Alaska’s Summer is in full swing, and the first Denali Star trains have meandered past our office, on their way to Fairbanks and Denali – marking the start of the Summer Tourism Season. There is a lot of preparing to do if you are coming to Alaska this season. If you made your vacation reservation with Alaska Denali Tours, you should already have received your vouchers after making your final payment. You can rest assured that your tours, hotels, Alaska Cruises, and transportation are all reserved and waiting for you. Continue reading
Tag Archives: summer fun
Alaska Cruise Checklist
Starting this year, Alaska Denali Tours is now offering various Alaska cruises. There are many different cruising options available, but here’s what you can expect on one of our standard cruise options: Spectacular Scenery, abundant sea-life, fun activities, and last but not least, memories that will last a lifetime! Continue reading
Spring Vacation
Tiny flowers
Early in the season travelers to Alaska can experience the wonders of the environment come back to life after the long winter months. The tundra bursts to life with vibrant colors of flowers. Freshly melted snow saturating the terrain for the bountiful berry patches later in the year. This is the time for color & renewal the time for the animals to come out of hibernation. Seeing Alaska in the summer in all of its grandeur is nothing like watching the beginnings of life come in the Alaskan springtime. You may see the wobbly legs of the twin moose just born a few hours before. The yawn and sleepy eyes of the great grizzly bear as it sees the world for the first time. A den of Timber wolf puppies scramble to see the new budding flowers and to decide which one tastes the best.
Off in the distance are Denali and the Alaska mountain range, still softened by the winter’s snow, packed into every wrinkle. The view is magnificent. This will be a vacation to come back and revisit in your discussions in the break room.
Hiking in Alaska
Among many adventure activities in Alaska, hiking can be considered as one of the most popular activities. There are miles of wilderness that one can trudge along. Hiking season in Alaska stretches from mid April as the snow on the lower valley melts away until the end of October where fall brings crisp weather condition of many cloudless clear days. One can also go on hikes during winter, it is popularly known as snowshoeing.
Hiking in Alaska
While hiking in Alaska, planning is crucial, and taking into consideration few critical aspects of Alaska’s extreme condition is paramount. First of, weather; clear cloudless day in Alaska can instantly change into cloudy and rainy day with temperature plummeting suddenly. Hence, it is always advisable to have layered clothes, extra warm clothes in the backpack, and rain gear. Second, wild life; it is important to note that hiking trails in Alaska meanders through forested area, low lying tundra and high alpine trails, all home to wild animals like moose, caribou, bear, sheep and wolf. Encountering bear and moose is quiet common while hiking in Alaska, hence always hike in groups, stay on trail, and look out for bear advisory notices at the trailhead. Third, food and water; always carry extra food and water.
Hiking in Alaska is special. Despite being the biggest state in the union, the whole state of Alaska has the population less than 700,000. With such a small population density, only in Alaska just a couple of miles drive away from a city or a town, and one can find themselves in the midst of unblemished wilderness. Come and hike in Alaska, and in doing so enjoy the Alaska the way it is meant to be. Happy Trails!
by Robert Longbow
Canyon Run Rafting in Denali National Park
I have been an active river runner for quite sometime, so naturally on my vacation to Alaska I had to see what Alaska’s river system had to offer. I came across Denali Lodges web site showing various rafting excursions done right on the Nenana River-which runs through the town site of Denali.
The Canyon Run
I was traveling with two other women who were not that interested in the rafting-primarily because they had never been on a white water rafting adventure. After about a day of convincing them they would have a blast. They opted to take the Canyon Run, which was a 2-hour rafting adventure that offered both mild water and white water. The raft guides picked us up at our cabin, took us to their office where they provided us with dry suits and a place to store our belongings. After the stop at their office, we loaded back up in the bus. They took us to the river where we would be rafting.
Our guide was very informative about safety and guidelines we would be following along the trip-I think this made my friends feel at ease. We had such a wonderful experience; the other women who were traveling with me wondered why I hadn’t convinced them to take the longer excursion-go figure! After the run was over the guides took us back to the office to retrieve our belongings and back to our cabin, it took about 3 hours from pick up to drop off and worth every single minute of it!!
Pat Schrat
