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Alsek River Rafting Adventure
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Alsek River Raft Tour, Alaska Rafting Trip, Yukon Raft Tours, Alaska White Water Rafting, Yukon Raft Vacation
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 Alsek River Rafting Adventure
Flowing amid the highest mountains in Canada, past the world's largest and longest mountain glaciers, under the gaze of grizzly bears, the Alsek rises in the mountains of Kluane National Park Reserve – a World Heritage Site. Its braided upper reaches nestle in a broad valley, providing an oasis for mountain goats, Dall's sheep and other wildlife. The river pours out of the Canadian interior to the Gulf of Alaska. Downstream, rivers of ice flow into the Alsek's silt-laden waters, calving huge icebergs into the river. The Alsek's remoteness, beauty, and wild rapids tug at the heartstrings of adventurous river travellers. Chances of seeing wildlife are excellent, as the Alsek River Valley serves as a migratorycorridor for animals such as bear, moose, and wolves. Enjoy wildflowers blooming along the hillsides and watch mountain goat and dall sheep feed on lush grass. We will explore some of the glaciers that crowd the river’s edge and hike up a mountain. From the top you can see glaciers and snowfields - and, possibly, mountain goats grazing on the steep mountainside.
As the river gains volume, the Alsek transforms into many braided channels as major tributaries enter the river. The trips reach their full crescendo at Alsek Lake, where the Grand Plateau and Alsek Glaciers create a face of ice nearly 8 miles wide, encircling a deep lake filled with huge icebergs. Watch a massive piece of the glacier break off and calve into the lake. To top it all off, towering 15,000 feet above our camp, is the ice capped summit of Mt. Fairweather, the crown jewel of the Alaska coast.
Alsek River Rafting Trip - Itinerary
Haines to Haines Junction
Individual arrival in Haines Alaska, located 100 miles north of Juneau on the Lynn Canal. After meeting your guide you will receive an introduction and details of the tour. We drive 165 miles north to Haines Junction. The stretch of road from Haines is one of the most spectacular in the world. At first, the drive follows the Chilkat River, home of the Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve, the drive then climbs out of the coastal valley into the high alpine region, a wonderland of wild flowers, glaciers and incredible vistas. We will arrange hotel accommodations in Haines Junction.
Haines Junction to Alsek River
In the morning we check out and drive to our put in, load our rafts, push off on a small tributary of the Alsek, and begin our approach to the St. Elias Mountains. The river is very slow moving for the first few miles, but soon is joined by the swift Kuskowalsh River, from there on the river moves at a good clip. We often see bears in this area and there are several nice hikes that afford excellent views of the valley.
To Lowell Glacier
We will raft our way down towards Lowell Glacier - the first of the many glaciers that come right down to the river. The active glacier has a lake at is base into which huge chunks of ice frequently calve with a tremendous thunder. We may be able to camp at Lowell Lake, where icebergs float past a short distance from camp after calving off the Lowell Glacier across the lake. Enjoy the hike up 5,500 ft Goat Herd Mountain with breathtaking views of Lowell Glacier as it stretches away into the mountains some 65 Km. Towering peaks jut into the heavens, and on clear days we see the monstrous massif of Mt. Logan, the second highest peak on the continent. Herds of mountain goat and Dall sheep give us an excellent opportunity for photos.
To Turnback Canyon
The Alsek builds in volume and engergy as we raft our way downstream. Excitement rises as we have to negotiate through several large rapids. We arrive at the largest of all the glaciers on the trip, the Tweedsmuir. Known as Turnback Canyon the glacier forces the river up against the wall of the valley crowding it into a narrow deep gorge. From there the river plunges into a unrunnable channel of ten mile series of horrendous rapids where it is unsafe for rafts. We will camp above Turnback Canyon, at the foot of the glacier.
To Walker Glacier
In the morning we set up for our helicopter portage. The spine-tingling helicopter lifts us and all of our equipment around Turnback canyon. During the flight enjoy views of the famous rapids. On the other side of the Canyon we will re-inflate the boats and continue downstream. Passing the Vern Ritchie and Battle Glaciers, we approach our camp around the confluence of the Tatshenshini and Alsek Rivers. You see an awe inspiring place where four major valleys converge.
We will camp near the Alaskan and Glacier Bay National Park Border. The towering Fairweather and St. Elias Ranges are divided by the Alsek at this point. As we float downstream, the mountains in view are taller and the glaciers seem larger and more numerous. In the morning, we will pass into Alaska's Glacier Bay National Park and into the sight of the massive Walker Glacier. From here we can explore the ice and crevasses of this flow, for it is easily accessible by foot. Only by wandering onto the glacier can you truly appreciate just how huge, powerful and alive these glaciers really are.
To Alsek Lake
On the river again we see more glaciers in a spectacular panorama. The Alsek and Grand Plateau Glaciers come together at the river to form an eight mile wide face of ice arcing around a beautiful blue lake filled with icebergs, the largest found anywhere in Glacier Bay Park. Listen to the tunder as huge ice junks break of the face of the glacier and tumble into the lake. The entire scene is only the foreground however to one of the world's most beautiful mountains, Mt. Fairweather. The totally ice clad summit soars over 15,000 feet above our camp. If weather permitts we will spend the day rowing out into the lake for a closer look at the glaciers and massive icebergs.
To Dry Bay / Yakutat
We leave Alsek Lake for the last fifteen miles of our float trip. Our journey ends at Dry Bay, a small collection of buildings on the coast that are the hub of a busy fishing industry on the river. There you will board small charter planes for the flight north to the town of Yakutat where the trip will end.
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# Days
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Rapid Class
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Departures
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Rate
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Alsek River
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Rafting
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12
12
12
12
12
14
12
10
08
08
12
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June 02
June 08
June 16
June 24
July 02
July 14
July 20
August 07
August 08
August 17
August 20
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$3290.00
$3695.00
$3290.00
$3695.00
$3695.00
$4640.00
$3695.00
$4290.00
$4125.00
$3490.00
$3695.00
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