Alaska TravelGram

There are a couple of routes to Kennicott from Anchorage–I’ve taken them both. Typically, we drive northeast from Anchorage up the Glenn Highway to Glennallen, then take a right-hand turn and head south on the Richardson Highway towards Valdez. About 14 miles down the road, you’ll see the cutoff on the Edgerton to Chitina. Depending on traffic, you can drive from Anchorage to Chitina (on the banks of the Copper River) in about five and a half hours. 

The other way is to drive to Whittier and take the ferry over to Valdez. Then, drive north a little more than 100 miles to the Chitina cut-off. It’s fun to make a circle trip–that’s what we like to do with visiting friends and relatives. 

In Chitina, you have two ways to proceed: fly on Wrangell Mountain Air back to McCarthy or drive the old railbed into Wrangell-St. Elias National Park. I’ve done both–it’s more fun to take the flight. Plus , it’s a better idea if you’ve got a rental car. Avis, for example, does not allow you to drive your rental car on the McCarthy Road.  That doesn’t stop people, of course, from heading out in their Ford Tempo. But be advised: it’s a really expensive tow bill if you break down. 

The flightseeing tour is fabulous.

Even though it’s just a 70-mile trip, Wrangell Mountain Air takes you through a couple of mountain passes. you’ll see giant ice falls, incredible rock glaciers–and some of the old Kennicott mine buildings high up on the mountain above the main town of McCarthy.

Once you get back to McCarthy, the van from Kennicott Glacier Lodge will pick you up: either at the airport or at the footbridge that crosses the Kennicott River.  The van snakes up what used to be an old railroad track that hauled the copper oar from the mine back down to McCarthy and on to Cordova. 

The lodge itself sits on “Main Street” in Kennicott. Read up on the historical facts of this mining district–which in its day was the richest and largest copper mine in the world. Be sure and reserve a tour of the Mill Building at the front desk with St. Elias Alpine Guides. You’ll get an inside look at the 14-story mill building and learn how oar was transported from the mines on a series of trams, then processed for shipment. Fascinating.

The mine is silent these days–and that gives you a chance to concentrate on the breathtaking surroundings of Kennicott. The glaciers. The hikes. The mountains.

Sign up for a glacier hike with St. Elias Alpine Guides. They have all the crampons you’ll need to get firm footing on the Root Glacier. You can walk right up to the glacier, strap on the ice spikes on the bottom of your boots (Yep. they’ve got them, too!) and your guide will give you good instructions on how to get the best traction while walking on the ice. In fact, you also can try ice climbing! It’s fun and exciting! 

Sitting around the family-style dinner table at Kennicott Glacier Lodge, it’s easy to see why folks return year after year to this special place in the middle of Wrangell-St. Elias National Park. Make this year the year you discover Kennicott!

May and June are great months to travel by rail with Princess to the Mt. McKinley Princess, near Talkeetna and the Denali Princess, near the entrance to Denali National Park.

The McKinley Princess is the closest lodge to Mt. McKinley.  In fact, the mountain fills up the entire northwestern horizon! Your package includes roundtrip rail aboard the exclusive “Midnight Sun Express” ultradome rail care between Anchorage and Talkeetna. From there, take the Princess coach to the McKinley Princess. Choose from a one- or two-night package, for as little as $119 per person. Wow! The real value, IMHO, is the 3-day/2-night package for $179 per person. Yes, that includes the rail, 2 nights’ accommodations and your transfer from Talkeetna to the lodge! 

Plus, Princess offers free transportation between the lodge and Talkeetna for lots of activities, including flightseeing of McKinley and jetboat tours on the local rivers! Or, stroll around Talkeetna: Snacks, shops and the Ranger Station where the mountain climbers check in! 

The Denali Princess, near the entrance to Denali Park, also offers great 2-for-1 deals in May and June. You’re well-positioned to take advantage of tours deep into the park, including the Tundra Wilderness Tour. Also, take advantage of flightseeing, tours of Jeff King’s Iditarod Dog Kennels, rafting on the Nenana River and more! 

Choose one night in each lodge! Choose Tour “B1B”, departing on May 30. The cost is just $239 per person. That includes rail and coach transportation between Anchorage, Talkeetna and Denali, transfers and accommodations at the lodges. It’s a great deal!

Princess also offers great deals at all five Alaska lodges in May: just $99 per night in May and half-off your second night in June and July! At the Fairbanks Princess, located right on the Chena River, take 50 percent off your second night on Fri., Sat. and Sun. all summer long! (through Sept. 19, 2008). 

Learn more online.

Just as another four inches of snow piled up on the deck, I received my 2008 brochure from the folks at Brooks Lodge. That’s the lodge right at Brooks River, where all the bears gather at the falls to eat fish. And there are lots of fish.It’s also the headquarters for Katmai National Park. There’s lots going on here. Even though it’s snowing outside, you might consider planning your expedition right away.
When your floatplane lands form either King Salmon or Kulik Lodge, your first stop is “bear school”.

(Photo: Lodge owner Sonny Petersen pulls his plane up to the beach at Grosvenor Camp)

“Bear School” is run by the National Park Service and it gives you an overview of how to get along with the many bears that wander around the area. You know: don’t feed them. Things like that. Once you’re done with that you’re free to wander up to the viewing platform at the falls to see the bears. Half the show is watching all the photographers set up their fancy telephoto gear. Honestly, you do not need a telephoto lens to get pictures of the bears. Chances are you will stumble upon one as you get on the bus, round the corner, walk out of the lodge, etc. They’re all over. But-you know–the photographers are trying to match up that perfect shot of the bear chomping on the salmon which is jumping out of the water to get above the falls. Snap-snap-snap go the cameras. Chomp-chomp-chomp go the bears. Fun!
While you’re staying at Brooks Camp, make plans to go on the full-day tour to the Valley of the 10,000 Smokes. This is a must-see. MUST-SEE. You take this monster 8-wheel-drive super-mod school bus on the road up to an observation post overlooking the valley. You arrive just in time for lunch–a sandwich, chips and beverage. Then, you hike down to the Valley floor to the Ukak River. Learn about the incredible explosion of Novarupta Volcano in 1912–and how it formed the valley.  The entire valley is blanketed with lava and pumice–and it’s incredible to see how the Ukak River has carved a huge canyon through the soft rock.
Anglers love Katmai National Park. They call it “Angler’s Paradise”. Actually, Angler’s Paradise was there before the park. Sonny Petersen’s family has a collection of two lodges, in addition to Brooks Camp, where fishermen can hang out while casting for trophy rainbows, arctic char and a variety of salmon. 
Instead of “Angler’s Paradise”, I call it “Sunken Camera Paradise”. That’s because on two separate occasions, I killed my fancy digital cameras. Once I walked into the river with my camera in my pocket. Another time I went swimming–swept off my feet and rescued by my guide–with my camera in my pocket. 
HA! I remember after my brief swim,  I’d wrung the water out of my clothes while balanced on a rock at the top of a small island. I was in the middle of the river–and I knew I’d have to walk back across the same stretch. But my guide came back and said “Well, since we’re up here–shall we go find those rainbows?”
HA! Classic. These guys stop at nothing to help you get those fish!  Make plans now to visit Katmailand this summer.  

(Photo: Don takes us on a boat ride on Grosvenor Lake for some late-night fishing.) 

 (Photo: Don gets a nice Char on the American River in Katmai National Park.)

(Photo: Cocktail hour at Grosvenor Camp.)

(Photo: Scott gets a nice Char on the American River. )

Oh, all the fishing is catch-and-release, fly-only. Don’t worry: nobody goes hungry. Although state law says you can harvest a bundle of fish each day, the lodge folks remind anglers that these are “Native, Wild Fish”. The areas never have been stocked. So don’t show up with a pocket full of Pixies and expect to go to town slinging metal from your spinning rod. HA!
Actually, they’ve got plenty of fly rods available for guests–along  with guides to show you how they work. On a particularly blustery day, we even sat inside and tied some killer flies!  

Save a bundle this summer. Gray Line of Alaska is running a special from Anchorage to Denali Park for as little as $349 per person, double occupancy. That got my attention! 

Click for WEB SPECIALS

First, the Gray Line folks will pick up up at the airport in Anchorage and take you to your hotel.

The next day, travel on  full-dome McKinley Explorer railcars to Denali Park. These are great rail cars–everyone sits up on the top deck–and there’s a restaurant on the lower deck.

That night, spend the night at the Park. 

Take advantage of free time in Denali the following day: Jeep safaris, flightseeing, river rafting or hiking 

Then, catch the train for the ride back to Anchorage. Gray Line will pick you up and take you to your hotel.

All your hotel costs, train costs and transfer charges are included. You pay for your own meals and optional excursions.

Itineraries also available from Fairbanks. Consider adding more nights at Denali to see more of the park!

Watch for more Summer Specials–coming soon!

Call now: (800) 544-2206

I just got a nice note from my friend Sonny Petersen and the staff at Angler’s Paradise. That includes Brooks Camp, which is your “base camp” for exploring Katmai National Park. This is a “must see” adventure for any Alaska junkie. Sonny and his dad, Ray Petersen, have operated the lodges for 58 years. OK, Sonny hasn’t operated them for that long–he’s grown up in Katmai. In fact, his son Sean Petersen, also is a pilot, shuttling anglers and adventurers between camps and lodges during the summer.

The fishing lodges, including Kulik and Grosvenor Camp, are designed with the serious angler in mind. Some anglers and their families have returned year after year for more than 20 years. Brooks Camp, a quick flight from beautiful downtown King Salmon, Alaska, is better-known for bear viewing. The bears congregate around the photogenic Brooks River Falls where photographers come from around the world to watch the giant beasts munch on salmon as they swim upstream.

Naturally, the Brooks River also is a great fishing stream (fly-only, catch-and-release). But another big attraction is the daytrip to see the Valley of the 10,000 Smokes. Start with a bus ride up the 37-mile road. You’re accompanied on the tour by a National Park Ranger, who gives you an overview of the geology around the giant volcanic explosion of Novarupta in  1912 and the subsequent fury with which Mother Nature reshaped the entire valley. In fact, you still can see big chunks of pumice on the shores of the Naknek Lake near Brooks Camp.

You arrive at the viewpoint overlooking the Valley at about Noon, just in time for your box lunch. It’s included in the tour. From there, you have a few hours to hike down to the valley floor and cross over the Ukak River. It’s amazing to see  how the river cuts through the lava and pumice!

Oh, there’s a two-for-one coupon in this year’s Great Alaskan TourSaver for the tour. Learn more about Katmai. Click here: Katmai National Park