 |
|
TRIP RATING  ratings explained  DURATION 10 days/9 nights ACTIVITIES Easy paddle rafting with possible class III rapids, moderate to challenging day hikes. ACCOMMODATIONS 9 nights camping LAND COST 2007 $2,890+ $1500 Charter flights (5-8 guests) DATES 2007 June 15-24* June 24- July 3* July 29- August 7 August 7- August 16 *Caribou are best seen on June trips.  
    Here are some Questions and Answers.
LEVELS Level "2" to "4" trips entail travel to remote wilderness locations without facilities and walking over uneven and sometimes slippery terrain.
|
Our schedule on the Kongakut will be leisurely and flexible since we'll have nearly continuous daylight. There will be opportunities for taking short walks and full day hikes, photographing wildlife and fantastic displays of wildflowers, and fishing for Arctic char and grayling. We'll travel the river in inflatable rafts, each propelled by several participants maneuvering paddles into the swift current. No prior paddle rafting experience is necessary. It is easy to learn, and each boat has a guide. The Kongakut has no "big water" but it is a very fast and fun river. There are several small rapids to negotiate and breathtaking mountain and valley scenery along the entire route. Guests are expected to be in excellent health for spending 10 days in the Arctic environment. Begins and ends in Fairbanks.
Day 1 - Plan for an early breakfast. This day is mostly devoted to flying north! We drive to the airport and begin our long flight across the Yukon River Flats to the Native community of Arctic Village. We then switch to smaller planes and continue north over the Brooks Range and on to the upper Kongakut River. We'll land on a small gravel bar along the river, about 10 miles north of the Continental Divide, and set up our first camp. Days 2-9 - Our schedule on the Kongakut will be flexible, since we'll have 24 hours of daylight each day! We will have ample opportunity for short walks, long hikes, photographing wildlife and fantastic displays of wildflowers, and fishing for Arctic char and grayling (for those who bring fishing gear). We'll float the river in paddle rafts, where we work together to negotiate the swift current. We'll encounter breathtaking mountain and valley scenery along the entire route. This area is one of our most fascinating and ecologically diverse national treasures. There will be much to see and explore. Everyone is talking about the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Your experience and knowledge gained on this trip will give you more credibility in any discussion of the refuge. Day 10 - After hiking in Caribou Pass, we'll break final camp and await the arrival of the bush planes for our flight to Fairbanks. We plan to arrive by 5:00 p.m., but we recommend booking another night in Fairbanks as flight delays are possible. We often gather for a no-host dinner on this final evening. Electronic mail request: kongakutriverwhitewaterrafting@glacierbaytravel.com
|
Experience the pure wilderness of the Arctic during
summer solstice when night never comes and the light is absolutely
magical. This spectacular rafting and hiking exploration begins with a
scenic 300-mile bush flight across the top of North America. We land at
the headwaters of the Kongakut River and wind our way toward the Arctic
coastal plain through some of the wildest country in the world. Visiting
in June gives us our best chance to see parts of the vast caribou
migration (the Porcupine Caribou Herd). Grizzlies, foxes, musk ox, and
wolves also inhabit this pristine wilderness. We will have fun paddling
days and extraordinary hikes. 
