Need some advice on my Alaska itinerary

[bastian_bauwens1]

<p>Greetings to all fellow photographers out there!<br>

I am finally planning to go to Alaska this year as part of a 2-months trip through the western part of the US. The main purpose of the trip to Alaska is to get a shot of Denali and Wonder Lake. I'm mainly interested in landscape photography.<br>

Here's my itinerary:<br>

Aug 26: Fly in to Fairbanks, then drive to Denali NP<br>

Aug 27 - 29: Stay at Savage River, shoot at the entrance of the park, take a shuttle bus to Eielson Visitor Center or another location in the park<br>

Aug 30 - Sep 4: Stay at Wonder Lake, wait for the mountain to come out<br>

Sep 5: Drive back to Anchorage and take the flight to Seattle</p>

<p>Some specific questions:<br>

- Any recommendations re. <strong>what exactly to do during the first days in the park?</strong> What are the <strong>best locations to go to with the shuttle buses?</strong><br>

- Is the <strong>timing good for Mt. McKinley?</strong> Should I stay longer or come a little earlier/later?<br>

- What can I do at Wonder Lake apart from waiting for the mountain to come out? And what are the <strong>best photo locations</strong>?<br>

- I could maybe spend 2 more days in Alaska (the rest of the time I'll be in Washington, Oregon, Wyoming etc.) - are there <strong>any other must-see locations that I should not miss?</strong> E.g., what about the northern lights near Fairbanks? And how much time would it take to visit those locations?<br>

- Any other tips, e.g., on clothing, things to bring, places to see, things to do?</p>

<p>Thanks a lot in advance for helping! I hope it's going to be a great trip.</p>

<p>Cheers,<br>

Bastian</p>

[nodpete]

You'll enjoy anywhere you are in Alaska, the whole State is a big photo op! Hopefully, Bob Flood will post some good advice for you, he knows the trips. The shuttle buses run 2 different trips, one is 4 hrs long and the other is the whole day. You can't drive very far into the Park yourself, so plan on the shuttle. No matter what , you won't be disappointed.

[peter_mounier]

<p>Mt. McKinley is great to see. I hope you get the chance. I've been there several times, and have seen it from a distance in clear skies, but I only saw it once while I was at Wonder Lake. I woke up and peaked out of my tent at about 3:30 or 4:00 in the morning and saw the mountain in clear skies with gorgeous but minimum pre-sunrise light. I don't know what woke me up, but it was cold, and I regretfully decided to go back to sleep and shoot it in the morning (the real morning, in a couple of hours) with better light. Needless to say, I lost my only opportunity because by the time I woke up again it was cloud covered, and I was left with only the memory. </p>

<p>The lesson here is, if you see it, shoot it. It may be your only chance on this trip.</p>

<p>Peter</p>

[diane_madura]

<p>If you take the bus tour, take the earliest one in the day or the latest at night. They say this is when you will see the most animals. I think the animals prefer cooler weather. Take the longest telephoto lens you have, or rent one. I did not go on the earliest or the latest tour and saw almost no animals. But when we did see one, it was so far away I didn't even know what I was looking at. I could tell it was moving, but I couldn't tell you what kind of animal it was. I had rented a 70-200 zoom for the occasion. That's why I say to take a largest telephoto with you that you can. That would be my best advice to you. </p>

<p>If you have nice weather, try to take a short cruise around the glaciers, i.e., in Valdez. There are cruises near other cities as well. The amount of wildlife in/near the water is simply amazing! Again, take at least a 200 mm lens with you. Make sure it has VR or IR...if you're on a boat, you will need it.</p>

<p>Mt. McKinley, because it is so big, looks as if it is in your backyard, even if you are 50 miles away.</p>

<p>I hope you have wonderful weather.</p>

[jkaufman]

<p>A beautiful and photographic view of Denali (i.e., Mt. McKinley) can be had from the the Denali State Park South pull-off. My family and I were fortunate enough to park and walk to the lookout just as the clouds cleared from the peak. It was nothing short of majestic.</p>

[g dan mitchell]

<p>I'll second the recommendation for Denali State Park - I also was able to shoot it from a large parking area there, perhaps the one that Jason mentions. I hate to rub it in, but I actually saw the peak on the day I arrived at Savage Creek, a couple days later when I left the park, and at other odd points on the way back to Anchorage - by bicycle.</p>

<p>I enjoyed Savage Creek quite a bit. As you know it is the last campground you can get to in your own vehicle and it is surrounding by tremendous alpine tundra. I had a close encounter with a caribou here that I'll never forget. And when I arrived I saw a large white eminence in the far distance - Denali!</p>

<p>Good luck with the weather!</p>

<p>Dan</p>

[jkaufman]

<p>To add to Dan's comment, it should be noted that common experience suggests that the peak of Denali is only visible approximately 1 out of every 3 days. In other words, it pays to plan shooting Denali on multiple dates while hoping for a bit of luck.</p>

[bob_flood1]

<p>Thanx for the plug, Don! Will you take a check? :^)</p>

<p>The park road from the entrance to the end of the line is about 90 miles, of which about 15 miles is paved, and that's as far as you can drive your own vehicle. The turnaround is at Savage River, which is a little farther into the park than the Savage River campground. Pay attention (web site) to what the park allows in the campgrounds.</p>

<p>The Kantishna shuttle (a school bus) runs from the entrance to the end of the line and has fixed stops along the way, but the driver will stop anywhere when people spot animals. You'll be limited to shooting thru the bus' open windows, but they are windows thru which a bear cannot climb! There are also tours that run shorter routes and spend more time at specific stops. The Kantishna shuttle is an all-day trip - 8 Am to 9 PM for us. But it's the best deal around. The Wilderness tour specializes in McKinley if the mountain is out (it was for us).</p>

<p>Weather: crummy weather (low clouds, rain/drizzle, cold) is great for seeing animals - they are built to survive Denali winters and don't like hot sunny days. If the clouds part, you'll see less wildlife but more scenery. On trip #2 we got incredibly lucky - our first day on the Kantishna shuttle was cold and drizzly with lots of animals. The mountain had been socked just about 100% of the year in 2008 until Labor Day weekend, when it came out in full sunshine for 3 days! There's no way to predict something like this.</p>

<p>Timing is everything, right? August is a magical time of year in Denali - the tree line on the subarctic tundra is about 3,000 ft, and almost 100% of the park is above the tree line. The landscape is covered with shrubbery related to birch and willow, and they turn the most brilliant colors in August. I don't care where else in the world you've seen fall color, I doubt you've seen anything like what you'll find there.</p>

<p>Check out one of the web's sunrise/sunset calculators and get an idea of when to expect dawn and dusk at the start and end of your visit. This is important - the length of the day changes dramatically around that time of year. The length of daylight can drop by 3/4 hour over a period of a week . Arm yourself with knowledge.</p>

<p>Ask the rangers where they've seen bears, moose, wolves, fox, ptarmigan, hares, etc. They'll know the places frequented - moose are especially habitual - when they find a place they like to feed, they'll be there the same time every day. The rangers will know. The caribou and moose like to graze around 6-8 Am and again in the 4-7 PM range. No bald eagles - too far inland for a fishing bird. There are some golden eagles, but not in abundance. The ptarmigan and hares will be changing color at the time you'll be there - they'll be a mix of summer color and winter white.</p>

<p>If you don't have one, get a loose-fitting water-proof or water-resistant jacket with a hood, preferably a large hood. This jacket will keep out the wind (not much of a problem the two times I've been there) and allow you to move around in the rain. Mine is loose enough that I can close it over the camera hanging around my neck - very handy.</p>

<p>Travel - get a copy of Milepost. More mile-by-mile detail about travelling in Alaska than you can imagine (excellent map detail, too). I got mine at a local Borders, but it can also be had online. A new one is published every year. Check it out using Google to see what it covers. Worth more than it costs, for sure.</p>

<p>Denali State Park - I agree with the others - a great place to see the mountain. It's on the south side of the Alaska Range, and actually gives you a much better look at how much larger McKinley is than all the other mountains in the range (which is why it alters the weather). The area between the state and national parks is dotted with glacial ponds, depressions left by the glaciers that filled with water but are shallow - the moose love them for the grass that grows on the bottom, and trumpeter swans like them, too. If the wind is calm, you can get some high quality reflections, too. (Good ones around Cantwell.)</p>

<p>Lenses: your preference for wide angle should be the right lens for this trip. If you like shooting a very wide angle, then bring it. If you are happy with a fairly ordinary wide angle (like me), you'll be happy with it on the trip. Telephoto is another subject. No one ever comes back from Alaska saying "I never needed the long lens." My longest is the 80-400 and I sure could have been happier with longer (but I can't afford it). Take the longest you have. If you plan to buy a new lens for the trip, buy in advance and spend time getting used to it. Don't use your once-in-a-lifetime shooting opportunities to get the hang of a new lens. This applies if renting, too - plan to rent twice - once for learning before you go, and again for the trip. Otherwise you'll regret the missed shots. Two camera bodies is a very good idea - it means you have a spare in case something malfunctions in one of them, and allows you to have a wider lens on one and the long lens on the other. I used a 16-85 on one and 80-400 on the other and never changed lenses in the two weeks we were in Alaska last trip. Never missed a shot because I needed to change a lens, either.</p>

<p>OK, it's bedtime here in Las Vegas. G'nite.</p>

[ross_geredien]

<p>Bastian,<br>

I'm very envious of your trip. I used to live in the park, and you will be there at one of the best times. Foliage is usually peaking during the last week of August/first week of Sept. Wildilfe activity will be very high, with everything feeding and feasting before the snows set in. Expect a gamut of conditions. You can have Indian Summer, or blizzard-like conditions any time after Sept. 1, especially above 3,000 ft. <br>

For McKinley, you will want to be getting up by 5 AM each morning at Wonder lake. Better to get up in the dark than to miss the alpenglow. I had it at about 5:30 one morning, and the water was like glass. Reflection Pond is the place to be then, or Wonder Lake itself, on the shore along the road, looking out across the Mtn. There is a great spot at the far northern end of the Lake where the road crosses the outlet of the lake, but getting there is tough in the AM before the buses are coming through. You can catch a bus going by there later in the day for PM light, but getting back to the campground you will have the same issue if you stay beyond 7 or 8 PM. Most people shoot from Reflection Pond, which is along the road about 1 or 2 miles beyond the campground. It is adjacent to the lake, but above it and to the east, but right next to the road (west side). This is where many published photos have been taken. <br>

In the morning, you can walk about 0.5 mile to the southern end of the lake and bushwack along the eastern shore to look back at the mountain in hopes of morning alpenglow. I was very successful here in 1998 getting shots of the mountain with the lake in the foreground.<br>

Other favorite areas to shoot the mountain from include Thorofare pass, Highway pass, and Stony Overlook and surrounding high areas. A trek in the Stony area is highly recommended: the tundra is short here, and the scenery some of the best in the park. It is also great for Grizzlies, Wolverine, and all the other tundra specialties, including birds like White-tailed Ptarmigan. My favorite area is just south of the road, you can hike up Stony Creek and then up and over the hills to the right for views of the Mtn, or you can leave Stony Overlook, which is up on the pass, and then trek up and along the ridgeline to the south.<br>

Savage river is very scenic in itself, with its braids. Great tundra foliage shots can be had here looking to the south at the Alaska Range, or down at the river from up on Mt. Margaret. The Dall sheep can be found on Mt. Margaret above the river as well, and you can get quite close to them with care, but always use caution and abide by park rules regarding approaching wildlife. <br>

Weather will dictate your subject matter, so pay special attention to the clouds and the light. You will be want for sleep, but keep at it, and stay up through the long twilight b/c a trip like this only happens so often. Pay special attention to misty or drizzly conditions in the PM where there is even a hint of possible breaks in the clouds b/c these can be the most spectacular conditions: rainbows abound when it rains up there, and they can happen at any time. I've seen more doubles there than anywhere. Combine this with red alpenglow on the clouds or on Mt. Brooks or Denali itself, and you've got a winner. Best of luck to you! It is going to be unforgettably awesome.</p>

[mas-alaska]

<p>Although I have lived in Alaska for 32 years this thread is of interest to me because I am planning my first trip to Denali for the 1st week in September. I live in SE Alaska and it is a huge state and the travel dollars tend to fly southward for sunny weather. What I can add though is a recommendation one how to spend the other two days, I would head from Anchorage down the Kenai Peninsula. You can go as far as either Homer or Seward spend the night and return the next day. You will be along the the water, Turnagain Arm and the coast and have scenery much different than Denali. I drove the Seward Highway last month and the scenery is world class. Some shots here: <a href="http://www.mitchseaver.com/alaska">http://www.mitchseaver.com/alaska</a>. The Kenai Peninsula gallery ends up in Homer, the Seward Highway gallery in Seward, but the first part of the drive is the same.</p>

[dan_hall4]

<p>I second Mitch's suggestion of spending some time on the Kenai. Awesome place and tons to photograph there. I would suggest driving from Seward to Homer one day, lots to photograph between them. The Russian Orthodox Church in Ninilchik, mountains, rivers, etc.. Also, in Seward, take the 8 hour day cruise with Kenai Fjords Tour called the "Captains Choice Tour". Awesome day that was and I will be doing it again for sure. Lots of wildlife, glacier, fjords, etc.. Lastly, go to the Alaska outdoors forum, <a href="http://www.outdoorsdirectory.com">www.outdoorsdirectory.com</a> and find the Photography subforum (near the bottom) and ask this same question there. Lots of knowledgable local photographers frequent that site as do I. Sounds like a great trip man, keep researching and you will have a great trip for sure.<br>

Some images from the Kenai..<br>

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/21144083@N02/sets/72157622451000035/show/">http://www.flickr.com/photos/21144083@N02/sets/72157622451000035/show/</a><br>

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/21144083@N02/sets/72157605295387576/show/">http://www.flickr.com/photos/21144083@N02/sets/72157605295387576/show/</a><br>

-Dan</p>

[bastian_bauwens1]

Hey all,

 

Thanks for the incredible number of responses and the good advice! I wish I did not have a stressful day job, then I could

come here more often. ;-)

 

@ Peter: Will make sure not to miss a shot if I get the chance. I've heard this advice several times, so there seems to be

some truth to it. :-)

 

@ Jason: Denali State Park is just next to Denali National Park, is it not? Is the parking lot hard to find or is it just off the

highway/main park road? I'll definitely try the place out.

 

@ Dan, Jason: I have 6 days at Wonder Lake, so that gives me a chance of seeing the mountain of more than 90%. I

hope that will be enough. If not, I guess I'll have to come back. :-)

 

@ Bob: Thanks for in-depth advice. What I hear is that it might be worthwhile to spend more than just a short detour in

Denali State Park? Is it worth going there for 1 - 2 days? Also, is beginning of September the right time to be at Wonder

Lake? I understand that visibility of the mountain cannot be predicted, but falls colors should be great around that time,

right?

 

@ Ross: Would you suggest to go a little earlier (e.g., August 23) to have better weather or at least less variability? Will

also keep in mind all the shooting locations around Wonder Lake. In fact I plan on renting a bike, so getting around won't

be too difficult.

 

@ Mitch: Thanks, I'll check out the photos, it might be worthwhile to go there indeed.

 

@ All: How does the shuttle bus system in Denali actually work? I've seen that you can book trips for a certain time, but I

thought that you can get on and off the buses all the time anyhow? If I book a trip early morning, will I be able to stay in

the park the entire day and jump on other shuttles?

 

 

Thanks for all the advice - that really makes planning easier!

 

Cheers,

Bastian

[jkaufman]

<p>Bastion,</p>

<p>The pull-out for Denali State Park South is not too far south of Denali National Park and Preserve. It is clearly marked and will not jump out as a surprise. The pull-out is also clearly marked in the Milepost, which I highly recommend using while in Alaska. The pull-out itself is just a modest parking lot off the west side of the highway. There are beautiful views from there, but hiking up the hill a bit to the lookout will reward you with even greater grandeur.</p>

<p>The shuttle bus in Denali (which I think is the only true safari in North America) works on a reservation system. At least as of 2004, you needed to reserve a spot on a specific bus (the 9:00 am, 10:00 am, etc.) leaving the park entrance. There are buses regularly driving into and out of the wilderness along the sole road in the park. Once you are "in" to the park by bus, you can get off and on ad libidum. However, I would definitely check the park website for details.</p>

<p>As a side note, I found the view from Polychrome Pass to boarder on the mythic. Happy travels.</p>

[akphotograph]

<p>All fantastic advice. I like going into the park later in the year when fall colors are out. You do take a chance on the park closing the road due to weather. I have been lucky enough to get lottery tickets the last few years. It allows the ticket holder to drive the entire 90 mile road in your private vehicle. It is in the middle of Sept. and the views and colors can be amazing. Might even catch one of these on the side of the road:<br>

http://akphotograph.zenfolio.com/favorites/hb78cda6#hb78cda6</p>