Alaska

[Brian Diehl]

I'm considering heading to Alaska next summer.  I would need to do it during the kids summer break from school.  I originally wanted to head up in May and return by around the end of June.  Based upon what Craig has told me I was planning on an 8 week adventure.  I don't yet know if I could get that much time away from work, but assuming I could I would do 8 weeks.  I've got a pretty good budget of set aside money to do what we want.  So, given I need to do this during the prime summer travel months, when would you go?

If you could pick between the two, which would you pick and why?

June & July 
    or
July & August

Keep in mind I would prefer to spend more time "boondocking" than in campgrounds.

Thanks for your thoughts and ideas!

[jackhartjr]

Brian, this months edition of Highways, (March) has some neat articles on Alaska, very good reading.  That is the Good Sam magazine.
For MAK...not near as good as this one...but good!LOL
Jack

[MattC]

The onslaught of Good-Samers seems to start mid May, well in Fairbanks anyway.  It's all drop-dead beautiful as soon as the last vestiges of brown snow have melted which is usually done by by May.  However, there is never a guarantee.

Careful going up there to visit, I did and it took 28 years to get back to the lower 48.  LoL

 

[luvrbus]

Brian, never been there in Jul and Aug but May is not a good time you fight the mud and slush and they have mosquitoes in some areas than can take out a F16 with one shot.It is a beautiful place to vist but not high on my list for a return vist.I would go for the July and Aug dates if I were you and be out of there by the middle of Aug            good luck

[Dreamscape]

Brian, never been there in Jul and Aug but May is not a good time you fight the mud and slush and they have mosquitoes in some areas than can take out a F16 with one shot.It is a beautiful place to vist but not high on my list for a return vist.I would go for the July and Aug dates if I were you and be out of there by the middle of Aug            good luck

Man, I cracked up on that one Clifford. They must be bigger than the ones in Florida huh!

Brian, I think I would heed Cliffords advice! You don't want to mess with those skeeters if they're that big.

~Paul~

[TomC]

I guess it all depends on the year.  I was there in mid May on Princess land tour and cruise.  Landed in Fairbanks in mid May to 98 degree weather.  No mosquitos yet, or any throughout the trip.  I heard they come out later in the season.  My choice would be the earlier dates.  Good Luck, TomC

[jackhartjr]

Ya'll little woosies aint seen no skeeters till you been to Hunting Island State Park, South Carloina in July!

Did you know the state bird in SC is a skeeter?

Brian, sorry to hyjack the thread...I had to tell the little girls bout real skeeters!

And Clifford, I laughed pretty good on that too!  Take out an F-16.  (Course the ones in SC could take out the ships the F-16's fly off of!LOL
Jack

[luvrbus]

The ones in the White Mountains Rec Area somebody forgot to inform those babies it was the wrong time of the year  
good luck

[luvrbus]

All jokes aside Brian it is a nice place to see the wildlife is worth the visit,I went in May because people told me that was the best time of year to go.Jun,Jul,Aug and Sept are the rainy months in Fairbanks and the temp is in the 60's on average for May.Where TomC got the 98 degrees I don't know 1991 broke the record for heat but it wasn't no 98 degrees I think it was around 90.Have a safe trip and good luck

[gmorton]

I've lived in Anchorage for nearly 14 years.  The June-July timeframe would seem best for our area.  There will be more sunshine, less rain.  June is usually open weather-wise.  July weather begins to turn a bit wetter in my opinion.  If you are partial to world-class fishing, the early run of King Salmon which occurs in late May-June ought to figure heavily in anyone's decision.

[Utahclaimjumper]

Ive been there several times, all by private aircraft, in 91 spent a month flying the state, only bad skeeters Ive found were in Dawson when we were camped out side of town at the airport. The one area that most people find troubling is the looooonnngg days dureing the summer, you tend to loose track of time but your body doesnt so after about three long days your systems just shut down for an extended period and your wasted, but its neat to be fishing at 11;00pm with daylite still available.>>>Dan

[Chopper Scott]

I remember one summer while visiting Minnesota that we all were admiring a flock of pelicans, or so we thought. Turned out to be gnats according to the locals, eh!!! 

[wvanative]

Let me tell you about Alaskan mosquitoes
The last time I was up there was in 75 and I was camping. I was getting ready to cook a steak and had it laying on the table right next to the fire when a big grizzly walks out of the brush. He looks at me and then he looks at my steak.  I said to him it’s all yours big boy as I slowly backed up. Then I heard something off to my right the bear heard it also as I saw him turn his head and look. What happened next well it’s the things that legends are made of.  At first I thought a squadron of choppers were coming in for a landing but I soon realized it was five of the biggest mosquito’s  I had ever seen coming in from down wind. My guess is they had picked up the scent of the blood from the steak.  The biggest one flies right in and lands right on the steak, the bear didn’t take to kindly to that at all and gives a snort and moves toward the big mosquito and the steak. The bear takes a swat at the mosquito knocking the mosquito across the camp site. Well this only made the mosquito mad as he flew up high above the bear and dive bombed his butt. The next thing I knew all five mosquitos were on that bear like fleas on a hound. All that was left of that bear when they were done was the hide and bones.  And as they left the big one, now twice as big as he was before swooped down and grabbed my steak as he left camp.   So if you happen to be cooking don’t pay any mind to the bears and don’t swat at any mosquitoes. So my advice is carry pepper spay for the bears and a 357 magnum for the mosquitoes. Lets be safe out there.

WVaNative

[jackhartjr]

Dean...357 hell...looks like you would need a Howitzer! 
(The puny little skeeters up there still can't whup up on our SC skeetersLOL)
Jack

[BigDougInOregon]

Brian,

  I drove the Alcan in May of 1993 (Fairbanks to Walla Walla,Wa) when I got out of the Army.  Perfect time of year to drive it.  Roads are pretty smooth (all of the potholes are filled in with snow and packed down real nice) and the scenery is beautiful.  No mosquitos (and yes, this is a huge deal, trust me) this time of year either (unless we have an early break-up).  I would make sure you have plenty of diesel because no idea what the prices are now, but in '93 when diesel was like .99 /gal in the US (I can't remember but it was cheap), diesel in Canada was $1.25/liter, cigarettes were $6.99 pack and beer was cheap.

Don't do like I did and make the mistake of bringing a gun.  I almost ended up in prison over my Remington 742 Woodsmaster 30-06 semi-auto hunting rifle.  Had no idea the Kanucks consider that an assault rifle.  If the ASP hadn't warned me, I would probably still be in prison today.

If I had to choose the months you mentioned, I would most definitely take the July/August time frame for the weather and the roads should be clear by then.  You don't want to drive the Alcan DURING break-up under any circumstances.  Could be dicey and dangerous.

FWIW and HTH,

Doug