Denali, Anchorage, Seward AK in June or July

[Malsua 1,422]

I'm planning a trip to southern Alaska and Denali this summer.

 

I have a couple questions.

 

How's the weather?  Mid to late June through mid July.   My wife is talking about long johns and such and I just can't see it.  I wear long Johns when it's 15f or colder...June/July in AK should be low 50s at the coldest and up into the high 70s on the warmest.   Probably mid 60s average.

 

Anything I should see at the park?  We're taking the bus trip on one of the days. but I've got 4 full days at the park.

 

I'd do one of those Jeep trips or something, but I'm not sure if it's worth it.  Also looking at the various hiking trails with no idea which ones we should do.   I'm not a big hiker, but a 5-7 mile hike isn't out of the question as long as there isn't thousands of feet in elevation change.    10 miles and 5k feet is out of the question, heh.  3-5 miles and basic hills is no problem.

 

We have some time in Anchorage and Seward as well including some whale watches.

 

Thoughts?

[JC_68Westy 1,024]

I have been up there dozens of times in the summer.  It can get really wet and chilly at Denali and Seward.  Pack a good rain jacket and some warm clothes.  The weather changes really quickly.

[CMJeepster 2,778]

Taking the Alaska Railroad? That's on my bucket list.

[Zeke 5,504]

Hit the whale watching! Did it out of bar harbour!

 

I'm not sure about the " bug season" up there. Hopefully you are not in it, or at the end of it.

[Malsua 1,422]

Not taking the railroad.  We would like to but we're not going to be in the right places at the right time to catch it.  It leaves so early that we can't get to Anchorage to catch it Seward bound and leaving from Denali is simply too expensive.

 

I would love to take it, it just doesn't fit into our Schedule.

 

We have two whale watches in the schedule, I'm looking forward to that.  I even bought a new pair of Binoculars for the wife.  I'll shoot with my DSLR.

 

We plan to have some decent clothing although I will probably buy a decent waterproof shell.  Something better than the vinyl emergency garbage we've carried in the past.

 

I already bought a new pair of hiking boots, I just can't see needing 25 degree weather clothing.   50 degrees is one thing...pure winter stuff seems silly.

[JC_68Westy 1,024]

No winter clothes are needed.

[RichP 115]

Don't need winter clothes, but a good rain kit is recommended. It'll be on the warm side, so something that is breathable is a must, but will be more expensive.

 

As for hiking, make sure that your boots are very well broken-in, and done so on terrain that mimics what you might encounter.  SE Alaska is notorious for extremely steep and thick bush. Not to question your ability, but 5-7 miles of hiking would do-in most people from the East Coast.

Also, I ALWAYS recommend that anybody that decides to head out into the AK wilderness, even for just a day hike, carry a handgun and an emergency locator (SPOT, Sat. Phone, etc.).

On the bright side, you'd be hard pressed to run out of drinking water anywhere in AK

[Vlad G 345]

I went hiking there at roughly the same time of year. I rained some EVERYDAY for 12 days. This is to be expected, I'm told.  We didn't mind it. 

 

Bring good rain gear, bring some fall cloths as well. Be ready to layer on and off as needed. Bring multiple sets of good footwear, they will get wet. 

 

There are a lot of day hikes available, we spend about 5 days doing that around Seward (and really the whole peninsula) and 5 days in Denalu but the conditions of trails changes and I'm not going to recommend to you trails that were passable 5 years ago. You will need to get local knowledge about that. 

 

Most trails we've been on we didn't see a soul for an entire day. I didn't feel the need for emergency locator but I could see wanting one. I carried a gun, my wife carried a big can of bear spray, which you will have to buy there and leave behind as you can't fly with it. We did run into bears, no shots fired

 

Doing a boat tour for Glacier viewing and whale watching is worth it. 

 

We rented a car (a Jeep Patriot) for the duration we were there so we could get whatever trial heads and running around, highly recommended. 

[Malsua 1,422]

Don't need winter clothes, but a good rain kit is recommended. It'll be on the warm side, so something that is breathable is a must, but will be more expensive.

 

As for hiking, make sure that your boots are very well broken-in, and done so on terrain that mimics what you might encounter.  SE Alaska is notorious for extremely steep and thick bush. Not to question your ability, but 5-7 miles of hiking would do-in most people from the East Coast.

Also, I ALWAYS recommend that anybody that decides to head out into the AK wilderness, even for just a day hike, carry a handgun and an emergency locator (SPOT, Sat. Phone, etc.).

On the bright side, you'd be hard pressed to run out of drinking water anywhere in AK

 

We're only planning on hiking on known marked, busy trails in the park, no biggie there. Remember, I live in Vernon and The Stairway to Heaven on the Appalachian trail is here.  Up to Barret road and back is 5 miles and 800 feet elevation up and 800 feet down.   I can do that without dying.   It's pretty rough and rocky.   I figure this qualifies me for reasonable elevation changes in the 5-7 mile range.

 

I won't have a gun, unfortunately.    I will probably buy some spray just because i'm paranoid about bears since I live among the black variety and have no interest in meeting a brown one without a good barrier between us.

 

I am looking for a good breathable rain shell, I just have no idea what's good or not, other than expensive.    I don't mind expensive if it's good.  I mind expensive if it's just expensive.

[Malsua 1,422]

I went hiking there at roughly the same time of year. I rained some EVERYDAY for 12 days. This is to be expected, I'm told.  We didn't mind it. 

 

Bring good rain gear, bring some fall cloths as well. Be ready to layer on and off as needed. Bring multiple sets of good footwear, they will get wet. 

 

There are a lot of day hikes available, we spend about 5 days doing that around Seward (and really the whole peninsula) and 5 days in Denalu but the conditions of trails changes and I'm not going to recommend to you trails that were passable 5 years ago. You will need to get local knowledge about that. 

 

Most trails we've been on we didn't see a soul for an entire day. I didn't feel the need for emergency locator but I could see wanting one. I carried a gun, my wife carried a big can of bear spray, which you will have to buy there and leave behind as you can't fly with it. We did run into bears, no shots fired

 

Doing a boat tour for Glacier viewing and whale watching is worth it. 

 

We rented a car (a Jeep Patriot) for the duration we were there so we could get whatever trial heads and running around, highly recommended. 

 

We're doing a full day in Anchorage, 5 days in Denali then heading to Seward to catch a cruise ship south to Vancouver.  We only get about 6 hours of free time in Seward so I suspect we'll just walk down to the docks and gawk like a pair of east coast idjits :0.

 

I'm only planning on bringing my new hiking boots since packing space is limited.   They're waterproof so as long as I don't dunk them and keep out of a heavy downpour I should be able to dry them out every night.

[mipafox 438]

Watch for Devil's Club. Very important.

 

And Hell's Angels. When you relocate, go into town and talk to shopkeeps, bar tenders, and cops and ask about what is going on. Things can get sketchy. We had hippies camping by our cabin (but they did not break in) and we ran them off at gun point when they threatened us with their dogs. Told State Police in town and they said they had seen HA down there, and if we saw them, shoot them and come to town to report it.

 

Make sure to squeeze in a bush plane fishing trip with an hour or so of glacier sight seeing. I recommend Upper Russian Lake for that region for trout.

 

Do not break any fish and game laws. I know it sucks when you can kick the reds with your waders and they won't bite the hook. But if you get caught doing something stupid, well, don't say I didn't tell you.

 

I can't read the OP so I am assuming the thread is about a vacation or visiting people.

[Vlad G 345]

Bring more then one pair of boots. 

 

I was gonna say why not have a gun, but then you said Vancouver so .. 

[mipafox 438]

No gun? You've got to be kidding me.

[Malsua 1,422]

It's just logistically too much to get a gun there and then dispose of it before going on the boat.

 

I will have my knife, as least I can fight off any rogue muskrats or rabbits.

[Luke_WO 11]

Five days in the park is a long freakin time. I was there for two and didn't feel the need for much more. I suppose if you're doing one of the bus tours, you lose an entire day, so there's that. We did a jeep tour, it was a total waste of time, just driving through a bunch of mud in the woods.

 

As far as weather, it won't be cold but you will most likely see some wet and raw conditions. Layers and good outerwear are essential. We did a guided half day of fly fishing with a group of about 12, which was fun. If you're somewhat experienced, it may be a bit boring, it's definitely geared toward novices, but I'm sure the guides can adjust.

 

Keep your eyes open in Anchorage, there are A LOT of seedy people in that city. They say it's where america's criminals go to hide and after spending only one day there, I believe them.

 

It's a shame you won't get to take the railroad. I took it from Anchorage to Denali and then from Denali to Fairbanks and it was absolutely stellar. Here's one of a few hundred I took on the journey. Hundreds of miles of views just like this. Eventually you have to stop taking pictures because every single thing you look at is worthy of a photo.

[carl_g 568]

Bring bear mace if you are not going to carry a gun. You'll need warm clothes. The temperature swings from day to night are really big.

[Malsua 1,422]

Five days in the park is a long freakin time. I was there for two and didn't feel the need for much more. I suppose if you're doing one of the bus tours, you lose an entire day, so there's that. We did a jeep tour, it was a total waste of time, just driving through a bunch of mud in the woods.

 

As far as weather, it won't be cold but you will most likely see some wet and raw conditions. Layers and good outerwear are essential. We did a guided half day of fly fishing with a group of about 12, which was fun. If you're somewhat experienced, it may be a bit boring, it's definitely geared toward novices, but I'm sure the guides can adjust.

 

Keep your eyes open in Anchorage, there are A LOT of seedy people in that city. They say it's where america's criminals go to hide and after spending only one day there, I believe them.

 

It's a shame you won't get to take the railroad. I took it from Anchorage to Denali and then from Denali to Fairbanks and it was absolutely stellar. Here's one of a few hundred I took on the journey. Hundreds of miles of views just like this. Eventually you have to stop taking pictures because every single thing you look at is worthy of a photo.

 

We're really only 3 and a half days in the park, one for the bus, one we're doing Talkeetna(sp).  We're arriving the first day, leaving very early the last day.  Shrug.  We will find something to do.

 

I will make it a point to buy some spray. 

 

As it is in Anchorage, we're really only planning on the Native american museum and the Ulu factory, but will still have some time for other things.  I figured i'd ask. 

[CMJeepster 2,778]

We did a jeep tour, it was a total waste of time, just driving through a bunch of mud in the woods.

As someone who enjoys driving a Jeep through the mud in the woods, I'm offended. Ha, ha, ha!!!

 

Watch out for those... Oh, nevermind...

[Luke_WO 11]

As someone who enjoys driving a Jeep through the mud in the woods, I'm offended. Ha, ha, ha!!!

 

Watch out for those... Oh, nevermind...

Haha don't get me wrong, it was fun. But I didn't need to go all the way to Alaska to do it. And it certainly wasn't worth whatever they charged.

[Vlad G 345]

To my mind, Alaska is best viewed solo or with friends or family. I've stayed away from most organized things, the only one I had no choice on avoiding groups was the boat trip from Seward to the fjords for the glacier stuff and even that was a fairly small boat, 50-60ft or so, which made for a fun entry back into Resurrection Bay with 6ft swells. 

 

I stayed away from the tourist traps, and hiked back trails and the like. The most tourist like stuff  I did was go to Fairbanks for a day and visited some museums.

 

Rent a car and go where you want, hike were you want, stay way from tour buses or trains or whatever.

[Malsua 1,422]

So I'm back.

 

Amazing trip!  Did 3 days in Denali, wish I had another week!   There are miles and miles of trails we didn't get to.

 

It rain in Anchorage the evening of our Arrival.   It rained for about 2 minutes one day in Denali.  It rained for 10 minutes in Skagway.    Dry and hot(65-70) the rest of the time.

 

The first week we did Inland, the second was on The Radiance of the Seas and saw Juneau, Skagway, Hoonah and Ketchikan.   The boat also went to the Hubbard Glacier.

 

I've got a lot of pictures and videos, but some jumped out at me.  This one below was pulling into Hubbard Glacier.   I did NOT alter the colors on this image.  It's shot with my 10-18mm lens at 12mm with a Circular polarizer.   All I did was auto-tone in photoshop.

 

I'm putting them together, but you can see what I've done so far here.  http://thewellrats.com/malbor2/alaska/

 

And of course my favorite so far.

 

[Krdshrk 3,877]

Mark - great pics!  My parents just did the whole Vancouver -> Alaska cruise thing at the end of June.  They were out for like 2 weeks on Holland America cruise - Juneau, Ketchikan, Skagway, Anchorage + Denali.  Did a riverboat cruise in Fairbanks.  Went over to "North Pole" as well.  They said it was cool like 50-60 degrees most of the time.  Sun never went down too in Fairbanks.

[Malsua 1,422]

The sun never went down while we were in Denali.  We stayed at the "Crows Nest Cabins" that leaked light.  I shouldn't say it never went down...it got dusky at about 4am and got not as dusky at about 4:10.

 

The coldest I felt was Tuesday(July 5) at 7am.  It was 48 degrees.  By 9am it was 60 and by noon 67.  Perfect weather.

 

We also had some chilly weather at the Mendenhall Glacier...it was overcast and 53 with a cold breeze off the glacier.   That was the only time I really needed a coat although it was pretty cold at the White Pass(2880 feet).

 

I couldn't have asked for a better vacation except that we should have skipped the day in Anchorage and driven straight to Denali.

 

It's going to take me weeks to get all the pics and videos settled.  I took so much, as there was so much to capture.

[Kevin125 4,772]

Wow. Beautiful. From the perspective of Jersey, that's like another world entirely. Glad you enjoyed it. It's on my list.

[Malsua 1,422]

Wow. Beautiful. From the perspective of Jersey, that's like another world entirely. Glad you enjoyed it. It's on my list.

 

If I were 25 years younger, wasn't married and didn't have a Mortgage, I'd be sorely tempted to uproot and go.   I grew up on a farm in the country in Ohio, trapping and hunting and while I don't for a second think I have enough knowledge right now to live in the bush, I have a good base to start with.  I think I could have made it work.   I wouldn't have 2 hours of daily commuting and high NJ taxes.  It's just such an amazing place.

[Guest]

Watch for Devil's Club. Very important.

 

And Hell's Angels. When you relocate, go into town and talk to shopkeeps, bar tenders, and cops and ask about what is going on. Things can get sketchy. We had hippies camping by our cabin (but they did not break in) and we ran them off at gun point when they threatened us with their dogs. Told State Police in town and they said they had seen HA down there, and if we saw them, shoot them and come to town to report it.

 

Make sure to squeeze in a bush plane fishing trip with an hour or so of glacier sight seeing. I recommend Upper Russian Lake for that region for trout.

 

Do not break any fish and game laws. I know it sucks when you can kick the reds with your waders and they won't bite the hook. But if you get caught doing something stupid, well, don't say I didn't tell you.

 

I can't read the OP so I am assuming the thread is about a vacation or visiting people.

what is/are HA?

[SmittyMHS 603]

what is/are HA?

Hells Angels I assume...

Two buddys and I road our MCs there 2 years ago. Epic trip. 

[Guest]

Hells Angels I assume...

Two buddys and I road our MCs there 2 years ago. Epic trip. 

 

The motorcycle gang or is that some sort of plant??

 

If its the gang, I like how the local cops think

[SmittyMHS 603]

Devil's club apparently is some kinda plant that you're better off staying away from..

Hell's Angels...You're better off staying away from them too! lol

[Malsua 1,422]

So I have been experimenting with my youtube channel and my personal website and a ton of parameters.

 

For an experiment, I uploaded a 30 second video of a moose that I saw in Denali.

 

 

I did this 3 days ago.  It has no views as of this moment.

 

What I have determined is that if I don't post the video at least somewhere, no one ever sees it.  Now most of you go "bleh, who cares".  I agree, who cares...the issue is, for me at least, I don't like to do stuff into a vacuum.  I have found that even just posting it here, or facebook or one of my other haunts, my videos seem to get indexed and take a life of their own.  Like em, hate 'em, love 'em leave 'em, they get views.    I currently get about 10k views a month for my videos.  I have somewhere north of 80 videos uploaded.    I get a few bucks a month for my videos.  It seems silly to bother with, but it's a game for me.  I make a shitload more money per hour where I work, so this will never be more than just a game to me.    What bugs me is that the meta data of the videos alone _NEVER_ do anything.  It's all in where they are posted to.

 

So, here's a moose!  And just for the hell of it..my train ride.