Last updated: August 29, 2024
Itinerary
What follows is a general flow of events. Expect the unexpected and prepare to be flexible.
June 11
Meet with your guides for a pre-trip meeting at 4 pm at Arctic Wild headquarters in Fairbanks. (Dan and Sheryl fly from Teshekpuk Lake to the Aichilik this day.)
June 12
Fly 200 miles north from Fairbanks, across the Yukon River and the Arctic Circle to the Gwich’in Athabascan settlement of Arctic Village. From there, we board an even smaller plane and carry on through the Brooks Range to a river bar alongside the Aichilik River. Once the plane goes, we are on our own in the immense and quiet landscape.
June 13 - 15
Three full days to explore the northern Brooks Range at a spectacular time of year. Flowers are emerging and birds are signing through the all-night dawn. Hikes are tailored to suit the weather and your desires. The mountains are calling.
(June 15th, 4 pm pre-trip meeting for Gwendolyn at Arctic Wild)
June 16
Assuming good weather, Gwendolyn flies from Fairbanks to the Aichilik arriving mid-day and all can take a long hike in the afternoon. In the evening we inflate the rafts and prepare to paddle to the sea.
June 17
Pack camp and load everything into our two rafts, then the current whisks us past icy bluffs, striated cliffs, and lupine covered meadows. near day’s end we negotiate some ice fields before making camp anew at the northern edge of the mountains.
June 18 - 22
At any time during the week, we could see caribou, a grizzly bear or two, a wolf, or other arctic wildlife. The next three paddling days, we will be “on the go” for 6 to 8 hours. We won’t be in the rafts that whole time, however, and will pull ashore several times each day for brief forays or to watch wildlife. At day’s end, we’ll choose a nice, dry, scenic camp.
We will plan two or three “layover days” and 3 full paddling days from the mountain front to the sea. Our first day hikes will be in the Brooks Range foothills. This area affords us great opportunities for gaining elevation, admiring wildflowers covering the slopes, and hopefully watching wildlife.
Our final layover will be on the arctic coast. The hiking along the beaches is excellent and a pretty good workout. Depending on sea ice conditions, we may be able to climb an icy “pressure ridge” formed by the frozen Arctic Ocean.
June 23
Await the arrival of our bush pilot, who will land on the beach. We will fly west along the coast to the community of Kaktovik where we will switch to a larger plane. Weather permitting we arrive back in Fairbanks for a late dinner.
