THREATENED RIVER!
The 90-mile Jago River runs through the heart of the northern half of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. This glacial river is fed by McCall Glacier on Mt. Isto. The Jago is flanked by the Romanzof Mountains; here lie some of the highest peaks in the Brooks Range. These snowcapped peaks are the source of the Jago's turbid whitewater.

During the first several days of this expedition, we backpack about 30 miles down the Jago, among fields of wildflowers. We have a chance to explore side valleys and may trek up to see McCall Glacier. Alternately, we may begin our trip in an adjacent valley, and wind our way through the foothills of the Romanzof Mountains, where we are likely to encounter grizzly bears, wolf, and possibly caribou. The river is swift and rocky, filled with scoured granite boulders. The Jago Valley shelters the complete spectrum of arctic wildlife, including wolves, caribou, muskoxen, foxes, moose, and grizzly bears. Raptors such as rough-legged hawks and peregrine falcons frequently next on cliffs in the river corridor. Where the foothills roll gently down to the arctic coastal plain, we inflate our packrafts and begin a descent through an area of preferred calving for the 129,000-member Porcupine caribou herd. We will likely find plentiful evidence of their presence here. Female caribou drop their antlers around the time they give birth, and the tundra is littered with lovely antlers of all shapes and sizes.

Once we've descended to the edge of the mountains, we prepare for our paddle trip. Participants have the option of paddling in an inflatable kayak, canoe or a small packraft. Each craft has its advantages and we can discuss your experience relative to the type of craft you'll be paddling. Less experienced paddlers can team up with another paddler in a canoe.

As we paddle the braided river, it slowly loses its swift gradient as we traverse the coastal plain. August is an amazing time to be in the Jago Valley, as fall colors transform the foliage into a mosaic of red, yellow and purple.

At the mouth of the Jago, we explore sand dunes, and then paddle across the Jago Lagoon, a body of water protected from the open ocean, to Barter Island. With the Brooks Range at our back, and the Arctic Ocean icepack along the horizon, we are truly at the top of the continent. We paddle along the barrier islands to Barter Island, and pull our boats out at the Native village of Kaktovik. Here, we pack up our boats and gear, and fly back to Fairbanks via a commercial flight.

The Jago River foothills and coastal plain are in an area targeted by the oil industry for development, should Congress ever vote to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to drilling. As crucial habitat for the caribou during spring migration, staging habitat for snow geese, grazing area for muskoxen, onshore denning habitat for polar bear, and breadbasket for the Inupiat, this area needs to be off-limits. Join us, and you'll understand why.