Alaska Master Thread

[yehuda S]

I found the cruise in the Gulf of Alaka cooler then the Prince william sound. We did both and they both had many glaciers but the Gulf of Alaska was a bit nicer, plus we saw a pod of killer whales.

What about the kenai fjords tour? Glaciers, whales, and puffins! :-)

[Fan of Dan]

I don't recall who I used for the flight as we did a walk in rate which was probably about 180 a person for the 2 of us. The cruise on the Gulf i had pre booked but this was in 2010 so I don't recall who I used.

[Something Fishy]

We are going a couple weeks after you. We're going for about a week and that seems pretty short, 3/4 days seems like  very little time unless you don't plan on sleeping.
I found this company that takes you ice climbing on exit glacier in tiny groups. We really want to do it although it isn't cheap but it's probably a once in a lifetime thing. It looks amazing and has amazing reviews: http://www.exitglacierguides.com

While this tour does not require climbing experience, the physical ability to be outside hiking, climbing, and pushing your athletic abilities is a must

Definitely not a good idea for this out of shape city lump.

I can sleep when I get home.

I wish my wife thought so too .

[Something Fishy]

Wow, this really gives a sense of the sheer size of Alaska:

http://www.birds-eye-view.alaska.edu/ch2/story2-3.htm

[Something Fishy]

What about the kenai fjords tour? Glaciers, whales, and puffins! :-)

Are you talking about any particular tour/operator?

[yehuda S]

Are you talking about any particular tour/operator?

I guess the ones I mainly saw were major marine and kenai fjords tours. they Both have excellent ratings on tripadvisor.

Btw this trip is the reason I'm looking for a good but not too bulky camera does anyone do camera rentals?

[yehuda S]

Definitely not a good idea for this out of shape city lump.

I wish my wife thought so too .

Try doing some running or kickboxing or biking a few times a week until the trip. Youll do fine!

If you want sleep you can do so right here. No need to fly 8 hours out into the great wilderness.

[Something Fishy]

does anyone do camera rentals?

I've used http://www.lensrentals.com/, http://www.csirentals.com/, and http://www.adoramarentals.com/ for cameras, lenses, and lighting gear and was very happy. Usually not too cheap, though.

ETA: http://www.borrowlenses.com/ is also supposed to be quite good, but I've never personally used them.

[Fan of Dan]

I've used http://www.lensrentals.com/, http://www.csirentals.com/, and http://www.adoramarentals.com/ for cameras, lenses, and lighting gear and was very happy. Usually not too cheap, though.

ETA: http://www.borrowlenses.com/ is also supposed to be quite good, but I've never personally used them.

Do you know anything about underwater camera rentals?

[Something Fishy]

Do you know anything about underwater camera rentals?

Lensrentals and Borrowlenses will rent you underwater point & shoots. Borrowlenses also rents underwater SLR housings, but they're quite expensive.

What do you plan on shooting? Usually GoPro or P&S is good enough. But if you have the need for a real housing you'd probably also need a lighting system, weights, and who knows what else.

[Fan of Dan]

Lensrentals and Borrowlenses will rent you underwater point & shoots. Borrowlenses also rents underwater SLR housings, but they're quite expensive.

What do you plan on shooting? Usually GoPro or P&S is good enough. But if you have the need for a real housing you'd probably also need a lighting system, weights, and who knows what else.

I just want a basic camera. I would probably not even rent a strobe. I will look into it thanks.

[yehuda S]

I've used http://www.lensrentals.com/, http://www.csirentals.com/, and http://www.adoramarentals.com/ for cameras, lenses, and lighting gear and was very happy. Usually not too cheap, though.

ETA: http://www.borrowlenses.com/ is also supposed to be quite good, but I've never personally used them.

What do you think about the Olympus OM-D E-M5 Micro Four Third from borrowlenses.com? Can you recommend which lens to rent with it?

[henche]

I looked into this but it seems like flights over denali are mucho $$$. I vaguely recall about $300 p/p? Maybe more. This trip is turning out to be quite costly. I don't think we can spring for that much money. Also the bus trip through Denali seems pretty nice although it's 13 hours round trip to the end.

The Lubavitch website is www.alaskajewishgala.org and the Shabbos meals are also really expensive, about $40 per person per meal.

Sure, so scratch the flight. I've heard the bus ride is nice, you see lots and lots of wildlife on it. AK is expensive, but there are plenty good ways to have a great experience without spending so much.

You can do fishing from a river bank anywhere, with a rod purchased at walmart. And you can hike for pretty much free anywhere, or just see sights from your car.

[Something Fishy]

What do you think about the Olympus OM-D E-M5 Micro Four Third from borrowlenses.com? Can you recommend which lens to rent with it?

The OM-D is a great option, it's the best M4/3 camera on the market today. As far as lenses, for Alaska you'd want at least a wide-angle zoom for landscapes and a fast telephoto for wildlife. If you're willing to spend the money, for WA I'd recommend the Olympus 12-60mm f/2.8-4 ED or the Panasonic 12-35mm f/2.8, and for tele the Olympus 50-200mm f/2.8-3.5 ED SWD or the Panasonic 35-100mm f/2.8.

Or you could go the cheaper and more convenient way and get an all-in-one lens at the expense of quality and speed. The Olympus ED 14-150mm f/4.0 -5.6 would be a good option.

[Fan of Dan]

Sure, so scratch the flight. I've heard the bus ride is nice, you see lots and lots of wildlife on it. AK is expensive, but there are plenty good ways to have a great experience without spending so much.

You can do fishing from a river bank anywhere, with a rod purchased at walmart. And you can hike for pretty much free anywhere, or just see sights from your car.

U will see a lot of wildlife from the bus but its usually pretty far from the bus as all the buses make the animals stay far from the road. Also you are seeing thru the windows of a bus. And when it rains the glass gets foggy. Not trying to discourage you just saying what happened when I went.

[Something Fishy]

U will see a lot of wildlife from the bus but its usually pretty far from the bus as all the buses make the animals stay far from the road. Also you are seeing thru the windows of a bus. And when it rains the glass gets foggy. Not trying to discourage you just saying what happened when I went.

Is Denali takkeh so awesome that it's worth it to go through all this trouble? Weather so iffy you might not even see the mountain, 13 hour bus rides, crazy expensive plane rides...

[henche]

U will see a lot of wildlife from the bus but its usually pretty far from the bus as all the buses make the animals stay far from the road. Also you are seeing thru the windows of a bus. And when it rains the glass gets foggy. Not trying to discourage you just saying what happened when I went.

ah, I didn't do the bus. My preference is for walking around myself anyway

[EMES]

I hope to go to Alaska 6/30-7/4. Anyone have any tips/ideas?

So far my (very tentitive) itinerary is fly into ANC, rent an RV (far cheaper than car+hotel and much more convenient), and drive down to Seward. Want to do sea kayaking (looking at some of the guided day trips), hiking, maybe ATVing, etc. Thinking of doing Denali on the last day (flight will prob be 10ish - is it doable?).

Any tips on kayaking? Which trip/outfitter? Where is the best place (in the Seward area) to see calving glaciers? Whales?

Suggestions on hikes etc.?

if u can get a satellite phone , it can come to good use , as a lot of areas out of the city had no service , as well as we there was service it comes up as restricted

[Achas Veachas]

Wow, this really gives a sense of the sheer size of Alaska:

http://www.birds-eye-view.alaska.edu/ch2/story2-3.htm

They say a Texans' biggest fear is that they'll decide to split Alaska in 2, making Texas the 3rd biggest state...

[Fan of Dan]

Is Denali takkeh so awesome that it's worth it to go through all this trouble? Weather so iffy you might not even see the mountain, 13 hour bus rides, crazy expensive plane rides...

It's cool but just putting it into perspective. The views are amazing and there are areas that the bus stops. Only thing I would say is don't do the 13 hour one it's a bit much. If I could do it again I would have picked a shorter route.