My better half and I lived in SouthEast Alaska for 3 years. I can't help much with your itinerary in the Interior, however, don't be afraid of the bears. If you're there when the salmon are spawning, the bears won't give a damn about you. Just use common sense and take something to protect yourself as a last resort...and if you see a mama bear with cubs, give her a wide berth. I'll admit, the 1st bear I encountered got my heart pounding, (I was hunting puddle ducks in a slough, and a big black bear decided to climb up and eat crab apples about 50 yards from me), but it got to be a routine thing seeing bears and I never had any issues. Have fun!