AK on the cheap(er)

**pjw3** · 12-13-2006, 05:03 AM

Europe is shaping up to possibly really suck this year, but anything could happen. I have a week off the first week of April and I want to make it as epic as possible. I figure that Europe is the best bet for the money at that time of year, but if it craps out this year, any suggestions on how to make Alaska work using my own credit card which is NOT a bottomless pit?

Thanks!

**acostiga** · 12-13-2006, 10:55 AM

there's a nice hostel in girdwood. very chill. me and i buddy flew into anchorage via northwest airlines & minneapolis on an internet special- only ended up costing about $300/person. keep your eye out for those specials!

**wstdeep** · 12-22-2006, 10:19 PM

Cheap as in , Resort, Touring, Heli......? all, none?

**dk_alaskan** · 12-23-2006, 12:44 AM

April is on the tail end of some of the BIGGER storms, may want to check out AK. If it is an early spring, it has GOOD corn snow

**Hurdy Girdy Man** · 12-23-2006, 01:01 AM

Girdwood isn't a bad place to be. What are you looking at for a budget?

**pjw3** · 12-23-2006, 07:09 AM

Cheap as in , Resort, Touring, Heli......? all, none?
What are you looking at for a budget?

It seems like heli is like $1000 a day per person or some other # way beyond reach, but then again you can only reach before the big sleep, its now or never.

I never really hear about any cat skiing and films you see make the cat lines look pretty impossible.

Are there resorts work the extra distance to AK for? I haven't seen most of the lower 48? So if you say that AK is for off resort, and touring is probably not the best use of time, at least for the entire trip, can you heli or anything else for, say 3-4 grand total for 2 people for 4 - 5 days? Maybe guided snowmobiling works, but thanks for keeping the thread going and for yur thoughts. Happy ski days. Enjoy!

**dk_alaskan** · 12-23-2006, 02:08 PM

CPG had cat skiing, there is an outfit that does cat skiing on the Mount Susitina-Sleeping Lady (can't remember their name), there is a LOT of touring to be had in AK, right off the road system, there is Valdez road access and there is drop in access too where you get dropped in and picked up when you want to head out....it ALL depends on what you are looking for pretty much, how steep you want it and how much money you are willing to spend. Alaska is a VAST place to explore, more specifics would help greatly.

**pjw3** · 12-23-2006, 03:13 PM

Well I probably can't bee much more specific now as my first week of April may have gotten yanked out from under me. I'll save the thoughts for a month or so and then try and put it back together in a more clear way. If you live 5k miles away it is hard to get a handle on much except $6,000 a week web sites. I am not ready get dropped and picked up w/o a guide. I am have a family to feed for a few more years so I need to do my best to come back. Plus I don't bend as well as I used to. If you remember the name of any particular cat trackers, let me know.

Thanks!

**dk_alaskan** · 12-23-2006, 07:23 PM

Chugach powder guides is the one about an hour south of anch in Girdwood. they do both cat and heli trips. google Valdez and cat skiing, should be something there.

**pjw3** · 12-25-2006, 09:22 PM

yea, $180 a day for standby snowcat, $1000 a day to ride the birdie. What can you say except that a $5000 week starts to make hiking for a few weeks look pretty good. I'd love to ride a bird but it seems like I ought to earn it first with some skin time rather than major credit card bills. I dunno, we'll see.

thanks,

pete

**Dromond** · 12-25-2006, 09:36 PM

Originally Posted by pjw3

yea, $180 a day for standby snowcat, ...

That's actually not that heinous. Huh. Sounds like cat skiing on standby (and going touring if it's not available that day) might not be a bad way to go for someone on a real-world budget.