Possible Winter Visit - Want Opinions (Valdez, Seward: house, high school, college)

[tigre79]

Originally Posted by stiffnecked

Thanks, it was kinda confusing.


Stewart, BC & Hyder, AK - Recreation Guide for Stewart, British Columbia and Hyder, Alaska



Season:mid October - June or July Elevation:sea level - 8,000 feet Average Snow Fall:30 feet - 360 inchesAverage Temp:- 3 Celsius / 28 Fahrenheit Rating: Novice to Expert

Their Chamber of Commerce and the Alaska Division of Community and Regional Affairs say Hyder's average annual snowfall is either 162 or 176 inches. The numbers on the page you quoted are probably for the mountains above town, since it's about snowmachining (here, the average in the mountains is closer to 45 feet).

Hyder, AK, USA - Community Information for Hyder, Alaska
Alaska Division of Community and Regional Affairs

[tigre79]

Personally Ship, if I wanted to go somewhere a little like Valdez but closer to civilization, I'd go to Seward. It's an actual fully-functioning town, situated on a small flat spot at the base of a mountain near the head of a fjord with mountains all around it. Just like Valdez. And the Kenai Fjords isn't that dissimilar to Prince William Sound either, at least the part nearest to Valdez. But that's not going to give you any idea of what it's like to live out here, just what it sort of looks like. I think Frostnip has stated it best with the marathon analogy. To really get it you have to be here through an entire winter, and have to maintain a vehicle, shovel snow, chip ice off the driveway, run errands in a snowstorm, drive hundreds of miles on icy, snowy roads, and all of that. If you think at all that you want to move here you do need to come up at least a couple times in different seasons, but don't think for a minute that you're really getting a feel for what it's like to live here.

[stiffnecked]

Originally Posted by tigre79

Their Chamber of Commerce and the Alaska Division of Community and Regional Affairs say Hyder's average annual snowfall is either 162 or 176 inches. The numbers on the page you quoted are probably for the mountains above town, since it's about snowmachining (here, the average in the mountains is closer to 45 feet).

Hyder, AK, USA - Community Information for Hyder, Alaska
Alaska Division of Community and Regional Affairs

It think you're right. I'd like to go back and visit Hyder in the winter.

[Glitch]

Originally Posted by tigre79

Personally Ship, if I wanted to go somewhere a little like Valdez but closer to civilization, I'd go to Seward. It's an actual fully-functioning town, situated on a small flat spot at the base of a mountain near the head of a fjord with mountains all around it. Just like Valdez. And the Kenai Fjords isn't that dissimilar to Prince William Sound either, at least the part nearest to Valdez. But that's not going to give you any idea of what it's like to live out here, just what it sort of looks like. I think Frostnip has stated it best with the marathon analogy. To really get it you have to be here through an entire winter, and have to maintain a vehicle, shovel snow, chip ice off the driveway, run errands in a snowstorm, drive hundreds of miles on icy, snowy roads, and all of that. If you think at all that you want to move here you do need to come up at least a couple times in different seasons, but don't think for a minute that you're really getting a feel for what it's like to live here.

I agree that Seward is a good comparison with Valdez, minus the snow. I would also include Whittier in that comparison. Both Whittier and Seward get more snow than the Anchorage area just 120 miles to the north, but not as much as Valdez. Otherwise, all three are towns roughly the same size and nestled in fjords.

I can certainly do without the driving hundreds of miles on icy and snowy roads, however, in the 20 winters I have spent in Anchorage and Mat-Su Valley I have never shoveled snow, chipped ice off the driveway, or run errands in a snowstorm.

When I first moved to Alaska I figured that if I am going to live where snow is a constant every winter, a snow-blower would be a far better investment than a snow-shovel.

Maintaining a vehicle during the winter is also considerably easier if you have a heated garage. Apparently there are a lot of contractors who come up from Washington State and Oregon, where only carports are required, and build a great many carports in Anchorage.

[ShipOfFools42]

Originally Posted by joie_de_vivre

Seems like hubby was always able to find work of some sort or another with having a CDL. He has driven truck for a living down in the lower 48, and up there he was able to drive truck for a construction company for awhile, as well as deliver fuel oil in the winter...water delivery is always needed as well...just a thought if you wanted something else to give you an edge up in AK.

This is actually one of the things I was thinking. I wasn't planning on learning a trade like machine work or welding. Or, well, I already know how to weld, but you know what I mean. I was thinking a CDL would be a good one. Thing is, I asked about that on the forum here once before, and I mostly got a bunch of posts like, "Hey dumbass, don't you know there are only a few roads here?" I have a love/hate relationship with this forum, I guess, but it's mostly when people aren't willing to be civil with me.

And I actually had thought about going to Seward, but I figured it would be quite different from the PWS area, just because it's in a different location. If I've learned anything, I've learned you can't assume anything about Alaska.

I will also be a snow-blower owner. Ever since I first used one in Mass after months of shoveling, I couldn't believe I had ever used a shovel. Tigre, maybe I'm reading you wrong here, but it seems like you think this trip is kind of silly or something. I mean, I know spending a week there won't tell me what it's like to spend a whole winter there; that's obvious. The whole reason I want to do a winter trip is to FEEL the cold in the interior and SEE the country for myself. Just to actually experience it first-hand, rather than through pictures. And since winter is the thing about Alaska that draws me, what better time to visit? Not to mention there's far fewer tourists, so it won't be all crowded.

I like to adopt the philosophy of "Don't be a tourist, be a traveler." That's why I ask the locals before I go.

[Nephler]

I loved Seward. If you can, go there Ship.

[Rance]

People drive to Valdez all the time. I'm sure you'll be fine if you watch the weather.

[SityData]

Valdez has a 'nickname' - Little Switzerland - because of the mountains that surround the area; they look a lot like the Swiss Alps !!

My sons enjoyed Valdez over any other place(s) that we have lived in Alaska !

In Fact one of the very first jobs I ever worked on in Alaska was the elementary school in Valdez in 1981. 12 years later It sure was freaky walking into that school to register my sons.. Upon entering that school back then I saw a maintenence man walking down the hall way with some flourescent lamps in his hand... I asked - So what did you think of the "Calligraphy" ??? He looked at me like I had three heads.. What Calligraphy he asked .. Above the ceilings I said.. on the junction boxes.. He smiled real big and said.. How the heck could you possibly know about that ? I pulled out a pen and said.. I was the Artist !!

[RedJacket]

Originally Posted by ShipOfFools42

but you know what I mean. I was thinking a CDL would be a good one.

If you're thinking about getting a CDL you should try and hook up with a company in NC who'll help pay the costs of the license and train you. I'm sure a CDL from NC would be transferable to Alaska.

That way, you can hit the ground running if or when you move to the state that has fewer people than itsy bitsy teeny weeny RI.

[SityData]

Just came across this image of one of my trips to seward - nice scenery for much of the journey