c/alaska

Spent $300 on a good set of winter tires for my truck

They paid for themselves the first time I had to drive the Parks Highway in freezing rain. The grip difference over my old all-seasons was night and day. Anyone have a favorite tire shop in the Fairbanks area?

A bear at the Eagle River trail last summer made me change my whole hiking setup

I was about two miles in, just past the bridge, when I saw a big black bear maybe 50 yards off the trail. It was just eating berries and didn't see me, but my heart was pounding. I had my bear spray, but it was buried at the bottom of my pack under my lunch. Now I always clip the spray right on my belt where I can grab it in one second. Does anyone else have a specific spot they keep theirs, or a different safety habit that worked for you?

Looked at my photos from 2015 and realized I've driven the Seward Highway over 200 times since moving here.

A local in Talkeetna told me my bear spray was too easy to grab

I was getting gas last month and had the canister clipped to my pack's side pocket. An older guy filling his truck said, 'If that's for bears, you want it in your hand, not hanging off your bag.' He explained that in a real rush, fumbling for it costs seconds you don't have. So I changed my whole setup. Now I keep it in a belt holster when I'm on trails. Has anyone else had a local tip that made you switch up your safety gear?

PSA: Picking between a guided tour and going solo for a trip to Denali

I had to choose between booking a guided bus tour into Denali National Park or just driving myself to the Savage River checkpoint and hiking from there. I went with the bus tour for about $120, and honestly, it was worth every penny because the driver knew exactly where to spot a grizzly with two cubs near Polychrome Pass. Has anyone else done the solo drive and had a good experience, or is the tour really the better call for wildlife?

My old way of dealing with a moose in the yard versus my new way

I used to just stand on the porch in Fairbanks and yell at them, which never worked. Then last fall, one named Marvin decided my apple tree was a salad bar and wouldn't leave for three days. Now I keep an air horn by the door, and one quick blast sends them trotting off. What's your best trick for a stubborn moose that won't take a hint?

Serious question, has anyone else dealt with a moose in their yard in Anchorage?

Had one camped out by my shed for two days straight, wouldn't budge for anything. I tried the usual stuff, making noise and staying back, but it just stared. Finally, a guy I know from work said to slowly walk a big, empty trash can towards it while talking in a low voice. Did that yesterday and it just got up and wandered off after about ten minutes. Worked way better than waving my arms. What's your go-to method for a stubborn one?

Heard a guy at the hardware store in Fairbanks talking about his old CB radio

Tbh, he was telling the clerk about how he used to get weather updates and talk to truckers on the Dalton Highway with it back in the 90s. It made me think about how everyone just uses satellite messengers and apps now, which is way safer, I get it. But there was something about that shared channel, that one voice in the static, that feels kinda gone. Anyone else miss that old school way of checking in up here?

Headed to Denali and had to choose between the shuttle bus or a tour bus

The choice was the cheaper park shuttle (about $60) or a guided tour bus for over $200. I picked the shuttle to save money, but it was packed and we missed a lot of animal sightings because the driver couldn't stop as often. If you're going for wildlife, is the tour bus actually worth the huge price jump?

Tried to hike the Portage Pass trail in April thinking it would be fine

I figured with the warmer weather we had in Anchorage, the trail up near Whittier would be mostly clear. I was so wrong. Got about a mile in and hit a solid wall of snow, like waist deep in places. My boots and jeans were soaked through in ten minutes. Had to turn back, which was a bummer because the view of the glacier from the top is supposed to be amazing. I learned that 'spring' on the coast is a totally different beast than in town. Should have checked the trail reports from the forest service or packed some snowshoes. Anyone know some good lower-elevation hikes that are actually passable this time of year around the Kenai?

TIL most people think the Northern Lights are only visible in winter

I saw them clearly in Talkeetna last August, you just need a clear, dark night. Anyone else caught them outside the usual season?

I finally figured out my sourdough starter was failing because of my Fairbanks tap water

After my fourth starter died in two months, a friend in Juneau asked if I was using filtered water. I was using straight tap water, which up here can have a lot of minerals that mess with the yeast. Anyone else in a hard water area have a go-to fix for this, or a specific filter you use?

Stopped at a pullout near Girdwood and saw something weird in the mud

I was driving the Seward Highway yesterday and pulled over at that big turnout just past Bird Creek. The tide was way out, so I walked down to the flats. Right there in the gray mud, maybe twenty feet from the road gravel, was a perfect, fresh bear print. It was huge, like a dinner plate. It just hit me how close they are, even when you don't see them. Anyone else had a moment like that where you realized you were just a visitor in their space?

Serious question, is it better to fly into Anchorage or Fairbanks for a northern lights trip?

I planned a trip for next March and got stuck on this choice. Anchorage flights are cheaper, about $150 less round trip from Seattle, but it's a four hour drive to good dark sky spots. Fairbanks is right in the aurora zone, so you can see them from town sometimes. The trade off is a higher flight cost and maybe less to do during the day. I booked into Anchorage to save money, but now I'm thinking the extra drive might eat up that savings in rental car fees and time. Has anyone done both and found one way clearly better?

Honestly, I used to think the only way to see Alaska was on a big cruise ship

Ngl, I did two of those 7-day cruises from Seattle, thinking I was getting the full experience. What tipped me off was talking to a guy in a diner in Talkeetna last summer who just drove up the Alaska Highway in his truck. He described seeing a grizzly near Tok and camping by Kluane Lake, stuff you just don't do from a ship. I realized I was paying over $3,000 to be stuck on a floating hotel with a thousand other people, only seeing the state from a distance at ports packed with other tourists. Now I'm saving up to do a proper road trip next year. Has anyone else made the switch from cruising to a more independent trip and have tips for the drive?

Hot take: My old 4-season tent from a big box store was a joke compared to the Hilleberg I borrowed for a trip out of Talkeetna.

The Hilleberg held up perfectly in a 3-day windstorm on the tundra while my old one would have shredded, so what's your go-to shelter for serious Alaska weather?

Just realized I've been to the Kenai River 27 times in the past five years

I was cleaning out my truck and found all my old fishing tags. Counting them up, I've made the drive from Anchorage to Cooper Landing 27 times since 2019. It's wild because I never kept track, but that river just pulls me back every chance I get. Anyone else have a spot they keep going back to without even realizing how often?

Finally figured out a trick for getting my car unstuck from that spring slop

After getting stuck twice in the mud near Palmer last week, I tried putting my floor mats under the front tires for traction. It worked on the first try and saved me a long walk. Anyone have other good tricks for that wet, greasy spring ground?

Trying to get to Ketchikan in winter taught me a hard lesson about ferries vs planes

My partner and I planned a trip from Juneau down to Ketchikan in early February. We booked the state ferry for the 90 dollar fare, thinking we'd see the Inside Passage. A huge storm rolled in and they canceled the sailing for three straight days, stranding us. We ended up having to buy last minute plane tickets for over 400 each just to make our work commitment. The extra cost hurt, but the plane got us there in an hour, not a day and a half. Has anyone else had a winter ferry plan completely fall apart like that?

I finally switched from a synthetic to a wool base layer for winter hikes

My old setup left me damp and cold on a trek near Hatcher Pass last November, but a buddy insisted I try a merino wool top. Anyone have a go-to brand that holds up after a season of heavy use?

Finally saw the northern lights from my own backyard in Fairbanks!

After living here for three years and always missing them or having cloudy skies, I got a text from my neighbor Sue last Tuesday night saying 'look up now!' and ran outside. The whole sky was dancing with green and purple ribbons for almost an hour, and it was so quiet and cold. Has anyone else had a first viewing that just felt perfectly timed like that?

Honestly, I used to think the whole 'midnight sun' thing was just a tourist gimmick until I tried to sleep through it in Fairbanks last June

Trying to get a picture of a moose in Denali and my phone died

I was on the Savage River Loop Trail last month, and this huge bull moose was just standing there maybe 30 yards away, perfect shot. I pulled out my phone, and it just shut off from the cold, battery at zero. I had to stand there for like five minutes, blowing on my hands and holding the phone against my stomach under my coat to get it to turn back on. By then, the moose had wandered off behind some trees. Anyone else have their gear totally fail at the worst possible moment up here?

Ran into a guy at the gas station in Talkeetna who said something I can't forget

Stopped for gas on the way back from a job in Willow last fall. It was getting dark early, maybe 5 pm. This older guy at the next pump was just staring at the mountains. I made some small talk about the weather. He didn't even look at me, just kept watching the peaks and said, 'You know, most people come up here to find themselves. I came up here to lose the person I was down there.' Then he got in his truck and drove off. Didn't say another word. It was one of those moments that just hangs in the air. I think about it a lot when I'm driving the long stretches for work. Has anyone else had a random, deep chat with a stranger up here that just stuck with you?

A chat with a guide in Talkeetna shifted my view on cruise ships

I was having a beer with a guy named Carl who runs glacier hikes, and he pointed out that the big cruise lines bring over 1.2 million visitors a year to our state. I always thought they were just a blight, crowding the ports. But he argued that without that volume, a lot of the smaller air taxis and tour operators he works with in the Interior would struggle to stay open. It made me reconsider the whole economic chain. Has anyone else had a local business change their mind about the tourism trade?