Sometimes all you need for a great adventure is the right guide

Summer's here, in case you haven't noticed. Oh, it's still a little chilly — but that isn't stopping people from hiking, biking and paddling around Alaska.

Honestly, you don't need a guide to get out and see the best parts of Alaska. People go exploring all the time. But sometimes it you're in unfamiliar territory or if you don't have the right gear, hiring a guide can make all the difference.

Dan Oberlatz of Alaska Alpine Adventures loves a great adventure. Next month he's headed to the Arrigetch Peaks in the Gates of the Arctic National Park. This type of backpacking is not for the fainthearted. "These peaks are famous with rock climbers," said Oberlatz. "This cluster of rugged granite spires in the Endicott Mountains is the backdrop for our arduous backpacking trip."

Thankfully, Oberlatz has a selection of more casual hikes. "I love the Twin Lakes Paddle in Lake Clark National Park," he said. "You'll only carry about a 10-pound daypack during the trip."

Oberlatz's itinerary includes paddling in inflatable kayaks in both Upper and Lower Twin Lakes. Day hikes in the area are planned to offer some incredible vistas of the area. The seven-day trip includes five nights of camping in the wilderness. Your meals are included, as well as your air transport from Anchorage's Merrill Field to Port Alsworth, where you transfer to a smaller float plane for a trip to Lower Twin Lake. Cost is $3,450 per person.

Air charters add to the cost of trips to the wilderness. But Oberlatz also has four-day trips in both the Talkeenta Mountains and in Chugach State Park that start at $995 per person.

Matt Szundy and his wife Heather are running "Ascending Path" for the 21st year from a yurt near the tram at Alyeska Resort. Each day, they offer a nature hike on Winner Creek, which starts just a few steps from the yurt. This is especially fun for families, as the naturalist-guide will show off the edible leaves, flowers and berries in the forest and will point out birds and wildlife along the way. The last time I started on the Winner Creek trail, that included a visit from a black bear. The guides are well-trained in bear protection, though. The 5-mile hike includes a crossing of the Winner Creek Gorge on a boardwalk. Cost is $69 for adults, $59 for kids.

For hikers who want some more excitement, Szundy recommends the Spencer Glacier Hike. The first leg of the trip is on the Alaska Railroad, either from Anchorage or from Portage. After arriving at the Spencer Glacier stop you just hop off the train at the trail (there's no station). There's a shuttle to take you 2 miles up to the shore of Spencer Lake where you get in your kayaks. From there, paddle through the icebergs up near the face of the glacier. Then, your guide will show you the crevasses, the ice caves and all the best parts of the glacier. All of the kayak gear (spray skirts, rain gear, gloves and dry bags) and climbing gear is included (crampons, helmets and harnesses). After the hike, you get back in the kayaks and retrace the route back to the beach in time to catch the train. Lunch is included. Cost is $379 per person.

Kayaks provide a great way to get around much of Alaska, but it's best to get a boost from a water taxi if you're only going for a day trip.

Down in Seward, John and Kat Page operate Sunny Cove Sea Kayaking. They have an exclusive arrangement to operate on Fox Island in conjunction with Kenai Fjords Tours. They offer a kayak-and-cruise combo which includes a half-day sea kayaking adventure starting at Fox Island. The precise route for the morning paddle depends on the wind and sea conditions.

After the paddle, there's a big buffet lunch at the Fox Island lodge. Afterward, another Kenai Fjords Tours boat comes to pick up paddlers for a tour of Resurrection Bay. Cost is $199 per person.

Kat Page's favorite trip is the "Grand Day Wildlife Cruise and glacier kayak tour." The first part of the trip is aboard a water taxi from Seward Boat Harbor to Aialik Bay in Kenai Fjords National Park. Your trip could go to either Holgate Glacier or Aialik Glacier. After arriving, you get off the water taxi and get the kayaks ready for a 2.5-hour kayak trip along the shoreline and close to the calving glaciers. Cost is $383 per person, plus tax if you book directly with Sunny Cove.

Over in Valdez, Pangaea Adventures offers two separate trips to kayak around the glaciers. The first is to Shoup Glacier. It's just a 40-minute water taxi ride to the lower lagoon from Valdez's small boat harbor. From there, you get into your kayaks and paddle upstream to the upper lagoon. Or, in our case, we had to get out and carry our boats across the stream to the upper lagoon. "You got the Lewis and Clark edition," said owner Tim Duffy. "Sometimes the tide is extremely low and so we include the portage at no additional cost," he quipped. But the boats are light enough that even I could carry my share!

Once we arrived at the upper lagoon, there's a big island in the middle that's full of black-legged kittiwakes. They're loud, too! We all paddled around the island, then made way to a rock outcropping where we had a beautiful view of the glacier. That's where we ate lunch. Afterward, we got back in the kayaks and paddled closer to the face of the glacier close to the icebergs.

By the time we were finished, the tide had come up and we were able to shoot the rapids going downstream. Cost for the Shoup Glacier trip is $209 per person.

If you want to see nearby Eklutna Lake from a different perspective, take the "Paddle and Peddle" trip from Lifetime Adventures. Get on the water at Eklutna Lake no later than 11 a.m. for an 8-mile paddle up the lake. This is an unguided trip, but they'll meet you at the take-out to give you your bike. Then, just ride the mountain bike back to the campground. Cost is $85 per person.

Have you ever been on a stand-up paddleboard? Courtney Larsen is an "adventure guru" in Cooper Landing. He offers beginners a lesson on the stand-up paddleboard on the calm waters of Kenai Lake. If you're just starting out, you can sit, stand or lay down on the board, but he'll also teach you how to stand up and use the paddle. The beginner's trip includes some instruction on the lake and a brief trip on the river before pulling out. Depending on your ability, you can go further down the river. "You can go over the waves like moguls," said Larsen. "It's like you're surfing on the Kenai River!" The cost for a beginner's lesson is $125 per person.

Again, you don't have to wait for a guide to see the best places in Alaska. But the folks who show off Alaska for a living have some pretty sweet spots they would love to share with you!

Scott McMurren is an Anchorage-based marketing consultant, serving clients in the transportation, hospitality, media and specialty destination sectors, among others. Contact him by email at zoom907@me.com. You can follow him on Twitter (@alaskatravelGRM) and alaskatravelgram.com. For more information, visit alaskatravelgram.com/about.