Alaska vacation

[heathen]

Originally Posted by eastmemphisguy

I'm very hesistant to go in June because I went to Glacier Park in MT a couple of years back in June and the Going to the Sun road through the park had not yet been opened for the Summer. Major disappointment!

The only road of any interest that is likely to be closed in June is the very top of the Hatcher Pass Road, which usually opens 4th of July weekend. Most roads (perhaps surprisingly) are plowed either all winter, or when the weather calms down in March and April. August is the best time to travel ...everywhere else. That's when I leave when I want to go somewhere else in summer, to escape the rain here. Aside from the areas immediately along the coast, summer starts and ends earlier in the mountains here than in the western US, more closely following the solstice. If you do go late season, definitely try and hit the fall colors - starting at the very end of August for the interior high country, including Denali Park, and spreading down and south through the birch and aspen forests peaking in late September around Anchorage and the western Kenai.

Missing the Going to the Sun Road is a major bummer. It is spectacular.

[eastmemphisguy]

I'm having some trouble pitching this idea to friends. Ideally, I'd like to go with 3 other people so we can split costs 4 ways. It would make hotels/car rentals/gasoline so much more affordable! Don't get me wrong. Alaska sells itself as a destination, but I don't get the impression my buddies get the seriousness of the wilderness up there. It's like they think it's the same as a camping/fishing trip in TN. We're very much city people. Rural Alaska wouuld eat us alive. I'm a more cautious person by nature. Any advice for getting others to understand the survivalist imperative without coming across as a no fun loser or dissuading them from going?

[muttonhead]

I think you can have a pretty mellow camping/fishing experience if you want. There are lots of more developed state campgrounds, with access to trails for day hikes. It's not like you have to backpack for days on end if that's not your druthers. Your biggest challenge will likely be the weather, so camping might not be that much fun if you're not into cold and rain. But most areas have cabins and lodges and things, so you can have your comforts but still get out and about and enjoy nature.

There's a huge variety of things to see and do that don't require roughing it or "survivalist" skills. You can do guided float trips for 1 to several days on any number of rivers, you can stay in a small town (like Seward or Homer or Valdez) and do a couple of days fishing, you can rent a small cabin in any number of areas and hang out and do day hikes, you can even stay in Anchorage a couple of days and enjoy some brew houses and city walks. It really just depends on what you want to do. It can be as relaxed or as strenuous as you want.

I agree with Heathen regarding the fall colors, if you are going to go a bit late make sure it is late enough that you can catch them. It is stunning.