 |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
 |
||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
Noatak River Canoeing Odyssey, Gates of the Arctic National Park
Our journey begins with a scenic flight over the Central Brooks range, passing the jagged spires of Arrigetch Peaks, and landing on a small headwaters lake. We explore 100 miles of the upper Noatak valley, with day hikes into the mountains overlooking spectacular valleys. We paddle from the Noatak's headwaters just as the Western Arctic Caribou Herd is migrating through the mountain passes, swimming the river in small and large bands. In June, the animals are moving north, and scattered bands cross the river. The caribou are followed closely by wolves and grizzlies. Small numbers of muskoxen have moved into the region; we've seen lone bulls along the river. Our schedule allows lots of time for day hiking, berry picking, or fishing. The river is ideally suited to canoes, and moves along at a good clip, with a splash of Class II whitewater to add a bit of excitement. Our early June trip immerses you the Far North's early summer. New wildflowers are popping up every day on the tundra, and baby caribou are still close at their mommas' sides. The land is fresh and new, the light constant. In August, fall colors, with brilliant red, yellow, and purple, paint the land. Caribou, regal in their dark coats, move southward in small bands. The Noatak offers a perfect introduction to Alaska's Brooks Range rivers, with a combination of fun paddling, outstanding scenery, great day hiking, and superb opportunities for seeing wildlife. ITINERARY Day 0: Travel to Fairbanks, Alaska. The group generally plans to meet for dinner the night before the trip to go over final trip details, and to get acquainted. Overnight accommodations are on your own, but we can help you with suggestions and bookings at our favorite bed and breakfasts and hotels in Fairbanks. Day 1: Meet at small airport in the morning. Fly by scheduled flight from Fairbanks to Bettles. From here, we can explore the small town of Bettles. To reach the Noatak, we fly by floatplane from the lowland, lake-dotted flats and boreal forest along the Koyukuk River, and north up the Alatna River, where scattered trees give way to alpine tundra and eventually fell-fields and the high mountain peaks. We cross the Continental Divide and land on one of several isolated lakes nestled between 6,000-foot peaks. Mt. Igikpak, highest peak in the Central Brooks Range, is visible upriver from us. By afternoon, we should be in the heart of the Central Brooks Range, on the headwaters of the upper Noatak. We can spend the rest of the day exploring. Day 2: After breakfast, we have the day to explore the valley on foot, following a tributary up towards its headwaters, or climbing one of the surrounding peaks. The Noatak follows a serpentine course across a two-mile wide U-shaped valley, with oxbow lakes dotting the valley. We discuss basic paddling skills, boat loading, and safety concerns before inflating boats and portaging over to the river from our lake. We embark on our journey.
We have a few layover days for hiking. Every day offers the opportunity to observe wildlife and to enjoy the solitude of the longest undisturbed wilderness waterway in the Brooks Range. We leave the highest mountains and the river widens, increases in volume and the gradient becomes more apparent, reaching a canyon where the gradient and rocks create Class II rapids. We may line the boats through one section. On Day 9, we spend our final night on the Noatak, and carry our boats up to a lake a short distance from the river. Day 10: We are picked up at the by floatplane and taken south, back over the mountains to Bettles. From here, we fly back to Fairbanks by scheduled air service. If all goes well, we arrive by 5:00 p.m., and often get together for a final no-host dinner. INCLUDED IN TRIP COSTS
NOT INCLUDED IN TRIP COSTS
Call or E-mail us for the complete packet on this expedition. |
||||
|
Karen Jettmar |
||||
In the heart of the Central Brooks Range, Mt. Igikpak gives birth to Alaska's longest, and premier Wild and Scenic River. The Noatak meanders through a grand and spacious land, the largest undisturbed wilderness in North America. Ten thousand years ago, ancestral Eskimos traversed the valley, leaving only scattered remains of camps. Today there is but a single settlement on the lower river. All else is wilderness. 
Days 3-9: We paddle 2-person canoes, covering 6 to 25 miles per day, depending upon the wind, weather, and our need to "cover some miles." The paddling is moderately easy (generally Class I, with a little Class II+) If there are upriver winds, some paddling days may be long. Our 10-day trip stays in the mountains, as we explore the upper Noatak. We gradually descend in elevation,
through a narrow canyon with some exciting whitewater, and continue down through wilderness lands, as the valley opens up.