Paddling the Tatshenshini-Alsek

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‘The Alsek/ Tatshenshini’

To experience Jack London's Call of the Wild in the world of whitewater, head north, like he did, to Alaska and British Columbia's Alsek/Tatshenshini watershed. Here you'll encounter everything from bears and fresh Alaskan blueberries to spawning King salmon and giant standing waves. Of course, one of the most unique things about the Class III 180-mile journey down the Alsek or 130-mile jaunt down the Tatshenshini are the icebergs that accompany you all the way to the Pacific Ocean. You can even break off some of their glacial ice for your drinks as you listen at camp, under the lights of the aurora borealis, for the call of the wild. Alaska Discovery (Alsek/Tatshenshini), (907) 780-6226

4 / 5 Review by expert member Eugene Buchanan

‘The Alsek is Incredible’

This is a downright spectacular journey. Most people take 14 days to do this trip and they aren't doing it for the rapids. The best part of this trip is paddling through the big lakes with enourmous glaciers entering the river. You'll love the Alsek if you like truly remote places and solitude.

This is Grizzly country. If bears scare you, don't even think about this trip. You'll be constantly taking precautions to protect the camp and each other from bears and you'll be aware of them while you're hiking around.

One of the coolest part of this trip is that you start in the Yukon province of Canada, travel through a sliver of British Columbia, and then travel through a sliver of Southern Alaska to the Pacific Ocean. From take-out you'll have to fly a small airplane from a dirt airstrip to get to a larger town so you can come home.

5 / 5 Review by expert member Zach Collier