Alaska Trip Advice

There is a good possibility that I will be traveling to Anchorage in May for a work project. I plan to stay a few extra days on my own dime and do some photography. My interest are landscape and wildlife and will have a rental car. As this is an opportunity I don't want to squander, I'd appreciate any location and travel recommendations.

Just to be up front, I'm not into any endurance hiking at this point in my life and expensive plane excursions are out of the question.

Thanks

Woody

I don't know if Denali will be accessible except via snowmobile or 4-wheel drive; you could head down the Kenai Peninsula to Seward. Most of the Kenai Peninsula is a National Park or National Wildlife Refuge. For that matter, when we were on the bus from Anchorage to Seward it had to stop inside the Anchorage city limits because of a mother and calf moose crossing the highway, so there's wildlife pretty close in.

Jon wrote in post #17833835
I don't know if Denali will be accessible except via snowmobile or 4-wheel drive; you could head down the Kenai Peninsula to Seward. Most of the Kenai Peninsula is a National Park or National Wildlife Refuge. For that matter, when we were on the bus from Anchorage to Seward it had to stop inside the Anchorage city limits because of a mother and calf moose crossing the highway, so there's wildlife pretty close in.

Thanks, I was considering Denali, but hadn't thought of the thaw. Too much time in the South.

This may help: http://www.nps.gov/den​a/planyourvisit/hours.​htm

Absolutely.

Thank You.

Be prepared for the possibility of rain. I went to Alaska last year in May (Sitka and Ketchikan), and got extremely lucky with the weather. It is normal for it to be completely soaked. For lenses I carried my 14mm rokinon, sigma 35, and 70-200 f2.8 IS II. They all did great but I'd opt for having all my lenses weather sealed if possible.

Feel free to ask me any questions. I know you said plane excursions are out of the questions but float planes are decently affordable and can get you some amazing shots.

Here is an album with my Alaska pictures. Hopefully you get as lucky as we did last May.
https://www.flickr.com …/albums/7215765​3269682773

Dinzdale40 wrote in post #17834481
Be prepared for the possibility of rain. I went to Alaska last year in May (Sitka and Ketchikan), and got extremely lucky with the weather. It is normal for it to be completely soaked. For lenses I carried my 14mm rokinon, sigma 35, and 70-200 f2.8 IS II. They all did great but I'd opt for having all my lenses weather sealed if possible.

Feel free to ask me any questions. I know you said plane excursions are out of the questions but float planes are decently affordable and can get you some amazing shots.

Here is an album with my Alaska pictures. Hopefully you get as lucky as we did last May.
https://www.flickr.com …/albums/7215765​3269682773

Thanks Daniel.

Looks like you guys had a really great trip.

Seward/Homer direction would be a good trip. The highway along the water there is a great place to view Beluga whales, you can find mtn sheep on the rock side of the highway and it's quite a nice drive.

Snydremark wrote in post #17834587
Seward/Homer direction would be a good trip. The highway along the water there is a great place to view Beluga whales, you can find mtn sheep on the rock side of the highway and it's quite a nice drive.

Cool, thanks. Sounds like that is the safe way to plan travel without actual current weather conditions.

An interesting trip close to Anchorage is the Hatcher Pass -Independence Mine area. It's a quiet, somewhat isolated drive that has lots of varied things to see - and thoroughly Alaskan. I'm sorry I don't have a shot of it, but next time I go, this will be my first stop.

Denali is great choice if the snow has thawed enough. May is break-up time and early May will be quite different from late may. If you can get to Denali, you should. It is absolutely unique and you will never forget it. Take the bus all the back to the end of the road at Wonder Lake (it will take all day) and come back the next day. Wonder Lake is the classic Ansel Adams view of Denali (the mountain itself). You can get on and off the bus any time you like and catch another at a different time. The shot I'm putting up is from the Polychrome Pass area.

Photo from rgs's gallery.
Image hosted by forum (591335)

Photo from rgs's gallery.
Image hosted by forum (735401)

rgs wrote in post #17834610
An interesting trip close to Anchorage is the Hatcher Pass -Independence Mine area. It's a quiet, somewhat isolated drive that has lots of varied things to see - and thoroughly Alaskan. I'm sorry I don't have a shot of it, but next time I go, this will be my first stop.

Denali is great choice if the snow has thawed enough. May is break-up time and early May will be quite different from late may. If you can get to Denali, you should. It is absolutely unique and you will never forget it. Take the bus all the back to the end of the road at Wonder Lake (it will take all day) and come back the next day. Wonder Lake is the classic Ansel Adams view of Denali (the mountain itself). You can get on and off the bus any time you like and catch another at a different time. The shot I'm putting up is from the Polychrome Pass area.

Gallery photo (hosted):
posted by rgs originally in forum: Nature & Landscapes

The Seward Highway down the Kenai Peninsula has many very interesting places. The whole road is about 200 miles long and ends at the town of Homer. The Chugach State Park and National Forest are both very nice. The town of Seward is the starting place for Kenai Fjords National Park, The Holman Glacier, Resurrection Bay, and many wale watching tours. Kenai is an interesting town as is Soldotna and, if you like to fish, this is the place. Along the way there are many interesting stops and the road is very good. Even the drive is beautiful. I would take 2-3 days but many of the places are close enough to Anchorage to make several day trips rather than one longer trip. The photo I've attached is from the Crow Creek Mining Camp near Girdwood - about 40 miles from Anchorage.

Gallery photo (hosted):
posted by rgs originally in forum: Nature & Landscapes

The area around Anchorage will be rainy and cloudy a good deal of the time. But, if you move toward the interior (Talkeetna, Denali), there will be less rain. The Kenai Peninsula will also be very wet. You will love Alaska. I grew up in Fairbanks. My first darkroom, in the basement of our house there, was washed away in a flood in Fairbanks in 1967. I've been away since 1972, but you never get Alaska out of your heart. My last visit, my wife wanted to move - until I reminded her they have winter. We'll be returning again soon.

If you would like to see more of my photographs of Alaska, here's a link: http://myrsphoto.500px​.com/alaska

Enjoy your trip. I am envious!

Thanks Richard. I'm getting excited already. I hope I can get into Denali, but now with all the info every one is providing, sounds all will not be lost if I'm snowed out.

Woody

I lived in the Denali area for 6 years and it is a fantastically beautiful and special place, but it isn't the easiest place to visit during the shoulder seasons. The buses do not start running into Denali until May 20th this year. The full route does not start until the beginning of June. Bus Schedule If the tour buses aren't running, the farthest you can drive into the park is Teklanika River if the road crew has even been able to clean up that far.

And although the park is technically open, there will be VERY few services available at the beginning of May. The visitor center will be operating on a skeleton crew and the closest gas station might be in Healy or Cantwell (20ish miles north or south). Things will start to open up more as the buses start running and by May 20th, most things will be up and running for the season.

I don't know about the availability of shuttles or trains from Anchorage, but it will be a moot point at that time of year since there might not be a campground open and you will have to drive out of the park to find a place to stay.

Honestly, if you only have a few days it would be much easier to head south. The Seward Highway is breathtaking and there is PLENTY to see and do to fill few days.

skipmartin wrote in post #17836209
I lived in the Denali area for 6 years and it is a fantastically beautiful and special place, but it isn't the easiest place to visit during the shoulder seasons. The buses do not start running into Denali until May 20th this year. The full route does not start until the beginning of June. Bus Schedule If the tour buses aren't running, the farthest you can drive into the park is Teklanika River if the road crew has even been able to clean up that far.

And although the park is technically open, there will be VERY few services available at the beginning of May. The visitor center will be operating on a skeleton crew and the closest gas station might be in Healy or Cantwell (20ish miles north or south). Things will start to open up more as the buses start running and by May 20th, most things will be up and running for the season.

I don't know about the availability of shuttles or trains from Anchorage, but it will be a moot point at that time of year since there might not be a campground open and you will have to drive out of the park to find a place to stay.

Honestly, if you only have a few days it would be much easier to head south. The Seward Highway is breathtaking and there is PLENTY to see and do to fill few days.

Good info. Thanks. I guess my plan will be trekking south.

rgs wrote in post #17834610
\ I grew up in Fairbanks. My first darkroom, in the basement of our house there, was washed away in a flood in Fairbanks in 1967. I've been away since 1972, but you never get Alaska out of your heart.

My mother-in-law also grew up in Fairbanks around that time and my father-in-law worked for UAF during the flood. Sounds like a crazy time.

And I agree, Alaska never leaves you heart. I was only there for six years and my wife's family left right around the time you did. We still tell stories every time we get together. I miss a lot of things about it, but not the 40-50 below days and the ice fog.

Daughter and son in law live in Anchorage. I ALWAYS get great pictures at Flat Top in Chugach State Park, Kincaid Park (moose!) and the Seward Highway along Cook's Inlet (watch for Dahl Sheep on the mountainside.) If you have video, you should check the bore tide table. The bore tide is very, very impressive. You can also check out Potter's Marsh. Photo ops in, and around Anchorage are boundless. I almost forgot to mention Girdwood. Alyeska ski resort offers great pictures if you take the tram up to the Seven Glaciers Restaurant (great place for an elegant and delicious dinner.)