tours), Seward to Ancorage on railroad, Glacier landing with a helicopter then dogsledding near Alyeska resort (www.alpineairalaska.com), fly in fishing(www.highadventureair.com) saw bears and caught our limit. I would definately do a couple of flying adventures, some fishing(we seldom fish), and a train ride. We also did a kayak in resurection bay that was cool (www.kayakak.com).

Bill_H, I love your photos. Can you tell me dates you were in Denali? Going next August and and would like to see Denali in the fall colors. Thanks

210 wrote: <b>Bill_H, I love your photos. Can you tell me dates you were in Denali? Going next August and and would like to see Denali in the fall colors.</b>

We go the last week in August and the first week in September, then go to Katmai for the bears ... usually the last few days in August are best for tundra colors, and a wet rainy summer means much better colors than a dry summer, so you need a bit of luck.

The actual shift from &quot;all green&quot; to &quot;beautiful reds and oranges&quot; to &quot;mostly brown&quot; happens extremely fast, say within a week, but the trips we've made the peak has typically been the last few days of August so go as late in the month as you can.

Late Aug thru mid-Sept the animals are also easier to see because the moose and caribou bulls are stripping the velvet from their antlers preparing to fight for mating rights, and the bears are feeding on berries to fatten up for winter, so are spending more time in open areas. On our best three 'fall' park drives we saw 18, 18 and 15 grizzly bears, while in the middle of the summer we might see only 2-5 bears because the days are longer and hot and the bears are in thicker brush.

Finally, even The Mountain is easier to see because the first really cold snap seems to clear the air a bit, compared to summer when the heat inversion seems to keep it more cloudy around Denali. You hear only a third of the Park visitors even see Mt. McKinley, but in early Sept we once had clear views 8 of 11 days because of the cold snaps. So this is our favorite time to go.

Bill

Thanks Bill_H. Its a relief to know the bears have their own toilet! I feel much safer now. Sounds like mid August is a better time to start this trip (for fall colors and bears). However, I read that it rains a lot in Sept and if the trip is 3 weeks, I'll be there in Sept. I read June is colder, but drier. I think I'd favor seeing whales and sealife over bears so my next question is... Is early summer or late summer better for seeing sealife, glacial calving and waterfalls (in the cruise and Kenai parts of my trip)? Although I'd really like to see bears and fall color too. I'm all screwed up.

Bill_H, this is great information. I really appreciate all details. I looked at your photos again and those from Pribilof Islands too. They are incredible. Do you mind if I ask about your trip there? Did you go only to St. Paul Island or to St George Island as well? We are thinking about 4 nights mid-August. Do you think is this a good time to see birds and animals? Are 4 days there enough or should we stay longer? Since you have to go on a tour do you have any freedom of walking around the island on your own or do you have to go only with a guide? Did you visit with any residents on the island? You said you had a miserable weather, was your flight on time coming and leaving? I understand you can be delayed if it is too foggy to fly. I read somewhere it is a four-hour flight but no a restroom on the aircraft that flies to Pribilof. Really? How many visitors were there during your stay? Can you tell me a little about meals since on St. Paul they are not included in a tour price? Also regarding accommodation, I understand you you have to share a bathroom with all guests but was this any problem and how was your room? Should we bring our robber boots or just hiking boots and a heavy jacket? How did you protect your camera from a rain and drizzle? Did you use a tripod? Would it make sense to bring a laptop to download pictures in the evening?
Btw, we are going on another safari to Kenya in the end of February.
Thank you again Bill_H.

<b>Do you mind if I ask about your trip there (Pribilofs)?</b>

Hi 210, there's an email link tome on the Africa pages, you can mail me direct since we're kinda hijacking katolb90's thread here ... but since you asked and it IS Alaska in the summer I'll answer the Q's I know.

<b>Did you go only to St. Paul Island or to St George Island as well?</b>

Only St. Paul ... harder to get to St. George (a bit higher so foggier, with more delayed flights), and fewer tourist amenities there (like a restaurant). Would like to go sometime as they supposedly have a couple of good photo spots though.

<b>We are thinking about 4 nights mid-August. Do you think is this a good time to see birds and animals?</b>

I think it's getting late ... many of the bird species nest, raise the chicks, and then are gone back to sea and even when we were there (I think 3rd week in July) many of the birds that nested in the cliffs were already gone. Not sure about the seals, I think they also leave late summer (they are just there to birth the pups and breed).

<b>Are 4 days there enough or should we stay longer?</b>

Four days should be enough to see everything. Longer is better if you are photographing seriously and want to return to different places several times. Almost half our time was spent at two cliffs, for example. I think there are maybe 8-10 spots worth seeing.

<b>Since you have to go on a tour do you have any freedom of walking around the island on your own or do you have to go only with a guide?</b>

You don't HAVE to go on a tour, you can just fly over and rent a room, but then you can't access anything easily.

You can walk on your own but the viewing sites are several miles apart, and gusty rain can spring up anytime. They have a couple of vans and can drop you off anywhere, then pick you up later, so it works out well.

<b>Did you visit with any residents on the island?</b>

We visited the Orthodox church, and one of our naturalist guides was an Aleut. Also met a guy doing seal research and rescue (would capture and cut the nets off entangled seals). You could set up something to attend Church services if you wish. The natives we met were friendly but very busy trying to make a living in the short 'growing' season.

<b>You said you had miserable weather, was your flight on time coming and leaving? I understand you can be delayed if it is too foggy to fly.</b>

We got in and out without delay. I think one day during our stay the daily flight couldn't land, that's probably about average (ie one out of seven) but I'm not certain about the delayed flight statistics. This is pretty common everywhere in Alaska when you fly small planes. I think they need 150 ft visibility to land.

<b>I read somewhere it is a four-hour flight but no a restroom on the aircraft that flies to Pribilof. Really?</b>

It was a 14 or 19 passenger prop plane (I had to stoop down to walk the aisle). No bathrooms! Not sure about the flight times, on the way over they go Anchorage - King Salmon so they can fuel up (in case they can't land at the Pribs and have to fly back). So this leg was broken up into two shorter legs ... on the return it was straight to ANC, so no break. I thought it was less than four hours (it's a scheduled PenAir flight, you can check it to see the exact duration) but not much less.

But yes, if you have a tiny bladder it's probably not comfortable.

<b>How many visitors were there during your stay?</b>

We had a group of six photographers and usually there were 4 - 6 others at any given time, plus a few people not on tours at the hotel (usually commercial fishermen meeting a fishing boat). With two vans they simply divided people up by interest and off you went. If you are in a small group (ie, 2) you can just get dropped off somewhere separately if you wish, but then you don't have the guide (trained naturalists and birders) with you.

<b>Can you tell me a little about meals since on St. Paul they are not included in a tour price?</b>

When we were there we ate mostly at the Trident Fish Processing plant cafeteria with their factory workers, I think it was $12-18-22 for breakfast-lunch-dinner. Lots of halibut on the menu :) You could also eat at a cafe and you could buy stuff at the general store and use the micro-wave at the hotel to heat it up, which we did once a day.

Now they moved the hotel out of town to the airstrip and have a cafeteria there, so not sure about the other options (ie, how to get to town from the strip).

<b>Also regarding accommodation, I understand you you have to share a bathroom with all guests but was this any problem and how was your room?</b>

I think 24 rooms and three bathrooms at the Eider, with a couple of toilets and showers in each. Not the Ritz, but it was fine (the place we stay at in Denali has outhouses and a common shower, so ...). This was the old King Eider, which has now been replaced. Dunno about the current accomodations (we are planning a trip for next July though).

<b>Should we bring our rubber boots or just hiking boots and a heavy jacket?</b>

The grass is usually damp either from dew or rain, so water-resistant boots are a good idea ... either Bean pac-boots or treated hiking boots. Rubber boots are best if you go into the marsh or mudflats, so bring them if you have them, but you can do without if you have Bean boots.

<b>How did you protect your camera from a rain and drizzle?</b>

We use rain ponchos strapped on with short bungee cords, and shower caps for the front of the lens. We are used to shooting in the rain, or at least protecting the gear for a while until the rain stops.

<b>Did you use a tripod?</b>

Yes.

<b>Would it make sense to bring a laptop to download pictures in the evening?</b>

Yes, that's what we do.

<b>Btw, we are going on another safari to Kenya in the end of February.</b>

Cool ... we will be in Kenya in January!

Bill

But, but what about me?

<b>But, but what about me?</b>

Sorry katolb, the thread kinda got sidetracked once it shifted to bears and Denali ... you seem torn between June (but are worried it might be too cold) or late Aug-Sept (but worried about weather in Sept) ... if you want to spend several days in Denali I'd advise the late Aug - early Sept dates, then from Homer maybe do a bear trip.

If you aren't keen on Denali then it sounds like June would be a better fit? But I don't think Denali is that great in June, too many mosquitos, too few animals near the road and too much green the one week we spent there (3rd week in June).

Bill