Last updated: September 27, 2016
Itinerary
What follows is a general flow of events. Expect the unexpected and prepare to be flexible.
June 10
Pre-trip meeting with your guides in Fairbanks.
June 11
Fly north from Fairbanks across the Yukon River, the Arctic Circle, and the Brooks Range, then down the Hulahula to the northern edge of the mountains. Once the plane is unloaded, we make a comfortable camp, have a good dinner, and watch the sun refuse to set! Welcome to the arctic! We can climb a small hill for a lovely view of the valley ahead.
June 12 - 16
We’ll paddle and hike our way down the Hulahula River, allowing a couple layover days for hiking and exploring. We’ll take a layover in the mountains, and another on the river’s delta en route to the Arctic Ocean. With a fast current and only 55 miles to paddle there should be plenty of time to relax, explore and enjoy the Arctic Refuge.
June 17
If the group is excited for a good challenge, we make our way through the river’s delta and then paddle out into the Arctic Ocean. Just offshore is a long barrier island and then thousands of miles of sea ice. Here we make camp at the end of the earth and maybe even take a dip in the frozen ocean.
June 18
Awake this morning at the northern edge of the continent. Weather permitting, we get a quick flight to the Inupiat Village of Kaktovik and then a longer flight back south across the Brooks Range, the Arctic Circle, and the Yukon River to Fairbanks arriving late in the day. Time to change your socks!
