Alaska is a premier wilderness destination boasting dramatic, icy landscapes and abundant wildlife, including the towering 20,000+ foot Denali, the expansive Kenai Fjords National Park, and the massive glaciers of Glacier Bay and Prince William Sound. Key wonders include the 4,845-foot thick Mendenhall Glacier, the brown bear hotspot of Katmai National Park, and the Northern Lights in Fairbanks.
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Short filmTranscript
00:00Alaska, land of eternal glaciers, land of endless forests, land of pioneers and northern lights.
00:30A grizzly bear fishes for salmon in a river.
00:59Alaska stretches infinitely under immense skies.
01:04A sled pulled by huskies crosses frozen plains.
01:13Welcome to Alaska.
01:19Welcome to America's last frontier.
01:25Known for its extreme and remote landscapes, this is a territory where nature reigns supreme,
01:32where glaciers slowly advance toward the sea, and where the midnight sun illuminates brief
01:39but intense summers.
01:44But let's start from the beginning.
01:48Alaska stretches across the extreme northwest of the North American continent, with Canadian
01:53territory separating it from the contiguous United States, which purchased this land from
01:58Russia in 1867 for just $7.2 million.
02:09Spanning 1.7 million square kilometers, or 663,000 square miles, it stands as the largest region
02:16in the United States, surpassing the combined area of Texas, California, and Montana.
02:30If it were an independent nation, it would be the 18th largest country in the world.
02:44Yet this immensity hosts barely 730,000 inhabitants, making it the least densely populated state in
02:50the USA, with half the population living in the Anchorage area, leaving vast regions completely uninhabited for hundreds of miles.
03:12Alaska is also a mosaic of natural wonders.
03:18In just a few hundred miles, you pass from rainforests to frozen tundra, or from majestic glaciers
03:25to smoking volcanoes, or from ocean coasts to silent valleys, making this state one of
03:33the most varied from a geographic standpoint.
03:40The numbers also testify to this diversity.
03:46Over 100,000 glaciers cover about 5% of the total surface.
03:52True rivers of ice that flow undeterred for millennia.
04:00Even more impressive is the presence of over 3 million lakes, each with an area of at least
04:058 hectares, or 20 acres.
04:12And then there are the coasts, which extend for over 54,000 kilometers, or 34,000 miles.
04:20More than all other American states combined.
04:26A perimeter where rock, ice, and ocean merge, shaped by thousands of islands, fjords, and inlets
04:33that seem never-ending.
04:41But it is perhaps in the heart of the southeast that nature shows its most primordial forests.
04:51The Tongass National Forest extends for 7 million hectares, or 17 million acres, and is the largest
04:58intact temperate rainforest in the world.
05:12Here nature still dictates the rules, with wildlife governing entire territories, where
05:17man can only pass through with respect.
05:26There are grizzly and black bears, majestic moose, arctic wolves and caribou.
05:32All inhabitants of a land, where humans do not dominate the territory, but adapt to it
05:38with humility.
05:51Continuing, in this state, over 60% of the territory is roadless.
06:01Many communities are accessible only by plane, boat, or snowmobile.
06:06Especially in winter, when ice transforms rivers and lakes into white highways, and the silence
06:13of snow-covered nature envelops everything.
06:23But this is also an ancient land, inhabited by peoples who have lived here for over 15,000
06:29years, who forged a resilient culture based on salmon fishing, hunting, totem pole craftsmen
06:36and a deep spiritual connection with the land.
06:43Today, they represent about 15% of the population, and keep millennia-old traditions alive.
06:55Alaska, therefore, is much more than a simple state.
07:00It is an entire world.
07:03A place where the immensity of nature meets human tenacity, and where past and present coexist
07:09under arctic skies.
07:12But now, let's go discover the most incredible and iconic places of this land.
07:39Anchorage
07:40Half of Alaska's population lives here, in this city where skyscrapers stand against the mountains,
07:54the most calmly cross supermarket parking lots.
08:04Anchorage is the perfect meeting point between wild nature and modern life.
08:14On one side there is the urban center, with restaurants, museums and shops.
08:27On the other trails that venture into the wilderness in just a few minutes.
08:35The coastal road offers incredible views of Cook Inlet, that large inlet that stretches between
08:42the mountains.
08:43While in the distance, the volcanoes of the Alaska Peninsula draw the horizon.
08:48The city offers a fascinating contrast with museums alternating with bike paths, and it is this balance between
09:02urban life and pristine nature that makes the experience here special.
09:07This is the true gateway to explore America's last great wild state.
09:18The city offers a great place to explore America's last few years.
09:37Denali National Park
09:39In the center of Alaska rises the highest mountain on the continent.
09:51And we're talking about Mount Denali, which in the language of the native Koyukon,
09:55simply means the Great One.
10:00The Great One.
10:0220,310 feet, or 6,190 meters of rock, ice and pure glory, that dominate an endless horizon.
10:18But this park is not just a legendary peak.
10:22It's an immense territory, as large as New Jersey, where caribou, grizzly bears and wolves live free,
10:29as in ancient times.
10:51Only one road penetrates this protected area, and this very limitation preserves an intact ecosystem
10:57that functions according to its millennia-old rules.
11:11In summer, the midnight sun transforms the tundra into a golden carpet dotted with wildflowers,
11:17while northern lights dance in winter skies, painting green and purple streaks across the celestial vault.
11:23Welcome to wilderness in its purest state, where man is only a respectful visitor.
11:39symbolically eating W students'
11:44Measurements uncös aider years with new giants.
11:45Let's not remember that poisons women wouldn't be used to live on coast-of-the- � sewing sites.
11:49And if you are very afraid, let us know how you want to donate to chessly,
11:52and what an Indian women cine-ditor.
11:54Well, there is a lemon- Juicecaps.
11:55You can be a bro-�or- 립-ів, and have common in state formation.
11:57For the mostため proceeds, gives you a comunidad element of cit blow-depformed elements,
11:59support these dimensions of your項 hot-arb
12:10Glacier Bay
12:17Imagine navigating between walls of electric blue ice as tall as 15-story buildings while the silence is interrupted only by the cry of seagulls.
12:32Glacier Bay is a geological spectacle in continuous evolution.
12:36Here, 16 tidewater glaciers, meaning glaciers that reach directly to the sea instead of stopping on land, discharge thousands of tons of ice into the ocean, every single day.
12:49The deafening roar of an iceberg breaking off and crashing into the water is an experience no one ever forgets.
13:07Two centuries ago, this entire bay was buried under 300 meters, or 1,000 feet of compact ice.
13:24Today, it is a living laboratory showing us how nature reclaims spaces when climate changes.
13:40Humpback whales, sea lions, and seals will keep you company on this cruise through the ice age.
13:50Juno
13:51Juno
13:52Juno
13:53Juno
13:55Juno
13:56Juno
13:57Juno
13:58Juno
13:59Juno
14:00Juno
14:01Juno
14:02Juno
14:03Juno
14:04Juno
14:05Juno
14:06Juno
14:07Juno
14:08Juno
14:09Juno
14:10Juno
14:11Juno
14:12Juno
14:13Juno
14:14Juno
14:15Juno
14:16Juno
14:17Juno
14:18Juno
14:19Juno
14:23Certainly not like Juneau, which is reachable only by sea or air.
14:33No road connects this city to the rest of the continent.
14:37It is literally trapped between the mountains of the Coast Range, which rise behind it,
14:42and the Gastineau Channel, which is a narrow sea channel that separates it from Douglas Island across the way.
14:53Founded during the gold rush of 1880, when thousands of prospectors invaded these remote lands dreaming of fortunes,
15:06Juneau still maintains today a frontier atmosphere, but elegant.
15:11The historic buildings downtown tell stories of brave adventurers and richest minds,
15:26while Mendenhall Glacier arrives practically at the city gates, and you can admire it while sipping coffee downtown.
15:32Perhaps it is the most scenic and remote capital you could ever visit.
15:47A jewel set between sea and mountains that defies every geographical convention.
15:52Tongass National Forest
16:15Tongass National Forest
16:15Welcome to the largest temperate rainforest on the planet.
16:31It's a unique ecosystem and covers most of southeast Alaska.
16:3568 million hectares, or 168 million acres, of Sitka spruce, yellow cedars, and mosses that hang from branches like green beards
16:56in an almost fairytale landscape.
16:59The Tongass is a world apart, where rain falls almost every day of the year, feeding an extraordinary biodiversity that has endured for millennia.
17:18There are brown bears fishing for salmon in streams during the spawning season,
17:36or we find bald eagles nesting among the treetops,
17:40or whales swimming in the narrow channels between islands.
17:44This primordial ecosystem, which extends along Alaska's southern coast for over 800 kilometers, or 500 miles,
18:04has remained virtually intact since the last ice age.
18:08It is a true plunge into our planet's remote pass.
18:18It's about 2 million kg where there is a nerd
18:21and the green sunlight has increased,
18:24or a shelf in addition to the apocalypse will our planet.
18:26It is a true plunge into our planet's remote pass.
18:29The ocean life we want,
18:31is that agano life the UX φ company
18:34It is a true plunge into our planet!
18:35Fairbanks, this is the gateway to the Arctic, a city where extremes become daily life.
19:05Fairbanks lives under the midnight sun in summer, when the day lasts 24 hours, and then plunges
19:18into winter darkness, lit only by the northern lights, dancing in the sky.
19:35With temperatures that can reach minus 40 degrees Celsius, or minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit,
19:44here you breathe an authentic pioneering atmosphere.
19:54The city was born during the gold rush, and still today, maintains that adventurous spirit.
20:09In winter you can drive on frozen rivers, or visit museums dedicated to the native Athabascan
20:15culture, which is the indigenous people who inhabited these lands for millennia.
20:41Alaska Island.
20:49Among perpetual fog and winds that whip at 60 mph, or 100 km per hour, Un-Alaska challenges anyone
20:58who dares call it home.
21:11This volcanic island in the Aleutians is one of the most productive fishing ports in the
21:15world, where fleets of fishing boats face the Bering Sea, to catch crab and cod.
21:33The island appears barren and wild, with green mountains that plunge directly into the ocean,
21:39and wind-carved valleys where only low grass and moss grow.
21:53In summer you can walk among wildflowers that cover green slopes, while bald eagles nest along
21:58the cliffs, battered by waves.
22:10Russian heritage and Aleut culture also coexist here, with an orthodox church with green domes,
22:18that stands against the Smoking Mountains.
22:21Because yes, the volcanoes are still active.
22:29It is certainly a remote outpost where nature rules.
22:33It is certainly a remote outpost where nature rules, but it is a remote outpost where nature rules.
22:58Katmai National Park.
22:59Think of a valley where hundreds of brown bears gather to fish for salmon that jump upstream.
23:22This is not fantasy, it's Brooks Falls, the beating heart of Katmai.
23:27Here, between June and September, grizzly bears, which can weigh over 900 pounds or 400 kilograms,
23:38position themselves strategically on the waterfalls to catch fish in flight.
23:43The spectacle is hypnotic, almost mystical, with some bears preferring refined techniques,
23:54while others literally throw themselves into the water.
24:05But this park is not just about bears.
24:15It also hides a so-called Valley of 10,000 Smokes, which is a lunar landscape created by a devastating
24:23volcanic eruption in 1912 that buried an entire valley under ash and lava.
24:28Mendenhall Glacier.
24:53A few miles from Juneau, Alaska's capital, extends a tongue of ice nearly 20 kilometers or 12 miles long.
25:12Mendenhall Glacier is an accessible giant.
25:23You can walk right up to its feet and touch ice centuries old.
25:27It's electric blue hue is the result of snow compression over millennia,
25:37which eliminates air bubbles and absorbs all wavelengths of light except blue.
25:42At its base, meltwater gives life to thundering waterfalls and a lake dotted with drifting icebergs
26:04that reflect the light before slowly melting.
26:10Beneath the surface instead hides surreal ice caves, crystalline cathedrals illuminated by an otherworldly blue light.
26:19Which of the
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26:47Surrounded by mountains that reach 5,900 feet or 1,800 meters, and overlooking deep waters
27:01always free of ice, Valdez is a paradise for those who love extreme adventure.
27:06This small town became famous as the endpoint of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline, but its true
27:20soul is elsewhere.
27:29In winter, in fact, it transforms into the capital of extreme skiing, with helicopters
27:34taking skiers to virgin slopes, where powder snow can reach incredible depths.
27:45In summer instead, it is the kingdom of kayaking, among fjords dotted with icebergs broken off
27:51from glaciers.
28:00And then, there are waterfalls.
28:05Valdez has dozens of them, some so powerful that their roar can be heard miles away.
28:11Skagway.
28:12Skagway.
28:13Skagway.
28:14Skagway.
28:18It was 1898 when thousands of gold seekers invaded this small town.
28:44It was 1898 when thousands of gold seekers invaded this small town, transforming it from a tent
28:50camp into a wild metropolis almost overnight.
29:02Skagway became the gateway to the Klondike gold fields in Canada.
29:14From here departed the legendary Chilkoot Trail, the path that crossed the Canadian border on
29:19foot, before the White Pass Railway was built.
29:29The latter continues to operate today with its vintage trains, traversing the mountains and
29:34offering spectacular views of the same territory that prospectors crossed with difficulty.
29:49The town preserves that Wild West atmosphere, with perfectly restored wooden buildings, historic
29:54saloons and period costume guides who recount stories of fortune and desperation.
30:10Walking the streets of this town means taking a step back in time when gold ruled and Alaska
30:15represented America's last great frontier.
30:35Kodiak Island.
30:41Imagine an island as large as Corsica, where more bears live than people.
30:54Kodiak is home to the legendary Kodiak brown bear, the largest terrestrial carnivore on
30:59the planet, which can exceed 1,300 pounds or 600 kilograms in weight.
31:12Here nature dictates the rules.
31:21Seatka spruce forests alternate with glacial valleys, while along the jagged coast, eagles
31:27fish for salmon, just meters from small fishing communities.
31:37Its coasts are dotted with deep fjords and hidden bays, where silence is broken only by
31:42the call of whales and the roar of ocean storms.
32:02Chilitna River.
32:11The waters of the Chilitna flow fast between deep canyons and birch forests, creating a
32:16unique spectacle.
32:27Its glacial river originates from the slopes of Denali and flows through the wilderness
32:32of central Alaska, carrying with it the finest sediment from glaciers, which gives it that
32:37unique color.
32:53And during summer river rafts glide between rapids, while fishermen seek king salmon in
32:59the cold waters.
33:08Its banks host moose, black bears, and caribou, who come here to drink.
33:29It is also the historic route for those who want to reach the most remote areas of interior
33:34Alaska.
33:52Seward.
34:01Overlooking Resurrection Bay, Seward is the perfect destination for those who want to touch
34:06authentic Alaska with their own hands.
34:15The name of the bay it overlooks is not coincidental, because the captain who discovered it arrived
34:21precisely on Easter Sunday, from which it takes its name.
34:36From here depart cruises toward the Cannae Fjords, where calving glaciers, meaning from which enormous
34:41blocks of ice break off, offer an unforgettable sonic and visual spectacle.
34:54But Seward is not just sea.
34:59Behind it, in fact, rise mountains where hiking enthusiasts find trails, that cross temperate
35:06rainforests.
35:17And then there is the town itself, which preserves the charm of old fishing ports, with its colorful
35:22houses overlooking the waterfront, and a vibrant community that lives from the sea and tourism,
35:28without losing its authentic soul.
35:47Matanuska Glacier.
35:5927 miles or 43 kilometers long, and 4 miles or 6 kilometers wide.
36:04Matanuska is one of Alaska's most accessible glaciers.
36:10You don't need to be expert mountaineers, because you can literally walk on its surface, with crampons
36:20that bite into the ice.
36:31The crevasses create an alien landscape, made of vertical walls and blue caves, where light
36:36filters in a surreal way.
36:51This giant moves about 12 inches or 30 centimeters per day in a slow but unstoppable flow that shapes
36:58the surrounding valley.
37:21Ketchikan.
37:28It receives over 160 inches or 4,000 millimeters of rain per year, making it one of the rainiest
37:35cities in America.
37:48But this constant rain feeds lush forests and waterfalls that cascade everywhere.
38:05The city is famous for its totem poles, which are monumental cedar wood sculptures created
38:11by the Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian peoples to tell stories of clans, legends, and ancestors.
38:26On Creek Street, the old entertainment district built on pilings over a stream, today hosts
38:31various characteristic shops.
38:35And then there's salmon, because Ketchikan is considered the world capital of salmon fishing, with five different species that
38:55swim up local rivers every summer.
39:02and then there's salmon, because their salmon Fruits in the desert.
39:26Chugash National Park
39:3420,000 square kilometers or 7,700 square miles of pristine nature.
39:40A stone's throw from Anchorage.
39:52Chugash is the second largest national park in the United States, yet remains relatively unknown compared to its more famous siblings.
40:08Here, you can find everything.
40:15From glaciers that descend to the sea, to Sitka spruce forests as tall as buildings, to mountains where white sheep adapted to extreme cold and black bears live.
40:22The fjords of Prince William Sound penetrate the mountains, creating protected bays where seals give birth to their pups.
40:29The fjords of Prince William Sound penetrate the mountains, creating protected bays where seals give birth to their pups.
40:44In summer, alpine meadows explode in a riot of wildflowers, completely against the stereotypical image of Alaska as a land only of ice.
41:03In summer, alpine meadows explode in a riot of wildflowers, completely against the stereotypical image of Alaska as a land only of ice.
41:12The category of grand beach is the oùtenli from Sikkim.
41:27Un Rare duneots
41:387,000
41:40Once upon a time there was a Russian capital in Alaska.
41:56Sitka was the heart of Russian America until 1877, when the United States bought the entire
42:01state for only $7 million.
42:11Today this heritage lives on in the onion domes of St. Michael's Cathedral and in the
42:15street names.
42:26But Sitka is also deeply connected to the Tlingit, the native people who resisted the Russian
42:31invasion with epic battles.
42:39The National Historical Park preserves ancient totems and trails among forests where bald
42:44eagles nest by the dozens.
42:59Overlooking the Pacific Ocean, the city also offers views of volcanic islands and whales
43:04that migrate along the coast.
43:26Kenai River.
43:35Brilliant turquoise.
43:37This is what strikes you first seeing the Kenai.
43:47The color derives from glacial flower, which are tiny rock particles ground by glaciers,
43:53that remain suspended in the water, reflecting light in a particular way.
44:05But the Kenai is above all a paradise for fishermen.
44:12In fact, King Salmon weighing 70 pounds or 30 kilograms swim up these waters every summer,
44:18attracting fishermen from around the world.
44:28The tanks also host brown bears, while fishing eagles glide low over the water.
44:43The river flows through the peninsula of the same name, connecting glacial lakes to the sea on
44:48an 80-mile or 130-kilometer journey through idyllic landscapes.
44:53Toquitna.
45:02Toquitna.
45:06Forget about chaotic metropolises.
45:23Toquitna has fewer than 1,000 inhabitants and elected a cat as honorary mayor for 20 years.
45:40This small town at the foot of Denali breathes authentic pioneering spirit, with historic saloons
45:46and pilots who fly to base camps for mountaineers.
46:01It is precisely from here, in fact, that expeditions depart to climb the highest mountain in North America.
46:13In summer, the streets fill with adventurers, while in winter, snow buries everything,
46:18and the community gathers around wood stoves.
46:30The Susitna River flows placidly at the edge of town, offering spectacular views of the mountain
46:36massive that dominates the horizon.
46:56Dalton Highway.
47:04414 miles or 666 kilometers of asphalt and gravel through absolute nothingness.
47:18The Dalton Highway is one of America's most remote and dangerous roads, built in the 70s, to serve the oil fields of Proto Bay.
47:35Here gas stations are separated by hundreds of miles, and road signs warn of bears and caribou that cross without warning.
47:52The road crosses the Arctic Circle, cutting through the tundra, and the truckers who travel this route are legendary,
48:00because they face temperatures as low as minus 50 degrees, and snowstorms that cancel visibility in seconds.
48:0910.
48:11TURNA GANARM
48:17TURNA GANARM
48:19TURNA GANARM
48:21Turn again arm.
48:33What happens when the world's most extreme tides meet a narrow inlet?
48:38Turn again arm gives you the answer with bore tides, meaning tidal waves that surge up the
48:44fjord with the power of a speeding train.
48:54Captain Cook named this place Turn again because he had to reverse course twice, discovering
49:00that this was not the passage to the Atlantic he was seeking.
49:11The muddy waters hide extremely dangerous currents, while the mudflats exposed during low tide
49:17look like sand, but function like quicksand.
49:35Along the Seward Highway that runs along the fjord, you can spot white belugas that follow
49:41schools of salmon, and doll sheep that scale impossible rock faces.
49:46Hatcher Pass.
50:11At 3,900 feet or 1,200 meters altitude, where alpine tundra meets rocky peaks, opens a legendary
50:28pass.
50:39Hatcher Pass connects the Matanuska Valley with the Willow region through a scenic road
50:44that in winter becomes impassable for months.
51:01During the gold rush of the early 20th century, Independence Mine was here.
51:05A mining town that extracted gold from the bowels of the mountains.
51:16Today the abandoned buildings tell stories of miners who face polar temperatures to chase
51:21the dream of wealth.
51:50Endicott Arm Fjord.
51:57Granite walls that rise vertically for 3,300 feet or 1,000 meters directly from the water.
52:09Endicott Arm is a narrow and deep fjord, carved by glaciers over millennia, where the water
52:14reaches abyssal depths.
52:22At the end of the fjord, there is Dawes Glacier, meaning a 200-foot or 60-meter-high wall of ice,
52:28that constantly collapses into the water with spectacular explosions.
52:31For this very reason, hundreds of icebergs float in the bay before it, some as large as houses,
52:38others small as cars, all shaped into bizarre forms by wind and waves.
52:53Harbor seals use these icebergs as safe platforms, where they give birth and nurse their pups, far from terrestrial predators.
53:08It is therefore a natural sanctuary, accessible only by sea.
53:15It is therefore a natural sanctuary, accessible only by sea.
53:37Fairbanks owes its existence to this winding river that flows placidly through Alaska's interior.
53:54The China originates from the wooded hills east of the city and flows for about 125 miles, or 200 kilometers, before joining the Tanana.
54:15In summer, its banks come alive with fishermen searching for pike and grayling, while canoes and kayaks glide under historic bridges.
54:23But it is in winter that it reveals its most fascinating face.
54:40When the thermometer drops below minus 40, in fact, the river literally steams.
54:46Before the river freezes completely, in fact, the water still liquid under the surface ice evaporates into the frozen air, creating curtains of ice fog.
54:59Mount Edgecumbe.
55:28from the pacific ocean like the alaskan brother of japan's mount fuji
55:36mount edge come dominates sitka with its 3200 feet or 976 meters of height
55:44and its volcanic peak is visible from many kilometers or several miles away
55:49the last eruption dates back to about 4 000 years ago leaving a crater hundreds of meters
56:01or hundreds of feet wide on the summit
56:08the tlingit attribute deep spiritual meanings to it linked to the creation of the world
56:19soositna river
56:41the name means sandy river in its native language and one look explains why
56:49the soositna carries tons of glacial sediments that tint its waters in opaque gray hiding both
56:55depth and dangerous currents
57:09over 300 miles or 500 kilometers long this river connects the glaciers of the alaska range to cook
57:16inlet crossing remote valleys where bears and moose roam undisturbed
57:31but this river has a changing character because every spring the thaw transforms its course
57:37shifting sandbars and creating new channels
57:56concluding this visual journey through alaska we have moved from millennia-old glaciers to remote forests
58:03exploring together not only places but also traditions that make every corner of this land unique
58:15we hope that the images and stories told have enriched your knowledge and stimulated the desire to
58:21personally explore the extraordinary beauty of this land
58:39you
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