Nancy Stewart Photography: A Drive Down the Turnagain Arm

Alaska History

The largest state of the United States, Alaska was admitted to the union as the 49th state in 1959, and lies at the extreme northwest of the North American continent. Acquired by the United States in 1867, the territory was dubbed "Seward's Folly" after U.S. Secretary of State William Seward, who arranged to purchase the land from Russia. Critics of the purchase believed that the land had nothing to offer, but the discovery of gold in the 1890s created a stampede of prospectors and settlers. Alaska is bounded by the Beaufort Sea and the Arctic Ocean to the north; Canada's Yukon Territory and British Columbia province to the east; the Gulf of Alaska and the Pacific Ocean to the south; the Bering Strait and the Bering Sea to the west; and the Chukchi Sea to the northwest. The capital is Juneau.

Climate & Seasons

The weather in Alaska can be extreme and unpredictable. The state is the first to get whatever nasty weather Arctic Siberia or the void of the North Pacific has to throw at North America. The extremes of recorded temperatures are a high of 100°F (38°C) and low of -80°F (-62°C). At any time of year your vacation could be enlivened by weeks of unbroken sunny weather or weighed down by weeks of unbroken rain. All you can do is play the averages, hope for the best, and, if you do get bad weather, get out and have fun anyway -- that's what Alaskans do.

June, July & August -- Summer in Alaska is a miraculous time, when the sun refuses to set, the salmon run upriver, and people are energized by limitless daylight. The sun dips below the horizon in Anchorage for only about 4 hours on June 21, the longest day of the year, and the sky is light all night. The state fills with people coming to visit and to work in the seasonal fishing, timber, and construction industries. Weather gets warmer, although how warm depends on where you go. June is the driest of the summer months, July the warmest, and August generally the rainiest month of the brief summer, but warmer than June. In most respects, June is the best summer month to make a visit, but it does have some drawbacks to consider: In the Arctic, snow can linger until mid-June; in Southcentral Alaska, trails at high elevations or in the shade may be too muddy or snowy; and not all activities or facilities at Denali National Park open until late June. It's also the worst time for mosquitoes.

Summer also is the season of high prices. Most operators in the visitor industry have only these 90 days to make their year's income, and they charge whatever the market will bear. July is the absolute peak of the tourist season, when you must book well ahead and when crowds are most prevalent. (Of course, crowding depends on where you are. With a population density of roughly one person per square mile, Alaska is never really crowded.) Before June 15 and after August 15, the flow of visitors relaxes, providing occasional bargains and more elbow room. Real off-season prices show up before Memorial Day and after Labor Day. But the length and intensity of the visitor season varies widely in different areas: In cruise-ship ports, it's busy from chilly early May into stormy October.

May & September -- More and more visitors are coming to Alaska during these "shoulder months" to take advantage of the lower prices, reduced crowds, and special beauty.

May is the drier of the 2 months and can be as warm as summer if you're lucky, but as you travel farther north and earlier in the month, your chances of finding cold, mud, and even snow increase. In Alaska, there is no spring -- the melt of snow and resultant seas of mud are called breakup. Flowers show up with the start of summer. Many outdoor activities aren't possible during breakup, which can extend well into May. Except in cruise-ship towns, most tourist-oriented activities and facilities are still closed before May 15, and a few don't open until Memorial Day or June 1. Where visitor facilities are open, they often have significantly lower prices. Also, the first visitors of the year usually receive an especially warm welcome. The very earliest salmon runs start in May, but for a fishing-oriented trip, it's better to come later in the summer. Cruise ships begin calling May 1, and the towns they visit swing into action when they arrive.

Sometime between late August and mid-September, weather patterns change, bringing clouds, frequent rainstorms, and cooling weather, and signaling the trees and tundra to turn bright, vivid colors. For a week or two (what week it is depends on your latitude), the bright yellow birches of the boreal forest and the rich red of the heathery tundra make September the loveliest time of year. But the rain and the nip in the air, similar to late October or November in New England, mean you'll likely have to bundle up, and September is among the wettest months of the year. Most tourist-oriented businesses stay open, with lower prices, until September 15, except in the Arctic. After September 15, it's potluck. Some areas close up tight, but the silver salmon fishing is still active on the Kenai Peninsula, and the season there continues until the end of the month. A lucky visitor can come in September and hit a month of crisp, sunny, perfect weather, and have the state relatively to him- or herself. Or it can be cold and rainy all month. Cruise ships continue to ply the Inside Passage well into October, while the sky dumps torrential rains: Ketchikan averages 22 inches and 24 rainy days in October.

October, November, April -- I always love Alaska, but I love it least during these transition months between winter and summer. From Southcentral Alaska northward, snow and ice arrive sometime in October; in Southeast Alaska, it is the month of cold, unending rain. Winter starts in November, but you can't count on being able to do winter sports and darkness is prevalent as the year's shortest day approaches. April is a month of waiting, as winter sports come to an end and summer activities are blocked by melt and mud (although spring skiing can still be great in high-snow years). In-town activities are down in these months, too; with few visitors, many facilities are closed.

December through March -- Winter is the whole point of Alaska. For sightseeing, the scenery is at its best (although there are far fewer wildlife-viewing opportunities). This is the time to see the aurora borealis. Communities get busy with activities such as sled dog and snowmobile races, theater, music and other performing arts, ice carving competitions and winter carnivals, and all the rest of the real local culture that takes a break in the summer, when most visitors come. If you enjoy winter and its outdoor activities, an Alaska visit is paradise, with superb downhill, cross-country, and backcountry skiing; snowshoeing; snowmobiling; dog mushing; ice skating -- anything that can be done on snow and ice.

By far the best time to come is late winter, February and March, when the sun is up longer and winter activities hit their peak. Anchorage's Fur Rendezvous is in late February; the Iditarod Sled Dog Race is in early March. Visiting in late March could mean thin snow at lower elevations for cross-country skiing, but downhill skiing and skiing at backcountry locations keep going strong. At Alyeska Resort, south of Anchorage, some skiing goes on through Memorial Day. In Homer, you can cross-country ski and go salmon fishing on the same day in March.

If you come in winter, you sacrifice some popular Alaska experiences. Some tourism-oriented towns such as Skagway close down almost completely. In places on the ocean, most activities and attractions are closed for the season, but services remain open for business travelers. Inland, where winter sports are better, there is more to do. Hotel prices are often less than half of what you'd pay in the high season. Quite luxurious rooms sometimes go for the cost of a budget motel.

ABOUT ANCHORAGE...ONE DESTINATION. ENDLESS ADVENTURE.

Anchorage is a unique destination located in one of the world's most spectacular settings – Alaska.

Embraced by six mountain ranges and warmed by a maritime climate, Anchorage is alive yearround with adventure, recreation, seasonal festivities, sporting events and more.

Recognized as a four-time All-America City, Anchorage is a modern city surrounded by spectacular wilderness with adventures just steps from my back door.

During summer the days seem endless. Dazzling displays of flowers adorn homes and storefronts, live music fills the air, while king and silver salmon are caught right downtown in Ship Creek.

During winter Anchorage is truly a wonderland. Thousands of lights decorate downtown Anchorage and the excitement of many activities reverberates throughout the entire city.

All About Alaska

Every year hundreds of thousands of tourists visit Alaska so they can view the Alaskan wildlife. Alaska is the habitat to many endangered species that you would never be able to see in their natural habitat anywhere else. There are 47 National and State Parks spread throughout the state for wildlife viewing. These parks have beautiful scenery that crosses the horizon as far you can see.

Within 60 miles of the Artic coast of Alaska you can view the Brown Bear which can weight upwards of 1,500 pounds. These Brown Bears range in different colors from light blonde to dark brown depending on the habitat where they live. Since these Brown Bears live only a distance of 60 miles from the Artic coast their food source is mainly Salmon which contain a wide variety of oils and minerals which help Brown Bears with the cold temperatures.

If you look up into the sky you will find the United States national bird the “Bald Eagle“. These birds live near water sources within the state of Alaska and also feed on mostly Salmon. The Bald Eagle has such a keen eyesight that they are able to spot their prey from up to miles away. To view these manificant birds you will have to travel to the interior of Alaska. There are over 30,000 Bald Eagles that inhabit Alaska right now.

One of the most well renowned members of the Alaskan wildlife is the Moose which is the largest member of the deer family. These massive animals which can weight anywhere from 800 to 1600 pounds mainly eat roots, water plants, and birch bark. Moose can usually be found in areas of forest that have easy accessibility to aquatic plant life. The average life span for a Moose in Alaska can be anywhere from 8 to 12 years.

Alaska Economy

Alaska has a small background for agriculture which ranks it last in the United States for farms and farm products. Since Alaska does not have a big agriculture background and is cold throughout the year and surrounded by water, residents rely on commercial fishing for revenue. A majority of what they catch consists of Crab, Shrimp, Salmon, Herring, Cod, and Halibut.

The towns of Anchorage and Dutch Harbor are major fishing ports of Alaska. These ports are key for keeping the fish frozen, and canning and processing of the fish take place at these ports. These two ports are the largest manufacturing towns in Alaska.

Along with fishing as a revenue source, the community within Alaska also relies on logging. Logging is of great importance in Alaska although great disputes of logging in the state’s national forest are going on. The most profitable industry in Alaska involves mining of petroleum and natural gas. In 1968, it was discovered that Alaska had a petroleum reserve twice the size of any other in North America.

During the period between 1970 and 1980 oil began to dominate the state economy. This domination brought with it the Trans-Alaska pipeline which crosses over 800 miles. The Alaska Permanent Fund, created in 1977, receives 25% of Alaska’s royalty income. These funds are designed to provide the state with income once the oil reserves are depleted.

Nancy Stewart Photography

Sunday, August 26, 2012

A Drive Down the Turnagain Arm

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