Packrafting 5 Rivers in the Wrangell-St. Elias National Park
PADDLE THROUGH THE WRANGELL-ST ELIAS NATIONAL PARK THIS AUGUST WITH DOOM!
There are two spots left on this course. You must email or call us before you register for this course @ 970-300-4497. Please note, the packrafting segment of the trip days 2-4 includes strenuous glacier and alpine travel. You need to be physically prepared to do this course.
Course Overview
Join us on a 150-mile packrafting odyssey that begins in the historic mining complex of McCarthy and Kennicott, Alaska, the gateway to the heart of the Wrangell-St.Elias National Park. This is the country’s largest, and certainly one of the most wild and scenic national parks.
Part 1: Kennicott River Warm Up & Root Glacier to McCarthy Creek Backpacking
Day one: Our trip starts with a short but cold “warm up” day on the Kennicott River. This day is designed to build communications, skills, and safety within our group, and prepare us for the next week of paddling together.
Days 2-4 We’ll spend three strenuous days on a a back-packraft loop up the Root Glacier over to McCarthy Creek. This wild hiking trip takes us over ice for a day, up to a camp at the toe of the Stairway Icefalls. We’ll then trek up over a large difficult ridge and down to the headwaters of McCarthy Creek, finally paddling 25 miles back to McCarthy.
Part 2: McCarthy to Bremner Dunes via the Kennicott, Nizina, Chitna, and Copper Rivers.
Day 5: We’ll paddle the fast, cold and short Kennicott river into the Nizina River, where we will enter the first canyon section of our journey. As stunning limestone wall rise above, the eddies boil and will get your attention. Out of the canyon, the river widens and we pass yet another confluence this time with the mighty glacial Chitna River.
Days 6-7: The river continues to widen and braid out, and our challenge for these days is finding and committing to the braids with the most water. We’ll enjoy epic mountain views to the north and west as we look back toward McCarthy and the Stairway Icefalls.
Days 8-9: We will pass through the famous dipnetting hub of Chitna to join our final river, the Copper. Once on the Copper we pass through narrow Woods Canyon, where we might get lucky and see curious Harbor seals. But more likely, we’ll see bears, eagles and moose on this journey. Finally, we’ll end at the Bremner Dunes and get picked up by bush planes for an epic and scenic flight back to McCarthy.
You have the option of continuing on without your guides to Cordova.
Price: $2750-$3500
This trip won’t run with fewer than 4 people. This price does not include your $500 flight out from the Bremner Sand Dunes.
- 4-5 people: $3500
6-7 people: $3000
8 people: $2750
A $1500 deposit is required to secure your space. You’ll need to provide the remaining balance 90 days prior to your course. The remaining balance is due immediately if you are registering inside of the 90 day window.
Additionally, please review our cancellation policy, which you will find on our Terms, Conditions & Cancellation Policy Page.
What's Not Included
Transportation in and around Alaska, the bush flight out of the Bremner Glacier, your packrafting equipment. You should have your own gear and know how to use it well for this expedition.
Instructors
Steve Fassbinder
Steve, aka “Doom,” is one of the country’s first Level 4 American Canoe Association Packraft Instructors. And he is a certified International Rescue3 Whitewater Rescue Technician Professional (WRT-PRO) and IRF Whitewater Packraft Guide. Steve is also certified in Advanced Swiftwater Safety and Wilderness First Responder. An early adopter of packrafting, he has guided or instructed bike-packrafting to kids and adults for over a decade. And he has done remote packrafting expeditions around the world for over a dozen years.
TBD
What You Will Learn
Safety Skills
✔You should already have mastered all the Level 1 & 2 Safety Skills or taken one or more Swiftwater Safety Institute packraft-specific courses.
✔We will review skills on a TBD basis depending on the needs of the participants.
Advanced Paddling & River Running Skills
✔You should already have mastered all the Level 1 & 2 Course Skills.
✔Technical and complex strokes
✔Dancing with the river: running big waves and laterals.
✔Managing vertical drops
✔Paddling a expedition loaded boat in whitewater
✔How to read whitewater
Advanced Expedition Planning Skills
✔Expedition/multi-day trip planning & logistics
✔Expedition pack lists
✔Where to pack your gear (zippers, weight distribution, securing packs/gear to or inside the boat
✔How to pack light (i.e. what to leave behind and why + how to share gear)
✔Expedition food planning and prep
✔Leave No Trace practices in the backcountry
✔Navigation in the field, finding camp, etc
✔Managing your backcountry camping and boating gear
✔How to find a good camp
✔Time management skills
✔How to efficiently transition from the river to camp
✔Read & run style boating
✔Expedition mentality
Advanced Group Dynamics Skills
✔Scouting and decision-making
✔Group selection
✔Expedition group dynamics
✔Group downstream travel technique & communications
✔Eddy hopping, traveling in groups. How to travel down a river safely by eddy hopping in groups
✔Clear communication: hand signals
✔Setting safety and choosing challenges: review, practice and implementation
Packraft Hacks
✔Backcountry repairs clinic
✔Storytelling
