Gates- Kobuk- Noatak- Krusenstern – Blenkush

Gates- Kobuk- Noatak- Krusenstern – Blenkush

DATES

July 19, 2022 - July 29, 2022

REGION

Gates of the Arctic and Kobuk National Parks

TRIP COST

$$$

calendar

DATES

July 19, 2022 - July 29, 2022
region

REGION

Gates of the Arctic and Kobuk National Parks
price

TRIP COST

$$$

Alaska’s National Parks are true wilderness parks; most of them are both rarely visited and stunningly beautiful. On this exploration of the Northwest Arctic we will visit Kobuk Valley, Gates of the Arctic, Noatak, and Cape Krusenstern National Parks on a fun filled trip for Mary, David and friends.

TRIP DETAILS

Located entirely north of the Arctic Circle, Kobuk Valley National Park is the least visited park in America. Though nearly totally unknown, the park is full of wildlife and scenic wonders. Kobuk Dunes is like the Sahara, but with wolves, moose and cranes. Onion Portage is an archaeological district with evidence of human use for the past 12,000 years! The Kobuk River is a magnificent river rich with wildlife and broad vistas.

The Great Kobuk Sand Dunes is a sea of sand in the arctic wilderness. The dunes were formed during the last ice age as winds tore through the region and deposited sand south of the Kobuk River in an enormous mountain basin. This is the largest dune complex in arctic North America and it is both fascinating and beautiful. The eastern side of the dunes is more stable and vegetated. There are ponds, wolf dens, and fingers of spruce forest which extend in to the dunes. On the leeward side, the dunes get larger and larger with sand ridges over 200 feet tall! There are vast areas where a hiker cannot see the edge of the dunes anywhere and one expects to see a camel or caravan until a Sandhill Crane flies by with its prehistoric sounding call, or a moose trots off over the sand, a reminder that you are actually in the arctic.

Gates of the Arctic National Park is 8.5 million acres of unspoiled and largely untraveled wilderness. The National Park Service is justly proud of its “crowning jewel”.  The park is beautiful and diverse. As one travels from south to north, boreal forest gives way to broad green tundra basins, vast glacial lakes and severe granite spires. Beyond the Continental Divide, the sky opens and the seemingly endless tundra stretches beyond the horizon.

After visiting Kobuk Dunes, we will land just north of the spruce forests in a landscape of mountains and tundra. Clear lakes feed fast, rocky rivers. Rugged and barren peaks stand sentinel above the verdant tundra and signs of wildlife are everywhere. We will camp by the river and spend our days exploring on foot. Many of the nearby ridges can be ascended (with effort) for grand views of unnamed mountains. We can explore side valleys with waterfalls and hidden grottoes. The scenery is stunning and the hiking is limitless.

Noatak National Preserve is nearly as big as Gates of the Arctic and just as wild. Six and a half million acres include the Baird Mountains and DeLong Mountains with the Noatak River meandering between the two ancient folded sedimentary ranges. On the northern edge of the preserve along the Continental Divide lies Feniak Lake, a massive windswept lake stretching from the mountains into the Noatak flats. Feniak offers some of the best camping in arctic Alaska and views with no end. It is open and expansive country far from the trees or brush. Mountains to the north beckon hikers and monstrous lake trout beckon the anglers in the group.

Feniak has long attracted people. Nunamiut hunters have camped here for centuries and Feniak has some of the only known rock-art in the Western Brooks Range. There is lots to do near Feniak, but you may find that just sitting on the open tundra and listening to the wild wind in this special place is all you want to do.

Cape Krusenstern offers great contrast to the inland parks. Equally beautiful and interesting, Krusenstern sits on the Chukchi Coast where limestone hills meet the cold Arctic Ocean. Archeological evidence indicates this is one of the earliest places where people settled in North America. We camp on the beach and have opportunities to venture either along the coast or into the Iguik hills to the east. In addition to fantastic birding the cape has a resident population of Muskoxen which we may get to see. The cultural and natural history of the area bring a depth to the end of an already interesting trip.

Last updated: September 27, 2022

Itinerary

What follows is a general flow of events. Expect the unexpected and prepare to be flexible.

July 18

 After seeing the sights in Kotzebue and collecting park stamps at the Western Arctic Parklands visitors center,  meet your guide for a pre-trip meeting at 6:45 pm in Kotzebue.

July 19

Fly from the Inupiat village of Kotzebue on the Chukchi Sea up the Kobuk River and then land right in the dunes.

Once we unload we may have to carry our gear a ways to access fresh drinking water but then we can go and explore the dunes, springs and sand flats.

 

July 20

A full day to enjoy the dunes. Moose, wolves and fox all frequent the dunes as do a great number of birds. The sand constantly shifts and swirls. There are springs coming right out of the sand and great expanses where nothing seems to live. The hiking is soft in places but great distances can be covered if you are so inclined. Swim in the ponds, look for wolf dens, slide down the tallest dunes, or just stretch out your beach towel and parasol.

July 21

After packing up our camp, we await the pilot’s return. We will fly north into Gates of the Arctic National Park. Landing on a gravel bar near a clear fast river we will unload and set up camp. We spend the afternoon and evening settling in, learning the birds and plants, and planning the next day’s adventure.

(Please note that landing areas in the wilderness are ephemeral. Some years our landing strip has been just barely outside the National Park Boundary. We strive to use a landing area within the Park but there is some chance you’ll camp near the Park Boundary and will hike to the Park. From the ground it is all spectacular wilderness!)

July 22 - 23

Full days to explore and enjoy Gates of the Arctic. Your desires help govern our activities. We can hike to deeper part of the river and try some fishing, ascend the nearest peak and watch Dall Sheep grazing, or plan a big loop hike, up one drainage and down the other. With 24 hours of daylight and more wilderness than we could explore in a lifetime, our energy and imagination are the only limits to what our day in the wilderness will hold.

July 24

Weather permitting, our bush plane will arrive to fly us even further north to the spectacular Feniak Lake on the Arctic Divide. Camp will go up quickly the third time and we will have time for a nice walk along the lake shore on into the foothills.

July 25 - 26

Hike, fish, eat, sleep, repeat. And keep your eyes peeled for wildlife.

July 27

Fly down the Noatak and across the Noatak Flats, then through the hills to the Chukchi Coast. We land on the beach to the sounds of crashing waves and complaining gulls. Welcome to the Arctic Coast and Cape Krusenstern National Monument.

July 28

The beach combing is fantastic but it is worth climbing into the hills to look for muskoxen and to see the coast curve away north and south. It is a little too far to see Russia, but it is fun to imagine the outline in the distance.

July 29

All good things must come to an end. If the weather cooperates the pilot will return once more and shuttle us to Kotzebue. Time for a shower!

Michael listened to our descriptions of what we wanted in a trip and investigated the possibility of making that sort of trip happen. Unlike some other guide services, he was attuned to what we were saying and did not outright say he could not accommodate us because Arctic Wild only provided trips like X, Y, or Z. In my opinion, the major difference between Arctic Wild and the 4 other guide services I talked to was that Michael tried to design a trip meeting our trip objectives and wishes.

- Rochelle , Missouri, USA

DETAILS

WHAT'S INCLUDED

Round-trip airfare from Kotzebue, Alaska to the National Parks and back

Food while in the wilderness, stoves, cooking & eating utensils, water filter, base camp tent

Safety & repair gear

Professional guide service

Select Camping Equipment is available through Arctic Wild

WHAT'S NOT INCLUDED

Non-camp lodging

Non-camp meals

Personal clothing and gear. See full equipment list

Gratuity for guide(s)

WEATHER & BUGS

Temperatures vary dramatically in the Arctic.  It should be warm at this time of year, but it could just as easily be cool and rainy.  Temperatures will range from the 20s to 70s. Cold rains and snow are possible, but we get plenty of sunny weather this time of the year. Mosquitoes could be an issue in Gates of the Arctic and at Feniak, so bring a mosquito head net and a small bottle of DEET repellent.

RECOMMENDED READING

Ordinary Wolves by Seth Kantner

Last Light Breaking by Nick Jans

The Brooks Range by Alaska Geographic

Alaska’s Brooks Range by John Kauffmann

More Alaska reading is available at our bookstore

"The wilderness was spectacular, the leadership perfect."
"I am just finishing my tenth trip with you guys. As always, the trip was more than I expected and I had a great time. See you next year!"
"Of all outfitters with whom we have worked (and that is quite a number), you were by far the most organized and responsive."
"That feeling of wide open wonder, the possibilities for nearly limitless wandering, and the image of those proud caribou...that will stay with me a long time"
"Our guide was an encyclopedia on legs. He was always willing and ready to teach, to talk, to listen, to do another hike, or to lie low in camp if we were beat. He truly gave us the trip we wanted!"
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Eileen - Canning River