Rafting the full Alsek River

The beautiful Alsek River has it's origins only a short distance from the renown Tatshenshini River in northwest Canada and Alaska but the difference between these two historic rivers is dramatic.

Renowned for large rapids, dramatic mountain valleys and glaciers, the Alsek River is a wilderness treasure. A rafting expedition on the Alsek allows you to visit the world's largest Bio Preserve and experience dramatic alpine splendor. The Alsek River, while extraordinarily different from the Tatshenshini River, is only "one valley over" and is rich with glaciers, icebergs, wildlife and deep canyons. A helicopter portage around Turnback Canyon add to the adventure on this classic Alsek River rafting adventure.

The first striking aspect of the Alsek is its origins in the alpine hills at Serpentine Creek where we start our Alsek paddling adventures. The broad river valley of the Alsek within Kluane National Park is distinctly representative of high altitude ecosystems.

The Alsek also is distinctive due to the spectacular historic and geological events which took place in its valley two centuries ago. In the late half of the 1800's this river was entirely blocked by a sudden movement of the Lowell glacier. The resulting lake backed up over an area of hundreds of square miles, even flooding the current site of Haines Junction. The Alsek's ice dam remained for a few years until it was finally broached by the river in a cataclysmic event in which the valley below was flushed by a flow of gargantuan proportion. Native history tells of villages that were decimated by the Alsek's floodwaters. When we travel the river today we see scaring and other effluvial remains that tell the story of this monstrous hydrological event.

We travel this coastal range river from Serpentine Creek in Kluane National Park in the Yukon to Dry Bay, Alaska over 11 river days and 255 km (160 miles) as the river drops 555 m (approx. 1,800 ft).

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Itinerary / Highlights

The following is a tentative itinerary and has been designed with much thought to capitalize on the most scenic and exciting parts of the river, while making time on other sections. Your guides will adjust the schedule to make the best use of river and weather conditions.

The following is a tentative itinerary and has been designed with much thought to capitalize on the most scenic and exciting parts of the trip, while making time on other sections. You guides will adjust the schedule to make the best use of water and weather conditions.

The following initials indicate the meals included each day:
Breakfast = B | Lunch = L | Dinner = D

Day 0
Your journey north from your home will be a refreshing departure. You will fly over the largest expanse of wilderness in the world with stunning views on cloudless days, pass through quieter and friendlier airports, meet friendlier and less harried service personnel and generally begin to immerse yourself in the wilderness experience that is about to unfold. This is the arrival day and is the first day listed for your trip. The scheduled flights arrive in Whitehorse throughout the day. Aim to arrive by 6 p.m. The guides will be out of town at the river, rigging the rafts. Please make your way to your hotel and plan to rendezvous with your guides in the lobby of the Westmark Klondike Inn at 8 p.m. for an orientation meeting with the trip leader. There will be a chance for last-minute questions concerning clothing, gear, packing and other details. Whitehorse is a great place to spend a few extra days and there are local day hikes, bike, canoe rentals, dog mushing kennels to visit as well as a National Historic Site and several museums. Renting a car for a day trip through the White Pass to Skagway Alaska is a popular outing.

Day 1 (L/D) GETTING TO THE RIVER & GETTING UNDER WAY
We will meet in the hotel lobby at 8 am following breakfast (not covered) and we will embark on the Alaska Highway for the 1 1⁄2 hours van ride to the small community of Haines Junction. There we will visit the Kluane National Park Interpretive Centre. (The bakery across the road is legendary for its goodies so keep your wallet handy.) The next leg of our journey will take us through the stunning scenery of the Haines Pass. Our objective is the US Customs Post at Pleasant Camp where we clear US Customs before the trip. You may be tempted to have an afternoon nap during the drive, but the scenery will keep you riveted! Later in the afternoon we arrive at the edge of Kluane National Park and UNESCO World Heritage Site where we transfer to a four wheel drive vehicle waiting to take us the final 20 km along a rugged trail to our rafts.
As the 4x4's ford streams and bump across meadows, we often see our first bears of the trip. Mountain goat and Dall sheep are frequent sights on the hillsides above. The valley floor is also excellent habitat for moose, beaver, songbirds, terns, swans and other waterfowl.
The “road” fades out at the braided alluvial fan of Serpentine Creek. Here the rafts are rigged and waiting on the banks of the Dezadeash River.
Here you will have time to make final adjustments to your pack, the guides will introduce you to the finer points of the day's journey. Here on the edge of Kluane National Park you embark on a gentle piece of river, winding through the broad valley, as it flows into Alsek Pass. This region can be prone to strong upstream winds. Initially the Dezadeash River, one of the two sources of the Alsek, flows quite slowly. We carry paddles (in addition to the guides' oars) and anyone who desires to pitch in and burn off those delicious meals can do so. A couple of hours below Serpentine Creek, we pass the confluence of the Dezadeash and the Larger Kaskawulsh. It's at this confluence that the Alsek is born. The wide flood plain of the Kaskawulsh has semi-dammed the Dezadeash and once past the confluence the Alsek River picks up its characteristic swift speed. Camp location will be determined by the prevailing conditions. Keen eyes may spot Dall sheep and mountain goats grazing on the slopes.

Days 2 (B/L/D) DOWN TO LOWELL LAKE
Our destination on the second day is a camp on the edge of Lowell Lake between massive Lowell Glacier and the foot of Goatherd Mountain. This is usually the longest traveling day of the trip. The extra few hours spent traveling this day pay off with a two night stay in the Lowell Lake/Goatherd Mountain area. Embarking early in the morning we will find that the river is very slow moving for the first few miles, but after the confluence with the swift Kaskawulsh River, the resulting swift moving river is named Alsek. This is an interesting portion of river with unusual rock formations, dunes of windblown glacial till known as loes, and lots of bear signs. We break the days rafting up with a couple of short walks to viewpoints, a waterfall, and a grizzly bear rubbing tree or some other interesting feature. Apart from the major hikes, the upper Alsek is also ideal for walks behind our camps and lunch stops due to the lack of tall or thick vegetation. This is the reverse of many rivers where the thickest vegetation often lies in a riparian strip on either side of the river. Why is this? A hike from the river yields a dramatic view and the evidence of recently spectacular historic geological events in the valley. In the late half of the 1800's the Alsek was entirely bridged by a sudden movement of the Lowell glacier. The resulting lake backed up over an area of hundreds of square miles, even flooding the current townsite of Haines Junction. The ice dam remained for a few years until it was finally broached by the river and in a cataclysmic event the valley below was flushed by a flow of gargantuan proportion. Native history tells of coastal villages that were decimated by the floodwaters. When we travel the river today we see scarring and other effluvial remains that tell the story of the monstrous hydrological event. This accounts for the lack of vegetation by the river. Today's river bank was (until very recently in geological terms) under the waters of the glacial lake and therefore soil couldn't form as it did in the forests above the ancient lake.
Looking up, it's easy to see how the land is layered into the four main zones: a largely unforested open band reaching a few hundred vertical feet above the river where the old lake once lay; a dark green carpet of spruce up the mountainsides; then the brighter green of alpine meadows and scrub; all topped off with rocky glaciated peaks.
In the afternoon the river quickens and in the last couple of kilometers we encounter the trips first minor rapids as the river washes around boulders left behind by the glaciers. Here we get our first view of the white tops of icebergs protruding up in the distance.
Though presently receeding, massive Lowell Glacier still spills into the lake that is carved out at it's toe. Like the other glaciers of the St. Elias Mountains, Lowell is a remnant of the last ice age. Lowell Lake is an iceberg-filled spectacle similar to the larger one on the lower Alsek made famous by books and posters. We camp on the flats at the base of the cliffs against which Lowell Glacier, once pressed during a surge, sealing off the Alsek's flow. This is a natural place to spend an extra day to hike or just soak in the sights.

Day 3 & 4 LAYOVER AT GOATHERD MOUNTAIN
We layover at Goatherd Mountain. For two nights we camp next to Lowell Lake with Goatherd Mountain rising up behind us. Goatherd Mountain is a superb destination for hikers & truly a world-class hike with fantastic wildlife. Even those who don't choose to go to the top can get a marvelous view from its base. One can look out over the jewel-like icebergs of Lowell Lake and see 50 or more kilometers up the ice falls of Lowell Glacier to 13,905 foot Mount Kennedy (named after JFK and climbed by his brother Bobby). Other peaks surrounding Kennedy & Alverstone and Hubbard - rise up to over 15,000 feet: Mt. Logan, Canada's highest and second in North America only to McKinley, lies a bit farther back at 19, 850 feet.
Goatherd Mountain is well named as it's home to over 100 mountain goats, some of which graze the slopes right above camp. With binoculars or spotting scope you'll get a good look at wildlife from camp. If you're up for some hiking, you can expect to get a great look & often so high you can actually look down on mountain goats. Ptarmigan, horned larks and pipits nest and feed in the high country. Golden eagles soar over the slopes looking for unwary Arctic ground squirrels. A rainbow of wildflowers carpets the alpine meadows. If necessary, the guides will split up to accompany some to the mountain top, others to the lower flanks and meadows and also the less ambitious for a ramble along the gentle iceberg-studded shoreline of Lowell Lake.

Day 5 & 6 - ICEBERGS, RAPIDS AND DOWN RIVER INTO BRITISH COLUMBIA
On Day 5 we usually break camp and continue on through Lowell Lake, paddling and rowing through a maze of icebergs, which have calved off from the face of Lowell Glacier. The bergs range in size from minute to massive & some are the size of entire apartment blocks! Periodically one rolls over with a resounding thunder, exposing its freshly washed, sapphire blue underside. (Occasionally, strong afternoon winds can be an obstacle to crossing the lake so we may elect to get an earlier start this day).
After about 4 kilometers, the lake narrows and becomes a river again with its characteristic speed. The bigger bergs get hung up in the shallows of Lowell Lake's outlet but many smaller ones (up to the size of a van) can escape and we may bob and weave downstream with them.
The major rapids of the trip are located a couple of hours below Lowell Lake. The amount of time we spend on Lowell Lake will decide whether we run the big rapids of the trip on Day 4 or on Day 5. There is one tight spot where, in most water levels, the guides will line the boats or run them through empty. It's easy to walk downstream a few hundred meters and meet the boats once they've negotiated this spot. Don't worry, you won't have missed anything. The fun rapids continue below.
Shortly below these rapids, we meet the first drainage of the Fisher Glacier on the right and the Bates River coming in from the left. Here the terrain begins to close in and the river valley becomes more confi ned. Waterfalls plummet off the rugged mountainsides as the river races underneath. It's a very imposing, awe inspiring landscape. A number of fun rapids and wave trains await downstream! A second layover day is spent at a camp somewhere below the Bates River. There are a number of possible layover camps well-positioned for alpine hikes, glacier walks or simply relaxing with a great view.
About a day before Turnback Canyon we leave the Yukon Territory's Kluane National Park and enter British Columbia's Tatshenshini-Alsek Wilderness Park. In June 1993 the BC portion of the Alsek and Tat was preserved with the declaration of the Tatshenshini-Alsek Wilderness Park and has since been designated a United Nations World Heritage Site. The Tat-Alsek watershed is the heartland of the largest protected wilderness area on the continent.

Day 7 (B/L/D) TO TURNBACK CANYON & TWEEDSMUIR GLACIER
After a few days of unstructured itinerary, this day's objective is to position ourselves to rendezvous with the helicopter for the aerial portage of Turnback on the morning of Day 8. We usually endeavor to get down to our camp above Turnback early enough to allow a few hours exploring the start of Turnback Canyon that afternoon or evening.
Turnback consists of several kilometers of some of the ugliest, most tortured and turbulent whitewater you'll see anywhere. Not only does it stop humans floating the river, it's so bad that it even blocks most salmon from migrating any further up the Alsek. Tweidsmuir Glacier still sprawls right into the valley and it is very evident how, held against the flanks of Mount Blackadar, the Alsek has carved a formidable wild canyon in the bedrock. Tweedsmuir has receded a little in recent years, but when we first flew the river twenty years ago, the snout of the glacier overhung and calved ice right into the raging rapids. Although it has been kayaked a “handful” of times in low water, it is no place for a raft. For this reason we employ the exciting “heli&portage” strategy the following day!
After dinner the guides deflate and roll up the rafts and consolidate the gear for the heli-portage. This camp is spectacular, with a dramatic and imposing sapphire-blue glacier hanging off the nearby mountains.

Day 8 (B/L/D) HELI-PORTAGE OVER TURNBACK CANYON
Immediately after breakfast on the morning of the eighth day a helicopter comes in to rendezvous with us and we begin one of the highlights of the trip - the heli-portage right over the canyon.
Unlike an airplane, where you fly “over the canyon”, the helicopter is able to fl y through parts of the canyon right above spectacular bends and drops. The helicopter takes groups of 4. All our rafts and gear goes into cargo nets slung under the helicopter and is carried on separate flights. The rafts go over in the first sling loads so the boats will be re-inflated and ready by the time the heli-portage is completed.
It takes 4 or 5 hours to shuttle everyone and everything over the canyon. After lunch we get back on the river and float down to a spectacular camp right at the confluence of the Tatshenshini and Alsek Rivers. At this point the two rivers swell to stretch nearly three miles wide, surging through braided channels that criss-cross the valley. The resulting union bears the name Alsek River and soon enters the State of Alaska and Glacier Bay National Park.

Day 9, 10 & 11 (B/L/D) INTO ALASKA ALONG THE LOWER ALSEK
For those who have already traveled the Tat-Alsek with us, this is an opportunity to revisit the spectacular 55 miles of the lower Alsek from the Tat-Alsek confluence down. For those new to the lower Alsek, it's a chance to see the many hanging glaciers of the Pentice Ice Cap and the Brabazon Range.
On a giant river bend that can be seen from space, we are encircled by peaks in a stunning amphitheater of glacial ice and rock. From this point we view the crystal blue hues of Walker Glacier, a place where we actually hike on the surface of this ancient ice and experience the unique environment of deep crevasses and jagged seracs and ice falls.
Floating downstream we have a view of more than 20 glaciers as we make our way down to the place where the Alsek and Grand Plateau Glaciers come together at the river to form an eight mile wide face of ice. We camp at Alsek Lake which was formed by the gouging action of the glaciers resulting in the largest lake found anywhere in Glacier Bay Park. The only thing breaking the mystical spell of the iceberg filled lake with the mountain backdrop is the frequent explosive crescendos of calving glaciers spawning multi ton icebergs. Overseeing the phenomenon is Mt. Fairweather whose ice clad summit soars over 15,000 feet above our camp. Enjoying and exploring the lake is a delight to all of the senses.
While we do not linger on the lower reaches quite as long as our Tat-Alsek trips, we still have a leisurely timetable. The trip from the confluence of the Tatshenshini and Alsek down to Alsek Lake can be done in two moderately short traveling days. This still allows enough time for a layover day somewhere on the lower Alsek.

Day 12 (B/L) DRY BAY, GULF OF ALASKA AND FLIGHT BACK TO THE YUKON
The final leg of our memorable trip is from Alsek Lake to Dry Bay on the Gulf of Alaska. At the tiny commercial fishing enclave we are met by small charter planes for the flight back to Whitehorse with a plane load of memories. The Alsek now passes through a transition from the tallest peaks on the continent to the broad flat Pacific coastline. In this valley we have a vertical distance of over 15,000 feet between us and the highest peaks, an overall elevation difference greater than that of the Himalayas. In all but the worst weather, the aircraft will pick us up and fly us back through the Coast and St. Elias ranges to Whitehorse. Upon landing in Whitehorse, we clear Canadian Customs conveniently while on the plane. After unloading you will be transported to your hotel. Following welcome showers, the group may want to gather at a local eating establishment (not included). Whitehorse is a lively town and it will not be difficult to find a way to enjoy the evening!

Day 13 HOMEWARD BOUND
After goodbyes and a last look around Whitehorse, we will head for home with a cargo of find and spectacular memories.

Prerequisites: None, beginners are welcome and paddling is optional most of the time since our guides can navigate using oar boats. Experienced paddlers and beginners are welcome to participate by paddling anytime however.

Additional Alsek River Trip Notes:
Pre- and post-trip accommodation is your responsibility - the cost is not included in the trip fee. We can recommend a list of Whitehorse hotels and are happy to assist you in making reservations if you wish. At the fish packing plant in Dry Bay we will be picked up by a small plane (probably Hawker Sidley) and flown back to Whitehorse.

Be sure to have proof of citizenship with you for the U.S. and Canadian customs On the rare occasion, we can be weathered in at Dry Bay. To keep to schedule, we would require a shuttle flight to Yakutat, Alaska.

Please ensure that you have a waterproof rain jacket and pants. Gortex is not a substitute for rain gear on this trip. Lifejackets are supplied. Please do not bring a PFD as we have regulation life jackets that are required by law for this river.

Other Details

Accommodation Details

This is a camping trip. We provide your tent – Mountain Hardware Trango 3, self-supporting dome tent - comfortable for 2 people with some remaining floor space for clothing etc. (single occupancy is $50). If you wish to bring your own, please contact us to approve the model and design.