jackal

Nil, actually. It's too light in August. The darkest it gets is a kind of dusky dawn.

Well, it might depend on when in August. Towards the end of the month, it's close enough to the fall equinox that it might be dark enough at night for a few hours to see them. (At that time of year, we lose close to 6 minutes a day of daylight.)

fti

I guess it never hurts to sign up for a NL wake up call. If they are not spotted, they won't wake you up! As jackal said, the chances of seeing them in early August are slim, though this past August was very unique in that there was a very strong display of the Northern Lights in early August in Anchorage and north. I have seen them from Denali NP about Aug 20 two summers ago and from a cruise ship near Juneau in late August several years ago.

Miss0033

Everything is booked. Denali bus tickets ordered, etc. I believe everything i can possibly make a reservation for has been reserved.

I am still a little hung up about the overnight in Talkeetna (mainly incase flight-seeing gets cancelled), but I think I am going to leave it and it might serve as a nice relaxing mid-way day of the trip.

Coupon booked saved us over $800. Technically, not all $800 because we are spending some extra on activities we might not have been able to afford normally. Also the Alaska Airlines Visa deal (discovered on FT) allowed us to get a first-class flight, and a coach return for $221 each (had to buy an additional 5000 miles, pay tax, etc). The first class flight alone was $1,400 each.

I just wanted to take the chance to thank everyone, and this site, for all the help with the logistics and planning on the trip, answering my stupid questions, and offering helpful suggestions. Thanks again. I am so excited for this trip I can hardly wait. Only 230 Days to go!

Miss0033

I am back again.

So we tried to find a way to sneak some fishing into our trip. I really wanted to do some deep sea fishing out of Seward or Homer, but I dont think we have time to get to Homer, and Seward we are on a tighter schedule already.

So it looks like Talkeetna it is on Aug 7th. I got a recommendation for Phantom Salmon Charters, anyone have any experience is this area? I know the Kenai river is a world famous salmon river, how about the Susitna River? just as good? It is rather expensive, so I am not going to add the is it worth it question, because we think it is. I am just wondering if the fishing is just as good on the Susitna river, or if it would be worth our time to do it down in Cooper Landing or something?

Just curious.
Thanks again.

jackal

I'll post this with the caveat that I am NOT a fisherman. The Susitna is not world-famous like the Kenai, but I know plenty of Alaskans who have their favorite little fishing holes along rivers in the Mat-Su Valley--Montana Creek, the Little Su[sitna], the Deshka, etc. However, regardless of fame or name, fishing along any river in Alaska is likely to be a world-class experience compared to most anywhere else. That's the extent of what I can say about it, though--I really know no more than that.

Gardyloo

To the extent I've fished in the Mat-Su Borough (not that much) my sense is that the Little Su(sitna) is the best river for silver salmon (coho) in early August. However last year it looks like ADF&G was concerned about a low count of fish in the Little Su that they sharply restricted sport fishing - artificial lures only (instead of eggs, the standard bait). Whether that will be the case again this year is a ?

I personally would opt for an extra half day in Seward around then - just out in Resurrection Bay there ought to be some decent fishing for silvers (the main event being the Silver Salmon Derby which usually starts in the second week of the month.) Seward is also likely to be more convenient and cheaper (don't know prices) than something in the Mat-Su, especially if it involves a long drive or boat ride to get to the right part of the river(s).

PIONEER

We fished the Kenai and we both got two great fish. The first one that Ms. P caught was in the slot (too big, but not big enough) such that we had to release it. Then we got a total of 4 keepers. We stayed at a nice large lodge in Soldatna, but were disappointed that they didn't pack and freeze the fish, so we had to use an independent place at an extra charge. Then, when we got home, we found that the fish was very "fishy" and not that great. Very thick skins and lots of slime. We had it smoked, and it turned out OK, but if we were ever to go back to the Kenai, which I doubt that we will do, I think it will all be catch & release. We also did one day out of Seward, and on that particular day, the seas were very rough, and the fishing wasn't great by any means. I'm not providing any recommendations...just raising questions that you might want to ask. As for us, we have more recently been to Elfin Cove and Gustavus with excellent experiences, and this year probably to Kodiak.

beckoa

It sounds like the independent didn't do a good job on the fish. If sending out of state, I'd have the fish flash-frozen ASAP- and probably filleted. At least headed and gutted, as the trimmings aren't used too much and just add weight (can fit in more fish then )

Then again my family and I clean our own fish, smoking some, freezing some whole and in steaks, and canning a ton of it for use later on.

Generally fish from the Kenai is exceptional if fresh

beckoa

Nearly anywhere in Alaska is exciting for fishing... you just might not catch much depending on tides, weather, or how high the river is after recent rains. The runs do fluctuate from year to year, both on what week, and how strong. Lastly, for places like the Kenai and Kasilof Rivers, commercial fishing can put a damper on what is flowing upstream. But when the fish are thick, they still get thru

As for Kenai vs. Seward vs. Mat Su Valley... depends on what you are seeking, and when you want to go. I have more then a full set of tackle, so I am fairly flexible- but tend to hang out on the Kenai Peninsula.

An idea for 'deep sea fishing' for Halibut, Cod, Rockfish and other delicacies is Whittier. I personally haven't fished out of there, but know plenty who have. Its a shorter drive then most ocean fishing, so might work for your schedule. And if you find yourself with a ton of fish... snag a cooler and bring it home On AS, your 3rd checked bag is only $20

PIONEER

Beckoa That's very interesting. The lodge cleaned the fish for us, but we had to deal with the other place for packing and freezing. (Every other time we've been to Alaska, the lodge did everything.) The Kenai Kings had very thick slimy skin (as compared to the Chinooks we've gotten directly out of the ocean) but you're probably right... the Kenai fish could have been better if fully processed on a more timely basis. On the other hand, the Kenai fish were the biggest we've ever caught, so maybe the skin and slime were just a part of the deal. Again, I'm just suggesting things to ask about in booking a trip.

Miss0033

Thanks for the input, and I did ask some of those questions.

The place we are looking at does process the fish for us. They recommend filleting, flash freezing, and storing until we get home. Then call them and they can overnight it down to us for around $100. Which seems like a good idea and a reasonable price. They said another option is to take it home (as beckoa mentioned) but we have 4 days after the fishing trip that we are up in Denali without access to an ice maker to keep them frozen. I think I will ship them home if we do fish and catch anything.

The 2 places I've called (one is ruled out due to price) said that time of year the river fishing is usually better than the ocean/bay fishing, but it is still fishing and there are no guarantees. They both said the Coho and Sockeye are the best eating, the big Kings arent good eating. I imagine it is like here in MN, many of the larger Northern Pikes that I catch dont taste as good as the smaller 6-9 lbs. ones.

The place we are still considering did say if it is terrible weather we will get a refund or if the conditions arent very good for fishing, which they will monitor and advise, we can get a partial refund.

It is a 5 hour trip, and they said the boat rides vary in time due to what the conditions are like, and that determines where the hot spots are. The car ride to the launch is very close to where we are staying (around 2 miles away).

They provide all the equipment which is a huge plus because I dont have any salmon gear. And it is spin fishing, which I do regularly, not fly fishing like most places were (and I have no idea how to do).

I think we are a go for fishing, it sounds fun, isnt too bad of a price, and we should have some nice meals when we get home

They didnt say anything about smoking the fish, so I just sent them an email asking if they do that as well. Otherwise I imgaine I could find a place in Talkeetna that will smoke them. Or i will look into if I can smoke them once I receive them, although I doubt it will be as good if smoked after they were flash frozen.

PIONEER

If you enjoy fishing, you would be crazy not to do so in Alaska.

I've done over two dozen trips, and prefer the ocean to the rivers, but both have their features.

As for getting the fish home, I have almost always taken it home as checked baggage, and that has turned out well. But if you're going to be at Denali, that's probably not an option, and BTW even if you did have access to ice, that probably wouldn't be adequate. Ideally, you would want to keep it at zero degrees F so that there is a margin for error when it is shipped.

We did have one trip when the fish was shipped subsequently via commercial air. We lived in the Midwest at the time, and the shipment involved a connection. Of course, it can get a bit warm in the Midwest in the summer, and the fish was largely thawed (but still cold) when we finally got it. We just put it into the freezer, and it turned out OK, but you could tell there was a bit of a deterioration in quality. [The guy (actually his wife) that I was with on the trip was concerned about the thawing, and they actually threw out about 100 pounds of fish.]

If you do want it smoked, I would defintely do that in Alaska. That will reduce the possibilty of problems in shipment. And if you do have it smoked there, do it right away before freezing it, and then freeze it.

jackal

There are two places I know of in Anchorage (which you would have to pass through to get from Kenai to Denali) that offer frozen storage: 10th and M Seafoods (at 10th and M streets, natch) and the luggage storage facility at the Anchorage airport. It may not be worth the hassle to arrange to drop the fish off there so you can check it as baggage, but if you decide to go that route, those are two options. (There may be more.)

Miss0033

Another question. Looking closely at the 2nd half of our trip to Alaska:

I am wondering if the Denali Bus ticket for Day 9, wouldnt be better used on Day 6. If we got to the park by 1:00pm We could still get on one of the 2:00 buses to Eielson (Maybe only go to Toklat). Where as Day 9, we have a 6 hour drive ahead of us and a short bus ride in the morning may only make me more tired for my ride back to anchorage in order to get to the airport at 4:30am. I am just thinking Saturday leaving Denali early and getting to Anchorage early afternoon and just unwinding will be nice... Thoughts?

fti

Wow, your itinerary looks a lot like mine in late May/early June. I wasn't going to go to Talkeetna on the way to Denali. Even booked a shuttle bus for that first afternoon. Well, when Groupon had a 2-for-1 flightseeing offer, we bought it and are now probably not going to use the shuttle bus ticket that first afternoon.

But yes, I think that is a good idea. But I would probably book it for 2pm. Not sure how long your flightseeing tour is but if it gets rescheduled for 9am you won't leave until 11am at the earliest and you have to plan on 3 hours to Denali, though it will probably be less.

Are you planning on hiking more on Day 7, thus the reason you depart 2 hours earlier on the shuttle bus that day than Day 8, but arrive back at the same time in the evening? If it were me, I would get an earlier start on the bus both days and decide based on the weather which of the two days you will spend more time in the park.

However, if you do take a shuttle into the park on Day 6, I would not be in a huge rush to leave Denali on Day 9. The visitor center, the sleddog demo and even the film in the WAC are all very well done with lots of good info, exhibits, films, etc.