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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Are your trips primarily for “birders”?

Some are and some are not. We offer trips which experienced birders absolutely love, but many of our less bird-oriented participants simply enjoy immersing themselves in watching all wildlife - birds as well as mammals - plants and natural features. Our guides are always birding (they can’t help it!), so birds are always pointed out. While some trips are focused on seeing birds, others emphasize wilderness and other Alaskan fauna and flora.  We have identified which types of trips are more birding-focused so that our guests can choose the trip that best matches their interests.

Whether you’re a serious “lister”, a novice birder, or not a birder at all, observing the avifauna on our trips adds a rich dimension to all of our trips.  Even when the “megafauna” aren’t present as we float down a river or paddle our kayaks, birds always are, and that means birders – whatever level of skill - are always engaged and observing the details of our environment.  Even on our most intense birding-focused trips, we don’t have tunnel vision; we’re interested in everything around us.  Birds aren’t the only thing, but they are one heck of a portal to the natural world.

What kind of shape do I have to be in to go on your trips?

Most of our trips are fairly active and your enjoyment and involvement will be enhanced by being in good physical condition, particularly for walking with a daypack. Some trips are more physically demanding than others.  Most trips offer the flexibility to allow you to determine for yourself whether to participate in activities. Instead of a day hike, you may choose to hang out in camp and read your book.  We are happy to discuss with you the relative challenges of various trips you might be considering, or refer you to guests who can offer their perspective. In addition to being in decent shape physically, it’s important when traveling in Alaska to be mentally flexible and adventurous. Alaska’s extremes can surprise us anytime and these qualities will allow you to continue to enjoy your trip even as the vagaries of weather, wildlife or bush travel cause us to modify and adapt.

What equipment do I need?

When you sign up for a trip, we send a detailed, specific equipment list for that particular trip.  In general, you bring your personal gear and we bring the rest. 

On backcountry trips, personal gear includes your tent, sleeping bag, sleeping pad.  (We have a limited amount of extra camping equipment available to rent, if needed.) On most of our birding-focused, village based trips, we stay in B&Bs or similar accommodations and you don’t need tents or sleeping bags. In Gambell, however, where we stay in a local home, you just need to bring a light sleeping bag.  You do not need to bring eating utensils on any of our trips since we provide those for you.

Footwear tends to be one of the most important aspects of outfitting for our destinations and activities.  We have recommendations for each trip, described in detail on that trip’s equipment list.

What about mosquitoes? 

Despite their outsized reputation, Alaska’s mosquitoes are not the omnipresent menace many people expect.  On many of our early season trips, we never see them.  The main place we run into them is in the Arctic Refuge and Interior Alaska in midsummer.  They used to be most intense during the first three weeks of July in the Arctic, but global climate change has thrown out the rule book.  We’ve seen bugs earlier and later in recent years, and we’ve had fewer bugs in general with warmer, drier seasons.  Even if you come on a trip that turns out to be quite buggy, the concentrations are localized. So yes, we have mosquitoes – but they are pretty manageable. We have various ways of dealing with them, some of which we describe in the equipment list for you to consider bringing with you, and others will be in the group gear we bring.

Who are the leaders on each trip? 

We are a small company with a wonderful staff of guides who repeatedly garner rave reviews from our guests. Because a number of custom trips invariably arise in the months before our season begins and our schedule remains fluid for some months even after publishing it, we are usually juggling guides’ trip assignments throughout the winter, finalizing in late winter/early spring. 

Are meals included in the trips? 

Where dining out is not practical or possible, all meals are included in the trip; for example, all meals are included on our wilderness/backcountry camping trips.  On our village based trips, inclusion of meals varies, as indicated. Where restaurant dining is a part of the itinerary, we have excluded those restaurant meals from the trip price to give you more control over what you spend on your meals.

What are your meals like?

We are proud of our meals which consistently draw great accolades from our participants.  Instead of the “float’em & bloat’em” approach of trying to impress participants, we provide a nice variety of delicious and healthy meals on our trips, using organic products where possible and organic bird-friendly, fair trade coffee.

I have a dietary restriction. Can you accommodate my needs on a trip?

Usually we can. You might be amazed at some of the creative solutions we’ve come up with for individuals even on fly-in, extended backcountry trips! If you have a serious dietary issue, it’s best to discuss your needs with us in advance and in detail, and we’ll tell you what we can and can’t do, depending on which trip you’re considering and what your needs are. If your needs are elective rather than medically-based, we encourage people to be flexible but we’ll do what we can to support your dietary choices.

When is the best time to visit with regard to the weather?

The often-asked weather question! Yes, Alaska has weather - lots of it. Up here in the north, the weather can pretty much do anything anytime anywhere. Our summer lacks predictable weather patterns. We have had snow in the Arctic Refuge on the 4th of July as well as hot and sweaty droughts. There is no way to predict what the weather will be like. Often in Gambell, birders hope for “bad weather” that can bring good birding, dropping Asiatic birds virtually in our laps. Remember - there’s no such thing as bad weather – just poor equipment and a bad attitude. To have a great adventure in Alaska, come prepared for any weather.

Find out more about our Trips in Alaska!