Into wild Alaska and back again safely

Last month, the dramatic story of Christopher McCandless' journey into the Alaska wilderness unfolded on the big screen in “Into the Wild,” inspiring many viewers to head north for a glimpse of that same magnificent scenery. RVers who visit Alaska already know about Denali National Park, where McCandless spent his final days. Here are a few other places where you can experience an edge-of-your-seat adventure with the assurance of survival:

Fly into King Salmon in Southwest Alaska and then hop aboard a floatplane for a scenic one-hour flight to the heart of Katmai National Park and the Brooks Lodge. The lodge, originally conceived as a fishing camp, is known for its world famous bear viewing at Brooks Falls.

Drive east out of Anchorage into Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, America's largest national park. The park has nine of North America's 16 tallest peaks, four major mountain ranges, more mountain peaks than any other location on earth, over 150 glaciers and the largest glacier outside of the polar caps. Visitors can go glacier trekking with St. Elias Alpine Guides.

The 11-million-acre Gates of the Arctic National Park averages fewer than 5,000 visitors per year. Clear, free-flowing rivers, majestic peaks, endless vistas and undisturbed wildlife characterize the remote park, which is only accessible by air from the small communities of Bettles, Coldfoot and Anaktuvuk Pass. Arctic Wild escorts small groups in the region with a Gates of the Arctic Base Camp trip-providing everything from meals, guides and boating equipment.

Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, near the Southeast Alaska communities of Juneau, Haines, Skagway and Gustavus, can be reached only by boat or plane. The marine wilderness of Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve includes tidewater glaciers, snow-capped mountain ranges, ocean coastlines, deep fjords, and freshwater rivers and lakes. Visitors can go flightseeing, bird watching, kayaking, hiking, fishing, or on National Parks Ranger-led activities. Photo courtesy of Alaska Tourism.

See an Alaska avalanche as it happened

It's not very often you get to see an avalanche, and it's probably good you don't -- especially if you’re in its path. Check out this one-minute home video of an avalanche that occurred in 2000 and wiped out a section of the road between Thane and Juneau. The massive slide measured 100 feet long and was 20 feet deep, and temporarily cut off road travel between Juneau and Thane's 180 residents. You'll need Quicktime to view this.

Giant glacier is short, easy drive from Anchorage

One of the greatest mysteries of Alaska, Portage Glacier, is an easy drive from Anchorage, and only 50 miles south of downtown Anchorage.

Visitors can stroll along the lake shore, marvel at the huge icebergs, learn of the area's geological and glacial history, or hop aboard the a tour boat for an even closer look at this astounding natural wonder.

At the modern visitor center, walk through a simulated ice cave to reach the Glacier Exhibit room with its displays demonstrating the formation of crevasses, as well as glacial motion and the range of glaciers today. Elsewhere you can touch an iceberg (brought in fresh daily) take a close look at ice worms or take in the excellent movie 'Voices From the Ice,' shown every hour in a 200-seat theater. The center offers a great deal more including beautiful vistas from the surrounding observation decks. Visitors can also join an "iceworm safari" or sign up for a guided hike offered throughout the region.

The drive to Portage along the scenic, Seward Highway is a wonderful experience in itself. In addition to incredible fjord-like vistas and wildlife viewing opportunities, you'll see other glaciers hanging from the mountainsides. Head farther south to glaciers near Seward, or travel north from Anchorage to see even more. Tidewater glaciers are also visible from aboard a charter boat and some flight-seeing tours will land on a glacier for passengers to take a short walk.

DID YOU KNOW?
*Glaciers store about 75% of the world's freshwater.
*Glacial ice often appears blue because ice absorbs all other colors except blue; which is reflected.

Photo: Visitors peer across water at the magnificent Portage Glacier. Photo courtesy of Alaska Tourism.

Not too early to plan a camphost job in an Alaska State Park

RVers who wish to volunteer next season as a camp host in an Alaska State Park might want to start their planing now. Hosts help the park rangers with the day to day operation and maintenance of campgrounds including litter patrol, light janitorial maintenance and repairs.

Volunteer hosts live in their own RV, motorhome or trailer at a special campsite, most of which are rustic, but clean. Each site has a parking pad, a picnic table and a fire pit. Each campground has water, restrooms and trash disposal. Some host locations have access to telephone and electricity.

The prime camping season in Alaska is from mid May through mid September. Some campgrounds are open year round or have extended seasons. Hosts are requested to volunteer 30 to 40 hours per week for at least four to six weeks. Hosts may stay the entire season and some areas may rotate hosts among campgrounds for a broader experience.

Hosts stay free and have free use of all facilities. In addition, a subsistence payment may be available for longer commitments, ranging from $100-$300 a month.

To learn more and about specific hosting opportunities, visit the Alaska State Park website.

Finding Northern Lights in Alaska just got easier

A few things visitors to Alaska hope to see are bears, moose and the Northern Lights. If you’re one of those people, then you are in luck on at least one count, for the University of Alaska Fairbanks' Geophysical Institute has revamped its aurora forecast website, offering a more precise forecast than ever before of the Northern Lights.

The Northern Lights are an aurora -- a luminous glow of the upper atmosphere which is caused by energetic particles that enter the atmosphere from above. Watching this happen is like watching the sky dance -- a spectacular light show that only Mother Nature could produce.

A daily forecast at the website has been offered for years, but now includes an hour-by-hour look at conditions. The revamped site offers information to help users understand how the scientists made their forecasts as well as one-hour, one-day and 28-day forecasts. Site visitors can choose from five maps where the aurora can be seen, from Alaska to Canada to Northern Europe and Antarctica. Visit the website.

Photo courtesy University of Alaska Geophysical Institute, Fairbanks

Free RV camping now on Alaska's Kenai Peninsula

Most of Alaska's summer visitors have gone home now. And, the bugs that bothered some of those folks are pretty much gone, too. For RVers who are still around, this is good news indeed, especially considering that camping in one of the state's most popular recreational areas is now free.

The U.S. Forest Service stops servicing most Kenai Peninsula campgrounds after Labor Day, and while that means less services it also means no fees either. That means that campers need to bring their own water and pack out their own litter -- no big deal to RVers who typically bring their water supplies and wastebaskets with them.

Some Kenai campgrounds do close in the fall, but most remain open at least until the snow forces them shut. Check with the Forest Service ranger districts in Girdwood or Seward for specifics.