THIS ITINERARY IS FOR A 7 DAY TRIP:

Day 0:
Make sure you arrive in Whitehorse no later than late afternoon. We’ll arrange an evening meeting at a pre-specified location in Whitehorse to meet each other , discuss the trip, and go over gear and any last minute questions. The following itinerary is based on a 7 day long trip. If the trip is planned for 5 or 6 days instead the pace down the river is quickened or/and the time at Lowell Lake is shortened to a 2-night camp within easy walking distance of the trail up Goatherd mountain .

Day 1:
Our tour will begin at 7:30 am. After being picked up at your accommodations, we will depart for Haines Junction, 160 kms (110 mi) to the west along the fabled Alaska Highway. Haines Junction is the gateway into Kluane National Park and the put in location for our river trip. A visit to the Park Interpretive Centre will provide us with an excellent introduction to the unique natural and cultural history of this area. Our put in site is near the community, on the Dezadeash River, a slow flowing river which meanders across the plains at the edge of the Front Range. We plan to spend our first night a couple of hours downriver just inside the Park boundary.

Days 2 – 6:
On Day 2 we will reach or pass the confluence of the Dezadeash and Kaskawalsh Rivers. The river, now called Alsek, noticably picks up in speed and size. Along its shores we’ll visit an old lava flow, see an ancient volcano and scan the mountain sides and shorelines for wildlife. We can expect to see Dall’s sheep, grizzly and black bears, and/or moose during our passage down river. We plan to reach Goatherd Mountain by the third or fourth evening and camp on the shores of ice-studded Lowell Lake. A perfect vantage point for observing the ever-changing face of the Lowell Glacier across the lake, and to listen to the thunder of calving ice. Behind us Goatherd rises dramatically, and we can scan for mountain goats scrambling along precipitous rocky ledges with their sure-footed gait.

We’ll have 2 to 3 days to explore the area around the lake, ample time to marvel at the textures and patterns of rocks and ice. We’ll have a chance to hike up Goatherd Mountain, and luxuriate in her verdant tundra and wildflower-dotted slopes. From here we have an amazing view of turquoise-hued and bizarrely-shaped icebergs floating on Lowell Lake. And panoramic vistas lead our eyes up the long snaking course of the Lowell Glacier. On the afternoon of Day 5, we plan to raft through the ‘bergs to our final camp at the far end of the lake. From here we can wander the shores of the Alsek as it empties out of Lowell Lake on its its route to the Gulf of Alaska.

Day 7:
After a leisurely morning on the final day, we will be picked up by helicopter. It will take several loads to return us all back to Haines Junction. This spectacular half hour flight gives us an aerial view of the toe of the Lowell glacier and the tundra clad and snow capped peaks lining the Alsek valley. We intend to be back in Whitehorse by dinner time.

FOR 5 DAY TRIP: 1st night on Dezadeash River, 1 night on Alsek River and 2 nights at Lowell Lake)

WHAT’S INCLUDED

• All transportation from Whitehorse and return (including helicopter flight out of the river)
• the services of one or two fully qualified guides (depending on group numbers)
• all river gear, including lifejackets and safety equipment
• all group equipment including tents (if needed), cooking gear, first aid supplies and satellite phone (for emergency and logistical communications)
• all meals from lunch Day 1 to lunch on the final day

WHAT’S NOT INCLUDED

• transportation to and from your home and Whitehorse
• personal belongings and equipment as per equipment list
• any accommodation or meals in Whitehorse