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ALASKA GUIDE DREAM TRIPS

Here we will post trips dreamed up and designed by our senior guides. These are adventures that, to the best of our knowledge, have never been done before. The trips might range from moderate to extremely strenuous, but one thing you can be sure of - your guide will be at least as excited to be on the trip as you will be!

If you are interested in joining our senior staff on one of their adventures, please contact us. Pricing will depend on time-frame and number of people. These trips will be priced on the low side in an effort to encourage exploration, adventure and the dreams of our awesomest guides!

White River Backpack, Float, and Fly - Dream Trip by Lead Guide Carleton Lane

For someone looking for an epic historical adventure, this trip would start with a flight, progress by foot, and end in a packraft, having covered nearly a hundred miles, starting in the United States and ending in Canada.

To start this trip, we’ll hop into a bush plane, which will fly us over a few ridgelines from McCarthy to Nizina Lake. We’ll blow up the packrafts, crossing Nizina lake and floating with the icebergs at the end of the glacier, until we reach the eastern side. After deflating our packrafts, we’ll backpack up to Wolverine Pass, where we’ll connect with the historical Goat Trail. Don’t let the name fool you, the “trail” is faint in many places and rugged, a track left by gold stampeders nearly a century ago. We’ll follow this track up and over Chitistone Pass, where we’ll see the Russell Glacier down below. Blowing up the packrafts again, we’ll cross Skolai Lake, before starting on foot again beside the Russell Glacier. This point represents a huge watershed divide, the rivers before drained through the Wrangells to the Copper River, however from here on all water eventually leads to the mighty Yukon, traversing many thousands of miles across Alaska before reaching the ocean.

From here we’ll traverse along the Russell Glacier until the terminus, using our packrafts to cross several smaller creeks on our way to the mighty White River. Here we’ll blow up the packrafts again, keeping them inflated for the 60 mile float. After working hard for days we’ll let the river do the work for us, floating through the braids and canyons of the class II White River. The border between the US and Canada will pass unmarked and insignificant in this wild land. Finally after many days we’ll see our first evidence of modern man, a bridge spanning the White River, marking our takeout. This is the famous Alaska Highway: from here a traveler could head back to Alaska or explore the Yukon Territory.

Alaska Coatline Bike Adventure - Dream Trip by Lead Guide Jake Wilkens

The Alaskan Coastline Bike Adventure presents an amazing opportunity to view wildlife. Combined with the physical challenge created by the cold, fast river crossings (accomplished in conjunction with pack rafts), the possibility for extreme weather conditions, and the history behind this area of the state, this trip will be one to remember. We will use bikes that have oversize tires, making them perfect for traveling on soft terrain. This section on the coast is navigable in low tides. Mostly sand, when the tide is out, there is a solid and flat sand “highway” that can be traveled relatively easily.

There are several major river crossings along the route, often glacial, and many over 100 yards in width. The rivers are cold and fast. Being comfortable paddling on rivers is a must. The weather on the coast can evolve from a warm sunny day to a full storm surge in a matter of hours. We will be traveling west up the coastline in an attempt to keep most of the wind at our backs. This will allow us to not only travel comfortably in breezy conditions, but will also allow for the possibility of covering ground in the case of a large storm system moving in.

The Alaska Coastline Bike Adventure will be riddled with wildlife viewing opportunities. Land and sea mammals, as well as sea birds, thrive in this low populated, infrequently traveled portion of the state. Moose, brown bear, black bear, wolves and coyote are plentiful along the beach and meadows. Seals, Sea Lions and other sea mammals will be present along the beaches and tide lines. Eagles, Hawks, Gulls, Geese and countless other bird species are constantly combing the shoreline for their next meal. The currents from all over the northern Pacific Ocean pile onto the beaches here, thus trapping amazing amounts of treasures for the beachcomber enthusiast. The Alaskan Coastline Bike Adventure is sure to be a trip that will prove to be unforgettable.

Click here for a detailed itinerary of this trip.