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Hulahula River (Kickback) Backpack- Trip ItineraryAn Easier Backpacking Trip in the Arctic National Wildlife RefugeWe are not currently offering this trip on our schedule but would be happy to arrange a custom trip for your group. Early June is ideal. Or choose from our shedule of Alaska Backacking trips. |
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Sketch of the Kickback Backpacking trip…For years clients on our river trips have been telling us that they would love to backpack in the Brooks Range. Unfortunately many are intimidated by the heavy packs and challenging terrain. The Kickback Backpack is the solution.
The trip is a brief six days, to help minimize the weight of our packs. The route is short, only seven miles down a river valley. This trip may lack rigor (to some) but there is no lack of adventure. Starting high in the glacially carved valley of the Hulahula River we will have time to explore upstream without the burden of our backpacks. Opportunities for day hiking are endless and the ridgelines offer vistas south into the forested drainages of the Chandalar River and north towards the Arctic Coast.
Dall sheep are abundant and we often see wolves and grizzly bears in the area. Early June is early spring in the Brooks Range and we will be there to see the land awakening from its nine month slumber. Migratory birds will be arriving and singing in the sunny midnight hours, soil will be warming and giving birth to the first spring flowers. Mosquitoes will still be, thankfully, just larva.
After a couple of nights in the upper valley we will shoulder our packs and head downstream. There are no trails here except the ones made by caribou and bears so we will follow gravel bars when we can, caribou trails when we can, and hike over the tundra when we must. The hiking might be a bit wet at times or a bit uneven but mostly the footing is good. After three or four miles of leisurely hiking it will be time to once again kickback and enjoy spring in the mountains.
After another layover day spent day-hiking or lounging we will again shoulder our packs for the final miles downriver to our pick-up point. Then it will again be time to kickback and feel proud that you are a Brooks Range Backpacker. |
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Kickback Backpack ItineraryWhat follows is a general flow of events. Expect the unexpected and prepare to be flexible.
Day 0: Pre-trip meeting with your guide in Fairbanks
Day 1: Fly north from Fairbanks across the Yukon River, the Arctic Circle, and the Brooks Range, to the headwaters of the Hulahula River. We’ll make a comfortable camp, have a good dinner, kickback and watch the sun refuse to set! Welcome to the arctic! We can climb a small hill for a view of the valley ahead.
Days 2-5: We’ll hike our way down the Hulahula River covering seven miles total with our packs on. This will allow for three layover days of hiking, lounging or exploring.
Day 6: Kickback and wait for the plane to come and take us to points south. Or better yet, if you are joining us for the Hulahula Raft trip you can kickback and wait for the plane to bring rafts, more food and clean socks.
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Backpacking DetailsIncluded in the price of the trip: Transportation beyond Fairbanks, food while in the wilderness, stoves, cooking & eating utensils, waterfilter, safety & repair gear and professional guide service.
Not included in the price of the trip: Lodging, non-camp meals, personal clothing and gear, backpack, tent, fishing gear, and fishing license. Gratuity for guide(s). An equipment list is provided upon registration. Rental equipment is available through Arctic Wild.
Weather & Bugs: Temperatures vary dramatically in the Arctic and can range from the 20s to 70s. 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 trip happens during mosquito season, though bugs are made more bearable by cool, coastal breezes as we near the coast. Bring along a mosquito head net and a small bottle of DEET repellent.
Suggested Reading: The Brooks Range: The Ultimate Mountains, John Kauffmann; North Alaska Chronicle: Notes from the End of Time, John Martin Campbell; Brooks Range Passage, Dave Cooper; Alaska Wilderness, Robert Marshall; We Live in the Arctic, Constance Helmericks; Arctic Wild, Lois Crisler; Make Prayers to the Raven, Richard Nelson. Two Old Women, Velma Wallace; Mind of the Raven, Bernd Heinrich.
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