Transfer Option:

The following is a tentative itinerary and has been designed with much thought to capitalize on the most scenic and exciting parts of the river, while making time on other sections. Your guides will adjust the schedule to make the best use of river and weather conditions.
The following initials indicate the meals included each day:
Breakfast = B | Lunch = L | Dinner = D

Day 0
Your journey north from your home will be a refreshing departure. You will fly over the largest expanse of wilderness in the world with stunning views on cloudless days, pass through quieter and friendlier airports, meet friendlier and less harried service personnel and generally begin to immerse yourself in the wilderness experience that is about to unfold. This is the arrival day and is the first day listed for your trip. The scheduled flights arrive in Whitehorse throughout the day. Aim to arrive by 6 p.m. The guides will be out of town at the river, rigging the rafts. Please make your way to your hotel and plan to rendezvous with your guides in the lobby of the Westmark Klondike Inn at 8 p.m. for an orientation meeting with the trip leader. There will be a chance for last-minute questions concerning clothing, gear, packing and other details. Whitehorse is a great place to spend a few extra days and there are local day hikes, bike, canoe rentals, dog mushing kennels to visit as well as a National Historic Site and several museums. Renting a car for a day trip through the White Pass to Skagway Alaska is a popular outing.

Day 1 (L/D) GETTING TO THE RIVER & GETTING UNDER WAY
We will meet in the hotel lobby at 8 am following breakfast (not covered) and we will embark on the Alaska Highway for the 1 1⁄2 hours van ride to the small community of Haines Junction. There we will visit the Kluane National Park Interpretive Centre. (The bakery across the road is legendary for its goodies so keep your wallet handy.) The next leg of our journey will take us through the stunning scenery of the Haines Pass. Our objective is the US Customs Post at Pleasant Camp where we clear US Customs before the trip. You may be tempted to have an afternoon nap during the drive, but the scenery will keep you riveted! Later in the afternoon we arrive at the edge of Kluane National Park and UNESCO World Heritage Site where we transfer to a four wheel drive vehicle waiting to take us the final 20 km along a rugged trail to our rafts.
As the 4x4’s ford streams and bump across meadows, we often see our first bears of the trip. Mountain goat and Dall sheep are frequent sights on the hillsides above. The valley floor is also excellent habitat for moose, beaver, songbirds,terns, swans and other waterfowl.
The “road” fades out at the braided alluvial fan of Serpentine Creek. Here the rafts are rigged and waiting on the banks of the Dezadeash River.
Here you will have time to make final adjustments to your pack, the guides will introduce you to the finer points of the day’s journey. Here on the edge of Kluane National Park you embark on a gentle piece of river, winding through the broad valley, as it flows into Alsek Pass. This region can be prone to strong upstream winds. Initially the Dezadeash River, one of the two sources of the Alsek, flows quite slowly. We carry paddles(in addition to the guides’ oars) and anyone who desires to pitch in and burn off the delicious lunch can do so.
A couple of hours below Serpentine Creek, we pass the confluence of the Dezadeash and the Larger Kaskawulsh. It’s at this confluence that the Alsek is born. The wide flood plain of the Kaskawulsh has semi-dammed the Dezadeash and once past the confluence the Alsek River picks up its characteristic swift speed. Camp location will be determined by the prevailing conditions. Keen eyes may spot Dalls sheep and mountain goats grazing on the slopes.

Day 2 (B/L/D) DOWN TO LOWELL LAKE
Our destination on the second day is a camp on the edge of Lowell Lake between massive Lowell Glacier and the foot of Goatherd Mountain. This is usually the longest traveling day of the trip. The extra few hours spent traveling this day pay off with a two night stay in the Lowell Lake/Goatherd Mountain area. Embarking early in the morning we raft past an interesting portion of river with unusual rock formations, dunes of wind blown glacial till known as loes,and lots of bear sign. We break the days rafting up with a couple of short walks to viewpoints, a waterfall, and a grizzly bear rubbing tree or some other interesting feature.
Apart from the major hikes, the upper Alsek is also ideal for walks behind our camps and lunch stops due to the lack of tall or thick vegetation. This is the reverse of many rivers where the thickest vegetation often lies in a riparian strip on either side of the river. Why is this? A hike from the river yields a dramatic view and the evidence of recently spectacular historic geological events in the valley. In the late half of the 1800’s the Alsek was entirely bridged by a sudden movement of the Lowell glacier. The resulting lake backed up over an area of hundreds of square miles, even flooding the current town site of Haines Junction.
The ice dam remained for a few years until it was finally broached by the river and in a cataclysmic event the valley below was flushed by a flow of gargantuan proportion. Native history tells of coastal villages that were decimated by the floodwaters. When we travel the river today we see scarring and other effluvial remains that tell the story of the monstrous hydrological event. This accounts for the lack of vegetation by the river. Today’s river bank was (until very recently in geological terms) under the waters of the glacial lake and therefore soil couldn’t form as it did in the forests above the ancient lake.
Looking up, it’s easy to see how the land is layered into the four main zones: a largely unforested open band reaching a few hundred vertical feet above the river where the old lake once lay; a dark green carpet of spruce up the mountainsides; then the brighter green of alpine meadows and scrub; all topped off with rocky glaciated peaks.
In the afternoon the river quickens ad in the last couple of kilometers we encounter the trips first minor rapids as the river washes around boulders left behind by the glaciers.Here we get our first view of the white tops of icebergs protruding up in the distance.Though presently receeding, massive Lowell Glacier still spills into the lake that is carved out at it’s toe. Like the other glaciers of the St. Elias Mountains, Lowell is a remnant of the last ice age. Lowell Lake is an iceberg-filled spectacle similar to the larger one on the lower Alsek made famous by books and posters. We camp on the flats at the base of the cliffs against which Lowell Glacier, once pressed during a surge, sealing off the Alsek’s flow. This is a natural place to spend an extra day to hike or just soak in the sights.

Day 3 LAYOVER AT GOATHERD MOUNTAIN
Goatherd Mountain is a superb destination for hikers – truly a world-class hike with fantastic wildlife.Even those who don’t choose to go to the top can get a marvelous view from its base. One can look out over the jewel-like icebergs of Lowell Lake and see 50 or more kilometers up the ice falls of Lowell Glacier to 13,905foot Mount Kennedy (named after JFK and climbed by his brother Bobby). Other peaks surrounding Kennedy– Alverstone and Hubbard - rise up to over 15,000 feet:Mt. Logan, Canada’s highest and second in North America only to McKinley, lies a bit farther back at 19, 850 feet.
Goatherd Mountain is well named as it’s home to over100 mountain goats, some of which graze the slopes right above camp. With binoculars or spotting scope you’ll get a good look at wildlife from camp. If you're up for some hiking, you can expect to get a great look – often so high you can actually look down on mountain goats. Ptarmigan,horned larks and pipits nest and feed in the high country.Golden eagles soar over the slopes looking for unwary Arctic ground squirrels. A rainbow of wildflowers carpets the alpine meadows. If necessary, the guides will split up to accompany some to the mountain top, others to the lower flanks and meadows and also the less ambitious for a ramble along the gentle iceberg-studded shoreline of Lowell Lake.

Day 4, 5, & 6 ICEBERGS, RAPIDS & DOWN RIVER INTO BRITISH COLUMBIA
On Day 4 we usually break camp and continue on through Lowell Lake, paddling and rowing through a maze of icebergs, which have calved off from the face of Lowell Glacier. The bergs range in size from minute to massive– some are the size of entire apartment blocks! Periodically one rolls over with a resounding thunder, exposing its freshly washed, sapphire blue underside. (Occasionally,strong afternoon winds can be an obstacle to crossing the lake so we may elect to get an earlier start this day).
After about 4 kilometers, the lake narrows and becomes a river again with its characteristic speed. The bigger bergs get hung up in the shallows of Lowell Lake’s outlet but many smaller ones (up to the size of a van) can escape and we may bob and weave downstream with them.
The major rapids of the trip are located a couple of hours below Lowell Lake. The amount of time we spend on Lowell Lake will decide whether we run the big rapids of the trip on Day 4 or on Day 5. There is one tight spot where, in most water levels, the guides will line the boats or run them through empty. It’s easy to walk downstream a few hundred meters and meet the boats once they’ve negotiated this spot. Don’t worry, you won’t have missed anything. The fun rapids continue below.
Shortly below these rapids, we meet the first drainage of the Fisher Glacier on the right and the Bates River comingin from the left. Here the terrain begins to close in and the river valley becomes more confined. Waterfalls plummet off the rugged mountainsides as the river races underneath.It’s a very imposing, awe inspiring landscape. A number of fun rapids and wave trains await downstream!A second layover day is spent at a camp somewhere below the Bates River. There are a number of possible layover camps well-positioned for alpine hikes, glacier walks or simply relaxing with a great view.
About a day before Turnback Canyon we leave the Yukon Territory’s Kluane National Park and enter British Columbia. In June 1993 the BC portion of the Alsek and Tatwas preserved with the declaration of the Tatshenshini-Alsek Wilderness Park and has since been designated a United Nations World Heritage Site. The Tat-Alsek watershed is the heartland of the largest protected wilderness area on the continent.

Day 7 - TO TURNBACK CANYON & TWEEDSMUIR GLACIER
After a few days of unstructured itinerary, this day’s objective is to position ourselves to rendezvous with the helicopter for the aerial flight over Turnback Canyon and out to vehicles waiting to transport us back to Whitehorse on Day 8. We usually endeavour to get down to our camp above Turnback early enough to allow a few hours exploring the start of Turnback Canyon that afternoon or evening.
Turnback consists of several kilometers of some of the ugliest, most tortured and turbulent whitewater you’ll see anywhere. Not only does it stop humans floating the river,it’s so bad that it even blocks most salmon from migrating any further up the Alsek. Tweedsmuir Glacier still sprawls right into the valley and it is very evident how, held against the flanks of Mount Blackadar, the Alsek has carved a formidable wild canyon in the bedrock. Tweedsmuir has receded a little in recent years, but when we first flew the river twenty years ago, the snout of the glacier overhung and calved ice right into the raging rapids. Although it has been kayaked a “handful” of times in low water, it is no place for a raft.
After dinner the guides deflate and roll up the rafts and consolidate the gear for the helicopter egress the following day. This camp is spectacular, with a dramatic and imposing sapphire-blue glacier hanging off the nearby mountains.

Day 8 HELICOPTER EGRESS FROM TURNBACK CANYON
We prepare the gear for the helicopter flights out. Four people at a time fly over Turnback Canyon and Tweedsmuir Glacier en route to the waiting vans. In the vans it is less then an hour into Haines Junction and another couple hours back into Whitehorse.Once back in Whitehorse we will escort everyone to the hotel for those long awaited showers and clean clothes.Usually we all meet for a final dinner (not included) and then for a drink at one of Whitehorse’s charismatic bars,mingling with both locals and those tourists who just stepped off a bus tour or cruise ship. For them this is adventure. How can you even start to describe to them the places you have just come from?

Day 9 HOMEWARD BOUND
Last Morning (this is the day you may fly home)After goodbyes and a last look around Whitehorse, you will head for home with a cargo of fond and spectacular memories.

Prerequisites: None, beginners are welcome and paddling is optional most of the time since our guides can navigate using oar boats. Experienced paddlers and beginners are welcome to participate by paddling anytime however.

Additional Alsek River Trip Notes:
Pre- and post-trip accommodation is your responsibility - the cost is not included in the trip fee. We can recommend a list of Whitehorse hotels and are happy to assist you in making reservations if you wish.

Please ensure that you have a waterproof rain jacket and pants. Goretex is not a substitute for rain gear on this trip. Lifejackets are supplied. Please do not bring a PFD as we have regulation life jackets that are required by law for this river.

Getting ready is part of the fun. This list is designed to simplify your packing. Please feel free to contact us with any items questions. We use chartered aircraft with limited load carrying capacity. Try to restrict your gear to an effective but lightweight set of outdoor clothing and equipment. Please limit your load to a total of 40 pounds. If you are in doubt about a certain item of clothing, bring it along and consult with the guides pre-trip. It can always be left behind if deemed unnecessary. We will arrange a place at the departure point for you to leave your travel clothing. Avoid bringing unnecessary valuables such as jewelry.

WE PROVIDE:
Tent – Mountain Hardware Trango 3, self-supporting dome tent - comfortable for 2 people with some remaining floor space for clothing etc. (single occupancy is $50). If you wish to bring your own, please contact us to approve the model and design.

Tent bag – we provide communal bags for transporting tents on the raft. Each bag holds 3 tents.

River bag – 115 litre, 30 gal – this is for your clothing and camp gear. When closed properly it provides waterproof protection. We have never encountered anyone who couldn’t fi t everything in this bag!

Day bag – 20 litre, 5 gal– a smaller bag for items you may wish to have access to during the day. Waterproof when closed properly. (note- this is not the same as the “day pack” listed below which you must bring for hiking).

Boot bag – a communal bag for carrying hiking boots during the day. When you stop for a hike, the guides will open this bag.

Cooking, eating utensils, table ware – All.

Gear Checklist:
A. Camping Gear:
_____ sleeping bag - good to freezing or below
_____ sleeping pad - therma-rest or light air mattress are best

*the above items can be rented for $75.00/person per trip


B. Personal Clothing:
_____ t-shirts - three
_____ long-sleeved shirts – wool or synthetic
_____ sweater – polypro, fleece or wool
_____ warm jacket or vest – (e.g think puffy jacket, ski jacket etc.) an extra-thick fleece sweater and windbreaker could substitute
_____ windshell – should be big enough to go over a sweaters
_____ rain jacket (hooded) and pants - VERY IMPORTANT - must be waterproof and good quality – a poncho is NOT acceptable. (see “Comments on Gear – Foul weather clothing”)

_____ shorts - we suggest nylon ‘quick dry’ variety
_____ long pants - ‘quick dry’ nylon, synthetic blend or wool
_____ 1 extra pair of warm pile or wool pants - optional
_____ long underwear (not optional) – tops and bottoms – polypro is best (avoid cotton). There are various weights: light, medium or expedition Pick what is most comfortable for you, keeping in mind that you can layer your clothing.

_____ socks – several pair of wool are best
_____ hat – that can be tied on and with a brim that can protect you from the sun & rain (this is the land of the midnight sun!)
_____ toque (wool hat)

_____ swim suit


C. Other:
_____ running shoes, sport sandals, or equivalent - for camp wear
_____ hiking boots - lightweight
_____ rubber boots with insoles in the bottom – for wearing in raft and voyageur canoe (see Comments on Gear – Footwear)
_____ neoprene booties - with soles or overshoes – for two person canoe expeditions (see Comments on Gear – Footwear).
_____ glasses, contacts (spares), sunglasses – string to tie on
_____ personal toiletry items - soap, towel, shaving gear,
tooth brush, skin cream (to avoid severe drying of hands), etc. Consider a “camp towel” synthetic model. Some bring “baby wipes” for hygiene (we do provide an excellent hand washing system in camp)
_____ sunscreen lotion – with effective sun block – remember: land of the midnight sun!
_____ day pack -capable of holding rain gear, lunch, camera, etc. on hikes
_____ personal medications (bring in “carry-on” – also consider two sets and giving one to the Trip Leader for safe keeping)
_____ insect repellent & bug jacket. We strongly suggest that you bring a bug jacket, they are light weight and pack easily. We do sell “The Original Bug Shirt” see our website or call us for details.

_____ whistle – to attach to your personal flotation device (PFD)
_____ heavy duty garbage bags (U.S. = trash bag) - as insurance to keep your things dry in your waterproof bags
_____ plastic water bottle - for day hikes Must be 1 litre or greater
_____ knife, matches and/or lighter (in a waterproof container), compass if you wish, light cord for clothes line
_____ rubber dish gloves for cold water protection if necessary

_____ minor First Aid items – bandaids, pain relievers. We carry large expedition First Aid kits
_____ small musical instrument if you wish
_____ Passport and Visa (Your responsibility to determine if a Visa is required).


D. Optional:
_____ Small nylon “draw string” organizing bags to keep clothing sorted in your pack
_____ camera and plenty of film - we recommend a waterproof box to protect it

_____ fishing rod and equipment (collapsible please). Check out more About Fishing!
_____ reading and/or writing materials (we bring a “library” with some field guides and trip specific literature)
_____ binoculars - a must for wildlife watching
_____ flashlight - only needed on August trips.
_____ gloves or mitts - for cold days (a must on the Tat/Alsek or any of our tundra trips!)
_____ A favourite alcoholic beverage – in a shatterproof container e.g. naglene bottle
_____ helmet (mandatory for three week whitewater from the Moose Ponds)
_____ Trekking poles - Collapsible walking stick(s)- An excellent asset for your knees & balance while hiking. Use them like ski poles.
_____ tent (we do provide them, but you may feel more comfortable with your own)


SPECIFIC TRIPS:
_____Wet suit or dry suit: Consider it for the Tatshenshini. We provide wet suits for rent on all rivers of Grade III. Wetsuits rentals must be confirmed 90 days prior to trip departure. If you are the type that cools easily, you should consider a wet suit for any trip – 3mm neoprene, short or long legs; sleeveless preferred.

Rental items
We rent the following items: (Fees are per person/item, per trip.)
Wet suits $75.00 Cdn
Pelican professional water proof camera case $35.00 Cdn
Sleeping bag/therma rest combination $75.00 Cdn
Solar battery charger (your device must have a male cigarette lighter piece - not an invertor) $50.00 Cdn
Note:
To ensure we can supply your rental needs, please place your order before June.

This is a camping trip. We provide your tent – Mountain Hardware Trango 3, self-supporting dome tent - comfortable for 2 people with some remaining floor space for clothing etc. (single occupancy is $50). If you wish to bring your own, please contact us to approve the model and design.

Passports
Passport valid for at least one day beyond the intended departure date from Canada required by all nationals referred to in the chart except the following:
(a) 1. Canadian citizens holding a Canadian Certificate of Identity, Canadian birth certificate or a certificate of Canadian citizenship;
(b) permanent residents of Canada with proof of status, ie Permanent Resident Card, Record of Landing, Returning Resident Permit or a Refugee Travel Document issued by the government of Canada to refugees who have been resettled in Canada;
(c) 2. citizens of the USA holding proof of citizenship (eg US birth certificate or US naturalisation papers).
Note: As of 23 January 2007 all persons, including US citizens, travelling by air between the USA and Canada, Central and South America, the Caribbean and Bermuda are required to present a valid passport or other approved document when entering or re-entering the USA. Similar requirements for those travelling by land or sea will be introduced as early as 1 January 2008. For further details about the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, visit the website of the US Department of State: http://travel.state.gov/travel/cbpmc/cbpmc_2223.html.
(d) persons entering from St Pierre & Miquelon or the USA who are legal permanent residents of the USA and hold a US alien registration card (Green Card);
(e) 3. citizens of France who are residents of and entering from St Pierre & Miquelon.
Note: (a) Children under 18 years must have information with them on the people responsible for their welfare, if travelling alone; this includes a letter of permission to travel from guardian(s), and also a letter from the custodian in Canada. (b) Depending on circumstance and nationality, certain applicants may need to undergo a medical examination in order to receive their visas; this must be carried out by a physician on Canada's list of Designated Medical Practitioners.
Passport Note
Visitors to Canada must satisfy an examining officer at the Port of Entry that they are genuine visitors, in good health, with no criminal convictions, and have sufficient funds to maintain themselves during their stay in Canada and to return to their country of origin, as well as evidence of confirmed onward reservations out of Canada. Persons under 18 years of age who are unaccompanied by an adult should bring with them a letter from a parent or guardian giving them permission to travel to Canada.

Identity/travel documents issued to non-national residents of the country of issue, refugees or stateless persons are recognised for travel to Canada.

Visas
Not required by all nationals referred to in chart above (visitor or transit) for stays of up to six months except the following:
(a) 4. holders of passports endorsed ‘British Subjects’ and ‘British Protected Persons’;
(b) 5. nationals of Bulgaria and Romania;
(c) those visiting Canada who, during that visit, also visit the USA or St Pierre & Miquelon (a French Overseas Territory) and return directly to Canada as visitors within the period authorised on their initial entry (or any extension thereto).

Note: Nationals not referred to in the chart above are advised to contact the high commission to check visa requirements (see Contact Addresses).
Visa Note
The Government of Canada refuses admission to: (a) holders of passports issued by the UK Government entitled 'British Temporary Resident's Passport'.

(a) A single-entry visa is still valid if used to visit the USA. (b) Persons wishing to attend a course of six months duration or less, at any level, do not require a study permit. However, if there is the possibility that you will extend your period of study in Canada, or if you are a full time student and wish to work on campus, you may apply for a study permit.
Types of Visa and Cost
Visitor: C$75 (single-entry); C$150 (multiple-entry). Family: C$400 (for families of six or more persons). Transit: free. Transit visas are necessary for all nationals who require a visitor visa. Although transit visas are not required by British citizens, they may be required by foreign nationals with British passports; check with the embassy or high commission for details. For further information on payment methods, contact the high commission. Prices are subject to frequent change.
Validity
Up to six months depending on circumstances of individual applicant. The determination regarding length of stay in Canada can only be decided by the examining officer at the port of entry, but visas cannot exceed the validity of the passport and cannot be longer than five years. If no actual departure date is indicated within the visitor’s passport, then the visitor will be required to depart within three months from the date of entry. Visitors must effect their departure from Canada on or before the date authorised by the examining officer on arrival. If an extension of stay is desired, an application must be made in writing to the nearest Canada Immigration Centre at least three weeks before the expiry of the visitor visa. Multiple-entry visas cannot be valid longer than passport. Transit visas are only allocated if a national's flight/onward journey is continuing within 24 hours. Single-entry visas can be used multiple times by nationals of St Pierre & Miquelon and the USA.
Applications to:
Consulate (or consular section at embassy or high commission)
Working Days Required
10 days are required from receiving applications, but applications should be made at least one month prior to the intended date of departure. Certain nationals are subject to longer processing times. For urgent applications it is advised to apply in person. Same-day processing is available for applications made in person and 24-hour processing for those using the drop-in service.