I am writing this from a national forest campground on Wrangell Island; this spot is among the most beautiful places that I have ever camped, and that is from someone who has camped all over the US and Canada. I am looking down on a channel of the inside passage, with another island across the way that has peaks above timberline; no doubt a place that mountain goats reside. Where we are camping, I picked fresh blueberries each day for cobbler and pancakes; those were the ones that didn't get eaten as I picked. The hill by camp is absolutely alive with berries, and if the bears didn't have so many salmon to eat, they would be in here right now.
As our 2 month trip winds down from camping in the Great Land, we have found some favorite spots. Although I expected to like the interior the most (and Denali was spectacular, as was the rest of the Alaska Range), the southeast coast has been the best of the best, at least for us. The area around Anchorage, although tremendously scenic, is very crowded, and my concept of Alaska is 'no crowds'. The southeast coastal towns are much more to my liking; small, friendly, and laid back. We particularly enjoyed Haines, Petersburg, and Wrangell. These places are what we expected of Alaskan communities.
Wildlife viewing was a major reason to visit Alaska, and with the exception of not seeing one mature bull moose, we weren't disappointed. Denali gave us great looks at grizzlies, caribou, dall sheep, ptarmigan, one wolf, and lots of cow and calf moose. Ocean trips showed us harbor seals, stellar sea lions, humpback whales, mountain goats, killer whales, and literally millions of sea birds. We saw brown bears and black bears by the bunches. Eagles are everywhere there is a body of water. It doesn't get any better than Alaska for seeing critters.
I have a whole new respect for those who hunt Alaska. Although the mountains are STRAIGHT UP, and covered with the most dense forest imaginable. Everything is wet and soggy, and muskeg is like walking on a sponge. If you haven't been here and are thinking about hunting the great north, it would be a good idea to be in the absolute best shape of your life. Hunting in the Rockies is tough, but would be a cake walk in comparison to much of what we saw in Alaska.
There is very little access by road in comparison to the lower 48. Hunting for most species would entail boat or float plane to get there. Weather, at least for us, was drenching rain for most days. Sunshine was in short supply. A hunting trip would necessitate raingear of the highest quality, and even then, you almost always feel waterlogged. Nothing stays dry for long.
The country is so big and vast that it is hard to get your head around it. It just goes on and on forever, and a wilderness camp in Alaska is the definition of wilderness. A bear in camp, a broken bone, even a twisted ankle, and you could be in a life threatening situation. This is NOT a place for wimps.
So, as we head south in the next couple of days, we know that even with $12 hamburgers, unrelenting rain, forests where you can't see 10 yards in front of you, and scary gas prices, that we will have to come back. The Last Frontier is a place that anyone who loves the outdoors MUST do in their lifetime. I love Wyoming and the Rockes, but there is something about Alaska that beckons you back. I will return, but until then, I will have photos and memories to reflect on.
Stump shooting on Wrangell Island
Black bear fishing; this is Alaska at it's best
Brown bear; she had cubs and is not to be trifled with
old Sitka spruce trees make for great targets on the islands.
Topic: Stumping and reflecting on Alaska (Read 1040 times)
