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Steve Beinar
Auburn, Massachusetts

���ϳԹ��� Adviser: Sure, you can do all of that stuff in Alaska on your own, but before you go, I’d do a serious, realistic self-analysis of your skills. Alaska is wild country and isn’t very forgiving to folks who aren’t prepared or skilled enough to handle its intense and remote wilderness. Have you ever read “Into the Wild,” the ���ϳԹ��� article, which was later turned into a book, by Jon Krakauer? It was about a 23-year-old guy who went up to Alaska to live off the land. When he decided he’d had enough of the bush, he headed for home, but was pinned in by a river that had swelled so much that he was unable to cross. He eventually died. Sorry to sound alarmist, but unless you are
really comfortable with your survival skills, I’d recommend shelling out an extra few hundred dollars for a guide.

If, however, you feel you can handle Alaska on your own, you may want to consider investing in a few resource books that will give you some valuable information about how to do Alaska on your own. First and foremost, I’d go to your local bookstore or to ���ϳԹ��� Online to check out ���ϳԹ���‘s June 1998 issue, which has a cover story on Alaska.
The piece will give you valuable details about hiking the backcountry of Denali, kayaking in Wood-Tikchik State Park, mountaineering in the Brooks Range, biking the Iditarod Trail, rafting in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, and fishing at El Noo Taat Denh, a Native fish camp. The article also will provide you with a number of great resources to call. Another must-have guide
is Bill Sherwonit’s Alaska’s Accessible Wilderness (Alaska Northwest Books, 800-452-3032, $21.95). This handy reference focuses on Alaska’s little-known state parks that tend to be more accessible than their massive and remote counterparts. Finally, I’d call the Alaska Division of Tourism (907-465-2010) and ask them to send you their free
North to Alaska booklet. This book lists names and numbers of pertinent Alaska references such as the Alaska Marine Highway System and Alaska Public Lands Information Centers. Plus, it lists the schedules and prices of all the ferry services and important mileage information.

If you decide to go the guided route, here’s a list of outfitters to consider: Alaska Denali Guiding, Inc. (9-7-733-2649), Alaska Discovery (800-586-1911), Alaskan Bicycle ���ϳԹ���s (800-770-7242), ABEC’s Alaska ���ϳԹ���s (907-457-8907), Tongass Kayak ���ϳԹ���s (907-772-4600), A Anadyr ���ϳԹ���s (800-865-2925), and Nova 9800-746-5753).