And I love it so far, what a beautiful state!!! Two days in, and I can't wait for the next!! Just got back from a sled dog guy who did the Iditarod and raises sled dogs. What a wonderful place, if you love dogs. Unbelievable how much those dogs want to do their job, and how much love is put into each and every one of them!!

The science and psychology he uses is amazing!! Loved helping to socialize those pups!! Pups loved it too!

Look up ... Dog Gone it. if your interested.

How wonderful that you are enjoying Alaska! Are you on your own or participating in a guided tour?

I've been to Alaska twice, and am to go again this July. All my trips have been with John Hall's Alaska (kissalaska.com). They do a nice package.

Have a good time! See a lot and take pictures.

flashguy

Thanks Flashguy!! This was a birthday present from my wife last year, but COVID messed that up. This year is a makeup. She has put sooo much thought into this that we are on our own with a BUSY 10 days. So far so good. Look up Dog Gone It if you love dogs and visiting Alaska!

I have been to the Butcher Kennels in Fairbanks twice. The pups are really special! If you're interested, my photos are here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/...s/72157702714958041/

flashguy

Loved the pics!!! I hope to be a 1/4 of the photographer that you are when I grow up! That guy LOVES his dogs too!

I'd drive up on my way home to Philly ... from Arizona. But I did not bring my passport card.

Its a lot of fun for sure. I was there last week for 10 days.

Got to hang out with Dallas Seavey for a couple of hours and play with some of his pups!

Other than that, halibut fishing in Homer and alot of being outside in nature.

I got to spend two weeks there in July with the ANG back in 2002 and was really blown away by what a beautiful place that is in the summer. Loved every minute of it!

I would love to visit Alaska one day.

But, i would have to drive out there, from Florida more than likely.

Just take like a month to do it right. Take my time, smell the roses, look out for bears!

I was raised in Alaska and will always be grateful for that.

It's not what it used to be, but it's still a great place.

Got a nephew who lives there.

Love living up here, there's always an adventure to be had. So what else do you have planned while you're up here?

Mark, I hooked up with a few sled dogs at 2 am when I was in college! Enjoy your trip.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by wreckdiver:
Just got back from a sled dog guy who did the Iditarod and raises sled dogs.

So you are in/near Cantwell. That is immediately south of Denali Park.

If you don't spend at LEAST a day in the park, you are missing out on the experience of a lifetime. When I was there (1995-6) we could drive in 6-7 miles (IIRC), and they had bus trips to take you in further. DEFINITELY take the bus tour; the wildlife is used to the busses, and the scenery has to be seen to be believed.

I was stationed at Clear Air Station (just about an hour or so north of Denali near the town of Anderson), and I LOVED IT.

There is so much to see and do. The fishing is amazing (I caught a 24" Rainbow Trout there, which would be a MONSTER here in Colorado, but up there is "a nice fish"). The Arctic Grayling are the tastiest fish I've ever eaten, and that was from just cooking them on a stick with no seasoning over a campfire we routinely built to keep the bears away. I would recommend a river float trip fishing charter. I never did that, either (still regretting that), but I've heard they were amazing.

There is also at least one place up there somewhere (can't remember the place) that is literally infested with Northern Pike. I never made it there (still regretting that one, too), but I've heard that it's common to reel in one Pike, only to have another bite onto the hooked fish as you bring it to the boat. There are also some remote lakes that have monster Pike that aren't used to seeing fishing lures. You might need a bush pilot service for something like that.

I looked up that dog sled place, and I think I will put that on my Bucket List.

If you want an amazing experience, check these guys out if the weather is good. Incredible views flying around Denali.

https://www.flyk2.com/

My Dad and I drove up there through B.C. in 2000. We spent a month including travel time, late July to late August. We took about a week getting up there, taking our time. We hit Anchorage, the Kenai Penninsula, Valdez, drove the 130 mile gravel Denali Highway from Paxson to Cantwell (some really beautiful scenery in there, but it's a rough road), and spent a couple days in Denali. Woke up one of those mornings to find some fresh bear tracks in the campground. Rode the bus tour into the park and saw a beautiful gold colored griz about 150 yards from the bus. We took a flightseeing trip out of Talkeetna, but McKinley was pretty socked in so we didn't get a very good look at it. In fact it was pretty socked in the whole time we were up there, which was a little disappointing. On the return trip we dropped from Yukon down to Haines. Spent a day in and around Skagway including a train ride up the White Pass route, then boarded a ferry and rode it down the passage all the way to Bellingham. Side note, the infamous mosquitos were actually a lot worse in BC than they were in Alaska, but we may have been up there after the peak mosquito season.

A few years ago my brother and I went up together, just for a few days (by air) in and around Fairbanks. That trip was in March, an attempt on my part to catch the aurora. It was abnormally warm that year with daytime highs in the 30's. It only got below zero one or two nights. We stayed at a cabin in North Pole. I spent one night out in a field and got some reasonably good pictures. My brother is a truck driver and was, at the time, seriously considering an offer to go work out of Anchorage. He wanted to drive the haul road. I told him if he does it, I'd fly up and drive it with him sometime. Unfortunately he wound up not taking the job. We drove down to Denali one day and there wasn't a cloud in the sky, we had a great view of the mountain from the roadside turnouts. Dad was jealous when we showed him the pictures after we got home.

ETA: I'm pretty sure K2 was the flight service that Dad and I flew with. They were very professional, I'd recommend them if you're considering a Denali flight.

I live in Cordova Alaska, I have 2 spare rooms and anyone that would like to visit is welcome!

quote:

Originally posted by Hound Dog:
So you are in/near Cantwell. That is immediately south of Denali Park.

I was stationed at Clear Air Station (just about an hour or so north of Denali near the town of Anderson), and I LOVED IT.

The old BMEWS antennae are visible from the train:
DSC_7708.jpg by David Casteel, on Flickr

DSC_7709.jpg by David Casteel, on Flickr

DSC_0336 by David Casteel, on Flickr

flashguy

I have a friend in Hoonah Ak. and have made three different trips up there to visit and fish. The BEST fishing I have ever done in my life!!! The trout are awesome, as well as the salmon. My friend has crab traps and we had fresh King Crab right out of the traps(spoiled forever). I couldn't hack it in the Winter, but the summer was great. Halibut is my favorite fish to eat.....especially if it just came out of the water.


The scenery is wonderful, and we spent some time over on Kodiak Island. That place grows some enormous Alaskan Brown Bears. I am so glad I got to spend some time there, and doubt that I will ever go back.......but I have my memories and pictures.

Trip to Alaska sounds great. I've always wanted to go. I'm hoping to keep it on my bucket list for retirement. If my body and vehicle are still capable and willing, would love to take a casual, unbounded road trip through Canada to visit Alaska. Would like to see the nature, maybe take a cruise, catch wild salmon and crab, see the Lights. But would need to explicitly stay away from bears, both on the road and at destinations. I know nothing about them and would just get into trouble.

I visited Anchorage once in May, it was a business conference.

They were building up for tourist season.

While I enjoyed my time there I would like to return and visit some of the other areas/cities.