why hello there! (Fairbanks, Lakes, Palmer: house, camps, live)

[Intuition]

Just thought I'd post my own question. I've been reading this forum for a few days now, and its actually answered a lot of my questions!

Me and my hubby are headed to fort wainwright on the tenth of Feb. I can't tell you how excited I am. We're just nervous since its so far away from upstate NY, but we can't wait none the less.

My question is this: I want to see alaska while we are here. But my husband isn't much of an outdoorsy type, sadly. so doing things without some guidance on the whos and whats and all that is kinda not gonna happen. I was wondering if any of you guys could point me in the direction of touristy type things, or tours or random things like that that we can sign up for/do. We have at least 3 years here and i want to make the most of it!

Oh and a random question. You guys always talk about bears ( or burrrs as i call em, go on say it out loud its fun!) but do you have any issues with wolves? not that i expect to run into one on base but I just like wolves

[gobrien]

There have been some issues with wolves in the area all around Fairbanks and the Fort but I haven't heard of any problems in the more populated areas. Have you read the online Fairbanks Daily New Miner, maybe if you did a search on there some stories would be found.

[DannyL]

I can't talk for the area you're moving too, but down here there were some reports of wolves and issues in the Montana Creek area, but mostly people walking their dogs and not controling them. But for the most part it seems they want about as little to do with you as possible.

[Rance]

Touristy thing might be to head for Chena Hot Springs east of Fairbanks. It's a wonderful getaway and a great place to see the northern lights!

[gobrien]

You could check out the pipeline around Delta Junction and south on the Richardson Highway-Delta is around 100 miles south, or Santa Claus House in North Pole.

[RayinAK]

If you have a truck with a topper or RV on top, just go for long drives during the summer months. For example, a drive down the Richardson (around Delta Junction), all the way to Valdez. Or just down to Paxon, then take the Denali Highway from Paxon to Cantwell at the Parks Highway, and back to Fairbanks on the Parks. After passing Nenana, stop at Skinny Dick's food joint, and have a laugh about its name

In past years we have had wolves around North Pole and Fairbanks, and every now and then a dog or two become wolf snacks. Bears sometimes hang around the Chena Recreational area in North Pole, and Chena Lakes. But this year I haven't seen nor heard about wolves, just some bears (or bear tracks) around Gold Stream area in Fairbanks.

[Metlakatla]

We talk about bears more because we're more likely to see them than wolves.

You can hear them at night sometimes. Once, I left a (store bought, not a live one) chicken on the deck for about five minutes while I answered the phone and when I went out to get it, it was gone. This was the dead of winter with no human neighbors around for quite aways.

My Golden Retriever was killed by wolves years ago on a remote island in SE. It happened so fast that by the time the ex husband reached for the gun, it was over.

[RayinAK]

Originally Posted by Metlakatla

We talk about bears more because we're more likely to see them than wolves.

You can hear them at night sometimes. Once, I left a (store bought, not a live one) chicken on the deck for about five minutes while I answered the phone and when I went out to get it, it was gone. This was the dead of winter with no human neighbors around for quite aways.

My Golden Retriever was killed by wolves years ago on a remote island in SE. It happened so fast that by the time the ex husband reached for the gun, it was over.

A lot of wolves in the interior, not too far from fairbanks, and around Fairbanks. I hunt about 40 miles from Fairbanks, and see wolves all the time, but never long enough for me to take a shot or two (like you said, they are fast). While driving to my campsite last September, a pack of wolves crossed the road about 100 yards in front of my truck in the middle of the day. Wolves kill a lot of moose in this area, since the packs are very large.

[Intuition]

Thanks for all the replies! One thing i'd love to see is a wolf, since they always seem to be hiding when i go to zoos. Well... I'd like to see one from a comfortable distance XD. I'm really interested in seeing all that I can while I'm up there. We're just hoping my husband doesn't get deployed soon after we get there. If he does its gonna get lonely fast!

[Barkingowl]

akvarmint said there was some sort of wolf attraction outside of Palmer. I remember driving by it on the way out to the Matanuska Glacier.