The Alaska River Guide: Canoeing, Kayaking, and Rafting in the Last Frontier » (Third Edition)

Karen Jettmar is a river guide, freelance writer, and photographer whose work has been published in magazines that include "National Geographic," "Sports Illustrated," and "Time,"

The rich tapestry of Alaska is threaded together by 365,000 miles of waterways, from cascading mountain streams to meandering valley rivers, from the meltwaters of glaciers to broad rivers that empty into the sea. This guide profiles a wide variety of rivers from all over Alaska, concentrating on trips for intermediate boaters, and including a few major expeditions for the experienced river-runner. A section on gear outlines what to take into the backcountry.

Acknowledgments     viii
A Legacy of Wild Rivers     2
The Special Challenges of Alaska     5
Whitewater Classification     8
Topographic Maps     10
Choosing the Right Boat     12
Gearing Up     16
Clothing     16
Life Jackets     18
Dry Suits and Wet Suits     18
Basic Gear for Expedition River Trips     19
Safety     24
Solo Travel     25
Cold Water     26
Aufeis and Calving Glaciers     26
Weather     26
Hypothermia     27
River Flow     27
River Conditions     28
Giardiasis     29
Alaska's Bugs     30
Filing a Float Plan     30
Traveling with Children     32
Respecting the Land and Its Inhabitants     35
Group Size     35
Bears and Other Wild Animals     35
Dogs     38
Human Waste     38
Campsites     39
Fires     39
Garbage and Cleanup     40
Hunting and Fishing     40
Wilderness Uses     41
Cultural and Natural Resources     41
Private Property     42
Native Village Life     42
Keeping Alaska's Rivers Flowing Free     44
Alaska's Rivers     43
Arctic Slope     48
Colville River     50
Ivishak River     53
Killik River     56
Northwest Alaska     58
Ambler River     60
Aniuk River     62
Kobuk River     64
Koyuk River     68
Noatak River     71
Selawik River     75
Squirrel River     77
Unalakleet River     80
Yukon Region     84
Alatna River     86
Anvik River     90
Beaver Creek     92
Birch Creek     95
Black River     97
Charley River and Yukon River     100
Chatanika River     103
Chena River     105
Delta Clearwater River     108
Delta River     111
Fortymile River     114
John River     118
Middle Fork Koyukuk River     120
North Fork Koyukuk River      122
Melozitna River     124
Nenana River     126
Nowitna River     130
Porcupine River     132
Sheenjek River     135
Tinayguk River     138
Wild River     140
Southwest Alaska     142
Alagnak River and Nonvianuk River     144
American Creek     147
Andreafsky River and East Fork Andreafsky River     149
Aniakchak River     151
Chilikadrotna River     154
Copper River (Iliamna Lake)     157
Goodnews River     159
Holitna River     161
Kanektok River     163
Kantishna River and Moose Creek     165
Kisaralik River     167
Kuskokwim River     170
South Fork Kuskokwim River     172
Mulchatna River     174
Newhalen River     177
Nushagak River     179
Nuyakuk River     181
Savonoski River     183
Stony River     187
Tlikakila River     189
Togiak River     191
Wood River Lakes System     193
Southcentral Alaska     196
Alexander Creek      198
Bremner River     200
Campbell Creek     203
Chitina River     206
Chulitna River     209
Copper River (Wrangell Mountains)     213
Eagle River     217
Gulkana River, Main Fork, Middle Fork, and West Fork     220
Kenai River     225
Kennicott River and Nizina River     229
Knik River     232
Kroto Creek, Moose Creek, and Deshka River     234
Lake Creek     237
Little Nelchina River, Nelchina River, and Tazlina River     239
Little Susitna River     241
Matanuska River     244
Nabesna River     247
Portage Creek     249
Upper Susitna River     251
Lower Susitna River     254
Swanson River Canoe System     256
Talachulitna Creek and Talachulitna River     259
Talkeetna River     262
Tokositna River     265
Tyone River     267
Willow Creek and Little Willow Creek     269
Southeast Alaska     272
Chilkat River     274
Mendenhall River     276
Situk River     278
Stikine      280
Tatshenshini-Alsek River     284
Glossary     290
Rivers Grouped   Level of Difficulty     293
National Wild and Scenic Rivers and State Recreation Rivers     295
Land Managers     297
Town Services     301
Conservation Groups     305
Related Reading     292
Index     295