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The Arrigetch Peaks by Canoe
Think of a national park twice the size of Connecticut. There are no roads, no trails, no services, and the only access is by small chartered aircraft. Encompassing the Central Brooks Range above the Arctic Circle in Alaska, Gates of the Arctic National Park may be our most remote park. Within its boundaries, there are 6 wild and scenic rivers and the magnificent Arrigetch Peaks. It has very few visitors. Craig Miller and I completed a 4-stage visit
to the park, which is illustrated in the map below. In Stage 1,
we floated 55 miles of the Middle Koyukuk River from Coldfoot to
Bettles. From Bettles, a floatplane dropped us at the headwaters
of the Alatna River, which starts as a small trickle from Geadake
Lake on the Continental Divide. In Stage 2, we did a 4-day float
down the Alatna River to Takahula Lake east of the Arrigetch Peaks.
In Stage 3 we backpacked for 9 days to explore the mountains and
valleys of the Arrigetch Peaks. And finally, in Stage 4, we had
a mellow float down the remaining 120 miles of the much broader
Alatna River until it emptied into the main Koyukuk River at the
village of Allakaket. The Alatna River is 184 miles long and we
traveled every bit of it!
The modes of transportation for this trip were quite varied. We flew Alaska Airlines to and from Fairbanks, Alaska. Craig and I took 27 days worth of food with us to start this adventure. We ended up spending only 23 days. We used bearproof steel drums for food storage while on the river and smaller lighter bear canisters while on the backpack. We also carried tents, clothing, emergency supplies, mosquito repellent, and everything we would need for a complete immersion into total wilderness. Two other friends, Rob West and Sonja Capek, joined us for stages 2 and 3. They used the same kind of canoe, but a longer one, a 16-foot SOAR. The Adventure Day 1 - The Dalton Express shuttle picks us up at 6:30 a.m. Several times a week, this large van makes the round trip from Fairbanks to Prudhoe Bay, a distance of almost 500 miles. The "haul road" was built in 1970 to facilitate the construction of the Alaska pipeline. The other passengers in the van are tourists traveling to the most northern spot in North America accessible by a road. We get off about halfway in Coldfoot, an 8-hour drive. Our plan had been to start paddling down the Middle Fork of the Koyukuk that afternoon after checking in with the Gates of the Arctic National Park Visitors Center. But because of my carelessness, we had left a bag on the van. We decide to wait a day and retrieve it when the van returns to Fairbanks. Stage 1 -The Middle Fork of the Koyukuk Day 2 - The lost gear has been retrieved. We launch our SOAR canoe at 4 p.m. It is late in the day but in the summer, there is light for 24 hours above the Arctic Circle. After about 20 miles of travel, camp that night is at Tramway Bar where we explore old buildings, earth moving equipment, and discarded household items that were used as late as the 1970's by people trying to strike it rich by finding gold. Day 3 - We have a pleasant day of paddling the Class-1 water of the Middle Koyukuk. We see some bald eagles but the views are obscured by haze caused by fires burning out of control in Northern Alaska. Camp is just after the confluence with the North Fork of the Koyukuk. Day 4 - After arriving in Bettles at mid-day, we obtain information and confirm arrangements for our bush flight the next day to the headwaters of the Alatna River. We connect with the other 2 members of our group, Rob and Sonja, and decide to ignore the warnings of low water in the upper Alatna. We commit to portaging our canoes if necessary but hope that there will be sufficient water to at least push our loaded boats until the river increases in volume as we pass tributaries. Bettles is a spread out place consisting of a few buildings fronting a big gravel airstrip that was built during World War II and cabins mostly hidden back in the trees. We talk to a number of people in town and are impressed by how many people really like this place. We set up our tent on the big green lawn near Bettles Lodge. Rob and Sonya fly out that night - we will follow tomorrow. Stage 2 - The Upper Alatna Day 5 - August 1 - After an Alaskan breakfast at Bettles Lodge, Craig and I board a Cessna 185 floatplane piloted by a young man named Tyler. We have a magnificent flight past the Arrigetch peaks where we will visit later. We look down on the Alatna River, studying the stream closely, wondering whether there is enough water to float our loaded boats. The air is crystal clear allowing us to see dozens of caribou scattered around Geadeke Lake, which is situated on the Continental Divide. Tyler lands on the lake, the source of the Alatna River, where we unload next to Rob and Sonja's camp. As Tyler flies off, we are committed. We still don't know whether we will be able to proceed down the river. After loading the two canoes, we paddle across the lake, anxiously looking for the outlet stream. When we reach it, we have to wade through ankle-deep water dragging the boats but are happy that a portage is not required. It takes 4 hours to cover the 2 miles to our first camp. At times, all 4 of us push and pull on one boat to move it over gravel bars. But we make progress. A wonderful campsite on the tundra with groups of caribou surrounding us makes it all worthwhile. Day 6 - After 2 more hours of dragging the boats, the confluence with the Weyarok River is reached. Now the boats float for 90% of the time. The total drag distance was about 3.5 miles. We encounter our first grizzly along the bank and watch it run away up a hill after spotting us. That night at camp, a huge bull moose wanders by. Day 7 - This is the day of anticipation. The map shows that Ram Creek Rapid, the only Class 3 whitewater on the trip, will be reached around noon. We stop at every blind curve to make sure we don't enter it unexpectedly. Lunch is delayed; we will eat while we scout the rapid. Finally, the GPS indicates that the rapid has been passed. We paddled the dreaded Ram Creek Rapid without knowing it! Maybe it is rougher at high water; the water levels this year are VERY low. Day 8 - We paddle 10 hours to camp on a sandy beach, just east of Takahula Lake. We had originally planned to start our backpack at Circle Lake, about 12 miles upstream. But a "rogue black bear" is terrorizing visitors and the park has closed the area to camping. Rangers are currently in the area trying to locate the bear. Unfortunately, when a wild bear becomes habituated to camper's food, it can cause a real problem. The end result is that we start our hike from a different valley, which adds two days to our backpacking itinerary. Stage 3 - The Arrigetch Peaks Day 9 - Today the river trip becomes a backpack. Boats are deflated, packs are filled, and food is sorted. Gear is bearproofed and dispersed to various places. In the afternoon, we start walking upstream along the Alatna River to Aiyagomahala Creek (also known as Creek 4662 or Hot Springs Creek in the literature) to begin the backpack. I will refer to it as Hot Springs Creek in this report. The packs are heavy. This is the hardest day of the backpack. There is no trail and the route requires much bushwhacking and stream crossing through knee-deep water. We camp at an almost flat, open area, which we name "Moraine Camp". The breeze keeps the mosquitoes away. We have very few mosquitoes on the trip since we are traveling in August. They are fierce here earlier in the year. Day 10 - Rain during the early morning almost convinces us to take a rest day since visibility stops about 500 feet above us. But when our barometer indicates that the weather is stabilizing, we decide to move on. We follow caribou trails and a prominent brush-free ridgeline to enter alpine terrain. We cross the pass between Hot Springs Creek and Arrigetch Creek by compass, and camp near a small lake, which we name "Traverse Pass Camp". Here we meet a lone camper named Robert. He will be the only person we will see on the 9-day backpack. Day 11 - It is clear that a storm is upon us. It rains all morning and continues sporadically into the afternoon. We pack up and start hiking in the late afternoon when we see blue sky in the direction we want to go. Four hours of hiking brings us to a comfortable camp below a formation called Elephant's Tooth on Arrigetch Creek. The rain is over and we will not have any additional precipitation for the remainder of the trip. Day 12 - The day hike into Aquarius Valley is world class. Many of the sheer rock spires for which the Arrigetch area is famous, tower above us. It takes a 2,500-foot ascent to visit all 6 of the lakes in the valley. The safety lock from the bear spray that I carry on my belt has disappeared. My lower back has become red and hot with some type of rash near where I carried the bear spray. We conclude that the trigger was depressed momentarily as we went through some brush, dosing my shirt with a mini blast of spray. I was lucky I didn't really get a big blast. We improvise a new safety with a stick of wood and store the canister in my pack. Day 13 - August 9 - It is very cloudy with low visibility but we decide to move camp upstream on Arrigetch Creek, to the valley below three of the higher peaks in the area; Caliban, Xanadu, and Ariel. Our plan is to climb Ariel Peak tomorrow. By the time we arrive, the weather has changed and we have a clear blue sky everywhere. Rob suggests that we climb the peak immediately. In summer in Alaska, it never gets dark so there is no downside to starting a climb late in the day. We start off at 3:15p.m. 3 1/2 hours later, we are standing on the 5th highest peak in the Arrigetch (6,685 feet). The leave no trace ethic is so strong in Gates of the Arctic National Park that no cairn is found on the summit to show that it has been climbed. Although the peak itself was easy (some 3rd class slab climbing near the top), the route up Escape Pass was tedious. It consisted of 1,000 feet of loose 3rd class rock where it was difficult not to kick rocks on your companions. Day 14 - A much deserved layover day in the nicest campsite of the trip. Rob and Sonja still have lots of energy and they climb to the top of a ridge northeast of Caliban. The views are not as good today since a wind shift has caused more smoke. Day 15 - Time to head back. We break camp and go all the way back to "Traverse Pass Camp" in 8 hours of tough hiking. My back is still hot from pepper spray remnants even after washing my shirt. Craig finds the safety lock from my bear spray on the ground. The odds of that occurring are a million to one! Day 16 - We retrace our route to the ridge that we ascended on day 10. Before, visibility was only 500 feet. Now from the highpoint of the ridge which I call Point 2340, we can see the entire upper Hot Springs Creek drainage before us including some of the better known peaks such as Shot Tower, Pyramid, and Battleship. It is a marvelous view, which we enjoy during a rest break. The afternoon is hot in the arctic sun. We camp at the same place as we did on the way in, "Moraine Camp". Day 17 - Back to Takahula Lake. Craig and I collect an additional 10 days supply of food that is flown in on the flight that takes Rob and Sonja back to Bettles. We are happy to find our stashed boat and gear in good shape. We repack the SOAR and prepare for Stage 4 of our trip, the 120-mile Class 1 paddle along the Alatna River to the small village of Allakakat. Stage - 4 The Lower Alatna Day 18 - August 14 - We spend considerable time talking to Steve and Kay Rubis who live in a cabin on Takahula Lake. There are only a few people who have in-holdings in Gates of the Arctic National Park. They have lived here for many years and we learn an enormous amount about the area from them. Later in the day, a short paddle brings us to Takahula River where we hope to paddle upstream for a while to explore. But fighting the current is too much work. So instead, we camp nearby and catch up on our reading. The trip is phasing down already. Day 19 - Eight hours of paddling on flat, uneventful water take us toward our goal. The sky is hazy with smoke again. The unusually dry summer has made it difficult to control the many fires that are burning in Northern Alaska. Day 20 - Paddling is about the same. But the young grizzly on shore standing on his hind legs to get a look and whiff of us was exciting! I don't think he got our scent as we floated slowly by. But he sure was trying. He finally hustled back into the brush when he heard us talking. Day 21 - Today we watch another grizzly amble upstream for 3 to 4 minutes before he sees us and runs into the bushes. He is busy fishing and jumps into the river 3-4 times trying to catch fish. Great encounter! We are slowly nearing Allakaket. Day 22 - We paddle for almost 9 hours. Day 23 - After seeing a moose near camp we arrive at Allakakat in late afternoon. We are several days ahead of schedule. Although more time was spent on the backpack, we spent fewer days on the river than in our original plan. Four days of food remains in our bags. We call to make a reservation on the morning flight to Fairbanks and camp in the yard of a village elder, next to the river and a drying rack filled with smoked salmon. The Athabascan people who have lived in this area for centuries occupy the village. Day 24 - The morning flight is delayed due to smoke but we do get to Fairbanks around noon. We change our Alaska Air tickets to fly home early and our Alatna adventure is almost over. Summary Logistics (1) Wilderness skills are essential for this trip. You must be completely self-sufficient. Most important is that you be able to evaluate and assess risk. The upper section of the Alatna requires some technical canoeing skills to avoid sweepers. You might consider renting a satellite phone for emergency use. Try to go with people who are compatible and competent. (2) Airline baggage rules in the USA now limit you to two 50-pound bags per person. My SOAR canoe weighs 62 pounds so I had to pay an overweight fee of $25, plus an extra bag fee of $50 since I needed a third bag to transport my food. Overweight charges are also assessed for the Prudhoe Bay van ride and the commercial flights connecting Fairbanks to Bettles, and Allakaket. Our Cessna 185 floatplane had a payload capacity of 650 pounds, which is quite sufficient for 2 people plus gear. (4) Minimal food is available in Coldfoot, Bettles and Allakaket. You can either bring food from home or plan to spend extra time purchasing it in Fairbanks. Water can be easily found everywhere in the Arctic. Whether or not you treat it is an individual choice and depends upon whether you believe the prevalent giardia hysteria. See the references for some articles that show that the giardia problem may be a myth. (5) We found the park rangers at Bettles and Coldfoot to be very helpful. They loaned us the bear resistant containers free of charge. (6) Concern about grizzly bears can range from carrying a gun to doing nothing. We took bear spray and bells to wear around our necks. Bear spray cannot be carried on commercial airlines but can be purchased in Fairbanks and Bettles. Bear spray is probably more effective than a gun, unless you are quite skilled with the latter. After the trip, while waiting for our flight out of Allakaket, we tested a can of spray and were impressed with the pattern of spray that we were able to project at a target 30 feet away. Most run-ins with grizzlies, according to Stephen Herrero (see references) fall into two categories: (a) sudden encounters and (b) food-related incidents. The most likely sudden encounter with a bear occurs if you are walking through brush or trees and surprise one, especially a mother with cubs. Wearing a bell while hiking will alert the bear to your presence and it will usually avoid you. But a bear bell will also make it less likely to see other wildlife. Much of the terrain we encountered above the Arctic Circle had no trees and was very open, so it was possible to use the bear bells selectively. It is ironic that although we were very concerned about grizzlies, it was a black bear that caused problems on this trip. In general, bears in remote areas tend to avoid people. This was certainly the case for the 3 grizzlies that we saw. It is useful to keep bear danger in perspective. Grizzlies and black bears kill an average of 3 people every year in North America and seriously injure another 10, or so. This is a very small number considering the millions of interactions between people and bears every year. One should avoid "bear mania". (7) Summer weather in the Central Brooks Range is surprisingly mild. The days are long and usually sunny. Daytime temperatures sometime exceed 80 degrees F. Nighttime temperatures can drop below freezing at the higher elevations but we ran into this only once. Although you must be prepared for rain, recent years have been quite dry. I use a Hilleberg tent (see references), which is the best rain tent I have ever seen. (8) Our original plan was to circumnavigate the Arrigetch peaks. The added hiking time due to the bear closure prompted us to change our plans. But a big loop is possible and a worthwhile goal. (9) The cost for Craig and myself for the 23-day trip (starting and ending in Fairbanks and not including the food we brought from home) was $1850 total ($925 each). The major costs were:
References |
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