OLLI TRAVEL -- Around Alaska and Beyond
SUMMER EXCURSIONS 2013
May 15 – 20 ..... Petersburg Little Norway Festival
and LeConte Glacier Cruise
June 4 – 10 ..... Beaver Creek Float Trip
July 25 – 29 ..... Rock Skipping Contest at
Lake Minchumina
Aug. 5 -11 ..... Kennicott and Iceberg Lake in
the Chugach Mountains
Aug. 25 – 30 ..... Thorne Bay: McFarland’s Floatel
and Raffia Basket Class
Sept. 3 – 5 ..... Denali National Park by Rail
Petersburg Little Norway Festival and LeConte Glacier Cruise
May 15 – 20 Activity Level: Moderate
Begin late afternoon May 15; end with breakfast on May 20.
Visit Petersburg and celebrate their 55 th annual Little Norway Festival, a celebration of Petersburg’s Norwegian heritage and the beginning of the fishing season. Watch the parade, listen to music, enjoy Norwegian dance and local theater groups, or take a rosemaling class. The heart of downtown closes off and vendors line the streets, offering a range of traditional wares and Norwegian delicacies. Take a 4-5 hour cruise to LeConte Bay where steep rock walls, waterfalls, floating ice, shore birds, eagles and mountain sheep are popular sights along with calving icebergs from the LeConte glacier. Dress warm and be prepared for humidity but don’t forget the binoculars. Accommodations are at the Tides Inn, owned by the Ohmer family whose history in Petersburg goes back to 1916. Gloria will make Tides Inn your home away from home. Tides Inn, Little Norway Festival activities and the docks are all centrally located and easy to reach on foot. The festival event schedule will be available in April through the Petersburg Visitor Center.
Cost: $540 ($525 if paying by check) includes transportation from the Petersburg airport to Tides Inn, 5 nights lodging (double occupancy) with waffle breakfasts, Thursday’s LeConte Glacier Tour. Single room additional $250. Not Included: dinners and lunches, round-trip transportation Fairbanks to Petersburg. $100 deposit ($50 non-refundable), remainder due March 10.
Beaver Creek Float Trip
June 4 – 10 / Mandatory pre-meeting June 3 in Fairbanks
Activity Level: Active, basic knowledge of paddling required and average physical endurance
Enjoy a 7-day float down Beaver Creek, a designated Wild and Scenic River which flows through the White Mountains, winding its way through the wilderness of Alaska’s Interior toward the Yukon River. Transportation will be provided to Nome Creek Campground, which is located 60 miles north of Fairbanks on the Steese Highway. There you will hit the water and spend 6 days paddling from camp to camp along one of the most beautiful river corridors in Interior Alaska. When not on the river, there will also be opportunities to explore the surrounding mountains on foot. Watch for the wide variety of wildlife that lives along the river or spend some time fishing for Arctic Grayling. A gravel bar at the mouth of Victoria Creek will be the pick-up point for the bush plane flight back to Fairbanks. Limited to 9 participants.
Cost: $2100 ($2045 if paying by check) includes round trip transportation from Fairbanks, all group gear including cooking equipment, meals and experienced guide. Not included: Tent, sleeping bag and pad, parking fee at Fairbanks airport east ramp. Deposit $550 (non- refundable) due February 25, remainder due April 25.
Rock Skipping Contest at Lake Minchumina
July 25 – 29 Activity Level: Active
Lake Minchumina, one of the largest lakes in Interior Alaska, is located 65 miles north-northwest of Mt. McKinley. Sit back and enjoy the 1.5-hour scenic flight from Fairbanks to the Minchumina airstrip. A short drive along the lake brings you to your lodgings at the “Hidden Jewel of Denali,” where simple meals are made from local produce. If Mt. McKinley is visible, it can make for an amazing photo opportunity, but this is not all that Lake Minchumina has to offer. Guided nature hikes, bird watching, canoeing, fishing and berry picking are all available. On Saturday, participate in Lake Minchumina’s 37 th annual rock skipping contest and cookout, a unique and fun gathering for locals and visitors alike. There will also be a lecture/slideshow by the trapline twins, Julie and Miki Collins. A flight back to Fairbanks is scheduled for Monday on the “mail plane.” Tip: Once the ice is gone, practice skipping a rock here and there. Limited to 9 participants.
Cost: 1235 ($1205 if paying by check) includes round trip Fairbanks to Minchumina by plane, transportation from airstrip to lodging, lecture, 4 nights lodging including all meals. Not included: guided hiking ($10/hr per group) and canoeing $20/hr per group), parking fee at Fairbanks airport east ramp. Deposit $100 ($50 non refundable), remainder due April 1.
Kennicott and Iceberg Lake in the Chugach Mountains
August 5 – 11 Activity Level: Challenging
The adventure begins in Chitina, with a van ride to the historic town of McCarthy. Accommodations are at the Kennicott Lodge overlooking the glacier. Spend the first day on an educational tour of the old mining town of Kennicott and making preparations for a spectacular camping trip to Iceberg Lake, located in the heart of the Chugach Mountains. The next morning, board a bush plane with your guides for the incredible 35-minute flight to Iceberg Lake. Set up camp, settle in and start taking in the stunning area. Be mesmerized by the blooming wildflowers and learn about geology and glaciology from your guide. After your last day’s hike at Iceberg Lake, the group will return to Kennicott Lodge for the night. On the last day, the group will be flown back to Chitina, skipping the gravel road this time around. Limited to 12 participants.
Cost: $2255 ($2200 if paying by check) includes all transportation from and back to Chitina, lodging 3 nights at Kennicott Lodge (double occupancy), food and activities starting and ending in Chitina, all group gear including cooking equipment and tents. Single room additional $300. Not included: transportation Fairbanks to/from Chitina, sleeping bag and pad, alcohol and gratuities. Deposit $550 (non-refundable) due March 25, remainder due May 24.
NEW! Experience “Do it Yourself McFarland’s Floatel” and Raffia Basket Class
August 25 – 30 Activity Level: Moderate
Located on Prince of Wales Island in Southeast Alaska, 40 floatplane miles from Ketchikan, McFarland’s Floatel is accessibly remote. There is never a dull moment at the Floatel, which is a two story, 1600 square foot hotel on a log raft moored 200 feet off shore. Jeannie McFarland will teach a coiling method of basketry using pine needles and raffia. Jim Baichtal , the Tongass National Forest Geologist, will give a lecture about the climate and land/sea/ice interactions of SE AK. A car is available for rent for a day trip to the village of Kasaan, or for a walking tour at Thorne Bay (donation requested). Meals are not provided, but each cabin has a kitchen and there will be a grocery stop on the way to the Floatel. Jim or Jeannie McFarland will contact participants personally to pass on more information and answer your questions. Limited to 2 groups of 4 participants each.
Cost: $770 ($750 if paying by check) includes transportation from Ketchikan by ferry to Floatel, 5 nights lodging (4 people per 2-bedroom cabin), 8 hour basket class, lecture, transportation by floatplane from Floatel to Ketchikan. Not included: Transportation from Fairbanks to/from Ketchikan, meals. $100 deposit ($50 non-refundable), remainder due May 17.
Denali National Park by Rail
September 3 – 5 Activity Level: Easy
Catch the last fall colors in Denali National Park before the snow flies. Board the Alaska Railroad in Fairbanks and enjoy a leisurely ride to Denali National Park. Princess Lodge will provide transportation from the depot to your hotel accommodations. The next day board the green shuttle bus into the park to Eielson Visitor Center, located at mile marker 66. On a clear day, Eielson offers magnificent view of Mt. McKinley. Various ranger-led activities are also offered at Eielson Visitor Center. Return to Fairbanks by bus.
Cost: To be announced, includes round trip transportation from Fairbanks, transportation to Princess Lodge from ARR Depot, 2 nights lodging (double occupancy), day tour to Eielson Visitor Center. Not included: Meals. Deposit $100 ($50 non-refundable), remainder due date TBA.