Last updated: September 20, 2018
Itinerary
What follows is a general flow of events. Expect the unexpected and prepare to be flexible.
August 16
Meet your guide for a pre-trip meeting in Fairbanks at 4pm
August 17
It’s a long day. We fly north from Fairbanks to Bettles, crossing en route the mighty Yukon River and the Arctic Circle. Then, we charter a plane into the Gates of the Arctic National Park. We’ll land on a sprawling lake near the river. If the mood strikes us we can assemble the canoes and paddle for a bit. Or we might elect to explore our surroundings on foot and save the paddling for the next day.
August 18 - 21
We’ll paddle our way down the Noatak. We’ll paddle about 18 miles on the moving days which will take about 5 hours. There will be free time each and every day after camp is pitched, the long evening is yours to enjoy the golden arctic sunlight, fishing, climbing the nearby ridges or just skipping rocks! We will also have a layover day or two when we don’t need to break camp and can enjoy the solitude and wilderness. A nice long hike is in order.
August 22
With another 300 miles of the Noatak it will be hard to pack-up and say goodbye, but when the plane arrives we will load-up and fly south. Weather permitting we should be back in Fairbanks in time for a late dinner.
If you would like to extend your time in the wilderness we would be happy to arrange a custom extension to this trip for you, either to continue down the Noatak, or for a couple of days at Kobuk Dunes, or anywhere else you want to explore.
