Arctic Wild: Trip Itineraries
Kongakut River Raft Trip
Download a copy of the Kongakut River Raft Trip Itinerary (PDF, 132 KB)
• Dates: Sorry, This trip is FULL for 2008 please consider joining our Hulahula River Raft June 10-20
• Region: Arctic National Wildlife Refuge- Mountains, northern foothills, coastal plain, Arctic coast. The Kongakut is a north-flowing river in the northeast corner of Alaska.
• Cost: $4100 per person from Fairbanks includes one night in the Inupiat Eskimo village of Kaktovik (see details below).
Sketch of the trip…
The Kongakut River gathers its waters along the Continental Divide within the Wilderness portion of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, in northeastern Alaska. It is one of a handful of navigable “north slope” rivers that empty into the Arctic Ocean. The Kongakut is a beautiful river valley that, especially in its lower reaches, offers a great variety of landscapes and arctic wildlife.
The Kongakut is best known for the reliability with which it treats visitors to once-in-a-lifetime wildlife encounters. Each year 130,000 caribou from the Porcupine Caribou Herd migrate north across passes in the Brooks Range to their calving grounds on the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The cows arrive on the coastal plain in May and give birth to their calves. The bulls arrive in early- to mid-June. By late June, the caribou begin to aggregate in great numbers in response to the worsening bug situation - finding insect relief habitat becomes their priority. As they move shoulder to shoulder, they shape one of the greatest wildlife spectacles in North America.
We start our raft trip in the northern most Brooks Range in an area known as the British Mountains. Our first few days will be spent exploring the mountains, gaining spectacular vistas from the flanks of Whale Mountain. Paddling north from the peaks, on this clear fast river, we enter a region of alternately rugged and rounded foothills with excellent views of the Brooks Range to the south and the Arctic Ocean to the north. From there we enter an evocative stretch of coastal plain. As we paddle across the coastal plain and into the Kongakut’s delta, we have ever-widening views of the Brooks Range stretching away to the east and west. In its lower reaches, the Kongakut fans out into an extraordinary prairie of rocks, low vegetation, ice and water. We pick our way through a maze of river braids to a massive freshwater ice field (auf eis) that apparently blocks the way (and might!!), acting as gates to the Arctic Ocean beyond. This is one of the most elemental landscapes imaginable; blue ice, clear water, grey gravel and the endless sky. And then we hit the arctic coast. Our time on the coast presents a unique opportunity to explore this storied region, tent rings, old sod houses and relics from the whaling area dot the coast. View its wildlife, be awe-struck by the vivid light of the midnight sun, walk onto the Arctic Ocean pack ice. In addition to caribou, we may also see wolves, grizzly bears, musk oxen, and an array of birds and wildflowers. The famed and ferocious wolverine inhabits the area, but is among the rarest of sightings.
This is a leisurely-paced trip. No experience is necessary to paddle raft, as instruction is provided. Everyone joins in the fun of paddling under the guidance of an experienced raft captain. The Kongakut is a fast-moving river with multiple braided channels. We may need to get out and walk the rafts in shallow places. The coast is often breezy if not windy, meaning we may have to paddle steadily for several hours when moving along the coast.
What follows is a forecast of the trip, a general idea of the flow of events.
As a forecast, it may be amended to meet conditions and opportunities in the field.
Day 1: Fly north from Fairbanks across the mighty Yukon River and over the Arctic Circle. Land in the Athabascan Indian settlement of Arctic Village, pop. 120. Time allowing, tour the village before boarding our bush plane for the last leg into the wilderness. Once the plane goes, we’re “there.”
Days 2-9: We join the Kongakut on its northward flow to the Arctic Ocean. At any time during the week, we could see caribou, a grizzly bear or two, a wolf, or other arctic wildlife. We will see animals. On previous trips we have been literally surrounded by caribou. We estimate that we have seen 40 or 50 thousand caribou in a single day. It is an awe inspiring specticle that leaves one speechless and exhilarated. On moving days, we’ll travel from 6 to 8 hours per day. We will pull ashore several times each day for brief forays or to watch wildlife. At day’s end, we’ll choose a nice dry camp. There will be free time for group and personal pursuits each and every day. Evenings and mornings are good times to explore our surroundings. Guides will lead informal natural history hikes, but you are also welcome to go off on your own.
We usually plan three or four “layover days” on the Kongakut: Our first day hikes will be in the vicinity of Whale Mountain. This area affords us great opportunities for gaining elevation, admiring wildflowers covering the slopes, and hopefully watching Dall sheep. We will take another layover before we leave the foothills, where we’ll climb tall foothills for a panoramic view of the arctic. From the broad summits of these 2,000-foot maroon-colored foothills we can survey the breadth of the Brooks Range and the arctic coastal plain all the way to the Arctic Ocean, just 10 miles away as the raven flies. This is a prime time and spot for seeing wildlife and wildflowers like Siberian phlox and arctic poppy. Time permitting, we’ll also take a layover on the coastal plain to walk the tundra expanses colored in cream by Dryas flowers. We often see tundra swans on nests in the shimmering distance and caribou massed on auf eis to avoid the mosquitoes and bot and warble flies (which will not pester us). We can see plovers and jaegers and harlequin ducks in their respective habitats. Our final layover will be on the arctic coast, on the edge of the continent. Sea ducks like long-tailed ducks, surf scoters, and eiders are our constant companions here. Watch for seals on the shore-fast pack ice. A mirage called Fata morgana may play tricks on our eyes, raising landforms, enlarging objects, hiding others. Hiking along the beaches is excellent and a pretty good workout. Depending on sea ice conditions, we may be able to climb an icy “pressure ridge” formed by the frozen Arctic Ocean.
Day 10: Explore the coast and await the arrival of our bush pilot, who will land on the beach. We will fly west to the Eskimo village of Kaktovik, perched on the edge of the Arctic Ocean. En route, we cross the width of the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. In Kaktovik we will be pampered by our friends Walt and Merlyn who run the Waldo Arm Hotel.
Day 11: Spend the day enjoying Kaktovik. Walk the beach, talk with locals, enjoy the hospitality of the Arms. or go birding on the coastal tundra. Weather permitting, we catch our return flight to Fairbanks around 4pm.
Included in the price of the trip:
Transportation beyond Fairbanks.
Outstanding guide service.
Wholesome, delicious, and mostly-organic food while in the wilderness.
Stoves, cooking & eating utensils.
Repair and safety equipment such as firearm (guide will carry) and one bear spray per guest.
All boating gear, including boats and paddles.
The use of one life jacket and one medium-sized dry bag per guest.One night of lodging and food at the Waldo Arms Hotel in Kaktovik
Not included in the price of the trip:
Non-camp lodging.
Non-camp meals.
Personal clothing, backpack (if applicable), and footwear.
Sleeping bag & sleeping pad.
Three-season tent.
Waterproof dry bag (carries as much as a backpack).Waterproof camera case.
Fishing gear and fishing license.
Gratuity for guide(s).
Arctic Wild rents high quality gear at affordable rates. Rental gear includes:
Three-season tents
Sleeping bags
Sleeping padsRubber raingear bibs
Rubber raingear jacketsRubber boots
Large dry bag
A River Trip Equipment List is provided upon registration or request.
Weather & Bugs: Temperatures vary dramatically in the Arctic. It could be hot, but it isn’t likely to be hot for days on end. Temperatures will range from the 20s to 80s. When the wind comes from the north, the temperature can drop to below freezing. Cold rains and snow are possible, but we get lots of sunny weather this time of the year. This is mosquito season, and they will be a factor we plan to mollify by choosing open, breezy camps. Bring a mosquito head net and a small bottle of DEET repellent just in case.
Suggested Reading: Midnight Wilderness, Debbie Miller; Vanishing Arctic, T.H. Watkins; Arctic Dreams, Barry Lopez; Earth & the Great Weather, Kenneth Brower; Caribou & the Barren-Lands, George Calef; Alaska Geographic, The Brooks Range, vol. 28, no. 3; Alaska’s Brooks Range, The Ultimate Mountains, John M. Kauffmann. North Alaska Chronicle, John Martin Campbell.