Hiking with or without a guide?

[cmlmich]

My son and I are planning on going hiking while in Alaska and I did get some info on different trails to go but I was told by three people so far that they wouldn't go without a guide that is packing a gun do to a possible interaction with bears. We wanted to go without a guide to try to save some money, but would be willing to pay if it is the smart thing to do. Anyone have any experience with this? We will be going to Juneau, Skagway and Ketchikan. We are not experienced hikers and we only plan on going for a few hours or so.

 

Thanks

[adkkev]

My son and I are planning on going hiking while in Alaska and I did get some info on different trails to go but I was told by three people so far that they wouldn't go without a guide that is packing a gun do to a possible interaction with bears. We wanted to go without a guide to try to save some money, but would be willing to pay if it is the smart thing to do. Anyone have any experience with this? We will be going to Juneau, Skagway and Ketchikan. We are not experienced hikers and we only plan on going for a few hours or so.

 

Thanks

 

I have hiked many miles in Alaska, and I've never had to hire a guide, much less carry a firearm. Yes, there can be bear encounters while out on the trails, and with some education you can learn how to best deal with them.

 

Where are you thinking of hiking?

[PennyAgain]

I have hiked both with and without guides in Alaska. I have tons of experience doing so. There are many guide books on trails you can buy and the local visitors centers have free maps they'll be proud to give you.

 

Access your own abilities.

 

Understand what the weather is doing and will do.

 

Allow enough time.

 

Wear the right footwear. (please no Crocs or flip flops)

 

Stay on clearly marked trails.

 

Have proper raingear and hat and gloves if the weather is chilly.

 

Understand what to do with bears and moose if encountered on trails.

 

Have a wonderful time!

[Yukon]

I hike solo in the Skagway area a lot, and see bears fairly regularly. I never carry a gun, and I think that anyone who does is just a cowboy who should learn how to interact with bears properly. You're in more danger from crazies on the freeway back home than you are from bears on our trails.

 

I have, though, been hired to guard a film crew with my rifle while they were hiking - my discussion with them that it really wasn't necessary didn't lessen their paranoia, so I played along.

[Adri204]

One of the first things to relize is how vast an area your actually in. Also check in at a ranger's station let someone know where your going, get maps, Take the right kind of boots and extra socks. Plan on fording streams/rivers maybe. Plan on seeing bears and talk to the rangers and get information on recent bear sightings.

 

As far as hiking without a guide as others say assess your stamina, comfort level. Can you hike up and down through bogs, up hills, down hills, through rivers, on uneven terrain.

 

Pack a first aide kit, food for a few days just in case. Yes fine take a cell phone but it may or may not work. Pack water to and be prepared for very vastly differnt rough terrian then you might have ever seen.

 

I hike in Alaska but im also a born and raised Alaskan.

 

As far as packing a gun. Thats a very individual choice and not to be taken lightly. I dont think its a good idea for novices who have never really handled a gun to be packing one.

 

Where I live yes I pack a gun but ive taken several safty courses, never played with toy guns, treat it as a weopon and not a toy and I am not a yahoo but a very sensible Alaskan woman.

 

I would not suggest shooting the bear as wounding them makes them madder but firing off a warning shot alerts others in the area and can spoke a bear to.

 

Keep in mind while hiking that Mosquitoes will love ya and find you as well as Noseums and pack also sunscreen.

 

My knee jerk reaction is to say Hire a guide but if thats just not possible and you still want to do it. Then be as prepared as possible.

 

Hiking in Alaska is a whole nother kettle of fish be prepared for tons of contingincys.

 

What happens if thier is an emergeny what if one of you breaks an ankle can the other one help you out? Are any of you allergic to bee's? Wasps? spiders check we got them all. We dont have snakes in the wilderness but we got the others.

 

Just be safe and I suggest you get on the internet and research "bear safty in Alaska" also wilderness safty in Alaska and how it all works and so on.

 

Good luck, be safe and please dont get lost, hurt or injured out thier.

 

Adri :)

[PennyAgain]

This has been a huge family discussion for decades. Frankly, political gun issues aside, I resent the extra weight.

 

For a couple hour's hike near cruise ports, it is good to be wise but it is unlikely you will be faced with severe challenges. One of my joys in life is hiking. I understand the risks, but as I said in a post above this one I have tons of experience.

 

When I was a kid, we called it 'going for a walk' and it was no big deal. But in those days our parents didn't have weird people to worry about.

 

I do hike in the areas of the cruise ports and have often come across cruise passengers doing really stupid things when trying to hike. The number one 'sin' seems to be wearing absolutely the wrong sort of footwear. I've walked more than one scared person back to the trail head and sent them back to their ship.

 

A mile on a trail is not like a city mile on sidewalks. What you can do in 15 to 20 minutes in a city may take you a hour or more on a trail. It is much wiser to walk out on a trail for 20 minutes and turn around and walk back to the start of the trail than to keep going until you get worried.

[whale-watcher]

We live in a remote area of northern MN where we regularly encounter wildlife (especially wolves, but sometimes bear and moose) when we are on the trail or out bushwacking. We never carry weapons with us but do make sure we are aware of our surroundings at all times.

 

I agree that proper footwear is essential, and would also make sure you carry a map and compass...it is easy to get turned around, and you cannot always rely on GPS.

 

Enjoy!

[Glaciers]

We’ve never used a guide but don’t venture too far off the beaten path. We do take bear spray but have never used it. We take it primarily when we camp. Like a firearm you really need to know how to use it as well. This is a pretty good site from Alaska DNR.

http://dnr.alaska.gov/parks/safety/bears.htm

[Glaciers]

I hike solo in the Skagway area a lot, and see bears fairly regularly. I never carry a gun, and I think that anyone who does is just a cowboy who should learn how to interact with bears properly. You're in more danger from crazies on the freeway back home than you are from bears on our trails.

 

I have, though, been hired to guard a film crew with my rifle while they were hiking - my discussion with them that it really wasn't necessary didn't lessen their paranoia, so I played along.

 

Yukon, you may remember this but back in 2004 there was a guy hired as a gun carrying bear guard for a seismic crew on the Kenai Peninsula. The guy ended up being the one mauled by a brown bear.

[tee_harbor]

 

When I was a kid, we called it 'going for a walk' and it was no big deal.

 

At my age, I now call it 'taking a stroll.'

 

I'm sorry, OP, but I literally burst out laughing when I read your question.

 

I live in Juneau and stroll the trails a couple times a week. I've seen a bear once. There's one single trail on the Juneau road accessible trail system I'd not hike out of concerns for the bears.

 

Unless you're going backcountry, there's just too many people for a lot of bears, let alone ones that don't scram the first moment they see you.

 

Locals, have you ever heard of a tourist on day hiking systems being attacked? I can't think of one. I occasionally hear of hikers on serious, back country hikes in Interior being mauled, but not here.

 

And those attacks that happened a couple years ago, on the trails smack in our largest city, Anchorage.

 

I do hike in the areas of the cruise ports and have often come across cruise passengers doing really stupid things when trying to hike. The number one 'sin' seems to be wearing absolutely the wrong sort of footwear. I've walked more than one scared person back to the trail head and sent them back to their ship.

 

Yes. I would be much more worried about severely twisting my ankle and having a scary time waiting for help.

[cmlmich]

I'm sorry, OP, but I literally burst out laughing when I read your question.

 

 

I know to someone that lives in Alaska that may seem like a funny question asked by a city slicker. I don't live in a big city, I live in north western Michigan where we do have black bears and some cougars have been spotted by my home, but I may be just a little paranoid about hiking in a unknown area. You do bring up a good point that I wasn't aware of that there will be other people around those trails and the bears would probably not be around.

Thanks for the heads up.

[Adri204]

At my age, I now call it 'taking a stroll.'

 

I'm sorry, OP, but I literally burst out laughing when I read your question.

 

I live in Juneau and stroll the trails a couple times a week. I've seen a bear once. There's one single trail on the Juneau road accessible trail system I'd not hike out of concerns for the bears.

 

Unless you're going backcountry, there's just too many people for a lot of bears, let alone ones that don't scram the first moment they see you.

 

Locals, have you ever heard of a tourist on day hiking systems being attacked? I can't think of one. I occasionally hear of hikers on serious, back country hikes in Interior being mauled, but not here.

 

And those attacks that happened a couple years ago, on the trails smack in our largest city, Anchorage.

 

 

 

Yes. I would be much more worried about severely twisting my ankle and having a scary time waiting for help.

 

 

I attended the University of Alaska Southeast in Auke bay/Juneau and I lived in the the Apartments. One day I went to take my trash to the trash building which is an enclosed building. The doors are supposed to be fastened to keep the bears out.

 

I opened the door and imagine to my surpise thier was a bear in with the garbage. I jumped in to the second part of the building and was safe from the bear. The bear ran out yelling appearently he/she had been locked in all night.

 

I am a born and raised Alaskan and do currently live in Bear Country. I had a few not very nice things to say about the person/people who had not secured the building properly. Luckily the bear and I both survived our encuonter.

 

But also many times walking from the housing down to Main campus it isent a long walk but thier is woods thier and a lake. We would see bears wondering around right on campus. So yea I have had my share of bear encounters in Juneau/Auke bay.

 

I also did some day hikes in the area and yes I saw bears on the hikes. So Yea while a sprayned ankle is a concern thier are bears in the Juneau area thats for sure.

 

Its just common sence by the way I loved UAS and think its a beatiful campus. I currently live in Meodowlakes which is where I am from and am a life long Alaskan :)

 

Adri :)