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Talkeetna River
The Talkeetna River stands alone as one
of Alaska's premier wilderness whitewater trips. From high alpine to lush
rain forest, the Talkeetna works its way towards its confluence with the
Susitna River. Along the way, you can look forward to some of Alaska's
best whitewater, world class fishing, excellent wildlife viewing and a
chance to watch the Alaskan brown bears feed on the spawning salmon.
Highlighting this four day adventure is the decent through "sluice box"
canyon, which is just part of the 22 miles of class IV whitewater that
this gorge has to offer. This river is so good in so many ways, we
consider it Alaska's best all around river.
Talkeetna
Expedition Itinerary
 Day
1
All expedition members will meet at Susitna
Air Service on the Kashwintna Lake. Our guides will help you transfer
your gear into dry bags. After packing our gear in to the floatplanes,
we depart Willow and fly north along the Alaskan Range. Along the
way we can scout the river and keep our eyes looking out for wildlife.
On a clear day we will get chilling views of Denali, the largest mountain
massif in the world. After approximately 1 hour of flight we land
the plane on Murder Lake. We then transfer our gear into the rafts
and have a relaxing lunch on the lakeshore. After lunch we will begin
our float down Prairie creek. This creek has an incredible concentration
of salmon and brown bears. Rounding corners in the creek provide
incredible views of the brownies fishing for salmon. Have your
camera ready! Depending on water levels 2 to 5 hours on the creek
takes us to our sandy campsite where we will spend the night. You
can rig up and do some fishing while your guides prepare you a hearty gourmet
meal.
Day 2
Up at a reasonable hour, we eat a hearty
breakfast and discuss our day's plans. There are many options that
we can choose from: a hike to an alpine waterfall, fish for salmon and
rainbow trout or stalk brown bears with our cameras. This is
a day of leisure and relaxation. After dinner we will discuss river
safety issues and make plans for the next day.
Day 3
Non-stop, continuous, whitewater all day
long! We suit up in our river gear and join the Talkeetna River.
Today we are going to shoot "sluice box" canyon. Our first rapid
is called "entrance exam." This rapid is a small shoot between two house-sized
boulders. Towering granite walls loom high above as we advance towards
the second rapid "toilet bowl."
This is one of the most difficult rapids
on the river. After negotiating these two drops, we will stop for
a lunch break. When lunch is over we will begin our descent to the
"sluice box" canyon. Words can't describe the intense whitewater
combined with the deep granite canyon and the lush vegetation that hangs
over the towering wills. This is the Wild of Alaska! Hours
later and some fifteen miles down river, we set our camp on a beautiful
sand bar next to Iron Creek. After a meal and a few drinks, you'll
be ready for some sleep.
Day 4
Breakfast, pack the raft, and rig up for
some salmon fishing. Today we will fish some of the world class streams
that flow in to the Talkeetna. Larson Creek, Clear Creek, and Disappointment
Creek are all clear water streams that make Alaska famous for its natural
salmon stocks. After fishing, we will make our way down the final
stretch of river towards the town of Talkeetna. This is where we
will end our adventure and have a couple drinks at the historic Fairview
Inn.
Before leaving Talkeetna, we can take a
look around this historic town. Check out the ranger station and
museum. This is where you can read about the history of the mountain
climbers and gold prospectors that made this bush town famous. We
also suggest that you book flight-seeing tours to Denali National Park
and Preserve. On this flight you will get an up close view of Denali
and land the plane on an active glacier.
To return to Anchorage, you may schedule
a private air service, van service, or take the train north to the park
or back to Anchorage. It is also possible to arrange transportation
with us.
Trip Instructions
Due to the frequency of late baggage arrivals,
we strongly suggest that you arrive a day before the trip is scheduled
to depart.
For you comfort and safety Class V Whitewater
will provide a full-length wet suit, dry top, helmet, booties and life
jacket. If you own your own river equipment, feel free to use it.
Most of our clients spend the night in
the town of Talkeetna or Willow prior to the trip and after the finish
of the trip. On these shoulder days, the cost of lodging and any
meals are at the client's expense. If desired, we can arrange the
lodging and land logistics for you. Please notify us of your arrangements
for the night prior to the trip departure, as this information is helpful
in the event of delayed flights.
Summers in Alaska are usually pleasant,
but there is the potential of inclement weather. Therefore our equipment
list will prepare you for all possible conditions.
Equipment List
1. Sleeping bag, warm to 30 f (hollow
fill)
2. Insulated sleeping pad or foam pad
3. Waterproof rain gear
4. Light weight nylon tent
5. Rain hat
6. Warm jacket or parka
7. Wool sweater or fleece jacket (2)
8. Wool hat that will cover your ears
9. Fleece pants (2-pair)
10. Fleece gloves
11. Wool socks (4-pair)
12. Sunglasses
13. Long underwear (poly-pro)
14. Bathing suit
15. Insect repellent
16. Tennis shoes or hiking boots
17. Camera gear and plenty of film
18. Dry bag for camera
19. Fishing gear (rods must be in hard
case, we can provide you a tackle list of the stuff that drives the fish
crazy)
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