Made the Move from MT to AK

[berto]

For those of you here that know me and care to hear, I made the move from MT to AK with my wife and three kids. We drove the alcan highway in 6 days time and arrived here in AK two weeks ago. Still working on settling in, but it is going well.

I hope to get out to look for moose sheds once the snow melts, then come June I will be exploring the fishing opportunities. Unfortunately I won't be able to hunt here as a resident until Fall 2008 (cannot afford the non-resident fees), but in the meantime I will be doing some scouting and hunting with the few hunters I know here.

It's good to be connected with all you folks again.

Take care and God bless

 

[HunterHarry]

Welcome back Berto.
Which town did you settle on?
I had freinds move up there about 20 years ago.
One settled in Eagle River and the other in Soldotna.
The painful truth they both quickly discovered is that in order to acces the best hunting areas it meant expensive aircraft charter, really limiting the number of hunts they could do.
It is a spectacularly scenic place to live and you can pull off some good fishing trips fairly reasonably.
Also it is pretty pricey for goods, groceries & merchandise, due to the shipping costs from the lower 48.
Try hard to hunt brown or grizzly bears and dall sheep as a resident as the prices of guided (mandatory for non res) hunts are spiraling out of control.
Good luck up there, I threatened to move up there myself in the 80's.
Keep in touch...
HH

 

[Gator]

Berto I hope you find the mother lode of moose antlers, Since your not down in the lower 48 anymore, maybe you can tell ME all those shed hunting spots you used to find all that bone in. LOL. I hope you enjoy the Northern life, Glad to see your back.

 

[AKCATHUNTER]

Good to see another MM member up here. Don't wait until June 1 to start fishing though. If this snow and Ice ever melts the fishing will be very good. There should be some kings available by the middle to end of May.
AKCAT

 

[kilowatt]

Aaron,
Good to hear that the family and you got up there and starting to settle in there. Which city or town, must be around Anchorage huh?
Once you get settled in up there and start to getting out, let me know as my step-brother lives up there and been there for about 35 years now. Also another MM moved up there about two years ago and is down out of Soldotna.

Hope that all works out for the family and the kids enjoy it up there too.

Best to all of you,

Brian

 

[outtabreath]

Soldotna is cool! Check out the Swan Lake Canoe Route. Great trip. Me and the wife did it for our honeymoon. We saw two people in a week. Have dreamed of living up there. Good luck with the settlin' in.

 

[berto]

hey you guys,

thanks for the well wishes! we are in anchorage...rented a small house here and OUCH rentals are expensive!!! But then, everything is expensive up here...

anyway, like everyone else here i am patiently waiting for the snow/ice to melt so i can get started learning how to fish like an Alaskan

then i will tag along with a buddy of mine i am now working with while he hunts moose this fall. i will begin hunting in '08 once i am a resident, meanwhile i will research and get out there as much as i can to learn the ropes for moose, bou and sheep...maybe even goat.

lots to do and learn around here!

oh yeah, i just remembered to mention that my new job here so far is sweet compared to where i was working in MT...no comparison.

later

 

[berto]

gator,

i had many friends apply the pressure to make me give up my favorite shed collecting spots in MT...none of them "broke" me

i admit i am missing that part of MT like heck right now...it's prime time down there!

 

[TFinalshot]

Hey man, good to hear that you made it. Hope it all works out for you. Sorry we never got go the hills together, but no matter now, your in AK!

good luck.

 

[scottyboy]

Hopefully I can fill your void in MT and get the hell outta AZ for good once and for all!! Still waiting on my job to send me up there!! Another round of moves coming at the end of this month they say..
Congrats on the move and get that fishing gear ready!!

 

[jodog]

Glad your where you want to be, good luck. How was the drive up the Alcan highway? The last time I drove it it was a twisting and turning dirt road until you got to the small towns along the way then it was paved until a couple miles outside of town and it would turn right back into dirt, all the way to the Alaska state line. Heck I loved every mile of it.

 

[YukonDall]

BERTO, CONGRATS ON THE MOVE. JUST THINK OF ALL THAT GREAT FISHING/ SCOUTING YOU CAN DO UNTIL YOUR A RESIDENT. THEN YOU CAN TURN IT LOOSE ON MOOSE. I DONT FEEL SORRY FOR YOU ONE BIT,I WISH I WAS YOUR NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOR.-----YD.

 

[fossil]

My brother moved to Anchorage,about five years ago....He works on the "Slope"............
He fishes all the time up there for "kings"..He also said even for resident people,the hunting is so expencive!
You pretty much have to fly everywhere.....
He is going Moose hunting with his bow though.....When he gets time...

 

[polarbear]

Congrats, you lucky bastage!!! I've been trying to talk my wife into moving to AK for years. I have cousins that are big in the fishing industry in Sitka and am guaranteed a job if I get up there. The wife gets too cold too easily so she is a really tough sell on the idea. I'm still working on her though!
Good luck!
Eric

Ultra liberal, wolf loving, illiterate, gay, hippie midgets on crack piss me off!!!!

 

[berto]

I thought some of you might enjoy seeing some of the pics we took on the drive up the Alcan...This was in March.

before we left MT

US/CAN border at Sweetgrass MT

less than ideal driving conditions

ice falls along the highway

still driving...

bison along the highway in northern BC

This was a very isolated portion of the highway in the Yukon

yes, there were many steep and winding portions along the highway

finally made it to AK!!!

lost some time when my p/u quit running outside Tok, AK...had to leave it there for repair...then this happened later that day

ahhh, Alaska, ain't she beautiful?!?!

and another beautiful pic...this is matanuska glacier

My wife and I did the drive with our three kids in 5.5 days...2550 miles. It is just the beginning of this adventure!

 

[MattB]

Nice pics, that 7th pic looks like sheep mountain on Kluane lake?

 

[HunterHarry]

Damn fine pics there Berto.
Love the one with the family in front of the signpost.
I've been away too long.
HH

 

[ClorideRUS]

If you end up in Soldotna, look up one of my very best friends, Kerry Walker. Tell him Russ say's "hey" & just cause Pat's gone doesn't mean you can't come visit.

Good luck in the Great White North.

RUS

 

[berto]

MattB, you are correct.

 

[berto]

ClorideRUS,

I have a buddy here who's Dad owns a little place in Soldotna, so i will eventually make it down there (probably this spring to fish )...

 

[hotdiggity]

Berto, I sent you a PM

 

[fatrooster]

Berto, congrats on the move. What kind of job did you get in Alaska? fatrooster.

 

[1BigDeer]

Congratulations on making the move! Seems people either love AK or hate her. Not much in between. I left for over 4 years (military) and came back as soon as I retired. I've fished all over the "road system" so if you want any ideas give me a shout. Hope you enjoy AK as much I do!