Noatak River, Alaska (1999)
Dear Alv, Linda, and crew –
We had a wonderful trip on the Noatak river last July. Our Pakboat was a great hit! In fact, our boat was the most photographed in the group.
Our trip started in Bettles, Alaska; a spectacular bush plane ride over the Brooks Range brought us to a plateau where the headwaters of the river are located. It was quite warm – temps in the 70’s – and sunny. Snowcapped mountains and beautiful valleys allowed many options for excellent hiking.
As we left the mountains behind, the landscape flattened and we encountered our first section of class II rapids. The weather turned cold and rainy, but our spirits remained high as we continued to paddle down this “World Heritage River”. We explored several archaeological sites along the way, observed a herd of caribou, muskoxen, and a grizzly with her cub. On the last section of the river, the scenery changed to high cliffs as we passed through the area called the Grand Canyon of the Noatak.
We camped in this area for 3 days exploring and hiking the tundra. Our trip ended in the village of Noatak, where all the children gave us an overwhelming welcome. The Pakboat performed admirably; we could not have been more pleased with the way it handled and responded to the various river conditions.
Thanks for everything,
Irene Leavitt and Joan Zardus
