Other activities (Area Code 907)

The variety of winter activities is staggering. We list just a sampling. We encourage you to get the excellent free Visitors Guide from the Anchorage Convention & Visitors Bureau, 524 W. Fourth Ave., Anchorage, AK 99501-2212. Telephone: 276-4118; Web site: www.anchorage.net.

Think of Alaska in winter and you think of dogsleds. Call Chugach Dog Sled Tours in Girdwood near the ski area (783-2266 for reservations, last-minute calls don't work; or make reservations through the guest services desk at the Hotel Alyeska). If you're staying in Anchorage, drive about 20 minutes to the hamlet of Chugiak to Mush a Dog Team-Gold Rush Days (688-1391). As you travel the trail, you'll see a recreation of an Alaskan gold miner's camp. You'll be amazed at how cramped and cold those unheated tents must have been.

Dogsled races are a focal point of Fur Rendezvous, held annually in mid-February. The World Championship Sled Dog Race is the sprint (some sprint—25 miles a day for three days) counterpart to the more famous endurance race, The Iditarod, which follows Fur Rondy on the first Saturday in March. Fur Rondy also has fireworks, a snow sculpture contest, a small carnival, a snowshoe softball tournament (hilarious for spectators) and the World Championship Dog Weight Pull, a contest detailed in Jack London's book, Call of the Wild. Alaskan Natives come from all parts of the state for Fur Rondy, and many wear traditional fur parkas, stunning works of art with intricate patterns. By the way, if seeing people wearing fur offends you, don't come at this time. You'll only work yourself into a lather over something that has kept native Alaskans warm for centuries. If you're a dog lover, don't miss the start of The Iditarod, when about 1,500 sled dogs are parked on main street in downtown Anchorage. Early in the morning, you can visit with the dogs and the mushers.

Several companies offer flightseeing tours via helicopter or fixed-wing planes. It is the best way to see Alaska's spectacular mountains and glaciers and well worth the cost. We flew with Era Helicopters (800-478-1947; 248-4422; www.eraaviation.com) into the rugged Chugach Mountains that border Anchorage. On an overcast day, you'll gain an appreciation for the arduous conditions that 19th-century mushers endured to bring supplies over mountain passes from Seward to Anchorage. On a clear day, you'll see Mt. McKinley off in the distance, its broad hulk standing apart from surrounding mountains. Alpine Air (783-2360) operates tours out of Girdwood. They will pick up at the Alyeska Prince Hotel.

Alyeska offers snowcat skiing and heli-skiing with more than 750 square miles of backcountry slopes. Chugach Powder Guides (783-4354) operates out of the Alyeska Prince Hotel. A full-day heli-skiing package is $650, with a guarantee of 16,000-20,000 vertical. A full-day snowcat package is $150 standby, $195 by advance reservation. Tandem paragliding with a certified pilot 2,300 feet above the ski area is another thrill for visitors. Available daily in summer and by appointment in winter. Call Alyeska for more details, 754-2275.

Also operated out of the Alyeska Hotel are Alaska Heritage and Kenai Fjords Tours which offer wildlife and glacier tours of the local waters with the possibility of a visiting dinghy bearing

mmmmmmmn

Photos courtesy of Kenai Fjord Tours

oysters and lots of lore from a local oyster farmer. alaskaheritagetours.com, 907-276-6249; kenaifjords.com, 1 800 478-8068.

In Anchorage, the Anchorage Museum of History and Art (343-4326) is a must-see, with excellent displays that show 10,000 years of Alaskan civilization, from ancient days through the Gold Rush and the great earthquake of 1964. The Alaska Native Heritage Center (800-315-6608; 330-8000) provides an introduction to Alaska's native population. Although it's not fully open in winter, special events such as cultural gatherings and art shows are reason enough to visit. If you're in law enforcement, don't miss the Alaska State Trooper Museum (800-770-5050), which tells the history of the state's law enforcement through exhibits, memorabilia and photographs

In Seward, two hours' drive south of Alyeska Resort, you can visit the Alaska SeaLife Center (224-6300), funded by Exxon Valdez oil spill restoration funds and dedicated to understanding and maintaining the integrity of Alaska's marine ecosystem. It's a combination aquarium and museum, with interactive exhibits, displays and touch tanks for children. Renown Charters and Tours (800-655-3806; 224-3806) offers an exciting wildlife cruise that circumnavigates Resurrection Bay and touches briefly into the Gulf of Alaska; transportation is available from the Alyeska Prince Hotel. The Big Game Alaska Wildlife Center (783-2025), just 10 miles south of Girdwood, is dedicated to the rehabilitation of orphaned and injured animals. Here you can get close enough to pet moose, Sitka deer, caribou and reindeer. Also on premises are birds of prey, buffalo and muskox. It's open daily, 10 a.m.–4 p.m.

If you need another reason to visit Alaska in the winter, the Northern Lights might be it. If you've ever seen photos of the aurora borealis, with its green, blue and red streaks of light across an ink-black sky, you have an inkling of how magnificent this phenomenon is. For forecasts on when to plan your trip to maximize the chances of seeing the Northern Lights, go to this Internet site: www.geo.mtu.edu/weather/aurora. The Alyeska Prince Hotel has a unique Northern Lights wake-up service and a seven-minute electronic display of the aurora on the ceiling of the hotel's three-story lobby.