Last updated: January 5, 2018
Itinerary
What follows is a general flow of events. Expect the unexpected and prepare to be flexible.
August 2
Meet your guide(s) for a pre-trip meeting at 4pm in Fairbanks at Arctic Wild headquarters.
August 3
Fly from Fairbanks north, over the Yukon River and then into the spectacular Philip Smith Mountains to our put-in on on the Canning River. We will set up camp and explore the nearly limitless wilderness.
August 4 - 11
On paddling days we will spend about five hours on the water, stopping for short walks and a delicious lunch en route. There will be three or four “layover days” where we will leave camp set up and will explore the area on foot. Guides will lead informal natural history hikes on moving days and on the layover days. The hiking is fantastic the entire length of the river and wildlife can be found at any time. Early in the trip the scenery is quite mountainous. As we descend the river the sky opens and the lands flattens. The coastal plain and especially the river delta is rich in bird life, some of the best in Arctic Alaska. The diversity of wildlife and landscapes is a great joy of the trip. We plan on hiking to the coast near the end of the trip where there is an old Eskimo village and lots of marine life. But we won’t camp on the coast at this time of year in an effort to avoid polar bears.
August 12
Weather permitting, our pilot will arrive and fly us back across the Brooks Range to Fairbanks in time for a late dinner and a shower.
