Visiting (and photographing) Alaska in May/June

Hi,

instead of following up to the "Alaska in July" thread with the detailed
comments I'm opening up a new one...

I'm thinking about visiting Alaska this year, around 3 weeks starting
May 25 or so. Checking the German travel agencies it seems like they
have reduced their offers to the bare minimum in the last years: I
remember wonderful catalogues about 10 years ago, but now there are 3
organized bus tours and 4 cruises per catalogue, and maybe one RV rental
company out of Anchorage
Looking straight over the pole it seems Whitehorse is just as good a
place to start out from, and there are charter flights and a hand full
of RV rentals that I can book from here. I'm considering a 4x4
Pickup-Camper.

This is not our first trip to the US, but it'd be the first to Alaska.
We have done about 10000 miles of NP and sightseeing tours in the lower
48. Priorities: Watching in awe, photography, short hikes. No
whitewater-rafting or serious backpacking.


My questions, in arbitrary order:
1) Which photo opportunities do I have this early in the season? No
bears waiting for salmons, I guess. Late spring flowers? Still
snow far up north? Landscapes for b/w pictures are probably
available
2) Any whale watching?
3) Is Whitehorse a good place to start from? It seems good to start a
long tour there and be back a few days before departure which can
be used to go towards Skagway until time runs out. Are
food/propane etc. prices reasonable there?
4) How many spare tires do I have to carry? :-)


I'm still planning which places to visit, any suggestions are welcome.
Denali and Kenai are fixed, but I'd love (if only for geographic
reasons) to go up to Deadhorse. Is any of the fly-in destinations near
Russia doable in such a short time?

Thanks in advance
Utz
--
Utz-Uwe Haus

It doesn't matter, doesn't matter It's all right, Universe still works tonight

"Utz-Uwe Haus {usenet}" wrote...
Hi,

instead of following up to the "Alaska in July" thread with the detailed
comments I'm opening up a new one...

I'm thinking about visiting Alaska this year, around 3 weeks starting
May 25 or so. Checking the German travel agencies it seems like they
have reduced their offers to the bare minimum in the last years: I
remember wonderful catalogues about 10 years ago, but now there are 3
organized bus tours and 4 cruises per catalogue, and maybe one RV rental
company out of Anchorage
Looking straight over the pole it seems Whitehorse is just as good a
place to start out from, and there are charter flights and a hand full
of RV rentals that I can book from here. I'm considering a 4x4
Pickup-Camper.

This is not our first trip to the US, but it'd be the first to Alaska.
We have done about 10000 miles of NP and sightseeing tours in the lower
48. Priorities: Watching in awe, photography, short hikes. No
whitewater-rafting or serious backpacking.


My questions, in arbitrary order:
1) Which photo opportunities do I have this early in the season? No
bears waiting for salmons, I guess. Late spring flowers? Still
snow far up north? Landscapes for b/w pictures are probably
available

There will still be last winter's snow on the mountains, so drive down
through White pass to Skagway, take the ferry to Haines, then drive up to
Haines Junction for great views.

2) Any whale watching?
3) Is Whitehorse a good place to start from? It seems good to start a
long tour there and be back a few days before departure which can
be used to go towards Skagway until time runs out. Are
food/propane etc. prices reasonable there?

From Germany, the direct flight to Whitehorse is the best way to visit NW
Canada and Alaska in my opinion. Stock up on supplies before leaving
Whitehorse.

4) How many spare tires do I have to carry? :-)

Drive sensibly. One is sufficient but two is better (especially on the
Demspter). A lot depends on how you drive and the condition of the tires on
the road.

I'm still planning which places to visit, any suggestions are welcome.
Denali and Kenai are fixed, but I'd love (if only for geographic
reasons) to go up to Deadhorse. Is any of the fly-in destinations near
Russia doable in such a short time?

You may want to consider Top of the World Hwy from near Tok to Dawson,
then up the Dempster to Inuvik, then finally back down to Whitehorse to end
your trip.


So I'd say fly to Whitehorse, drive to Skagway, ferry to Haines, drive to
the interior of AK for Denali, (if pressed for time, maybe skip the Kenai
and passing through Anchorage--the Kenai's beautiful but is a lot of extra
miles), turn off to Dawson past Tok, visit Dawson, do the Dempster, return
to Whitehorse...

I think you'll find this maybe even a bit too much for three weeks.

Craig

See comments in-line with the quoted text:

"Utz-Uwe Haus {usenet}" wrote...

My questions, in arbitrary order:
1) Which photo opportunities do I have this early in the season? No
bears waiting for salmons, I guess. Late spring flowers? Still
snow far up north? Landscapes for b/w pictures are probably
available

There is always a possibility of snow, even during the summer
(especially at the higher elevations). That being said, you should be
fine in late May on the normal tourist roads. Depending on the year,
you may still find some lakes partially frozen. You will get some
early-season flowers, but my favorite northern flower, fireweed,
doesn't reach its peak until a bit later in the season.

3) Is Whitehorse a good place to start from? It seems good to start a
long tour there and be back a few days before departure which can
be used to go towards Skagway until time runs out. Are
food/propane etc. prices reasonable there?

Whitehorse is a fine, but small, town. If I had the option, I'd start
in Anchorage instead. You'll have a better choice of rental agencies,
better choice of supermarkets and other provisioning stores (Wal-Mart
has several stores in Anchorage), etc. Doesn't Lufthansa or Condor
also fly into Anchorage, over the pole?

4) How many spare tires do I have to carry? :-)

I've driven thousands of miles in the north, including plenty of
gravel roads, and have never had a flat (regular truck tires on my
SUV). But, that's not to say it won't happen. A friend recently had to
drive up toward Inuvik to pick up a broken-down van, and managed to
flat all the tires on the trailer, and two on the tow vehicle.
Thankfully, he was able to swap-out the tires from the dead van. The
Dempster is known for its sharp gravel, so beware there. Elsewhere,
gravel roads aren't too bad, as long as you don't drive really fast.

I'm still planning which places to visit, any suggestions are welcome.
Denali and Kenai are fixed, but I'd love (if only for geographic
reasons) to go up to Deadhorse. Is any of the fly-in destinations near
Russia doable in such a short time?

You may want to consider Top of the World Hwy from near Tok to Dawson,
then up the Dempster to Inuvik, then finally back down to Whitehorse to end
your trip.

The Top of the World highway is beautiful, remote, and worth the
drive. Beware, though, that it can be in very rough condition in late
May/early June, depending upon when the highway departments (Yukon and
Alaska) get around to grading it to repair the winter's damage to the
roadbed. Usually Canada/Yukon gets to their section first, so you may
have nice road until the Alaska border, and then a seriously
corrugated road.

Unless you have a serious yearning to see the Arctic Circle and the
town of Inuvik, I'd save your driving time for the more accessible
areas. Driving the Dempster is novel, but can get really boring as the
scenery is fairly monotonous. Plus, prices are very high along the
road for gas, lodging, and food. In any event, be sure to check with
your rental agency to make sure you are allowed to drive your rental
on gravel roads. Many specifically exclude it.

My suggestion: Fly into Anchorage, drive to Denali, several days in
Denali, drive either to Fairbanks and drive/take a tour to the Arctic
Circle (if you must see it), or cut across the Denali highway from
Denali to the Richardson Highway, south to Valdez, side-trip to
McCarthy/Kennicott in the Wrangell-St. Elias NP, east on the Glenn
Hwy. to Tok, Top-of-the World hwy to Dawson City (maybe with a side
trip to Eagle if you have the time), down to Whitehorse, over to the
coast, ferry back to the Kenai (expensive with an RV), back to
Anchorage. This is plenty to keep you busy for three weeks!

Brian W.
Other Alaska thoughts on my Web site at
http://members.aol.com/briwasson/alaskalinks.html

On Thu, 01 Apr 2004 14:40:26 GMT in rec.travel.usa-canada,
"Craig" wrote:

From Germany, the direct flight to Whitehorse is the best way to visit NW
Canada and Alaska in my opinion.

Condor's web site doesn't show any WHS flights for 2004.

Horrible user interface, too.
http://www.condoramericas.com/index.html

Hi,
(Dennis P. Harris) writes:

On Thu, 01 Apr 2004 14:40:26 GMT in rec.travel.usa-canada,
"Craig" wrote:

From Germany, the direct flight to Whitehorse is the best way to visit NW
Canada and Alaska in my opinion.

Condor's web site doesn't show any WHS flights for 2004.

Horrible user interface, too.
http://www.condoramericas.com/index.html

Yes, the user interface is non-existant. I can however see Whitehorse as
YXY in the destination list. The German Condor site lists a flight with
6 free seats though :-)

later
Utz
--
Utz-Uwe Haus

It doesn't matter, doesn't matter It's all right, Universe still works tonight

Hi,

"Craig" writes:
So I'd say fly to Whitehorse, drive to Skagway, ferry to Haines, drive to
the interior of AK for Denali, (if pressed for time, maybe skip the Kenai
and passing through Anchorage--the Kenai's beautiful but is a lot of extra
miles), turn off to Dawson past Tok, visit Dawson, do the Dempster, return
to Whitehorse...

I think you'll find this maybe even a bit too much for three weeks.

Thanks for going through the list of stations with me. That is about
what I'd been thinking of, although I'd rather put the Skagway part at
the end, to have some leeway at the end of the trip if our driving
schedule gets messed up on the way.
Three weeks is not a lot of time; maybe we manage to extend the holidays
a few days (having torn a tendon in my right ankle two days ago we might
have to put the trip off a bit more, or be forced to reduce hiking even
more).

Thanks again,
Utz

--
Utz-Uwe Haus

It doesn't matter, doesn't matter It's all right, Universe still works tonight

Hi,

(Brian Wasson) writes:
Whitehorse is a fine, but small, town. If I had the option, I'd start
in Anchorage instead. You'll have a better choice of rental agencies,
better choice of supermarkets and other provisioning stores (Wal-Mart
has several stores in Anchorage), etc. Doesn't Lufthansa or Condor
also fly into Anchorage, over the pole?

Yes, they have Anchorage or Whitehorse charters. Regular (cheap) flights
are via Minneapolis and an extra stop in Europe, however. Whitehorse
seems better represented wrt. rentals however, and cheaper. FWIW, I'm
considering Fraserway, which has Pickup-Campers with no road
restrictions and reasonable deductibles in the insurances (I don't
consider $5000 per incident for glass and no converage for tires and
underside of vehicle reasonable!). Any recommendations for RV rentals in
Anchorage?

4) How many spare tires do I have to carry? :-)

Dempster is known for its sharp gravel, so beware there. Elsewhere,
gravel roads aren't too bad, as long as you don't drive really fast.

That's good to hear.

You may want to consider Top of the World Hwy from near Tok to Dawson,
then up the Dempster to Inuvik, then finally back down to Whitehorse to end
your trip.

More or less what Craig suggested, so I get the line.

Unless you have a serious yearning to see the Arctic Circle and the
town of Inuvik, I'd save your driving time for the more accessible
areas. Driving the Dempster is novel, but can get really boring as the
scenery is fairly monotonous.

Actually, people use monotonous to describe mid-Kansas. I lived there
for half a month and liked the monotonicity [1]


Plus, prices are very high along the road for gas, lodging, and food.
In any event, be sure to check with your rental agency to make sure
you are allowed to drive your rental on gravel roads. Many
specifically exclude it.

That's what seems to be the problem with the easily available companies
in German travel agencies, as noted above. In an RV lodging should not
be the problem, or is stopping overnight only possible at the one or two
gas pumps?

Brian W.
Other Alaska thoughts on my Web site at
http://members.aol.com/briwasson/alaskalinks.html

I'd found your site, but I'll read more closely again.
Thanks for your help

later
Utz

[1] The sign "Unmarked nuclear warheads travel these roads. Drive
safely!" was a bit disquieting, though.
--
Utz-Uwe Haus

It doesn't matter, doesn't matter It's all right, Universe still works tonight

"Utz-Uwe Haus {usenet}" wrote...
Hi,

You may want to consider Top of the World Hwy from near Tok to
Dawson,
then up the Dempster to Inuvik, then finally back down to Whitehorse to
end
your trip.

More or less what Craig suggested, so I get the line.

Unless you have a serious yearning to see the Arctic Circle and the
town of Inuvik, I'd save your driving time for the more accessible
areas. Driving the Dempster is novel, but can get really boring as the
scenery is fairly monotonous.

Actually, people use monotonous to describe mid-Kansas. I lived there
for half a month and liked the monotonicity [1]


Plus, prices are very high along the road for gas, lodging, and food.
In any event, be sure to check with your rental agency to make sure
you are allowed to drive your rental on gravel roads. Many
specifically exclude it.

That's what seems to be the problem with the easily available companies
in German travel agencies, as noted above. In an RV lodging should not
be the problem, or is stopping overnight only possible at the one or two
gas pumps?

I'm not sure which highways you're referring to, but even the
less-traveled Top of the World/Taylor and the Dempster have ample camping
spots. On the gravel highways pull over or even stop when being approached
by the large trucks--also you'll have fewer flat tires at 35-40 mph than at
45-65 mph, so take your time. Gas up at every possible location and buy a
copy of The Milepost now before your trip:

http://themilepost.com/ (or even a used one within the past five
years--check eBay?)

The Milepost is nearly essential for the first-time independent AK/Yukon
traveler--it answers most of your questions including the ones you haven't
thought to ask.

You should also check out Murray's site at http://explorenorth.com/

PS--The Dempster is my favorite highway and with the exception of the bus
tour inside of Denali, I saw more wildlife per trip on the Dempster than on
any other Northern highway. The scenery is awesome in its sparseness, in my
opinion. Check out the Dempster history and current conditions while in
Dawson. Eagle Plains doesn't offer much but it's an essential stop in both
directions. When I was in Inuvik, one of the best meals I ever had was at
one of their motels, the Finto Motor Inn (or something like that). if you've
got the time in Inuvik, join a flight tour to Tuktoyaktuk.

Klondike Craig

"Craig" wroteet...

I'm not sure which highways you're referring to, but even the
less-traveled Top of the World/Taylor and the Dempster have ample camping
spots. On the gravel highways pull over or even stop when being approached
by the large trucks--also you'll have fewer flat tires at 35-40 mph than
at
45-65 mph, so take your time. Gas up at every possible location and buy a
copy of The Milepost now before your trip:

http://themilepost.com/ (or even a used one within the past five
years--check eBay?)

The Milepost is nearly essential for the first-time independent AK/Yukon
traveler--it answers most of your questions including the ones you haven't
thought to ask.

You should also check out Murray's site at http://explorenorth.com/

Hmm, speaking of web sites, if you do plan to hop down to Skagway from
Whitehorse, check out my two web sites:

My WP&YR site:
http://wpyr.netfirms.com/

My personal site:
http://home.att.net/~wpyr/

If you end your trip in Whitehorse, a nice treat for a final meal could be
at Georgio's for a nice Mediterranean-style meal.

Craig

Hi,
"Craig" writes:

I'm not sure which highways you're referring to, but even the
less-traveled Top of the World/Taylor and the Dempster have ample camping
spots.

I was referring to the Dempster Hwy.

buy a copy of The Milepost now before your trip

That should be in the mail already, amazon just got this year's edition
a few days ago.

You should also check out Murray's site at http://explorenorth.com/

That looks extensive. I guess I'll have some more reading to do

thanks
Utz
--
Utz-Uwe Haus

It doesn't matter, doesn't matter It's all right, Universe still works tonight