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11
days/10 nights
August 10-20
$4150 per person
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OKOKMILAGA RIVER EXPLORATORY
Western Brooks Range/ Gates of the Arctic
The Okokmilaga River originates high in the peaks of the
western Brooks Range just north of the Arctic’s continental
divide on the north edge of Gates of the Arctic National
Park. This small and very remote wild river runs north out
of the Brooks Range to join the Killik River just before its
confluence with the massive Colville River. The open treeless
glacial valleys of the Okokmilaga and Killik Rivers serve as
migration corridors for the nearly 500,000 strong Western
Arctic Caribou herd and the smaller Central Herd just as they
did for the early hunters and traders of the Western rooks
Range, the Inuits and Athapaskans and more recently the
inland Eskimos, the Nunamuit people. And though scattered
evidence remains of the presence of early man it is the caribou
that define this vast wilderness and signs of their sheer numbers
are written in the crisscrossing trails that cover the open slopes
and high passes and the antlers that dot the tundra. This is the
land of the caribou and a hauntingly primordial wilderness as
far from the hustle and bustle of civilization as you can get.
Wolves, grizzlies, wolverine, fox and other mammals reside
here as well as a myriad of water fowl and birds of prey.

We’ll fly from Fairbanks via small plane to the small
outpost of Coldfoot where we will board our bush plane for
our flights to the upper Okokmilaga River. The drainage is
small and intimate and we will make our way down river in
small paddle rafts. We’ll spend
several days laying
over incamps
along the way to
take advantage of
the superb hiking.
Few people venture
into this far and
remote corner of
the Brooks Range
and we will be
discovering this
valley together,
making this a true
Alaska river rafting exploratory.
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