Alaska Beta?

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steelfrog
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Alaska Beta?

Post by steelfrog »

OK, just starting to think about a little trip to Alaska, but don't know much about it. Not looking for Denali-type mountaineering, but summer hiking (though I know this could entail negotiating glacier travel). Anyone have any ideas about where to start getting maps and other info? Areas to seek out/avoid?

Many thanks.
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Scott P
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Re: Alaska Beta?

Post by Scott P »

The trip report below might give you some ideas:

http://www.summitpost.org/an-odyssey-th ... ska/747192" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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jmibarra
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Re: Alaska Beta?

Post by jmibarra »

depends on what area you want to explore. my favorite is the kenai peninsula. just google it and you will find a lot of info. check out crow pass hike out of girdwood is a good one. or the one out of hope, resurrection. exit glacier is a good one too. your only problem is going to be which ones to choose from.
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Re: Alaska Beta?

Post by steelfrog »

That's kinda what i was looking at--that or chugash or Denali NP. To give you an idea, I love multi-day backpacks in Sequoia Kings Canyon or Yosemite high country. Anything like that up there, where you can get some isolation and get high a little bit?
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planet54
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Re: Alaska Beta?

Post by planet54 »

Have you considered the Brooks Range? I have been twice and it is really wild. Once to the Arrigetch Peaks and once to the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. There are outfitters that run trips there,you can look at their websites and get some ideas of what is out there and decide to join up or go on your own. There is the considerable cost of bush plane flights anytime you go into that area , just the way it is. I would love to go back again. Good luck!
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planet54
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Re: Alaska Beta?

Post by planet54 »

I found this since my last reply. What these guys did is way beyond what I did when I was there but it is a great trip report. I think that others might enjoy viewing this also.
http://www.supertopo.com/climbing/threa ... _id=934069" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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Steve Gio
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Re: Alaska Beta?

Post by Steve Gio »

There have been other thread like this on here. All I can say is depending on time frame, pick a couple areas to check out and stick with that. You can't really go wrong in my opinion. We did 6 days in Denali and 4 in Seward. Unbelievable trip.

have a blast.
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Re: Alaska Beta?

Post by bergsteigen »

Lots of fun hikes on the Kenai Peninsula and vicinity

Here are those threads:
http://www.14ers.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=31498
http://www.14ers.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=23351
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peter303
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Re: Alaska Beta?

Post by peter303 »

I started looking at late May.
Prices seem considerably higher this year.

---------- 2008 --- 2012
airfare $400 $650 (including camping luggague fees)
car $200 $300
gas $200 $200
Last edited by peter303 on Mon Feb 27, 2012 9:50 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Alaska Beta?

Post by Rainier_Wolfcastle »

I was in Alaska last June for a fishing trip (King&Sockeye Salmon and Halibut...awesome!). We did a fly in for a day in the Lake Clark Wilderness for Sockeye and Brown Bear Viewing...the flight was awesome, but the fishing was weak and no Bears.

Being bummed that we did not see any Brown Bears, we got a tip to drive near Cooper Landing on Hwy#1 to do a ~4 mile hike/walk in a state park on the Russian Falls Trail...at the end of the trail there is a creek overlook with a pool of, at that time of year, sockeye. Maybe 10 people had gathered, even bringing their lunches, to wait until a mama brown and her two cubs came for their bi-hourly feeding. My wife actually missed them the first time, so we came back two days later around 1pm again...and sure enough, they were there again.

Brown bear and cubs
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And this time not two minutes after they left, a black bear came by for some scraps.

Black Bear
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My other favorite thing was the Kenai Fjords Boat Tour...take the longer one that goes to Northwestern Glacier. We saw tons of wildlife...Humpbacks, Orcas, dolphins, seals, sea otters, etc. We also signed up for a similar tour via kayak...but the weather did not cooperate.

Breaching Humpback with Northwestern Glacier in background
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I plan on returning for a closer examination of Denali in a few years...
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schrund
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Re: Alaska Beta?

Post by schrund »

I've been pre-occupied with Wrangell-St. Elias, "The largest U.S. national park, it equals 6 Yellowstones...http://www.nps.gov/wrst/index.htm

Here's a pic (yes it's real) from a trip a couple of years ago out along the Alaskan Penninsula
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FireOnTheMountain
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Re: Alaska Beta?

Post by FireOnTheMountain »

schrund wrote:Here's a pic (yes it's real) from a trip a couple of years ago out along the Alaskan Penninsula
Sweet Pic! Lets see some Mt St Elias pics (if you don't mind....)
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