Alaska Trip In July

[+CKayaks]

I will be heading to Alaska on June 30 for six days of kayaking around Shuyak Island. There will be a day in Homer before and a couple days in Homer and Anchorage after the actual paddle. I am looking for someplace to drop off TB's and sig items that I will be hauling up from Northern California.

 

My base in Homer will be Alaska Excursion Adventures on Cottonwood. My two feet are the only transportation I will have readily available. In Anchorage, I will be staying at the Coast Intnl Hotel by the airport. I will have a car there.

 

Besides trucking TB/sig items, I would like to hear of any recommended caches in the area that are particularly interesting or classic for the area. Looking forward to combining my two loves, kayaking and caching, in one my first trip to this state!

[+WeightMan]

I have a total of one find in Alaska, but it is close to the Anchorage airport, easily found and will take some travel bugs. I don't know how many you have, but if you have some smaller ones you might be able to fit in several. The cache is Taiya's Playground.

[+Ladybug Kids]

Anchorage TB Drop just went up last week. I'll work up a sampler of other Anchorage caches once the dust for the Alaska geocoin project settles in a couple of weeks.

[+Ladybug Kids]

Here's a start for a list of great hides and/or great locations in Anchorage and heading out Turnagain Arm toward Portage:

 

Pat the Dog by Durango (GC5A11) Webcam, downtown ANC

 

Cu & Zn by bwolv (GCCC4) Benchmark...no log to sign, but near historical railroad locomotive (the virtual's been logged)

 

Chocolate Waterfall by akwhodini (GCK0J6) Fun virtual @ Alaska Berry Products

 

Cache By The Cache by Cache~N~Release (GCGTNC) Behind a good place to eat and in view of Chocolate Waterfall

 

Magic Cache by akwhodini (GCHZ6Z) on Old Seward Highway close to Potter Marsh

 

dalli lamba by MTboy (GCMFV8) Quick grab off the Seward highway along Turnagain Arm

 

Bird Creek by mmjm (GCJ7YP) Quick grab off the Seward highway along Turnagain Arm

 

Spawn and die: The way of nature (GCJTT7) Nice little nature trail on road to Portage Glacier visitor center

 

Twice is Nice by deke rivers (GCN5B2) Easy multi to introduce you to one of Anchorage's best parks and final stage was a unique hide for me

 

For All To See by The Corgi Clan (GCH1GE) Location with a great view and a micro that has confounded the best cachers

 

Clover Leaf by Bilder (GCGCMH) Easy walk from your hotel

 

Stuck on Circles by The Corgi Clan (GCGX3Y) First stage also easy walk from your hotel. All other stages but one are in close proximity to other caches in this list, so if you start with this one you can knock it out during the course of your visit.

 

A little cache comes in handy by The Corgi Clan (GCGYTK) Very public, very challenging micro

 

The Fun Guy Cache by Tundra Tim & Klondike Kate (GCGEKD) The BEST micro hide I've seen since I started caching

 

Moto Cache by Jeff, Nick, Alex (GCG7TX) Didn't know Anchorage had sand dunes until I did this cache. Great views from top of dunes. Close to Fun Guy.

 

Herbie's Cousin by uluboy (GCGQAZ) This was my first micro cache experience...introduces you to Kincaid Park. There are several caches in the park so if you want to spend a couple of hours there you could run a search on nearby caches. Most offer great views of Cook Inlet and the Alaska Range.

 

It's a Jungle out there! by bwolv (GC12EA) Downtown Anchorage. Classic hide in a nonclassic place.

 

Operation Blue Moon by The Corgi Clan (GCH2QT) Fun night cache

 

Mission: Impossible by Bilder (GCH2QV) Another fun night cache

 

Tactical Advantage by Bilder and The Corgi Clan (GCH2QZ) Final of three night caches

 

Coastal Trail Book Exchange by Bilder (GCGV7J) Might as well hit this one if you do Tactical Advantage

 

Quick and Easy by Bilder (GC3ED5) One of Anchorage's original caches near downtown

 

Let me know if you'd like suggestions for caches in the Chugach Mountains above Anchorage.

Edited May 16, 2005 by Ladybug Kids

[+Ladybug Kids]

Taiya's Playground.

Muggled recently and temporarily disabled. Watch for status change in near future.

[+CKayaks]

Thanks! Definitely a lot of interesting looking caches in that list.

[+NorthWes]

WOW! I've fished and hunted out of Port William Lodge on Shuyak Island several times - you're in for a real treat! I've wanted to go back and paddle the Skiff Passage through the center of the island - rainforest bay to rocky exposed coast. Best fishing I've ever shared with my dad happened there during the year of the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill... absolutely awesome silver salmon saltwater fishing in Main Bay, and fishing for halibut at only 65' deep in Shuyak Channel. Lots of Sitka Blacktail Deer on the island, and a few brown bears too. The rainforest is incredible - a primeval experience, as this is one Alaska island that's never ever been commercially logged for its spruce trees.

 

I'd be delighted to be a resource for you; I live within 2 miles of the Coast Int'l Inn by the Anchorage Int'l Airport. Incidentally, Taiya's Cache (a great one for visitors) is back up with a new 30 cal ammo can container; it's just around the runway from your hotel. Unlike a couple of the caches in Connors Bog Dog Park which are closer to the hotel, Taiya's is very private yet very accessible with minimum effort.

 

Oddly enough I'll be in Homer during July 4th weekend too; not sure of my schedule yet, but I know my family's driving down on Friday. I have to work that day, but I'm flying down via ERA Aviation some time later on Friday. Let me know if I can help resource Homer too - ya gotta do the Homer Spit View cache, as well as the one right out on the end of the Homer Spit as well. July 4th in Homer's a tradition for my wife and I - it's our honeymoon town and this is our 28th anniversary. Let me know if you have questions or if I can assist further! NorthWes

[+Ladybug Kids]

Bookmark list for Ladybug Kids' Favorite Anchorage Caches which includes Turnagain Arm and Portage.

 

I haven't cached in Kenai or Seward, so I'll defer to others who have. Looking at the lists, there are several good caches in both locations and Trove Rover provided some recommendations in 2goobs' thread.

Edited July 1, 2005 by Ladybug Kids