WHO THIS IS FOR:

Female packraft enthusiasts looking to take their paddling & wilderness skills to the next level in a safe, supportive & FUN “all ladies” learning environment.   This is ideal for women seeking to connect with like-minded adventure lovers & make new friends/trip partners while gaining the knowledge necessary to comfortably take on, create & execute their own remote backcountry packraft river trips.

LEAD INSTRUCTOR: Jule Harle ( + second instructor if more than 4 participants)

EXPEDITION SNAPSHOT:

The learning objectives of expedition courses are to develop skills necessary to be your own wilderness packraft guide. You will be involved with the “big picture” planning & preparation process from start to finish- APS instructors share what goes through their heads & how they plan for personal & professional expeditions.  We'll get you in the “mind of a guide,” gaining more tools, insight & training with Jule’s almost 20 years of experience getting others ready for & executing Alaskan backcountry packraft trips.

Having previously established foundational packrafting skills, you will meet other team members to get on the water for a one day on-water safety refresh & skill refinement .  This prep day is an essential ingredient for the success of the trip.  Not only can Jule help strengthen & enhance your personal boat control & paddling skills - we'll practice & review important river safety & self/group rescue scenarios before flying into a remote wilderness setting with limited resources.

We’ll also review & re-assess your personal gear & our group gear before the following day's flight into the Alaska Range. All participants will be self-supported: carrying food, camping equipment and  shared group items. This allows you to become familiar with & develop confidence in your personal gear while refining “systems” you’ll use on future packraft trips.

RIVER CHARACTER & DIFFICULTY: Class II/III-

The Nizina is a great trip for beginning to intermediate packrafters, with an excellent & gradual progression in difficulty. Beginning at the toe of the mighty Nizina Glacier we’ll paddle among massive icebergs for a few hours, this lake is a destination in & of itself! Not to mention, our lake paddle provides another great opportunity to get comfortable, refining paddle skills & river safety- when we’re ready, we hit the river with confidence & STOKE!

Our river journey begins once we leave the lake- a sharp turn morphs glacial stillness into continuous class II+ boogie, expect ear to ear grins & manageable adrenaline for your warm up!  The character changes after 1 mile, as we float down the relatively mild waters of Nizina River & navigate numerous glacial braids.   The whitewater difficulty lessons, just in time to “take it all in,” as this river valley is iconic, a glacier conveyor belt through geologic history &  simply stunning landscape- see waterfalls over 200-300’ tall, glaciers winding infinite valleys into the nearby mountains, and the magnificent Mile High Cliffs, massive limestone bluffs that rise from the valley floor over 5000 vertical feet above. Possible wildlife sightings include black bear, grizzly bear, porcupine, moose, mountain goats and Dall sheep, foxes and more.

The most technical part of our journey is below the historic “Bridge to Nowhere” Downstream of the bridge, the river gradually narrows and speeds up as Canyon rock walls come into view.  The Upper canyon never truly “walls in” but more or less turns into a single channel with bigger & more defined waves & holes that one can either paddle or completely avoid altogether.  It’s obvious where the canyon begins, as the river makes a sharp right turn & rock walls become evident.  The biggest features are about ½ mile downstream of Fivemile Gulch, but it’s still “hit or miss” whitewater features.  At times, the river pushes against walls, creating “funny water” like boil lines or colliding currents, but all are manageable for small boats. There’s more class III- features when the Kennicott comes in on the right, as the canyon opens up.

We end our packrafting journey at this scenic confluence, most likely camping here before packing up our rafting gear into our backpacks & hiking upstream 2 hours back to McCarthy- full circle!!

TRIP PREPARATION:

An integral part of learning how to plan for personal expeditions involves creating a route plan or trip itinerary.  We will discuss & plan our exact route and daily mileage together during a pre-trip virtual meeting

• 2 hr virtual meeting: June, date/time TBA
• Read about Nizina River: pgs 299-305 in Alaska Packraft Guidebook or refer to Alaska River Forums: https://alaskapackraft.com/forums/topic/upper-nizina-canyon-may-31-2021/

EXPEDITION ITINERARY

Day 0: Arrive in McCarthy, AK.  Camp at Kennicott River footbridge

DAY 1: Trip Prep & River Skills/Safety Refresher

• Location: Kennicott River or McCarthy Creek (water level depending)

DAY 2: Fly into backcountry & explore Nizina Lake; camp at lake or nearby downstream.

DAY 3: Begin Nizina River: camping upstream of canyon (numerous camping options)

DAY 4: Paddle Upper Nizina Canyon, hike 4 miles up Kennicott River to McCarthy, AK.

TOTAL EXPEDITION RIVER DISTANCE: 30 miles (over 3 days)

TOTAL EXPEDITION HIKING DISTANCE: 4-5 miles (on last day, hike up Kennicott River back to McCarthy)

NIZINA RIVER TRAVEL COURSE PREREQUISITES

1. A desire to learn and adventure with a team of capable female river enthusiasts.
2. Physically capable of course itinerary & paddling 4-6 hrs each day.
3. Ladies who do not want a “guided” trip, but want to be an active participant in the planning process and success of the group.
4. Team members must be emotionally & physically fit; have ability & willingness to adjust to changes inevitable in wilderness environments & what “The Alaska Factor” may throw at us.
5. Proficient swimmer.
6. Minimum 18 yrs old.  Ages 15-17 possible if accompanied by guardian.  Please contact APS.
7. Having taken a packrafting clinic or course prior & experience on class III moving water.  ACA packraft paddling clinic (2-day), or equivalent training or significant previous kayaking or packrafting experience may also qualify. Qualification/acceptance remains at the discretion of APS.
8. Familiarity with your own personal packraft, river gear & camping equipment; you should be willing to acquire the gear needed for this expedition and to plan and prepare with other team members.  Review the gear list for more info on what’s essential for this trip.  River related rental items are available, please contact the school.

PAYMENT POLICY & PROCEDURE

A $500 non-refundable deposit via credit card is required to secure your space.  The remaining $700 balance, will need to be received through Nuvision Federal Credit Union bank transfer, cashiers or personal check.  Paying the remaining $700 by credit card is an option, but with an additional 3% fee.

CANCELLATION POLICY: A cancellation fee will be charged in the event that you need to cancel your trip for any reason. It is strongly advised that you consider purchasing travel insurance which, in most cases, will recover costs or fees due to cancellation – please inquire with your insurance provider.

CANCELLATION FEES: Note the cancellation policies for expedition trips are different from course cancellations listed in the Terms & Agreements online.

• All monies will be returned (less the non-refundable $500 deposit) if you cancel by June 1st. If you cancel after June 1st, no refund will be issued of any funds collected – Travel insurance is highly recommended.  We understand the financial commitment, however due to backcountry flight costs that APS pays in advance to reserve your space & logistics/planning involved with participant to instructor ratios for a safe expedition execution, we actually lose money in the event you cancel.  However, exceptions can be made on a case by case basis in the event we are able to fill your spot with another qualified participant.
• APS will not issue future credit for amounts paid if participants cannot attend.
• We understand "life happens" & unfortunate/unplanned circumstances come up.  We will work with you the best we can, but travel insurance is recommended for this reason.

Womens River Travel Expedition: Nizina River PDF