CAU > Seminars and Study Tours > Alaska: Fairbanks-Glacier Bay

Alaska: Fairbanks-Glacier Bay

June 4-15, 2005

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Overview

Alaska is the last great frontier in North America--a vast, memorable testament to the power and beauty of nature. Pipelines, oil spills, and expanding towns and cities sometimes intrude on the land and wildlife habitats there, but enormous stretches of Alaska's primeval landscape remain untouched. Our goal in this Alaska journey is to understand and appreciate Nature's forces and processes in several of the most splendid, unspoiled settings on the continent.

Faculty

Naturalist Verne N. Rockcastle, professor emeritus of science and environmental education at Cornell, has designed this special expedition. Thanks to "Rocky's" numerous activities and connections, we will be assisted at several points along the way by specialists well versed in such topics as Alaskan geology, mining, and ornithology.

Itinerary

We'll begin in Alaska's "metropolis," the delightful city of Anchorage, where we'll assemble. We'll visit nearby Portage Glacier, then head north to Denali National Park, stopping en route at the National Iditarod Museum, at Talkeetna, the jumping-off point for Denali climbers, and at the banks of the Susitna River, for our first glimpse of Denali (Mt. McKinley).

We'll spend two days at Denali. We'll take a day trip deep into the park, famed for its amazing vistas and residents, including caribou, moose, grizzlies, Dall sheep, ptarmigan, and wolves. We'll take a chartered flight around Mt. McKinley (an amazing experience) and a rafting trip along the Nenana River.

From Denali, we'll move on to Fairbanks, the northernmost of Alaska's cities. Here we'll make our acquaintance with permafrost, the Alaska pipeline, and gold mining. We'll also take in evening entertainments, including the delightful show at the historic Malamute Saloon.

Flying on to Gustavus, we'll begin a two-day foray in and near Glacier National Park. We'll stay at remote, delightful Glacier Bay Lodge, set wonderfully among giant fir trees and moss-covered forest trails. We'll enjoy a full day aboard the M.V. Spirit of Adventure exploring the wonders of Glacier Bay. We'll then fly on to Juneau, Alaska's picturesque capital, with time to enjoy its lively streets, to walk literally to the foot of nearby Mendenhall Glacier, and to take a full-day cruise to one of Alaska's most spectacular (but not much visited) fiords, Tracy Arm.

Program Cost and Travel Arrangements

The program fee of $5,995 (per-person, double-occupancy) includes all lodging and most meals, all site visits, day trips, cruises, air and rafting excursions in Denali, airfare from Fairbanks to Glacier Bay and Juneau, taxes, gratuities, escort services, and the full educational program. The supplement for single occupancy is $1,360. Participants will be responsible for their air travel to Anchorage and from Juneau home.

Physical Requirements

This is not a physically rigorous trip, but please be prepared to walk over sometimes uneven terrain. Temperatures should be pleasant throughout, sometimes chilly, sometimes surprisingly warm. Rain showers are always a possibility. Mosquitoes have never been a problem for us, since we intentionally visit Alaska early in the summer season, but bring your favorite bug balm just in case.