UNTAMED ALASKA - THE ARCTIC NATIONAL
REFUGE TIMELINE:
Day 1
Fairbanks
Arrive in Fairbanks, where you meet your guide for an
expedition briefing.
Day 2
Arctic Village / Brooks Range / Canning River, Marsh Fork
Fly over the Brooks Range and land on a remote clearing on
the range's north side. Load your camping equipment into
inflatable rafts and begin the paddle downstream, along the
Marsh Fork of the Canning River.
Days 3 - 11
Canning River, Marsh Fork / Brooks Range
Navigate this vigorous Alaskan river, following its northern
flow through rugged, pristine wilderness. This rarely explored
territory is accessible only a few months out of the year. Your
equipment, skills and guide's experience are essential in this
unspoiled but challenging environment. You have no daily
schedule: nature and your interests determine your unique
adventures. Hike mountains, navigating the peaks and crags
without the benefit of trails, for a closer look at Dall sheep
or nesting golden eagle. You may spend several days exploring
the streams, fields and marshes around one campsite, sleeping in
your dome tent, dining on camp stove meals and washing in the
river. Then continue rafting even deeper into the refuge. By
week's end, you reach the Marsh Fork's confluence with the
Canning River, and continue across the wildlife-rich coastal
plain.
Day 11
Staines River / Arctic Coastal Plain / Arctic Ocean / Kavik
Arrive at the Staines River, or "Delta Strip," located only
a few miles from the Arctic Ocean, and explore the wildlife-rich
Coastal Plain by small aircraft; with luck, your flight passes
directly over the Porcupine caribou herd. Spend the final night
of your expedition in the historic exploration camp of Kavik.
Days 12 - 13
Kavik / Fairbanks
Depart Kavik via bush aircraft and fly to Fairbanks, from
which you depart for home the next day.
EXPEDITION GUIDE
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Joe Ordoņez - The Arctic National Refuge
Wilderness guide and naturalist Joe Ordoņez has been
leading adventures in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife
Refuge since 1990, incorporating the Canning River into
his repertoire in 1999. Co-author of The Complete Guide
to the Alsek Tatshenshini Rivers, he holds
certifications in wilderness first aid and swift water
rescue. |
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EXPEDITION LOG: DAYS 5 - 6
We had just paddled our rafts up to a tight bend on the Marsh
Fork, the rocky shore splaying to a backdrop of majestic purple
mountains, when we heard it: an intense but muffled percussion.
Seconds later, we rounded the turn and found ourselves floating
directly at the sound's source: caribou, thousands of them,
stepping over stones and fording the rushing river on their
annual migration.
Stunned by the drama, we lifted our paddles into the rafts and
floated silently into the herd. The caribou calmly yielded,
allowing us our drifting passage. Their inquisitive calves,
having no knowledge of humans, looked us straight in the eye. We
smelled their musky coats and felt the warm steam of their
breath.
Later, after making camp, we took our fly rods to the river for
a few casts, attracting grayling and char, and a grizzly bear.
Drawn to our scent and activity, the towering brown male appears
suddenly from the foothills, rises to his hind legs, noses the
breeze and lumbers toward us. Our guide has schooled us in bear
protocols, and we hastily release our catch back into the river
and begin whooping and hollering and waving our arms. The bear
stops, grunts, and then lopes off through a field of
wildflowers.
At this time of year, the sun never sets in the refuge, a wild
and challenging place, where the rivers flow north and wolves
howl soulfully from the mountains under Alaska's nighttime sun.
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ENVIRONMENT & CONDITIONS |
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DIFFICULTY LEVEL: 3 Demanding
- These programs take place in remote environments or
require prolonged activity such as rafting, horseback riding
and hiking. Participants should be in good physical
condition and able to "rough it" for long periods.
-
Temperatures of 28 - 78ē F
-
Altitudes above 2,000 feet
-
Camping, rafting, hiking
-
Good physical condition required
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Latitude 68ē 08' N
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Longitude 145ē 32' W
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DATES & RATES |
2009 Departure Dates
June 09, 2009 - June 22, 2009
June 20, 2009 - July 03, 2009
July 24, 2009 - August 06, 2009
August 04, 2009 - August 17, 2009
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Price per person |
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2008: TBA |
2009: US $11,980 |
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Single Supplement |
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2008: TBA |
2009: 535 |
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Regional Air |
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2008: TBA |
2009: TBA |
Alternate Departure Dates can be arranged. Prices are subject
to change.
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