2021 Will Be the Best Year to Visit Alaska

Backpacking in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park (July 2020)

Have you ever dreamed of traveling to Alaska? Is it one of those places that has been on your bucket list your whole life? Well, if the answer is ‘yes’ (and I know it is) then you SHOULD go this summer. Trust me, 2021 is going to be the best year to visit Alaska in our lifetime.

How could I possibly know this? We’ll get that. But first let me ask you another question. What do you see in the photo above?

Roads? Nope

Trails? Nope

Trash? Nope

Crowds? Nope

Influencers? Definitely Not

Alaska consists of mostly true wilderness. In fact, it’s one of the last truly wild places on earth. Sure, it has more wildlife than you’ve ever seen anywhere else. And the mountains and glaciers are breathtakingly beautiful. But I think that it’s what Alaska doesn’t have that makes it truly special. The past year has been incredibly stressful for all of us due to the impacts of the COVID pandemic. So if you’re like me, you’re ready to get outside away from people and simply relax in nature. And there’s no place like Alaska to destress in the outdoors without having to compete with mobs of people.

Ok, now let’s get back to the question, “How could I possibly know that 2021 is going to be the best year to visit Alaska?” Well, I’ve been guiding there for 12 years. I’ve taken hundreds (probably thousands at this point) of people into the remotest of mountains and glaciers in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park. My clients have been from everywhere around the world. But this year there will be far fewer visitors compared to a normal year. Sure, tourist numbers will certainly be noticeably higher than last year. But the total tourist count will pale in comparison to any “normal” year, including next year and the following years.

The COVID pandemic has been devastating for so many reasons. But I’ve never been one to dwell on the negative. I try to find the positive in any situation. And one such positive is that the pandemic has created sort of a ‘sweet spot’ so-to-speak for Alaska travel in summer 2021. This year travel restrictions will certainly be fewer and less of a hassle than last year. And with more and more people being vaccinated daily travel will simply be safer. Travel will start to sound more appealing in the coming months. Heck, it already does! We’re certainly not out of the woods yet with the pandemic but more people will likely feel comfortable traveling this year. And I’ll bet you’re one of them.

So I’ll say it again, 2021 is going to be the best year to take that dream vacation to Alaska. Traveling to Alaska will be easier than 2020 for three important reasons:

1) There are already fewer travel restrictions and that is likely to continue to improve throughout the summer.

2) There will be more tourists than last year but certainly far fewer than any normal summer. The biggest reason is that international travel restrictions will likely limit the number of foreign travelers that would typically vacation in Alaska. Fewer visitors means more of that pristine wilderness to yourself.

3) Most, if not all, businesses will be open and running at full capacity. The same could not be said for the summer of 2020. So there will likely be no restrictions on any places that you want to go or activities that you want to experience.

The stress and strain of the COVID pandemic has left many of us feeling stir crazy. There’s no better remedy for stress than getting outside in nature. And there’s no better place to experience nature than Alaska in my humble opinion. It’s called the Last Frontier for a reason. So I urge you to take that dream trip to Alaska this summer. Not only will it be a once-in-a-lifetime (hopefully!) opportunity to visit with fewer tourist numbers, but you will also be helping to kickstart the Alaska travel industry that suffered a severe blow by the pandemic in 2020.

Now go book that Alaska vacation! You won’t regret it.

Get Me Outta Here!

Bushwhacking in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, Alaska.

When is this going to end?!? This sucks! Dammit, why are we doing this? Is this really the best way? This is stupid. Can’t we just go around? I’m so sick of this crap. We’ve been suffering through this so long, it feels like forever. Are you absolutely sure this is the right way? I can’t even see two feet in front of my face. I can’t even see the sky. And I’m pretty sure I haven’t even touched the ground since we started. How much longer? Please tell me that we never have to do this again. SHWAK!!! Owwwww, that freaking hurt. Right in the f-ing face. Plaaahhh, cough, cough, spit. Guess I need to cover my mouth.

Wait, I think I see light. Holy cow I think I see light!!! Is that the end? Can that really be the end?!? Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, it is the end. Yes, yes, YES!!! Whew, we finally made it. Wow, that was the absolute WORST thing that I have ever experienced. How long did that last, like three months? Oh, it was only 40 minutes. Well it felt like an eternity. How far did we go? A quarter mile, that’s it?!? Felt like seventeen miles. I never thought we would make it. I never, ever want to do that again.

Although that may sound oddly similar to how many of us are feeling during the COVID-19 pandemic, this is actually a very accurate portrayal of what it’s like to bushwhack in Alaska. I assure you that my words are not an exaggeration.

Anyone who has ever experienced a Grade 5 Bushwhack in Alaska will back me up. It’s no joke. The brush is so thick it is nearly impossible to move at times. The willows are so closely spaced that you can’t even touch the ground. You just kind of have to push your body over them and roll, fall or leap forward. The air is suffocating because there is barely room for light to enter your space much less allow anything but brushy bits into your mouth while breathing. Your clothes and backpack get stuck in the branches with every step and you’re constantly getting whacked in the face. It’s difficult, it’s painful and it’s definitely not fun.

Even if you begin your shwak with optimistic determination, within about five minutes you are over it. All you want is to be done with it but you are quickly reminded that Alaska doesn’t care what you want. You just have to keep pushing through knowing that it will eventually end. And you will be a stronger and better person for it.

So this whole pandemic has got me thinking about bushwhacking all of a sudden. Normally I try to avoid it at all costs unless it is absolutely necessary. But now I have a whole new attitude about shwakking. When I finally get up to Alaska again this summer I am going to seek out the brushiest, nastiest place I can find and dive right in. Why would I do such a thing? Well, it’s simple. Knowing what I know about Alaska, I’m confident that a good dose of shwakking gnar will make me look back at this pandemic and think, “Things can always be worse!”