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Additional
Copper River Expedition Info |
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Why Choose Destination Wilderness For Your Copper River
Rafting Expedition?
Destination Wilderness offers
an exceptionally selection of Alaska wilderness rafting and adventure travel
trips, one of the most diverse and spectacular available. These trips are run
by our Alaska affiliate outfitter, Copper Oar. Copper Oar is partially owned by
and trips led in part by guides who worked for Destination Wilderness when it
operated trips in Alaska directly.From one-day raft and flightsee tours to week
long rafting journeys to two-week multi-activity wilderness expeditions, Copper
Oar outfits trips that are suitable for anyone seeking the best of the Last
Frontier. Consider all that we provide on this great land:
Your Choice:
 It is Your Trip Not Ours. We have been running
Copper river rafting trips for years and years and believe that the best trip
is the trip you desire. We provide a foundation of safety and seamless
logistics, and have a wealth of knowledge about Alaska. From there we create
the trip you want, adjusting our style to your wants and needs rather than
asking you to fit into our agenda.
A Variety of Trip Options. With Destination Wilderness you
can choose between a variety of Alaska trips including camp or camp/lodge
combination trips. We also offer a broad choice of trip lengths and types. And,
we are happy to offer custom charter trips to groups.
Your Safety:
Guides That Live in Alaska. Destination Wilderness
and Copper Oar, one of the longest established outfitters operating in Alaska
backcountry, are both owned by Ken Streater. Copper Oar is located in McCarthy,
Alaska, in the heart of the largest national park in the U.S, and serves as the
base for all Destination Wilderness' Alaska trips.
Guides
that work for Copper Oar and Destination Wilderness are primarily Alaska
residents who know the nuances of the Copper River and long to share their
experience and passion for Alaska with you.
At Least Two Boats and Two Guides Per Copper River
Rafting Trip. On all Alaska rafting trips we always have at least two
licensed guides on the water. We believe that the safest possible trip starts
with appropriate staffing and that just one guide on the water is not as
effective as two or more. Therefore, we always have at least two boats and two
guides on each trip.
Full Safety Orientation and Gear. Before each Copper river
rafting trip we provide a thorough safety and instructional presentation. We
also provide wetsuit paddle jackets as part of the safety ensemble needed to
raft Alaska rivers.
Your Comfort:
Smaller Group
Size. Typically, our Copper river rafting trips are limited to 12 guests
plus guides. We have the ability to take more at select times during the
season, but we generally prefer to keep group sizes reasonable in order to
maximize your wilderness experience.
Personable Guest to Guide Ratio. We run trips with
one guide for every three to four guests, a ratio that we feel enhances each
guest's experience in terms of safety, comfort, and good company!
Your Satisfaction:
We are confident you will find
your experience with Destination Wilderness to be exceptionally rewarding!
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River Difficulty
The
Copper river rafting trip takes place on the magnificent Copper. This river,
from our launch point to the take out, is primarily class I, but there are two
sections with class II and III whitewater. In particular, Abercrombie Rapid,
which is encountered on the next to the last day is a big wave rapid, with the
guides generally skirting the biggest parts of the waves. This river trip is
suitable for first time rafters and veteran river runners alike seeking a
relatively mild but gorgeous river.
 River
Difficulty Scale: Class I is flat water and Class VI is unrunnably difficult.
Class II has current with small waves and some obstacles.Class III rapids are
fun and thrilling, ideal for first-time and experienced rafters. Class IV
whitewater is great for experienced rafters and reasonable for fit first-timers
who have had some warm-up in class III. Class V is very difficult and for
experienced river rafters.
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Trip
Outline
Meeting Time: Our shuttle driver will meet you in Valdez at the
Valdez airport at 7:30 a.m. on the first day of your trip. We then drive to the
hamlet of Chitina and launch just south of town. Please be sure to eat
breakfast before the rendezvous. We may also be able to pick you up your hotel
in Valdez. Please contact our office for details.
Our Copper River
Expeditions begin in Valdez, Alaska. They are six days long and include rafting
nearly 100 miles through Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Chugach National
Forest. We spend each night camped along the river. The trip ends near the
charming coastal town of Cordova. From there, you'll fly to Anchorage or ferry
to Valdez or Whittier.
Daily
Itinerary:
Both Six and Seven Day Trips Are Available
Day One:
We meet you in Valdez at 7:30 a.m. From Valdez, we travel by
van approximately two hours to the town of Chitina, located on the western
fringe of Wrangell-St. Elias National Park. Here along the banks of the Copper
we transfer your trip gear from your luggage into the waterproof 'dry' bags we
provide. We also outfit you with a waterproof suit and rubber boots. After a
thorough orientation and safety presentation we head off down the river,
typically around 11:00 a.m. This and each subsequent night we camp along the
river.
Days Two-Five or Six
On these days
we float through the heart of Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and the Copper
river canyon. We float through calm stretches, take time to hike away from the
river, and run class II and III whitewater such as Abercrombie Rapid which we
typically encounter on day five. The days are filled with mesmerizing views and
enchanting experiences such as watching brown bear catch salmon in a side
stream and following a bald eagle as it soars above the mountain tops. We also
float by immense glaciers that can calve right into the river. When this
happens glacier waves rock the rafts from side to side and icebergs float
downstream as do we.
Because this trip takes place far up the latitude
ladder, daylight lasts until after midnight. This allows for extended times to
relax, fish, enjoy happy hour snacks and beverages, and savor the multi-course
dinners presented with nightly flair. Once dark, provided the weather is good,
stars blanket the sky and if all is right with the polar energy, northern
lights may dance along the horizon. Each night's camp offers views of towering
mountains, expansive glaciers, quiet side streams, and, of course views of the
mighty Copper River.
 Day Six or Seven:
On the final day we row across Miles Lake and where
we absorb the sights and sounds of Miles and Childs Glaciers as they calve huge
icebergs into the river. We reach take-out, hike to the Childs Glacier
observation point, and rendezvous with the shuttle van. After packing up we
participate in a trip toast and head for the friendly fishing town of Cordova.
En route we drive through the Copper River Delta which hosts a profusion of
shorebirds. After the one-hour van ride we arrive in Cordova and enjoy a
Dutch-treat celebration dinner at a local eatery. After dinner you head for
your hotel room or for the plane or ferry that will take you to your next
Alaska destination.
Copper River Expedition/Grand Alaska
Adventure Combination Trip
For those seeking a
greater immersion into the Alaska backcountry and a longer trip, we offer the
Copper River Expedition in conjunction with our Grand Alaska Adventure.
Beginning five days before the Copper river rafting trip, our Grand Alaska
Adventure features flightseeing, hiking on a glacier, visiting historic
McCarthy and Kennicott, and rafting on the Kennicott, Nizina, and Chitina
rivers as they flow towards the Copper. This Grand Alaska Adventure finishes in
Chitina, where we spend the night in cabins before launching on the Copper the
next day.
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Getting
to Valdez
By Air:
Several regularly scheduled commercial flights
fly from Anchorage each day. Please contact us for details or assistance with
your flight from Anchorage.
By Ferry: From Anchorage take the train and/or bus to Whittier.
There, you can board the Alaska Marine Highway Ferry and travel across Prince
William Sound to Valdez. The ferry makes this run several times a week.
By Car:
You
can access Valdez from the lower 48 and points in Alaska. Simply travel to the
southernmost portion of the Richardson Highway (Alaska Highway 4), and you will
find Valdez! You can ferry to Valdez at the end of your trip and drive away!
Pre and Post-Trip
Transportation
Destination Wilderness provides all transportation from
Valdez to Chitina at the beginning of the trip as well as transportation from
Cordova to Anchorage by plane or Cordova to Valdez or Whittier by ferry after
the trip. We can also help arrange any transportation you need between
Anchorage or Valdez.
Where To Stay
We recommend lodging in Valdez the night before your trip. The following
establishments are located in downtown Valdez, approximately 10 minutes from
the airport:
Aspen Hotel: 866-483-7848
Keystone Inn:
907-835-3851
Totem Inn: 907-835-4443
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 Natural History
Like our Grand Alaska
Adventure, the Copper River Expedition takes place in Wrangell-St. Elias
National Park. Flowing north to south along the western border of this
park–the largest in the United States–the Copper River is an
incredible wilderness river with a rich and colorful past.
The Copper
flows nearly 300 miles from its headwaters at the Copper Glacier on the north
flank of 16,233-foot Mount Wrangell to the glistening waters of Prince William
Sound in the Gulf of Alaska. Several rivers serve as tributaries to the Copper.
Each of these rivers, were they located in the lower 48, would be considered
major waterways. In fact, the Copper River drainage measures over 24,000 square
miles. The glaciers that melt to feed the tributaries result in the Copper
having an average flow of 61,000 cubic feet per second. By comparison, the
Colorado River through the Grand Canyon rarely peaks above 40,000 cubic feet
per second.
Impressive glaciers are found along the river. Glaciers in
the upper reaches of the river are the reason for the Copper’s color. The
cloudy green water on which we float contains glacial flour, an extremely fine
powder that was rock and hillside before being pulverized by advancing glaciers
and then held for centuries in the glacial ice. As the ice melts at the face of
the glaciers that feed the Copper the flour is suspended in the runoff and
remains so until the river stops when it meets the ocean. Along the lower
reaches of the river Miles and Childs glaciers come right down to the
Copper’s edge. Both actually calve into the river, leaving large waves and
icebergs as reminders of glacier’s power and beauty.
The wildlife
of the Copper River corridor is equally impressive. In the higher reaches of
the river Dall sheep, caribou and bison are found. Along the main course of the
river brown bear, black bear and moose may be spotted. Even seals have been
spotted as far as 80 miles up the Copper from its terminus in Prince William
Sound. Salmon (Chinook, Silver, and Sockeye) and Dolly Varden by the millions
find their way up river to spawn in the Copper’s many tributaries and side
creeks. Bald eagle, which feed on the salmon, are common throughout the canyon,
and nests are spotted from the river. In the lowest reaches of the canyon
Canadian Geese are common, as they nest by the thousands on the Copper river
delta. Vegetation includes birch, aspen, hemlock, willow, alder and spruce
trees, as well as a wealth of blueberry bushes and thorny devil’s club.
The human habitation and use of the Copper dates back nearly 8,000
years. Athabascan natives called the Copper and its delta home. They traveled
up river to the current site of Chitina, where our trips begin. White men first
discovered the Copper in the late 1700’s when Russian explorers were
unsuccessful in their efforts to find the source of the copper that the
Athabascans had been trading for centuries. However, Chief Nicolai, in
desperate need for food for his tribe following a particularly difficult
winter, revealed the source of the copper deposits to American geologists in
trade for food. Following that exchange white men began to fully explore the
Copper River. The Copper became a focus of development as a route to deliver
the copper from Kennicott Mine in the interior to the port in Cordova. In 1911
a rail line was completed from Cordova, crossing the mighty Copper on the
“Million Dollar Bridge” built just upstream from Child’s
Glacier. For several miles the railroad line followed the Copper River, before
heading east at Chitina towards the Kennicott Mine. Following the collapse of
the copper market and the subsequent closing of the Kennicott the railroad
track was dismantled. A portion of the Million Dollar Bridge collapsed during
the great earthquake of 1964, virtually ending all speculation for a road into
the Alaskan interior along the Copper River canyon.
Today the Copper
still serves as an important resource for natives of this region. Salmon runs
up the river help sustain natives who depend on the fish as their main food
source. In addition, the river serves as a valuable recreation resource. River
runners and backpackers now explore the entire stretch of the Copper. Above all
else, the river continues to run as it has for thousands of years. Glaciers
continue to calve into the river, waterfalls still cascade down ageless canyon
walls, and wildlife remains undisturbed along the shores. We invite you to
visit the mighty Copper to experience the majesty and feel the history of this
great river.
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 Additional
Information
Experience Required
The Copper River Expedition is a
true wilderness river journey and is an ideal trip for those seeking an
extended journey through the heart of Alaskan backcountry. First time
adventurers are welcome and our minimum age is 10. While not strenuous or
filled with difficult whitewater we do travel through pure wilderness.
Participants should be prepared for changes in weather and other possible
experiences associated with wilderness travel. Your guides will gladly help
with any aspect of our trip that is new for you, whether that means setting up
a new tent or learning to paddle.
Participant Fitness And
Activity Levels
Destination Wilderness trips are created with active,
curious, go-with-the-flow, and nature-loving adventurers in mind. Our Copper
River Expedition is designed for those with a zest for remote wilderness,
moderate adventures and active participation. While you should be fit and in
good health for this trip, you need not be a honed athlete. Participants on
this trip should be fit, able to swim, and may need to play a part in
self-rescue should you fall out of the raft.
Weather
Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and the Copper River are located in
southcentral Alaska. Southcentral Alaska is subject to both coastal and
interior weather patterns. Typically, July and August are the warmest and among
the driest months. Weather in the Copper River corridor is very changeable.
Sun, rain, wind, fog, and more are common. Often, days are filled with sun and
temperatures range from the 40's to the mid 80's, but cold rain and wind are
equally possible. Nights are cooler with lows typically in the 40's and 50's.
Equipment
Destination Wilderness provides lifejackets, waterproof river suits,
rubber boots, waterproof 'dry' bags, camp chairs and eating utensils, all the
specialized river gear you need. A complete list of what you should bring will
be included in your confirmation packet. Sleeping pads and tents can be rented
from us (but not sleeping bags that you should provide). Be sure to let us know
in advance if you need any rental gear. Each person will have one waterproof
("dry") bag (about the size of a large Hefty trash bag) in which clothing,
toiletries, sleeping bag, and other personal items will be kept. In addition,
we have available additional dry bags for tents and sleeping pads, and special
day bags and boxes for cameras, binoculars, etc. Do keep in mind that, although
slight, there is always a chance that any of your gear could get wet. Please
note that we are unable to provide sleeping bags.
Camps
We camp
along the river in pristine wilderness, usually on a sandy beach. In the case
of rain, tarps are set up over communal eating and sitting areas. We proudly
practice minimum-impact camping and carry out all trash. We carry a portable
metal box chemical toilet (similar to motorhome toilets) that is set up each
evening in a private and scenic spot away from the heart of the camping area. A
system that will be explained by your guides allows for all campers to know
when the toilet is in use.
 Wildlife and Wild Plants
Wildlife is abundant
in the Alaskan wilderness and, among other animals, we may encounter bear,
sheep, and moose. It is important to follow your guides instruction to prevent
or reduce the likelihood of unwelcome wild animal encounters and to understand
what to do in the case of an encounter. Also, while they are generally not a
major problem on this trip, those sensitive to mosquitoes may want to bring
along a mosquito net hat. There are also, in places, thorny bushes (known as
Devil's Club) or others that can cause skin rashes. Please listen closely to
your guides' instructions on how to recognize these plants and what to do if
you touch them.
Fishing
Alaska requires you to have a fishing license if
you intend to fish during your visit. Your guide can help you obtain a license
at the rendezvous. The fishing can be quite good, with large Alaska salmon
often caught (and then eaten!).
Meals and Beverages
We serve gourmet meals prepared with fresh ingredients. We also provide a
variety of beverages with every meal and each afternoon we set up happy hour
snacks and beverages. Please let us know if you have special dietary needs or
wants!
Charter
Trips
We are able and happy to offer special private charter trips for
groups. For groups of six or more we may be able to run trips on dates other
than those listed in this packet. Please contact our office for details.
Gratuities
It is common to tip wilderness guides on adventure trips. It is not expected,
but always appreciated. If you are happy with your trip please let us and your
guide(s) know. Thanks!
Itinerary Changes
While we do everything possible to follow the itineraries in this packet
we may be forced to adjust trips due to reasons beyond our control. Therefore,
these itineraries are subject to change.
References
Many
of our past trip members have offered to speak with folks who are considering
our trips. We know we could blow our own horn until we are blue in the face
about the great time we feel you would have on our trips. So, we invite you to
contact us for a list of clients who have participated on Destination
Wilderness trips and we'll let them do the talking!
Destination
Wilderness/Copper Oar Guides
The pride of our outfit, our guides bring
a wealth of talent and experience to each trip we offer. Copper Oar guides have
years and years of experience leading trips in the U.S. and abroad. Each is
licensed in first-aid and CPR. Furthermore, they create an environment that
fosters camaraderie and positive experiences. Simply put, they care about what
it is that YOU want from YOUR TRIP and do everything possible to make that
happen! We are confident that you will find your guides to be one of the
highlights of the adventure.
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Copper River
Rafting Expedition Additional Information
