Alaska
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Alaska is typically displayed on US maps as an inset, using a drastically altered scale so that it can be conveniently placed in the otherwise empty Pacific Ocean off Washington State. This is handy for map makers, but it's very deceptive to map readers. Probably the single biggest mistake visitors make when they come -- or plan to come -- to Alaska is in misunderstanding its size and thus setting out to do unrealistic things.
To get a true understanding of Alaska's size, imagine the map of the 48 states. Now we'll lay the real map of Alaska on top of it. Attu Island, at the end of the Aleutian Chain, will fall approximately on top of Los Angeles. The Metlakatla Indian Reservation, southeast of Ketchikan at the end of the Southeast Island Archipelago, will fall just about exactly on top of Savanna, Georgia. Barrow, the northernmost tip of Alaska on the Arctic Ocean, will fall right about on top of International Falls, Minnesota. In other words, Alaska is not only by far the largest state, in terms of expanse from one extremity to the other it's very similar in size to the entire 48-state landmass.
Another unusual geographic feature of Alaska is that it is at once the northernmost, the westernmost and, yes, the easternmost of the United States. Its northermost status needs no explanation, but to understand its ranking as both eastern- and westernmost, one needs to understand the way cartographers define east and west.
North and south are defined as the poles -- the two ends of the imaginary pole running through earth's axis of rotation. It doesn't matter where you stand on earth, if you want to go north you are, by definition, heading toward the earth's north pole. When you get to the pole, if you keep moving in a straight line you will suddenly be going south. So "northernmost" means, simply, "closest to the north pole". East and west, though, have no such natural focal points. If you go east, you can continue going east forever, and there's no way of saying when you've arrived at "the east". So cartographers invented an imaginary system that slices the earth in half, arbitrarily dividing it into "east" and "west". You can still go east forever, but when you pass either of these two lines you will be passing from "the east" to "the west" or vice versa. So, with this now-universally-used system, "easternmost" means "the farthest east you can go before you are in 'the west'".
This arbitrary dividing line goes from pole to pole, passing, on one side of the earth, through Greenwich, England, which is why it is sometimes called the "Greenwich Meridian". Everything west of the Greenwhich Meridian is "the western hemisphere" and everything east is "the eastern". Until you reach the opposite side of the earth, where you jump again from west to east or vice versa. That line on the other side of the earth passes, conveniently, mostly through the empty Pacific Ocean, but it does happen to pass right through the middle of Alaska's Aleutian Island chain. Thus, those islands on the far side of the line are in the "eastern hemisphere". The one closest to the line on the eastern side, the very active volcanic island of Semisopochnoi (at 179°47' east) is the easternmost tip of the US and its neighbor island, Amatignak (at 179° 09' west) is the westernmost. You may want to commit this to memory because you can probably get free beer if you use it in bar bets.
So, in many terms -- cultural, ecological, weather, geographic, among many more -- it's not even possible, because of its size, to discuss Alaska with any useful generalizations. English is the predominant language, especially for commerce, but many variations of Yup'ik, Inupiat, Tlingit (pron: "KLINK-it") and Haida are still very much the dominant languages in the rural villages -- which make up about half the state's population. The Southeast Archipelago has a wet climate, really a continuation of the coastal rainforests along Canada and Washington. Some of interior and northern Alaska, on the other hand, has annual precipitation as low as many of the world's deserts. Much of the state is very low in elevation -- the flatness of which accounts for the many bogs that dot the tundra. Yet Alaska is also the home to the highest peak in North America, Mount McKinley, which rises spectactularly 20,320 feet (6194 m) from sea level. On a clear day, it can be viewed from Anchorage, a sea level port about 200 air miles (322 km) to the south.
Most people who visit Alaska only ever experience the road system -- simply because that's the most convenient and familiar way to get around. There is a huge array of exciting and interesting things to do on the road system, but if that's what you do it's worthwhile to keep in mind that you've only experienced a tiny, almost infinitesimal part of what Alaska is all about. To most of Alaska there are no roads, the only way to get there is by air.
Contents |
North Slope, Arctic Coast, Chukchi Sea
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Barrow
Prudhoe Bay
Kaktovik/ANWR
Wainwright
Point Hope
Gates of the Arctic Natl. Park
Kotzebue
Interior
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Fairbanks/North Pole/Delta Junction
Denali National Park
Yukon-Charley Rivers Natl Park
Bettles, Galena, Tanana, McGrath, western villages
Ft. Yukon, Tok, Northway, eastern villages
Bering Coast
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Nome & Seward Peninsula
Unalakleet
Bethel
St. Paul/St. George
Bristol Bay
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Togiak
Dillingham. the Finger Lakes, River Villages
Naknek/King Salmon
Iliamna Lake Villages
Aleutian Peninsula and Islands
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Attu, Shemya, Amchitka, the "eastern" islands
Cold Bay, The Chigniks, False Pass, Adak, the "western" islands
Kodiak, Katmai
SouthCentral
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Anchorage and the "Matsu" Valley
Kenai Peninsula
Alaska's Kenai Peninsula juts south of Anchorage. A few small towns dot the peninsula including Seward, Homer, Kenai, Soldotna, Hope, and Ninilchik. Aptly, the Kenai river flows through this area, a famous fishing river.
Seward
Seward is a small coastal fishing town popular with tourists due to its easy access by car or rail from Anchorage. It is situated at the head of Resurrection Bay and permits easy access to Kenai Fjords National Park. Seward has a year-round population of approximately 3,500 which can double in the summer months.
Getting There
By Vehicle: From Anchorage, 2.5-3 hours; From Homer, 4 hours
By Rail: Service is available seasonally on the Alaska Railroad [1] Note: Summer and winter schedules and fares differ
Where to Stay
Couchsurfing is still developing in this community, so if you are unable to find a couch consider camping either in town or out of town, or staying in Seward's only hostel [2]
What to Do
Hiking is a very popular activity for visitors to the area. Here are a few suggested hikes: - Mount Marathon: steep and strenuous climb up this mountain jutting right next to Seward. Find the trail head next to the hospital. This trail is the site of a popular race on the 4th of July, Independence Day for the USA. - Exit Glacier: Just out of town you can find this short walk to the Harding Ice Field's only outlet with easy road access. You can take a short walk to the glacier face, or hike all the way up to view the ice field. - Lost Lake: This can be an overnight hike as well, the trail can be accessed from the road just outside of town. As the name implies, it leads to a beautiful lake. - Cain's Head: This trail leads along the right hand side of Resurrection Bay to an abandoned military fort. Parts of the trail can only be walked at low tide, so it is imperative that you consult a tide table in advance. This is also a good option for an overnight camping trip.
The Alaska SeaLife Center [3] is a popular destination for those wishing to see marine life without the cost or time commitment of going on a boat tour. Here you can view sea birds diving in a 2-story tank for their food, sea lions and seals playing, and a myriad of fishes and invertebrates. The center serves as both a tourist center and a research facility for understanding species and ecosystem dynamics in play in the Gulf of Alaska.
Homer
Homer is a small coastal fishing town and the westernmost accessible point by highway in Alaska.
Getting There
By Vehicle: From Anchorage, 4 hours; From Seward, 4 hours
By Boat: Service is available on the Alaska Marine Highway from nearby ports.[4] Note: Summer and winter schedules and fares differ
Glennallen, Copper Center
Wrangell-St. Elias Natl Park
Valdez, Cordova, Prince William Sound vills.
Southeast
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