North to Alaska

[western406]

As a kid I’ve always dreamed about Alaska. Over the last 4 1/2 years I have attended a “guide school” and been professionally guiding in Colorado. My intention was to build up enough experience to get a shot at a packing job and eventually guiding in Alaska. Well as luck will have it, I will be headed up to work for an outfitter south of Fairbanks for sheep and moose season. (Early August- late September) Will be staying in the bush for approximately 2 months and working as a packer. It all seems relatively foreign to me as I have never been to Alaska. So i’m just looking for any information or tips I could get from anyone to further help prepare myself for this. Thank you. - - Western

 

[Corey Paulsen (teamkabob)]

Enjoy it. You will end up staying. I’m guessing your guide will tell you what you need to work for him. Bring a camera and send pictures when your done! Your going to learn a lifetime of skills.

 

[SteveCNJ]

Congratulations! I'm officially jealous!

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[archp625]

So jealous. Wish I did something like this when I was younger. Now that I have a wife and a child there is no way in hell I could.

 

[VernAK]

Wood River Area?

 

[western406]

Wood River Area?

What I was told in the camp is approximately 70 miles south of Fairbanks and approximately 20 miles east of Denali.

 

[Salmonchaser]

Great country down there. When I was a kid (60s) we would load our kit on the train in Fairbanks, head south, stop the train unload wherever we wanted and go hunt/ fish. Four or six days later we would be back at the tracks they would stop and pick us up.
Enjoy the adventure, packing can be brutal but a lot of guides start there. Remember to take a fly or spinning rod with you.

 

[TaylerW]

Get some bomb proof gaiters. Spent 4 years doing much the same your headed to do. The bugs can be unbelievably bad as well so bring yourself some bug netting

 

[western406]

Get some bomb proof gaiters. Spent 4 years doing much the same your headed to do. The bugs can be unbelievably bad as well so bring yourself some bug netting

I’ve been using the Kenetrek gaiters for about 4 years now. Love then. Honestly probably going to pick up a second pair for backups. Thank you

 

[western406]

Great country down there. When I was a kid (60s) we would load our kit on the train in Fairbanks, head south, stop the train unload wherever we wanted and go hunt/ fish. Four or six days later we would be back at the tracks they would stop and pick us up.
Enjoy the adventure, packing can be brutal but a lot of guides start there. Remember to take a fly or spinning rod with you.

That sounds like living the dream! I’ll throw in my fly rod for sure. What’s all up there to catch in the area?

 

[Salmonchaser]

The parks Hwy wasn’t there when I was a kid. Talk about big empty country. Your post really got me reminiscing, looking forward to your stories.

 

[Poser]

 

[Akwoodchuck]

Could be anything from literal clouds of bugs, heavy rain, snow, hurricane-force winds, dense smoke...or something out of 'The Sound of Music'...ya just never know
congrats

 

[fatlander]

I’ve got a good friend that attended guide school in the lower 48 , packed for a couple seasons on Kodiak and just got one of his certifications (not sure which one, I know there’s different classes of guides in AK). He stayed this past summer through and worked for a commercial fishing outfit. He’s also currently finishing up his required hours for a pilots licensure.

All of his time has been spent on Kodiak. From the stories he’s told me, there’s not much in the lower 48 to prepare one for Alaska. He loves it, but he says there are some drawbacks. Social isolation is the largest one. Keeping up with your friends and family through an inreach ain’t easy, but you have to know that before taking the step to do what you guys do.

Good luck to you. If I were to become a single man tomorrow, there’d be one more person heading to AK.


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[Salmonchaser]

Could be anything from literal clouds of bugs, heavy rain, snow, hurricane-force winds, dense smoke...or something out of 'The Sound of Music'...ya just never know
congrats

All in one day!

 

[AK Troutbum]

That sounds like living the dream! I’ll throw in my fly rod for sure. What’s all up there to catch in the area?

It sounds like you're going to be somewhere between Healy and the park boundry, or in that area there about. Grayling are pretty much the only thing to fish for around there, but if when you're done working and if you're planning on spending a little more time up here, you can always head south on the Parks Hwy and get into some really good rainbow fishing about another hour or so down the road.

 

[Salmonchaser]

It sounds like you're going to be somewhere between Healy and the park boundry, or in that area there about. Grayling are pretty much the only thing to fish for around there, but if when you're done working and if you're planning on spending a little more time up here, you can always head south on the Parks Hwy and get into some really good rainbow fishing about another hour or so down the road.

I remember lots of Grayling near the park. Way south we used to get into bows too. Closer to Fairbanks we used to get silvers and kings but that is pretty much history now.
again good luck and have fun. Regardless how much it has changed in the last sixty years she’s still big and wild. You’ll be able to tell stories when you’re my age that people who’ve never been afoot in Alaska simply can’t comprehend.

 

[stonewall]

yep. saw thread and immediately had that song in my head. great movie

 

[Ndbowhunter]

Bugs. Heaps of bugs.
spent the month of may 15 years ago chopping wood and looking for bears for a guy about 40 miles out of fairskanks.

it sucked. the whole area sucked ass. Only place worse is bethel. Haha

nah I’m pullin ur chain. Funny enough my brother in law spent his first summer in Alaska working for blm in that exact area. Be prepared to giggle the first time you see blonde hair spilling out of a hoody. Make sure it’s a chick before eye creeping any more.

 

[Krieg Hetzen]

100% DEET. It’s the only thing that will keep the mosquitos at bay for any amount of time. Also be prepared to see some big brown bears while you’re out there and have fun. The willows are sharp, the devils club dense and the days are long!