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Old 09-14-2007, 03:01 PM
 
Location: Wasilla, Alaska
17,823 posts, read 23,335,072 times
Reputation: 6541

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Quote:
Originally Posted by tableguy8 View Post
Is this area(Brooks Range/Gates NP mostly tundra, or is there woodlands as well.
The Brooks Range is treeless. Just scrub and tundra. The trees stop on the southside of the Brooks Range. If you are on tundra you may find it difficult to pitch a tent, as it is very spongy and wet in the summer, and won't hold your tent stakes very well.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/3/36/Brooks_Range-400px.jpg/300px-Brooks_Range-400px.jpg (broken link)
Brooks Range from near Galbraith Lake

I would also advise either late July or early August for the Brooks Range. That will be the warmest time of the year. The tundra in bloom is a very pretty sight.
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Old 09-14-2007, 03:47 PM
 
14 posts, read 67,845 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Glitch View Post
The Brooks Range is treeless. Just scrub and tundra. The trees stop on the southside of the Brooks Range. If you are on tundra you may find it difficult to pitch a tent, as it is very spongy and wet in the summer, and won't hold your tent stakes very well.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/3/36/Brooks_Range-400px.jpg/300px-Brooks_Range-400px.jpg (broken link)
Brooks Range from near Galbraith Lake

I would also advise either late July or early August for the Brooks Range. That will be the warmest time of the year. The tundra in bloom is a very pretty sight.

What might be a better area of the bush to go to that might be more wooded, while still getting some good hiking and having good scenery.The Brooks Range sounds neat, but I' not sure if I want to be walking around in the open Tundra all day.
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Old 09-14-2007, 04:50 PM
 
Location: Wasilla, Alaska
17,823 posts, read 23,335,072 times
Reputation: 6541
Default So much to see, and so little time...

Quote:
Originally Posted by tableguy8 View Post
What might be a better area of the bush to go to that might be more wooded, while still getting some good hiking and having good scenery.The Brooks Range sounds neat, but I' not sure if I want to be walking around in the open Tundra all day.
Everywhere south of the Brooks Range is very well wooded, and Alaska is a very large place. To pick one place over another would be doing an injustice to everywhere else.

Assuming you want at least a few days of sunshine while on your trek, I would stay north of the Alaskan panhandle. The Tongass National Forest has denser growth of trees than any other area of Alaska and is a spectacular place to visit, but it is also a temperate rain forest with more than 100" of percipitation annually. So sunny days in the panhandle are a rare occurance.

If you are looking to get away from people, the Wrangell-St. Elias National Park in central-eastern Alaska is the world's largest park that isn't visited by many tourists. The Copper River also is a great spot for salmon fishing.

Lake Clark National Park, about 225 miles west of Anchorage, on the west side of the Alaskan Range is very nice remote place with few visitors.

Katmai National Monument (Valley of 10,000 Smokes) on the Alaskan Pennisula is a great spot to see bears and catch salmon, but it has fewer trees than the other National Parks.

Further north you have Gates of the Arctic National Park, where you can experience 24 hours of daylight in the summer. The trees aren't quite as dense as the National Parks further south, but it is still very well wooded.

It is really difficult to pick just one area and say "this is where you should go" because they all have fantastic views of mountains, forests, and wildlife. A couple more pieces of advise about hiking in the Alaskan bush: 1) A pair of "chaps" (like you see in old western movies) would really help protect you from Devils Club, a common thistle with 1"+ long thorns that grows everywhere ; and 2) A pair of over-the-boot hip-waders will allow you to cross those unexpected streams and creeks that aren't always on the map.

Whereever you decide to go, I'm certain it will be an unforgettable experience.
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Old 11-27-2007, 05:01 PM
 
2 posts, read 4,535 times
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Default Alaska

I have been going to Alaska every summer for a couple of years now. For me, the only way to do it is alone. Rent a forest service cabin to use as a base of operations. I fly into Juneau, then get a bush plane to drop me off somewhere on Admiralty Island, with instructions to pick me up a week or so later. Made the mistake of taking 3 other guys one year. Alone is the best. You would be surprised how little gear you really need if you can eat fish and berries. I pick up supplies in Juneau so even packing for the trip from here in Arizona is a breeze.

And don't let them scare you with bear stories. Just make enough noise so you don't surprise one. I bring a 22 cal handgun for small game. I might throw it at a bear, but wouldn't think of shooting one even if I had a 357. Just antagonizes them.

Go for it!
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Old 11-27-2007, 05:18 PM
 
26,476 posts, read 36,301,263 times
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No one is trying to scare anyone with "bear stories" here.

You are aware, aren't you, that there is a bit of a difference between the kind of bears found in southeast and those farther north...? You really do need to be prepared when going into grizzly country.
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Old 11-27-2007, 05:30 PM
 
Location: Naptowne, Alaska
15,603 posts, read 39,641,516 times
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Up north anything that moves is food to bears. Not much to chose from so when they run across something dead or alive they plan on eating it. Southern AK offers more food sources and more of those sources, so chances are good you won't become instant on the menu. Up north...you'd better be packin some heat, even tho they are spread out and a slimmer chance of an encounter. Cause they are gonna be hungry.
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Old 11-27-2007, 09:03 PM
 
Location: Fairbanks Alaska
1,677 posts, read 6,417,979 times
Reputation: 675
Default The right hand gun for the job

Quote:
Originally Posted by MoseAZ View Post
I have been going to Alaska every summer for a couple of years now. For me, the only way to do it is alone. Rent a forest service cabin to use as a base of operations. I fly into Juneau, then get a bush plane to drop me off somewhere on Admiralty Island, with instructions to pick me up a week or so later. Made the mistake of taking 3 other guys one year. Alone is the best. You would be surprised how little gear you really need if you can eat fish and berries. I pick up supplies in Juneau so even packing for the trip from here in Arizona is a breeze.

And don't let them scare you with bear stories. Just make enough noise so you don't surprise one. I bring a 22 cal handgun for small game. I might throw it at a bear, but wouldn't think of shooting one even if I had a 357. Just antagonizes them.

Go for it!
357s are by design made to slow your partner down, not directly shoot at bears in general.
.41 or .44 are much better for bear control, but still a method of last resort.
Most larger handgun calibers are unwieldy and have extra recoil, which may induce a flinch factor thuse becoming ineffective.
Slip a 12 gauge pump on a sling over your sholder, Preferable a Remington 870 or Mossberg 500. Two very reliable weapons that can be handled quickly and provide sufficient stopping power.
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Old 11-27-2007, 09:50 PM
 
Location: Bethel, Alaska
21,368 posts, read 37,903,237 times
Reputation: 13901
I remember when this happened

"Grizzly kills couple at Alaska campsite
Anchorage, Alaska
June 27, 2005 - 2:43PM
Page Tools



Two people camping along the Hulahula River in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge have been killed by a grizzly bear, officials say.

Officials discovered the bodies and an unused firearm in a tent Saturday at a campsite near the river. They also shot and killed the animal.

The couple, whose names were not released, was believed to be in their late 50s or early 60s, North Slope Borough police said.

They were from Anchorage and had been on a recreational rafting trip down the river, Alaska State Troopers said yesterday.

The victims were in their tent when the attack occurred, according to Tim DeSpain, spokesman for Alaska State Troopers.

The campsite was clean, with food stored in bear-proof containers.

"The initial scene indicates that it was a predatory act by the bear," DeSpain said.

A rafter had seen the animal at the site and notified authorities.

The couple's injuries were consistent with a bear attack and there were no signs of foul play, said Kelly Alzaharna, a lieutenant with the North Slope Borough Police Department.

There were no other people at the campsite, which was about 19 kilometres up river from Kaktovik, a community of about 300 on Barter Island and the only village in the refuge.

Officials are not sure when the couple was killed.

- AP_
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Old 11-27-2007, 09:57 PM
 
Location: Naptowne, Alaska
15,603 posts, read 39,641,516 times
Reputation: 14881
I remember that. Sad but true. North of the brooks range is no place to be lolly gaggin. You'd better be on your toes and watching your p's and q's.
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Old 12-04-2007, 08:15 PM
 
2 posts, read 4,535 times
Reputation: 10
Hey everyone, don't get me wrong. I am not a Timothy Treadwell or anything. I agree, bears deserve respect and a great deal of your attention while in the Bush. I was just suggesting that generally speaking, their danger is overstated. I try to avoid them at all costs. Not worth a cool picture to me to be close enough to a bear to take one. That said, if you follow the rules, your potential exposure is greatly reduced. Before I started going up there I bought and read “Bears of Alaska” “Animals of Southeast Alaska” and “Outwitting Bears”, just to tune into the locals' take on them. I know people who would not step a foot into the Bush because they think Bears fall onto you from out of the trees. Go prepared and with your eyes wide open, but definately go.

As for me? Well maybe fate has it in for me and a bear awaits me on my next trip. I still prefer that exit strategy to life rather than stroking out at my desk. I just hope my bear is quick and prefers as little adrenaline in its meat as possible.
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