Alaska – The Power of Nature

Initial Preparations: Summer 2007

Traveling to Alaska requires meticulous advance planning, as early as possible, in order to order reservations for the variety of activities it offers. We began planning our itinerary with the help of friends who'd traveled there and the Internet. It didn't take long before we had a pretty good idea of what kind of trip we would like: about three weeks, living in a trailer (RV) and lots of landscapes. The final framework we came up with was 16 days in a trailer, driving a total distance of some 1,600 miles, two nights in hotels – one at the beginning and one at the end – and additional days dedicated to flights. Our activities were to include parks, forests, snow-capped trees, and glacier sailing. Having decided on the dates, we reserved the flights. After some searching, the trailer was ordered in the Great Alaskan Holidays website.

We now started looking into optional activities according to our planned locations and dates and selected them so as to be as enjoyable, diverse and economic as possible. We faced a great variety of options, including cruises, flying in light planes, trekking through landscapes, kayaking or canoeing and fishing. We also had to leave some time for driving, rest and a little shopping. All our reservations were made over the phone or through the Internet, and proved all our kind advisers correct: they must be made as early as possible. Only a single rafting trail was overlooked, and when it popped back into memory about three months before the trip, there were no more vacancies. All other activities and attractions were reserved by email. In retrospect, those meticulous preparations proved their worth and the trip went along fluently. We managed to reach a campground at the far end of the world, in a forest free of any marks of civilization or administration, and find the parking spot reserved for our trailer six months in advance waiting for us marked with a small sign.

Flying to Anchorage: July 7, 2008

There are several ways to start a trip to Alaska. We chose the quickest, so as to allow us as much time as possible for traveling in Alaska itself. Accordingly, we flew to its largest city – Anchorage – through London and Seattle. Other possible options are flying to a nearby destination such as Seattle or Vancouver and then take a ferry or rent a trailer in Canada and drive there. Since we arrived late, we spent our first night in Alaska at the Marriott Hotel adjacent to the airport.

Our Itinerary

Denali National Park

We left for the Denali Nature Reserve. The landscapes were amazing! Grass, ferns, flowers in all colors of the rainbow and dense forests hugged the road. Most of the time, ours was the only vehicle on the road, and when vehicles did drive by, these were usually other trailers or trucks. Occasionally, we saw mailboxes or trails leading to wooden cabins by the roadside, indicating human dwellings. How can people live in such an isolated place? Do they raise children here? What do they do for a living?

July 8 - Good morning Alaska!

The four of us woke up refreshed and reinvigorated, picked up our trailer – home for the next few weeks – and bought food for the following days. It felt a bit like moving into a new house. In the afternoon, we drove from Anchorage to Denali National Park (http://www.reservedenali.com) – the largest in the United States – located approximately 250 miles to the north. Our trailer window provided enchanting views of dark-green mist-shrouded forests surrounded by huge bodies of water. The hours flew by and it was still light outside by nine in the evening. We camped for the night at the Montana Creek Campground (http://www.montanacreekcampground.com), situated on a riverbank, and made ourselves at home. We then set out for the nightly trek. Along our forested trail, we found abundant yellow lupine flowers. The temperature was a convenient 50°F, and it was fairly quiet, with occasional animal sounds in the distance.

July 9

We arrived at Denali's southernmost lookout point, followed the trail, and observed the majestic Mount McKinley – the tallest in North America – from afar. Clouds shrouded its peak and the view was breathtaking. We then drove on to the northernmost lookout. The fog over the mountain began to clear. We trekked in the lookout area along forested trails. We then continued north toward the park itself, with the weather becoming cooler as we traveled. By the afternoon we reached the entrance to the park. Park regulations prohibit the use of private vehicles, and so we parked outside. Guests who've made a camping reservation inside the park are allowed a single drive inside and out, on reservation buses (www.reservedenali.com). We registered at the Visitor Center and started making our way up to the camping site. The landscape around us changed completely from dense forests to tundra, with low-lying vegetation. Among the bushes, we saw a Caribou, and rabbits were running about along the road. Here, nature was still king! In the evening we reached the Teklanika Campground, with clearly marked parking spots among the trees and bear-proof trashcans. The campground offers no electricity or running water, so that you must be provisioned in advance for the whole length of your stay at the park.

July 10

We woke to a crystal-clear sunny morning. The deep-blue sky made us feel a wonderful day awaited us. We packed enough food and water to last until the afternoon and took the park's green bus, which stopped at the entrance to the campground, for a drive through green tundra knolls. Further away and all around us were brownish-black mountains laced with snowy gorges. An impressive caribou stood inside an island of snow. The landscapes we saw were stunning and amazingly colorful: light and dark greens, light and dark browns, yellow, maroon, black and white.

At noon we stopped for a break at another lookout point. Below us lay a huge rounded canyon formed by snow melting at the end of the ice age, some 10,000 years ago, crowned by snowy peaks. In the grass, a playful squirrel (or "bear snack" as the local cynics dub it) ran about. Up above, we could occasionally spot huge Grizzlies, completely at home where we were but passing guests.

After another hour's drive, we got off the bus and were greeted by one of the most awe-inspiring views the park has to offer: Mount McKinley's twin summits. We were fortunate to have such a clear view, since the mountain is covered with clouds most of the time. After lunch and a tour at the Visitor Center, we drove to Polychrome Pass, where we left the bus for a trek in tundra country. It was chilly and damp outside. Next to our trail, a red fox strolled, completely oblivious to our presence, so that we could photograph it from just a few feet away. We got off the trail to walk in the green sheets of tundra and experience the vast and multicolored landscape which gave the pass its name. Many animal burrows and droppings of various sizes could be seen everywhere, testifying to the immense quantity of a variety of animals living in the park. On the one hand, we felt totally at one with nature, and on the other, we couldn't escape a sense of anxiety walking in the trail-less open landscape, where one could easily get lost. In the afternoon, we got on the green bus again and returned to our trailer.

July 11

That morning, we returned to the Visitor Center to take the bus to the Sled Dog Center, where we got to pet the dogs and see a demonstration of the dogs in action – quite impressive, considering the fact that the sled had to slide on grass instead of snow. We then drove to the nearby town of Cantwell to renew our supplies.

Denali Highway

Our next excursion was a 130 mile-long gravel road going east of the park, named Denali Highway, which offered breathtaking views. The road runs parallel to the Nenana River and the Alaska Ridge with its gorgeous snowy peaks. After several hours of slow driving punctuated by many observation stops, we arrived at Brushkana Bridge Campgrounds (http://www.blm.gov/ak/st/en/prog/recreation/activities/campgrounds/gfo_campgrounds.html). This is a wild and isolated campsite fed by a river, whose running waters may be heard almost everywhere. Drinking water has to be brought in from outside or pumped manually. We went for a stroll in the campground and advanced toward the river, wherein we could see brown, green-black, and maroon pebbles. We walked over the pebbles and into the mighty stream. A gull flew above us. It was extremely cold, and Alaska's ravenous mosquitoes began harassing us. We returned to the trailer for a cup of tea before going to bed. It was almost ten, but it felt like five o’clock.

July 12

We continued driving east on the Denali Highway and stopped at Gracious House, an isolated community with a campground and several guesthouses, and a café-restaurant serving soups and casseroles. Light planes parked outside, next to a small gas station. We drove on to cross the broad Susitna River over a long wooden bridge and then reached the Maclaren River, which originates from the melting tip of a 4000-feet high glacier by the same name. We stopped for a view and a stroll. Down the road, we stopped for coffee in a small restaurant next to a sled dog farm, decorated with stuffed foxes and furs. After about half an hour, we arrived at Tangle Lakes where we had planned to canoe. However, the cloudy sky and the waves persuaded us to wait till the next morning. We decided to continue driving and sleep at a more "plush" campground at the next community of Paxson. This bustling town of twenty people living in a single elongated house had this to offer: a guesthouse, campground, gas station, and cafe.

July 13

We drove back to Tangle River Inn, where we rented two canoes and started rowing towards a vast lake, connected to another one, and then another, and at the end, there's a big waterfall, where we didn’t want to arrive by canoe! After some practice, we got the hang of it and really began to enjoy ourselves, before the gathering storm forced us to disembark. At the local restaurant, we had hamburgers and french fries for lunch. The wooden restaurant is decorated with stuffed fish and birds, as well as foxtails. The food was great and the view even more so.

Valdez

Interstate A4 now took us from Denali Highway to Valdez – a distance of some 200 miles. To the left of us was the Alaska Pipeline – two light-grey elevated pipes. The landscape changed again, from tundra to fir trees. Beside the road, we could see sheets of pink fireweed flowers, purple and yellow lupines, as well as marshes laden with yellow-flowered water plants. All along the road, we could see vast amounts of water – rivers, and streams, marshes, lakes, and waterfalls. We stopped frequently at designated lookout points.

After passing by a pool of basalt hexagons, we spotted tall waterfalls on one of the green hills. When we stopped to take a picture, we saw a huge split-tip glacier down the road – the Worthington Glacier. We then entered the Worthington Glacier State Recreation Site for a closer look at the glacier fissured by water ravines. Flocks of gulls flew over the sky-blue glacier.

We started walking down the trail leading to the glacier, along the water streaming downwards. After about 20 minutes we reached the ice wall. Snowfalls compress snow layers to create the gigantic block of ice, measuring hundreds of feet in length. These glaciers are continuously in motion due to the pull of gravitation, crawling slowly down the mountains. We stood next to a fissure in the glacier, where a three-foot rock was stuck – it was quite eerie. We started descending and the big rocks below our feet shifted sometimes due to the melting ice underneath.

It was 21:00 when we arrived in Valdez – much later than we thought, due to the multiple stops. Apparently, this is what usually happens along this scenic route. Luckily, we had made a campground reservation near the anchorage. Valdez is a charming little fishing town. It became a household name following the 1989 Exxon Valdez disaster, in which a huge oil tanker by that name ran aground in Prince William Sound, spilling nearly 11 million gallons of crude oil, contaminating long stretches of beach, and causing the worst ecological disaster in the history of North America. More than a quarter of a million animals were directly affected.

July 14

The plan for today was a kayak sail (www.alaskasummer.com/pages/kayak-columbia-glacier.html). The boat took us to the Columbia Iceberg through Prince William Sound. The water was calm, and we could see otters and seals prancing about in groups. Otters are highly intelligent and use stones to open the shells they feed upon. After an hour's sailing, we arrived at the glacier, which glides into the sound, with huge chunks of ice breaking off and floating on the water. We got off the boat and into our kayaks. Kayaking in the ice-bedecked water proved easy and very enjoyable. We passed through a maze of white, sky-blue, turquoise, and translucent floating ice chunks. Since only one-ninth of the iceberg can be seen above water and the rest is submerged, we had to paddle carefully and keep a distance. The blue ice chunks are more compressed than the white ones, giving them a unique appearance. The ice blocks came in diverse shapes, much like clouds. We passed by one which looked like a pair of bears kissing, and it warmed our hearts in the intense cold. Although our hands almost froze, we felt at peace with the world, hypnotized by the views as if in a dream.

Valdez to Homer

July 15

As we left, our trailer window provided a view of the Valdez anchorage surrounded by mountains, some green, some snowy, and others black. We took the A1 Interstate to Anchorage. In front of us, we could see a black mountain with a flattened peak, like a volcano. We stopped at an elevated outlook point, overlooking a green-blue valley, where we could see dozens of dark-blue ponds embellished with water lilies. We drove on to our next campground at Pinnacle Mountain Recreation on the A1. This is a charming and caring place. We parked and went for a stroll in the camping area adjacent to the forest. A woman stood outside feeding geese and turkey. There were also caged piglets, lamas, and chickens. Piles of sawed-off wood lay waiting for the winter.

July 16

We kept driving and passed by a farm growing hairy dark sheep which look like buffalo (mask oxen). A wild landscape of snowy mountains, waterfalls, and forests gradually gave way to suburban wooden houses, which then gave way to the malls, restaurants, factories, and offices of Anchorage. We parked our trailer in a large parking lot and went for a walk in town. We spent about half a day in the big city and then headed south along the Turnagain Arm. A number of lookout points are scattered along the way, from which the lucky ones may observe whales. We camped for the night at the Birdridge Motel RV Park.

July 17

The rain hammered down on our trailer roof all night, making it hard to fall asleep. We woke up to a gloomy rainy morning. As we headed towards Kenai Lake, we passed by the Turnagain Arm, which is an extension of Cook Inlet. There we could observe the huge swathe of exposed sand during low tide. We arrived at Girdwood and took the highway, when all of a sudden a big black bear quickly ran in front of us, crossing the road. It went into a courtyard and disappeared from view. An amazing sight to be sure, but we also found the idea of a bear running around in someone's backyard a bit chilling. We drove down A1 and at noon arrived at Quartz Creek, a campground in the forest on the shore of Lake Kenai. After lunch, we went for a walk in the woods. Wild rose bushes with pink flowers peeked at the edge of the trail, and squirrels ran about. Fishing boats and a light seaplane floated next to ducks on the lake, and seagulls made circles overhead. It started raining again.

July 18

We went for a walk along Quartz Creek, with light rain falling and birds calling everywhere around us. We then returned to the trailer and drove on to Homer, at the southern tip of Kenai Peninsula. At the entrance to town, we visited the Wildlife Information Center.

Homer, Kenai Peninsula

We parked at the Homer Spit Campground, which lies at the edge of the spit – a 4.5-mile-long, 1500-feet-wide stretch of land leading into Kachemak Bay. Along the spit you can find many souvenir shops and tourist businesses, offering cruises, flights, and boat trips in the area. Homer is a quaint little fishing town with about 4,000 inhabitants.

July 19

We rose early and drove to Beluga Lake where a seaplane awaited us (www.makoswatertaxi.com/tours.htm). We boarded the small plane and took off southwards to one of the nearby lakes at the other end of Kachemak Bay. Below us, we could see broad stretches of grass and fir trees. From above, the spit looked like a thin blade of ground. After a scenic flight of about thirty minutes, we landed on a lake, and the pilot let us down near a wooden cabin, gave us a brief explanation about the hike, and took off. We walked into the isolated, dense forest all alone. Only with difficulty did we find the almost invisible beginning of the narrow trail – no more than a foot across. We walked along it, blanketed on both sides by the dense foliage. Occasionally, we had to cross small streams walking over wooden logs. We climbed up the forested mountain and passed by droppings which left no room for doubt, particularly as we could also spot the bears' footsteps on the muddy trail. We started singing together and making a lot of noise, hoping to scare the bears away, as we'd been told to do. The downside is that this also scared the other animals away.

After hiking for about two hours, at a pretty quick pace (fearing we might have gone off the elusive trail), we reached a lagoon with a small anchorage, where a boat had been scheduled to pick us up in two hours. We ate our pre-packed lunch and lay waiting on the pier. On the way back, our boat passed by Gull Island in the heart of the bay – home to more than a million gulls, cormorants, puffins, wild geese, and other birds. The scene was breathtaking and amazingly noisy. We returned to the anchorage at the spit and saw an otter floating on its back, enjoying the good life Alaska has to offer it.

Seward and Exit Glacier

July 20

Heading towards Seward, we crossed the broad Kenai River. In the distance, we could see a snow-capped mountain, taller than its adjacent brothers, its head above the clouds – a local mountain lord, all majesty and splendor. We passed by the tortuous turquoise Kenai Lake. The powerful views never ceased astonishing us and we made frequent stops.

We arrived at Exit Glacier, one of 23 descending from the Harding Ice Field, and went for a walk along it. We climbed up a stony trail hemmed in by flowers and blackberry bushes. We crossed a stream of bluish, ice-cold water. The higher we climbed, the thinner the vegetation became, until finally, all vegetation disappeared as we came face to face with the 3-mile-long glacier.

We drove back to Seward and traveled along the fishing pier. We saw a crowd and approached: it was a local fishing contest. We could see huge fish almost as tall as an average person.

July 21

We left for the Seward Anchorage for today's cruise (www.majomarine.com). It was foggy and rainy outside. We embarked on the Seward Wildlife Cruises boat and swallowed anti-seasickness pills and ginger drops. The boat sailed from Resurrection Bay to the Gulf of Alaska, hoping to see whales. The sea was rough. We could see many otters floating on their backs. These beautiful animals were hunted in masse during the 19^th century until they became almost extinct. The boat sailed past forested mountains. A bald eagle could be seen on one of the fir trees, closely observing the ocean to spot its prey. Waves crashed on the cliffs, where large groups of sea lions lay resting. Gulls, wild geese, and orange-beaked puffins flew overhead. Unfortunately, there were no whales in sight, and this was the only time during our trip that we felt a bit disappointed.

Anchorage – Finale

July 22

After visiting the Seaward Marine Center, we headed back to Anchorage. The view on the way was as stunning as ever. Molten glacier water rushed beside the highway, clashing into the black rocks and forming white foam, while tree seeds and flowers hovered in the wind. By evening we passed by Turnagain Arm, where we were once again struck by the huge tract of land uncovered by the low tide.

July 23

Having slept for the last time in our trailer at a camping park in the center of the city, we spent our last day in Alaska shopping and walking down Anchorage's beautiful streets and stopped for a break at the Hilton in the center of town, where we also spent the night. In the afternoon, we went to see a movie about the Northern Lights.

July 24

We went for a last walk in Anchorage, down 3^rd St. to the park overlooking Cook's Inlet, where we overheard a tour guide telling the story of Captain Cook, who was the first westerner to reach Turnaround Arm. For the last time, we took in the gorgeous view and chilly refreshing air.

Goodbye wild paradise; farewell majestic landscapes, hope to see you again soon. Perhaps next time we, too, will catch a glimpse of the Northern Lights.