DOUBTFUL-NIZINA
PACKRAFTING
Multi Day
- Kayaking
- Moderate
Paddle amongst the icebergs and hike the Wrangells backcountry!
Located deep in the Wrangell Mountains, the Nizina Glacier melts into a massive terminal lake, forming the headwaters of the Nizina River. As the glacier melts and calves into the water, enormous icebergs are formed, floating around the lake and flipping with the secret currents in the water below.
We’ll bring inflatable packrafts with us that will allow us to paddle and poke around the icebergs, exploring their weird shapes and features. The hiking terrain here offers mellow riverbars and rugged creekbeds for a variety of ability levels.
Set up a comfortable backcountry camp and enjoy the incredible 360 views of snow-capped peaks, glaciers, and wildflower-speckled valleys. Both sides of the lake are accessible by bush plane so we’ll go to “Nizina” or “Doubtful” based on which has the best conditions.
- Multi-sport adventure on uniquely Alaskan terrain
- Try the new sport of packrafting
- Paddle around enormous icebergs
- No previous paddling experience is necessary
- Mellow terrain for easy hiking with spectacular views
Trip Details
Trip Length
4 days
Total Mileage
2-5mi
Total Elevation Gain/Loss
500ft
Rates:
Private Solo
$4,995
Private 2 Participants
$3,050/person
Private 3-6 Participants
$2,440/person
Private 3-8 Participants
$2,350/person
This trip is only offered on a Private Trip basis. Book the dates that look best to you or schedule a call with our Expedition Coordinator to plan your Private Trip today!
The “Alaska Factor”
There is a reason Alaska has such a rugged allure for the lower 48 and beyond: it is still wild! This raw and untamed landscape offers our clients the opportunity to authentically pioneer new territory and have real adventures. Part of embracing the “Alaska Factor” is understanding that things may not always go as planned and expecting the unexpected. Water levels might rise, snow might fall, glaciers may shift and move – the landscape is dynamic and unpredictable is what makes Alaska, Alaska!
All of our trips are customized as they unfold and your guide will fluidly make decisions based on weather, logistics, and group dynamics to maximize each day’s experience. There can be quite a bit of variation, but on each trip we promise a big slice of the real Alaska and authentic adventure!
DAY 0
DAY 1
Have your camera ready as you’ll be flying along a popular flightseeing route to your backcountry destination right along the Mile-High Cliffs! Landing on either the East or West side of the lake, you’ll take an hour or so to set up your camp, right at the edge of the lake. In the afternoon, learn how to set up your packraft and get a feel for the water, paddling around the icebergs on your side of the lake.
DAY 2
The morning will bring the smell of a delicious breakfast and a completely new sight as the icebergs will have shifted and moved overnight. Today, you have a mission to make it to the other side of the lake. Weaving and navigating between the bergs you’ll discover caves, tunnels, fountains, and other crazy features in the ice!
Make your way to a prime spot to take out the kayaks and stretch your legs. Enjoy some easy hiking and a wonderful wilderness lunch prepared by your guide. Make your way back to camp for a relaxing evening of beautiful alpenglow and peaceful reflections.
DAY 3
Feeling refreshed and eager for more adventure, you unzip the tent and scope out today’s route over a steaming cup of coffee.
Exploring the area on foot – there are several options to choose from. For a rugged hike rewarded with great views, hike up a rocky stream bed and push through the bushes to get high up.
Don’t want to push it today? No problem! Take the edge of the lake up toward the glacier and set up a picnic overlooking the Nizina Glacier’s dramatic fins and seracs towering over the valley.
DAY 4
Waking up in the backcountry, you realize maybe you don’t actually ever need to get back to the office…
Plan to make the most of your last day in the wilderness more paddling or hiking or both! Your bush plane pick-up will be scheduled for the late afternoon, so you’ll be able to maximize your backcountry time and still make it back to McCarthy for dinner!
What’s included?
- Customized trip planning
- Logistics consultation*
- Your professional guide(s) – 4:1 ratio
- Orientation and a Gear Shakedown
- Roundtrip 20min bush flights in and out of the backcountry
- All the food on the trip
- Group gear (bear canisters, cookware, fuel, tents**)>
- Packrafting equipment (inflatable packrafts, paddles, PFDs, dry bags)
*Upgrade to a Trip Package and have logistics included with your trip!
**We recommend that you bring your own tent if possible
What’s not included?
- Gratuities
- Personal camping and hiking gear
- Logistics
You’ll need to be in McCarthy the day before your trip begins for an Orientation and Gear Shakedown. You’ll meet your guide, grab group gear and make sure you are fully prepared to go into the backcountry.
Please account for a full day for travel both to and from McCarthy and the next Alaskan destination. We don’t recommend leaving McCarthy the last day of your trip as this cuts significantly into your last backcountry day and usually makes for a very hectic drive.
Check out our Transportation Page to learn how to get to and from McCarthy. Check out our Lodging Page for lodging recommendations in the area.
Trip Package
If you are planning your trip +2 months before your trip start date, upgrade to a Trip Package! A Trip Package will include transportation to/from McCarthy, local lodging, and any other local activities you’re interested in. We charge a non-refundable $50 Trip Package fee per person for this service.
This is a Moderate Flatwater Packrafting Trip 
Please keep in mind that there is no truly “easy” hiking terrain in the Wrangells and often the coolest places require a little extra effort to get to. On our Moderate Trips, you will be off-trail trail for the majority of the trip, traversing some combination of rocky gravel or talus, squishy and spongey tundra, and/or slick glacial ice in crampons – all of it uneven, most of it hilly and some of it brushy. On this trip, you will cover 1-2mi/day on foot with up to 500’ of elevation gain/loss while carrying your own gear. Paddling distance and difficulty can be customized to your preferences. You will be camping in the rugged wilderness with no manmade shelters, toilets, or really any type of development. We recommend physical training in preparation for Moderate trips These trips are great options for experienced car campers and beginner backpackers, although we always recommend as much prior experience as possible.
GALLERY
FAQ
All the pictures and descriptions sound amazing! How do I know what’s right for me? Here are some things to think about when selecting a trip:
What is my #1 goal for this adventure? Do I want to relax and get away from a hectic schedule? Do I want to push myself on an epic and athletically challenging journey? Create life-long memories with my family or partner? Learn skills from the experts and grow my scope as a mountain athlete? See new landscapes and experience Alaska’s unique glaciated terrain?
What are my interests? Birding, animals, photography, geology, wildflowers, journaling, athleticism, spirituality, art, technical climbing, etc.
Will this trip be part of a bigger Alaska trip? Where else am I going and what else will I see? Our glaciated terrain, history, high-altitude peaks, and vast backcountry wilderness are what set us apart from other areas in Alaska.
What am I comfortable with at my current level of knowledge, experience, and physical and mental ability? Alaska is bigger and tougher than anything in the lower 48 and it’s a great place to push yourself, but you want to be realistic and make sure you have a good foundation to build upon if reaching for higher heights.
We pride ourselves on cooking healthy and delicious meals even under the most adverse conditions! Your exact menu will depend on the trip, your guide, and the dietary preferences/restrictions you list in your Trip Application. No matter what kind of cook your guide is at home, all our guides are well-trained backcountry chefs and use time-tested recipes from our proprietary cookbook for their trips. We carry a plentiful and varied stock of ingredients and most meals are prepared from scratch (allowing for easy substitutions, additions or subtractions of ingredients). We onlyt use pre-packed freeze-dried meals on summit pushes on our mountaineering expeditions.
On our backpacking and basecamp trips, you can expect 3 meals a day, plus snacks of your choice. Breakfasts and dinners are usually hot meals and lunches are served cold. On mountaineering trips lunches consist of a variety of snacks as it can be hard to organize group meals while on a rope team.
We use a combination of fresh, dehydrated, and freeze-dried ingredients to make our delicious meals, however on longer backpacking and mountaineering trips your guides will use more freeze-dried foods than fresh foods to keep pack weights as low as possible. On our rafting trips, we cook full multi-course meals with fresh ingredients and enjoy hot and cold breakfasts, cold lunches and hot dinners.
Meals for most trips start with Lunch on the first day and end with Lunch on the last day. *
*If you are signed up for a Custom Trip Package with us, it may include more meals. Check with us if you’re not sure. Mountaineering trips also include meals in McCarthy before and after the backcountry expedition.
This is one of the most commonly asked questions!
We practice Leave No Trace principles and make sure to minimize our impact on the natural landscape as much as possible.
In Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, the recommended practice for backpackers is to either individually dig small holes (your guide will carry a small trowel) to use as a personal latrine per-use or choose a place near camp but with some privacy and dig a trench for use as a group latrine, depending on the location. You will carry out all your used toilet paper and all other sanitary products and trash.
On rafting trips, we carry a plastic toilet box with a seat that is set up near camp and your guides will carry out all waste on the boats.
On mountaineering trips, the latrine is commonly a crevasse or snow-pit protected from camp by a wall of snow.
Your guides will instruct you on the particulars of the situation per camp to set you up for success and all possible comfort. Please don’t be shy to ask them questions on this matter. It’s a necessity that has been given lots of thought your guides are experts in ALL things outdoors!
