Info on Wrangell (squatters, house, upkeep)

[JoeyJoeJoe]

Just looked like the best place for what we were looking for. Not too cold, not too hot. Off the beaten path. Pretty area. On the water. Pretty laid back, from what I have read about.

What would be "one of the bigger cities on the Panhandle?" Do you have any other recommendations for a nice place in Alaska?

As stated earlier, I am from Arizona and used to 115+ degrees not -40 degrees. The coldest temperature I have had here was in the mountains once we were up there and it was +14. I grew up in the Chicago area until I was 13 and the coldest I remember it being there was -18 degrees, still not quite -40 or -50. Also, my wife is an native Arizonan so she is pretty uncomfortable with the idea of temperatures below -40.

Maybe you could tell me what it is like at -40. It seems to me this would be at the opposite end of the temperature spectrum. Instead of too hot most of the time, it would be too cold most of the time. Any suggestions on other towns that are not too big, but may have employment opportunities.

Wrangell seemd like it has fairly moderate temperatures and is off the main cruise ship lines. We own a cabin about 100 miles north of Phoenix (just north of Payson) and everytime we go up that way in the summer, it is like rush hour for 100 miles. The town of Payson receives 11 million visitors a year. We are looking to be off the beaten path. We are tired of sooooooo many peoiple everywhere and sooooo much heat. It's supposed to be 82 degrees tomorrow (here it comes already, I guess 2 months of somewhat cooler temperatures will have to do).

[warptman]

There's people living here from Hawaii, I don't think the cold bothers them one bit. You get acclimatized after a while and if you keep busy it won't bother you, provided you are dressed for it.

[akck]

Originally Posted by JoeyJoeJoe

What would be "one of the bigger cities on the Panhandle?" Do you have any other recommendations for a nice place in Alaska?

The bigger cities would be Ketchikan, Sitka and Juneau. Of the three, Juneau might offer the best job opportunities with state government located there (current state hiring freeze though). If I didn't have to worry about a job, I'd probably go with Sitka, since it's the smallest of the three.

[JoeyJoeJoe]

If I didn't have to worry about a job, I would probably go with Wrangell.

[Metlakatla]

Maybe you could tell me what it is like at -40.

Beautiful. The sky is a color of blue at that temp and lower that I've never seen before. Everything is crystal clear; it's especially amazing when the alpenglow is covering the entire horizon.

[JoeyJoeJoe]

What is alpenglow?

How do you function at 40 below?

Can you even have horses or other animals at that temperature?

[mal_flisk]

Alprenglow is reddish sunlight from a low hanging sun on a field of snow, giving it a characteristic color shading from orange to red to pink. "Alpenglow" is usually best seen on mountains with an eastern facing slope in mornings and on a western facing slope in the evenings.

You function pretty well at 40 below if you are dressed correctly. Boots rated for arctic conditions, good insulated gloves, possibly reinforced with a set of mittens, balaclava or ski-mask, gator mask with a good hat. 3-4 layers of clothing. Less than that and you court the risk of frostbite.

[GrammasCabin]

I've lived in Wrangell since '66 and still not a day goes by I don't wonder how I got so lucky! The friendliest, most hard working hard playing people on the planet live here. The scenery is breathtaking everywhere you look from the glaciers up the Stikine River to the beaches to the mountains and creeks "out the road". Economy is in the ditch like everywhere else but there's honest work for anyone willing to look for it. Life's pretty basic here, no pretenses, no shoppin malls, no fancy restaurants. Rain gear, x-tra tuffs, jeans & sweatshirt and you're geared for the best. As of today:
Gas: $3.20
Heating oil: $5.19
Milk: $5.09
Eggs: $2,89

All grocery items are skyrocketing but I never buy store-bought meat or fish. In fact I rarely go to the store. I buy dry goods in 50# bags from Oregon 3 or 4 times a year, ship it up here by barge and store it in 5-gallon buckets, grow as many of my own veggies as I can and make use of the wonderful wild greens, berries and medicine plants. The freezer and pantry are always full just from what I gather from the land. Not everyone takes advantages of what the wilds have to offer but more and more are learning.
In the 40+ years I've lived here I have never taken the keys out of my car or locked my door. If I leave my skiff in the harbor with jugs of gas, fishing gear or whatever I can come back a week later and not a thing has been disturbed. The worst crime you'll find here is kids caught smoking or some guy sucker punching his buddy in the bar on Saturday night.
We all complain in spring and fall when we have day after day of sideways rain but BOY do the happy smiles and waves come out when the sun shines!! Makes you appreciate the paradise we live in all the more.
Housing prices don't seem to be going down much, but if I know what you're looking for, if its here, I'll find it. My adorable cabin sits on 3 acres of beachfront property 13 miles out the road - am thinking of selling the cabin and 1/2 of the property so I can build down on the beach. I'd put in a photo if I knew how!

[hensonst]

If you are looking for a small town, someplace place you can be busy or laid back, someplace where the people are friendly, someplace as beautiful as a post card, than Wrangell is for you. We have mild temps for Alaska. We do have rain, but then again "it's a rain forest". Some years are wetter than others. The snow lasts from around Dec - end of Feb. But sometimes it comes sooner and lasts longer. The crime rate is low, the crime level is low to moderate. There are a lot of groups that a person can join if they want to be involved. There is a lot of space if you don't. The town has all the basics 2 grocery stores, 2 hardware stores , 2 gas stations, 2 fuel Co., clothing store, resturants, hotels, B&B's, banks like I said all the basics. What we don't have is a stop light and fast food. We have abount 20 miles of paved road, but around 120 miles of gravel forest service roads and wonderful camping areas. We have wildlife everywhere. For those that like to shoot with a camera or a gun. Fishing is great, salmon, halibut, crab, shrimp that anyone can get. We have around 1900 people living here right now, the job market is slow, the housing market prices are low compared to many parts of the US and the lowest in Alaska. The cost of living is the lowest in SE Alaska except for the price of Gas. There are oppertunitys for business here if a person has a good idea and is motivated. Go to the Wrangellalaska.org website and loook at the video or request a local travel planner. I hope this answers some of your questions. I am a 25 year Wrangellite.

[Montana Griz]

JoeyJoeJoe....................

Check the historical weather records.......very seldom does it get below Zero on Wrangell Is. I think your greatest adjustment will be to accept and get your family to accept the rainy weather patterns. Having spent lots of time in Tucson, AZ., as well as Wrangell, Petersburg, Ketchican, Sitka and Juneau......................I would choose Sitka........just my personal opinion. Good Luck.