Surrounding anchorage towns commute (Fairbanks, Kenai: sales, apartments, rent)

[DagnyT63]

Down here where I ride, it means the snow got warm enough to melt ever so slightly on top and then freeze again so there's a base to the snow. Or the snow has been around long enough that it is compressed enough to where you can stand on it. When there is no crust, and you have feet upon feet of powder, there's no bottom to the snow. It's certainly harder to stay on the top of the snow when you are on the sled but you can take one step on to the snow and fall all the way to bottom.

I have an unfortunate story about riding over to some trees to pee and I got all of 10' past my sled into a shady area, fell clear through and had to stay like that till my buddies got worried......luckily I was still wearing my pants.

Not sure if Met means the same thing up there by "crust" or not, just venturing a guess.

[Metlakatla]

Originally Posted by DagnyT63

Or the snow has been around long enough that it is compressed enough to where you can stand on it. When there is no crust, and you have feet upon feet of powder, there's no bottom to the snow. It's certainly harder to stay on the top of the snow when you are on the sled but you can take one step on to the snow and fall all the way to bottom.

.

This is what I meant, when it starts to feel like the snow has more "give" to it and is getting a little softer.People still ride safely all the time after it starts to get above freezing, but I've always had this fear of falling in icy cold water and drowning.

[WyoNewk]

It's not that hard to get a snowmobile stuck to the point you can't get it out, and for snow to be so deep that you can't walk through it. It happens.

Do you remember Rulon Gardner, the Olympic gold medalist heavyweight wrestler? He was born and raised in Afton, WY. A decade ago he was snowmobiling with friends near there (Tetons) in sub-zero weather. They all got stuck, but he got stuck deeper and was unable to dig out. The others got their machines out and were able to ride out. He walked out, or partly out. When he was spotted the next morning by a search plane he had so much ice accumulation on his feet that he could no longer walk. Keep in mind, here's a world champion and Olympic heavyweight wrestler. No slouch. IIRC, he lost a few toes to frostbite and was damned lucky to survive at all.

There's places around Anchorage where you could find snow depths of 20 feet. Stick to the trails until you have experience, and snowmobile with a friend or two. I owned one in Alaska for a couple years. I'd never have considered going out into the wilderness without another snowmobiler as a companion -- just too dangerous. I did in the city a bit, but not miles out.

OP, if you're planning to rent, I'd advise you find a place in Anchorage for the first year, and spend that first year deciding where you want to live the next year. Some people want to be out in the boonies, most don't. You're going to have enough things to keep you busy that first year without adding long and sometimes difficult commutes to the picture.

And who said Anchorage doesn't get ice fog? Really? It sure did when I lived there, sometimes for days on end, iirc.

[takuriver]

Originally Posted by Benny-stix

This is my first post on here, and from what I've read, this is a very informative site from people with first hand experiences.

I am a 23 year old male. Currently and have always lived in Houston, TX. I am planning a move to south central alaska within the next two years. (I know a long ways away, but better to do too much research than not enough) being from houston, I deal with pretty horrid traffic and with the city being spread out over 750+ sq. miles, let's just say I do my fair share of daily driving for work. I currently have a 4x4 SUV so I am not too worried about my car driving through those conditions. But I am more curious about the amount of time it takes, (not necessarily the mileage) to get to anchorage (where my work will be) from the surrounding towns. Even though I have lived in the city my whole life. I have never been very interested in the city activities. ie nightlife/bars/clubs. I have always been more interested in activities. All sorts of different things. So I would like to get out of anchorage and reside in either Girdwood (I plan on doing a lot of snowboarding) eagle river, or Palmer. (I know Palmer is a little ways away)

I usually do about 75 miles of driving per day, which comes out to about two hours of driving time. Mostly freeways. So I am wondering the commute time from these towns to anchorage in the summer as well as the winter. I don't have much experience driving in the snow, but I have done just about everything else there is to do in the snow. So for a houston guy, I am pretty familiar with the snow.

Thanks for the help. And I can't wait to join you guys up my wonderland.

Ps. A snow machine is the first thing I'm buying when I finally make the move.

I lived in Palmer and commuted, it was bearable. 45 minutes if traffic or road conditions weren't bad. Also commuted from Big Lake for about 6 months, I don't recommend that to anyone.

[Benny-stix]

45 minutes really isn't a tough commute at all. That seems normal to me. And it's not really something that I HAVE to avoid when I make my move. Now if on the bad days, that 45 turns into two and a half hours, then we might have an issue.

[ericathynes]

I've only read the first page of comments, so I may be repeating other folks. Housing (whether renting or buying) is less expensive in Palmer and Wasilla, and you can have a 45 min commute to Anchorage depending on where you live in those towns. That is typically on a clear, dry, summer day.

The traffic is not like the Lower 48, but we do have out setbacks. Moose, only one road from Anchorage to the Valley, with two suburbs (Eagle River and Chugiak) that house Anchorage workers, and some bad weather conditions. That 45 min commute can become 2 hours quick. I've done the commute from the Valley to Palmer, but if you don't have to, I wouldn't necessarily choose it. I grew up in New England, so driving in the snow is not a big deal to me, but once you get up here make sure you practice in empty parking lots. FYI, using cruise control during snow and rain can actually cause you to lose control.

If you work in Girdwood, then live in Girdwood. That can be a white knuckle experience in the winter. Girdwood is a farther drive from Anchorage than Anchorage to the Valley (aka Wasilla and Palmer)

Anchorage is not a big city, there aren't any skyscrapers, it's surrounded by water, mountains and trail systems... so I don't think you should discount Anchorage. Good luck!

[Benny-stix]

I will for sure get a better sense of everything in a few months when I form visit. But my main reasoning for wanting to live outside of anchorage is the architecture of the houses(aka cabins and whatnot, don't really want a home I could find in houston) and buildings as well as the accessibility to the wild. Not so much for the hunting or fishing. But more for exploring by snowmachine it atv. Both will be purchased once the move happens. I'm sure there are plenty of spots within anchorage that I would guess would be considered the outskirts but still within the city limits.

I'm also not too aware on the laws regarding this, but I am big on a wood burning stove. I would like to be able to chop my own, but not necessarily have to rely on chopping my own thoroughly the whole winter. I would guess it would be about 70% bought wood and 30% self chopped. I just don't know what the laws are on just going and cutting down a tree and bringing it home. I would imagine that's easier outside the city. As for being surrounded by water, houston is one of the biggest shipping ports in the world and very big on commercial fishing as well. Although much different type of fish. So I am very familiar with water living.

This is just a random thought, with the water being so cold up there, do many people have jet skis? Or mainly boats? I'm sure a wet suit of some sort would be needed to jet ski with the amount of water that splashes up. But that's also something I would want to look in to.

Thanks again for all the help guys!!!

I will be sure to keep everyone posted with my vacation plans an how the potential move is coming along.

[AKStafford]

Originally Posted by Benny-stix

I just don't know what the laws are on just going and cutting down a tree and bringing it home. I would imagine that's easier outside the city.

As long as it is on your land, chop down all you want.
For not on your land: Division of Forestry
Matanuska-Susitna Borough - Land and Resource Management
Also, I see on facebook people who are clearing a lot offering to let people come cut up wood.

Jet Skis: Lots of people use them on lakes in the summer time. I couldn't find any jet ski videos, but here's people water-tubing on Wasilla Lake:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lYobDkQ-oW8
Oh, here's some jet skiing up at Big Lake:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1oybvEalv7I
And another one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1mQdg4Zjfw

[Benny-stix]

Originally Posted by AKStafford

As long as it is on your land, chop down all you want.
For not on your land: Division of Forestry
Matanuska-Susitna Borough - Land and Resource Management
Also, I see on facebook people who are clearing a lot offering to let people come cut up wood.

Jet Skis: Lots of people use them on lakes in the summer time. I couldn't find any jet ski videos, but here's people water-tubing on Wasilla Lake:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lYobDkQ-oW8
Oh, here's some jet skiing up at Big Lake:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1oybvEalv7I
And another one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1mQdg4Zjfw

Thanks for the links!! Jet ski and tubing are very big down here. The first 10 years of my life before moving to the actual city and out of the burbs, we lived right on clear lake in southeast houston down the street from nasa. And the name clear lake, could not be more misleading. Haha. I would imagine big lake is a little more fitting than clear lake down here.

[heathen]

Originally Posted by WyoNewk

And who said Anchorage doesn't get ice fog? Really? It sure did when I lived there, sometimes for days on end, iirc.

"Ice fog" doesn't refer simply to fog that forms at below freezing temperatures. It is fog that's composed of ice crystals, which doesn't really start happening until -25 or -30, and doesn't get really thick until -45 or so. It doesn't form in a normal way (where temperature drops below dew point and moisture condenses), it has to have a source. Usually that source is heat producing human infrastructure - steam coming out of cars doesn't dissipate at -40. In some cases, open water that's kept ice free by nearby springs or a very strong current can produce ice fog.

I guess you could get a little bit in East Anchorage occasionally. I've seen a small amount of it in cold pockets around southcentral, like Willow and Knik Valley, but it's mostly an interior thing. The fog that covers the whole Anchorage bowl is not ice fog.