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May 1st weather?

cvanhorn

By cvanhorn,
in Alaska

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PennyAgain

PennyAgain

Posted
Posted

May 1 is also still MUD Season in many parts of Alaska. Not nice! I love Alaska and I avoid MUD Season.

 

Also that early very little in open especially Denali National Park if you are thinking of going that way.

 

Every year it seems that the cruise lines push the season to start earlier and end later. That doesn't make t a good deal.

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frugaltravel

frugaltravel

Posted
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I didn't cruise but went to Anchorage and Kenai Peninsula May 1, 2008. Still lots of snow on the ground and it even snowed at higher elevations. Never used a winter coat but lots of layers. The nice thing was that it gave a different perspective than summer travel and very few tourists yet. If you do a landtour, check out the birding festivals that time of year.

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BuckeyeLotus

BuckeyeLotus

Posted
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May 1 is also still MUD Season in many parts of Alaska. Not nice! I love Alaska and I avoid MUD Season.

 

Also that early very little in open especially Denali National Park if you are thinking of going that way.

 

Every year it seems that the cruise lines push the season to start earlier and end later. That doesn't make t a good deal.

 

We will be going May 1st next year and the cold/rain/snow does not bother me, it will just feel like home and I am looking forward to the lack of tourist and kids. However will things really be closed? We aren't going near Denali so that isn't a problem at all but I will be disappointed if we get there and things aren't open. Does anyone know if this is really the case?

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Yukon

Yukon

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Posted
We will be going May 1st next year and the cold/rain/snow does not bother me, it will just feel like home and I am looking forward to the lack of tourist and kids. However will things really be closed? We aren't going near Denali so that isn't a problem at all but I will be disappointed if we get there and things aren't open. Does anyone know if this is really the case?

 

It depends on where you're going. Lots of things don't get going until the 2nd week of May, though.

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negc

negc

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We will be going May 1st next year and the cold/rain/snow does not bother me, it will just feel like home and I am looking forward to the lack of tourist and kids. However will things really be closed? We aren't going near Denali so that isn't a problem at all but I will be disappointed if we get there and things aren't open. Does anyone know if this is really the case?

That very lack of tourists and kids that you are looking forward to, is the very reason that many things won't be open that early in the season. It is a trade-off and you can't expect shops to open up before a reasonable audience for their wares exists.:rolleyes:

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vbmom87

vbmom87

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We will be going May 1st next year and the cold/rain/snow does not bother me, it will just feel like home and I am looking forward to the lack of tourist and kids. However will things really be closed? We aren't going near Denali so that isn't a problem at all but I will be disappointed if we get there and things aren't open. Does anyone know if this is really the case?

 

YOu will need to figure out which excursions you are interested in and then contact to the vendors to see when their start dates are. Many have websites where you can check out this information. I have read of quite a few people who were disappointed when they found out the tours they wanted to take were not yet offered. What is really unfortunate is those who sign up for the early cruisetours that include Denali. The itinerary might say it includes the Tundra Wilderness Tour. However, they have to substitute a shorter tour because the park road is not open yet. It is sad that the tour companies don't indicate what date the TWT will begin, especially since they know there is no way the park road will be open yet. Many end up very disappointed.

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BuckeyeLotus

BuckeyeLotus

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YOu will need to figure out which excursions you are interested in and then contact to the vendors to see when their start dates are. Many have websites where you can check out this information.

 

Thanks for the suggestion. It didn't occur to me that things wouldn't be open since I have all my guide books and everything I'm interested in says they are open 'May-September' I have already started emailing people just to make sure May really means the entire month! It started to worry me when people on here started talking about things not opening till the second and third weeks of May.

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negc

negc

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Thanks for the suggestion. It didn't occur to me that things wouldn't be open since I have all my guide books and everything I'm interested in says they are open 'May-September' I have already started emailing people just to make sure May really means the entire month! It started to worry me when people on here started talking about things not opening till the second and third weeks of May.

 

Good idea to check directly with the tour operators and vendors. I'm afraid that when they say they are open from "May-September" they often mean mid to late May to early to mid-September. Like most everything else, the devil is in the details.:rolleyes:

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Budget Queen

Budget Queen

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I've been there in this timeframe, definately not my preference, if it's going to be an infrequent trip. I went for free, which was worth it, but the other passengers were totally miserable- 6 out of 7 days of rain.

 

Plenty of stuff was closed, including Carcross, totally boarded up. :) Some shops not open, and supplies at others, not fully stocked. Some tours were not open.

 

I don't find the savings significant any longer for these very first and last sailings in Alaska. They used to be give away, which is when I took them. :) But no longer, earliest I go now is mid May. Latest, first week of Sept.

 

As for kids- frankly, Alaska is still few on kids, and WAY less than sailing the Caribbean. I would never make a touring choice of Alaska based on any "kids" concern/issue. It really isn't valid.

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coralreef62

coralreef62

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Plenty of stuff was closed, including Carcross, totally boarded up. :) Some shops not open, and supplies at others, not fully stocked. Some tours were not open.

 

Did you do a ship excursion, a private tour operator like Chilkoot or did you do it on your own?

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BuckeyeLotus

BuckeyeLotus

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I've been there in this timeframe, definately not my preference, if it's going to be an infrequent trip. I went for free, which was worth it, but the other passengers were totally miserable- 6 out of 7 days of rain.

 

Actually I was under the impression (and guidebooks and weather.com seem to back this up) that April and May are the months that Alaska gets less rain. (With August and September being much worse) Do you think it was just bad luck that you got 6 out of 7 days of rain?

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Yukon

Yukon

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Actually I was under the impression (and guidebooks and weather.com seem to back this up) that April and May are the months that Alaska gets less rain. (With August and September being much worse)

 

Even in SE Alaska it varies a lot by the specific location - the month with the least rain may be April, May or June (stats for the ports from the the Alaska Climate Research Center can be seen at http://www.youralaskacruise.com/cruise-weather.html ). September is always the wettest.

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PennyAgain

PennyAgain

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April and May are the end of WINTER in Alaska and are really part of MUD season. I adore Alaska but never visit at those times unless I have a family emergency and have to fly North.

 

Early May cruises can be miserable and are no longer cheap.

 

Budget Queen has been to Alaska a jillion times. She writes from vast experience, not just one soggy trip.

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BuckeyeLotus

BuckeyeLotus

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Even in SE Alaska it varies a lot by the specific location - the month with the least rain may be April, May or June (stats for the ports from the the Alaska Climate Research Center can be seen at http://www.youralaskacruise.com/cruise-weather.html ). September is always the wettest.

 

Thanks so much for the website, great information on Alaska weather!

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Costafox

Costafox

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Posted

We left San Franciso on 3rd May last year on a 14 night cruise and were very lucky with the weather. It did rain on 2 days - Icy Strait Point and Sitka - but generally we didn't find it as cold as we had imagined it would be. We would do exactly the same trip again in a heartbeat.

 

Best Wishes

 

Gill

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