Winter camping questions (Anchorage, Fairbanks, Kenai: rental car, rental, buy)

[tigre79]

Does anyone here do any tent camping in the winter? My friend and I are going to be up there for a little over a week in early March and want to camp most of that time. I have some ideas, but I'm looking for more suggestions about good places to go, where the roads should be in decent shape (as we'll have a rental car and don't want to get stuck) and we can snowshoe in a few miles, set up camp, and go play (which to us means photography, animal tracking, sledding, that sort of thing). And we'd like to avoid areas that are especially prone to avalanches and/or overrun by snowmachiners.

I think we're going to stick somewhat close to Anchorage, but probably make trips down to Homer and up to Talkeetna as well. I'm a little confused about the rules up there for recreational land use in some areas because there seem to be a lot fewer restrictions than down here (definitely a good thing to me, just different). If a land-management agency's website doesn't specifically say that you can camp in the backcountry does that mean you can't? Or is it just taken for granted that you can pitch your tent just about wherever you want (which is sort of how it seemed when I was there this summer)?

And don't worry, we may be from the south, but we're not idiots. We both have pretty good outdoor skills generally, know how to navigate and stay warm, and we'll rent proper winter camping gear at REI or one of the other places that rents gear in Anchorage.

[Grannysroost]

We winter camped in MN...."tuna can" wood stove in the tent...
was good....we were toasty and warm, but had to shovel snow to get the tent in...it can be done easy...

[bongo]

I suggest renting a US forest service cabin with a wood stove. Most of them around Anchorage/Kenai are about $40 per night. Perhaps Barber Cabin about 4 miles on the Russian Lakes Trail, Caribou Creek out of Hope about 7 miles on the Resurrection Pass Trail or Juneau Lake out of Cooper Landing about 12 miles on the Resurrection Pass Trail. Just search cabins near Anchorage in the drop down menus:
Federal recreation, camping and tour reservation information - Recreation.gov


We have skied into the Yuditna Cabin north of Anchorage on Eklutna Lake area which is a state of AK cabin:
Public Use Cabins, Anchorage Area

I'm a backpacker but we wait until Memorial Day since it's snow camping before then.

[tigre79]

I like the idea of renting a cabin, but some of them seem to book up quickly, especially the ones closer to trailheads. Yuditna Creek is already booked for the whole week we'll be there. Byers Lake looks a little better on availability if we go up there. The forest service cabins may be better in that regard as well.

I don't really want to start booking up our trip too far in advance though. Ideally I'd like to be able to be flexible enough in our plans that we could head for Alyeska if there's a good snow or up north a ways if the lights are out and not worry about having a reservation somewhere. I like having an idea of where I'm going to be staying on a given day, but really don't want to be tied to it.

[bongo]

People snow camp up in the Glen Alps. That way they can be close to their car in case of an emergency but in wilderness of Alaska at the same time. Glen Alps is up the hillside from Anchorage in the Chugach Mts & the area is very beautiful.

Another possibility is Eagle River Nature Center. The trail back toward Heritage Falls has areas to camp.

You could also camp a short way back on the Resurrection Trail at either the Cooper Landing or Hope side. Gull Rock Trail out of Hope is another possibility, a trail along the inlet out to a large camping area.

You can be post-holing through snow early March. With snowshoes or skis it will be much better. With a 4 season tent, sub-zeroF bags, sleeping pads for insulation from the ground, winter layers, & white gas stove it could be fun. However, I have been very cold backpacking in Alaska late May & early June. The windchill in March could be wicked so be prepared. Also, March can bring with it avalanche danger in the backcountry, so talk with the forest service in the area if you are in doubt as to conditions. We have our share of avalanche accidents with spring conditions. For example, the trail to Crow Pass out of Girdwood near Alyeska is avalanche-prone.

Always let someone know your plans when you are out in Alaska.

You can camp in USFS & state park lands, not on private property of course.

Car camping is another possibility.

[tigre79]

Thanks, bongo, that's exactly what I'm looking for! I recognize the names of most of the places you mentioned, but I'm just not familiar enough with the area to know where the best spots are. Trail guides are helpful, but I like to also get some advice from people who live in the area. The Glen Alps area will be convenient when we're hanging around ANC. I wasn't sure if you could camp there. I've spent most of my life in places where you have to get a permit or pay a fee for just about everything, so I want to make sure I'm not breaking any rules (especially since I'll be looking for work with the agencies that set those rules). It seems like your state lands operate more like the Forest Service than ours do.

We'll definitely have snowshoes (seems like XC skis have a steeper learning curve, especially if you're breaking trail or going uphill at all). That's probably a good time for winter gear sales, so I may buy some gear and then rent the rest. I'm definitely gathering all the info on snow camping and avalanches that I can (reading the avalanche section in my copy of 'Mountaineering: Freedom of the Hills' right now, actually) and will have a chat with the rangers before we head out. I'm relatively cautious when I'm in a situation I'm unfamiliar with, so we'll be careful and learn everything we can. Definitely not planning on running off into the wilderness to fend for ourselves or anything - just wanting to enjoy the quiet of the winter woods and play in the snow.

[bongo]

Have $5 handy to pay the parking fees at the trailhead parking lots in the Anchorage bowl areas like Glen Alps.

Resurrection Pass Trail could be a stop on the way down to Homer.

Eklutna Lake trails are a possibility for a camping stop for the trip north toward Talkeetna.

Talkeetna has a great hostel where you can camp in the backyard, using the shower, kitchen & comraderie for about $10. Be sure to eat at the Talkeetna Roadhouse for coffee/breakfast.

[tigre79]

Thanks again, bongo!

We'll definitely try to get up to Talkeetna. I didn't make it there in June because I got out of Fairbanks a little late and stopped too much to take pictures going through the Alaska Range. I bet it's an even cuter town in winter than in summer.

I'm slowly gathering things I'll need for real winter as I see good deals. I just got a down jacket from Lands' End that makes me look kind of silly, but should be pretty warm. Can't really test it out for awhile though, since it's still 90*F outside here.

[seastar311]

If you rent gear from REI in Anchorage, make sure you check it. Last tent I rented from there had only screen windows, and the forecast was 30 degrees. It said "three-season tent" on the bag. They gave us our money back...after a long, cold trip!

[tigre79]

Thanks for the heads up, seastar. I'll definitely check out anything I rent and also practice setting up the tent several times in the store so I'm not having to learn how to do it when I'm tired and cold.

I'm a little confused about your story though. Was 30 the high or the low? If it was the low I'm not sure I'd see the need for a 4-season tent unless snowfall or wind was the concern. I've slept without a tent down to 30*F (in a 32*F bag) and was fine. Everybody varies, though.