July 2016 Alaska Trip Itinerary
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Friday, July 8, 2016 Welcome to Alaska - you adventure begins here! You have an option of arriving on Friday or Saturday. Those arriving on Friday will be picked up from the airport and taken to our lodge in downtown Anchorage. Depending on your time of arrival, you might have time to take a stroll around downtown Anchorage, or just want to rest a bit from the long flight. Later tonight, we will go to local Shabbat services and enjoy Kabalat Shabat and our first Alaskan dinner with members of the local Jewish community. Overnight Anchorage: Anchorage Ramada or similar. Saturday, July 9 Located in South-central Alaska on the shores of Cook Inlet, Anchorage stands as a sophisticated metropolis in the midst of rugged wilderness. Anchorage is the largest city in Alaska, where nearly half of the state’s residents live. It is one of the only places in Alaska with all the modern fixtures of American life. This morning you have the option of heading to Shabbat services in one of the two synagogues in town - or you can opt to explore Anchorage and its surroundings: you can chose to take a walking tour of downtown, visit the world-class Anchorage Museum or take a bike trip along the magnificent Tony Knowles Coastal Trail. Did you know that the first governor and Senator from Alaska was Jewish, or that Anchorage had not one bu two Jewish Mayors in its history? Do you know what a "Jewskimo" is, or when the first Jews settled Alaska? Alaska was built by Jewish people, Jewish money and Jewish know-how, and this afternoon we will join a local Jewish historian and learn a bit more about the history of Jewish Alaska. As all the group will have arrived today, we will all go out for a festive dinner in Anchorage, before heading out into the wild tomorrow... Overnight Anchorage: Anchorage Ramada or similar. Sunday, July 10 : Anchorage to Denali National Park We’ll meet in the morning at our Anchorage departure hotel, introduce ourselves and meet our adventure guides, and after a brief overview of the tour, head north into the Alaskan Interior. First stop: Denali State Park for a 3 to 4-hour alpine hike (with Mt. McKinley views), before proceeding on to world-famous Denali National Park for a three-night stay. Lodging: McKinley Creekside Cabins Monday, July 11: Denali National Park A fun day as we can hike for 3-4 hours this morning and then enjoy an exhilarating whitewater rafting trip this afternoon. A “flightseeing” trip over the park to Denali / Mt. McKinley (wow!), and/or a tour of the park’s dogsled kennels are fun, optional activities. Lodging: McKinley Creekside Cabins Tuesday, July 12: Denali National Park Today you’ll travel through the wilderness area of the park on the park shuttle bus, with exceptional wildlife viewing as well as hiking opportunities. This fantastic sub-arctic wilderness teems with wildlife, including grizzly bears, wolves, caribou, Dall sheep, moose and more. Denali is also the home of the continent's highest peak, 20,320' Mt. McKinley, known in Alaska as Denali: “The Great One.” Lodging: McKinley Creekside Cabins Wednesday, July 13: Tangle Lakes Today we pack up and head east along the even more remote Denali Highway, paralleling the scenic southern side of the Alaska Range. This unlikely gravel “highway” passes through some of the wildest, most remote, road-accessible country on Earth, with amazing mountain, glacier, tundra and river valley views. Along the way we’ll stop for a beautiful hike across the tundra-clad foothills to a panoramic lookout point. At Tangle Lakes we can canoe on the “tangle” of lakes, hike atop glacial eskers and across the rolling tundra, and marvel at the mountain scenery, wildflowers, and prolific bird and wildlife. Tangle Lakes is a wild, special, seldom-visited place, sure to leave a lasting impression. Lodging: Tangle River Inn Thursday, July 14: Wrangell-St. Elias National Park / McCarthy After a morning hike or paddle, a beautiful drive takes us to the Copper River-side town of Chitina, where a few small planes will meet us for a stunningly scenic flight across the volcanic and glacier-clad Wrangell Mountains, into immense Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, the largest in the USA, and a United Nations World Heritage Site. Our destination? The copper rush village of McCarthy (pop.~25), everyone's favorite Alaskan ghost town! We’ll spend two nights here in shared cabins at a charming lodge set at the foot of the mighty Kennicott Glacier, deep in the heart of the park. 16,390’ Mt. Blackburn looms up the glacier, and other huge peaks are all about. Four major mountain ranges, 9 of the 16 tallest peaks in the US, and the largest non-polar ice field in the world converge in this little-known and seldom-visited gem of a national park. Lodging: McCarthy Lodge, McCarthy Friday, July 15: Wrangell-St. Elias National Park / McCarthy and Kennicott Today we will venture out onto the ice with a local mountaineering guide and crampons to explore the blue crevasses, moulins, and the rest of the fascinating glacial geography. The more energetic can challenge themselves with an optional introductory ice-climbing course on the glacier (+ ~$70). Optional “flight-seeing” over the glacial wilderness, and/or a Kennecott Mine tour are also available, as are various ranger-led activities. Nature inspired kabbalat shabbat under the ever lasting sunset! Lodging: McCarthy Lodge, McCarthy Saturday, July 16: Wrangell-St. Elias National Park / McCarthy and Kennicott Today we can hike up to the abandoned Bonanza Mine for incredible mountain and glacier views. This vigorous hike is the consensus favorite of both travelers and guides year after year. Less strenuously, you can either hike along the lateral moraine of the Root Glacier, along McCarthy Creek or out to the toe of the huge Kennicott Glacier, where you can witness it actually moving, depositing the boulders and debris it has carved and carried from the mountains into the terminal lake that it has formed (headwaters of the Kennicott River). Or, if you prefer, take a day off to simply relax and soak up the mountain village ambiance, explore on your own, or participate in some National Park Service activities. You won't want to leave McCarthy! Lodging: Kennicott River Lodge, McCarthy Sunday, July 17: Worthington Glacier and Valdez Driving out of Wrangell-St. Elias National Park we'll cross yet another tremendous range: the heavily glaciated Chugach Mountains. At alpine Thompson Pass we can hike up the lateral moraine of Worthington Glacier to a dramatic view of the ice field that feeds this very blue "river" of ice. Dropping down out of the mountains afterwards to the picturesquely set town of Valdez we'll get our first taste of magnificent coastal Alaska. The young and geologically very active Chugach range rises up literally out of the sea, ringing super-scenic Prince William Sound. Glaciers are all about, some of them spilling their loads of ice directly into the sea. Lodging: Mountain Sky Hotel, Valdez Monday, July 18: Valdez and Prince William Sound Today we’ll experience some of the best sea kayaking available anywhere. After gearing up and a quick water taxi ride to protected Shoup Bay, we’ll paddle past huge waterfalls and the largest kittiwake rookery on Prince William Sound (home of 18,000+ nesting sea birds), up to the face of spectacular Shoup Glacier. Alternatively, enjoy a half-day wildlife and glacier viewing cruise on the Sound. Salmon and halibut fishing charters are also optionally available. Tonight, we will celebrate our last night in Alaska, overlooking the everlasting sunset on Prince William Sound! Lodging: Mountain Sky Hotel, Valdez Tuesday, July 19: Across Prince William Sound, back to Anchorage This morning we’ll board the Alaska state ferry for a beautiful crossing of Prince William Sound, on the lookout for whales, bald eagles and other wildlife. Following a short hike (time permitting), we’ll drive back to Anchorage. The trip will end back in Anchorage at ~5 p.m. We'll return to Anchorage in late afternoon and officially end our adventure in the Last Frontier, celebrating the end of our trip as well as the traditional Havdalleh! Upon arrival in Anchorage the group will be brought to the Anchorage International Airport to catch their departing flights - though if you have a flight on Sunday morning, or choose to spend another day or two in Anchorage, you will be dropped off at the hotel. You have an option of flying back home tonight, as there are many flights that leave Anchorage at night, enabling you to take an overnight flight if you have to get back to the east coast on Wednesday morning. |
Anchorage
Jews in Nome, during the Gold Rush
Moose sighting on the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail
A grizzly bear in Denali
Mt. Denali
dogsled kennels in Denali
Caribou
Tangle Lakes
Chitina airstip
Flight into Wrangell-St. Elias National Park
McCarthy Lodge, McCarthy
Root Glacier hike
Shoup Bay kayaking
Prince William Sound glacier cruise
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Dates
The Alaska trip will take place from Friday or Saturday, July 8 or 9, to Tuesday, July 19, 2016 (10 nights in total; 11 nights for those wishing to arrive on Friday). We will be arriving at and leaving from the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC)
If you decide to arrive on Saturday, and wish to participate in our activity on Jewish Alaska that evening, we ask that you plan to be on a flight that will land in Anchorage by 5 pm on Saturday, July 9 . If you decide to arrive on Friday, please plan to arrive by 5 pm on Friday, July 8, so we can prepare for Shabbat dinner and services (candle lighting is at 11:10 pm!) .
You have an option of arriving on Friday and spending the weekend in Anchorage, attending services in one of Anchorages synagogues, enjoying a communal Shabbat dinner and learning more about the Jewish history of Alaska.
Your flight home should be no earlier than 8 pm on Tuesday, June 19th. If you wish to, you can stay an extra night (or few!) in Anchorage and book your return flight for Wednesday or later in the week - we can help with accommodations)
If you want to arrive a day or two earlier, or choose to leave later, please let us know how we can help you experience more of the Last Frontier - there are many day trip activities we can help you book from Anchorage.
Accommodations
In Anchorage we will be staying in an established hotel, such as the Ramada or an upscale Bed & Breakfast - which we prefer. Outside of Anchorage, we will stay in cabins (or rooms) in friendly lodges as described in the itinerary .
Guides
The outfitting company we are working with in Alaska goes to great pains to find those that believe in what they are doing, because they are the basis of your experience as well as ours. This means that our driver/guide will be knowledgeable on the areas visited, as well as the activities involved. The tour will also be accompanied by a Greener Travel staff person that will be with the group throughout the trip.
Transportation
Our itinerary involves a variety of means of travel in order to give a better feel for the particular area we are exploring. Mostly, we will be travelling in a specially equipped minivan.
Meals
All breakfasts and lunches are included in the tour price (except lunch on the ferry). Most breakfasts are either ordered off the regular menu or are hot, multi-course buffets; a few are continental style. Lunches are generally buffet-style picnics or brown bag meals that we carry with us on our hikes and other activities. Dinners are not included; these are taken either at our lodges or in local restaurants, and are paid for individually.
Vegetarians and most special diets can be catered to with advance notice, please list any dietary restrictions or preferences on your Tour Reservation . The few non-included meals are taken at local restaurants, or on the ferry, and are paid for individually.
Optional Activities
If you are interested in the optional activities (see the What's Included page), you should reserve them in advance, as we get a special rate for booking in advance. If you choose not to book these activities before arriving in Alaska, there will probably be a higher retail rate.
Packing list
Before departing, you will receive a comprehensive list of suggested things to bring on the Alaska trip.
Weather
During the month of July, the average high in the places where we will be visiting is 63 degrees Fahrenheit (17 c), with the low at night averaging at 49 f (9.5 c), so it can get quite chilly at night, compared to the lowed 48. The weather being unpredictable, one can always expect rain, and you should pack adequate rain-gear.
For more specific info check out this trip's FAQ page.
Denali
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Humpback whale, Prince William Sound
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