Alaskan Winds - Part II - Southcentral Alaska

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Dec 16, 2009, 8:00pm

Alaskan Winds :: The Great Alaskan Tour :: Part II - The Southcentral :: Part II - Southcentral Alaska

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Topic: Part II - Southcentral Alaska (Read 225 times)

Joao Paz
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Part II - Southcentral Alaska
« Thread Started on Jul 25, 2008, 9:32pm »

Southcentral Alaska
[image]

http://www.alaskatrekker.com/images/ak.gif

Welcome to Southcentral Alaska, Pilots!
The most populated region of the Great State, sometimes known as the "Alaska Playground"!
While getting ready to fly hard again, let me present you Southcentral Alaska as a series of topics that we will be focusing on, whenever possible.
...to set you in the right mood! 8-)

Enjoy!
Flights are being designed as you read this

http://www.freealaskamap.com/

Boundaries
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http://www.nikonians-images.org
In general terms you have...
North - The Alaska Range
South - The Gulf of Alaska
East - Canada
West - The Cook Inlet

Sub regions
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http://www.travelalaska.com/
Southcentral has its own main 4 regions:
* Anchorage area
* Matanuska-Susitna or "Mat-Su" or "The Valley" (owing its name to the Matanuska and Susitna Rivers)
* Kenai Peninsula (south of Anchorage, between the Cook Inlet and the Gulf of Alaska)
* Prince William Sound (Southeast of Anchorage, area of fjords, glaciers and islands, along the Gulf of Alaska coast)

Main Cities/Towns by Region

Municipality of Anchorage
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http://www.akbrian.net/
Anchorage
Eagle River
Girdwood

Kenai Peninsula
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http://www.salmon-halibut-fishing.info
Kenai
Homer
Seward

Matanuska-Susitna Valley
[image]

http://tokyo-angler.com/
Palmer
Wasilla
Talkeetna

Prince William Sound
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http://www.alaska.net
Cordova
Valdez
Whittier

Scenic Wonders, Attractions, Places...
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http://www.wildnatureimages.com/
Wrangell-St. Elias National Park
Kenai Fjords National Park and Wildlife Refuge
Katmai National Park and Refuge
Chugach State Park, Chugach National Forest
Kachemak Bay State Park
Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge
Tetlin National Wildlife Refuge
Passage Canal at Whittier
The nation's longest highway tunnel, on the road to Whittier
(and more... Forests, Glaciers, Fjords, Lakes, Streams...!)

Wildlife
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http://www.alaska.net/~house/kaktovikusfwsphotos.html
Salmon (world's largest at Kenai River) and Halibut
Black and Brown Bears
Moose and Caribou
Dall Sheep
Humpback Wales, Killer Wales, Gray Whales > Prince William Sound and Gulf of Alaska
Beluga Whales > Cook Inlet and Turnagain Arm
Bald Eagles
Millions of migratory birds: Loons, Trumpeter Swans, Ducks and Geese (coming in the warm month of May)

The Climate
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http://www.usgcrp.gov/
Summers are pleasant in Southcentral Alaska, with high temperatures reaching the 70s. Clear skies are most common in the spring and early summer.
In the six months of winter, hundreds of inches of snow falls in the coastal mountains. Anchorage, however, averages less than 60 inches per winter. Snowfall can be expected from October to April.
Southcentral Alaska has 24-hour light at the beginning of summer (a combination of sunlight and twilight). The longest day in Anchorage is 19.5 hours of sunlight. In the winter, the shortest day is 5.5 hours long.

Cook Inlet and Turnagain Arm have one of the greatest tidal ranges in the world, about 30 feet between low and high tides!

Activities
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Check this video
Summer, Outdoors
Cycling
Fishing
Camping
Golf
Hiking
Sea kayaking
River rafting

Winter
[image]

http://www.wildnatureimages.com/
Cross-Country
Downhill Skiing
Snowmobile Riding
Ice Skating
Nighttime viewing of the Northern Lights

Military, Coast Guard bases

Military
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