“HEY BEAR!!!” we hollered, lifting our boats to look bigger and banging pots together. The bear stopped. We sighed with relief. Then he stood on his hind legs for a better view, revealing his true, monstrous size. I swallowed hard. He dropped down and continued inching towards us, now less than 50 feet away.
Protected by a cluster of national parks that make up one of the largest UNESCO World Heritage Sites on Earth, the Alsek River is home to one of the highest densities of grizzly bears anywhere. And the scenery is second to none.
From its source on the eastern part of Kluane National Park, the Alsek flows west and south, straight through the heart of the St. Elias Mountains, draining the largest non-polar ice fields and flowing through some of the biggest mountains—measured in relief and size of the massif—in the world.
A fast flowing glacial river, the Alsek’s class IV whitewater is interrupted by a six-mile chasm where the massive Tweedsmuir Glacier pushed bedrock into Blackadar Mountain resulting in the frothing and pulsing class V+ Turnback Canyon—first descended in 1971 in a daring high water solo by iconic paddler Walt Blackadar.
In his memoires of the trip Blackadar writes that Turnback should never be attempted again. Subsequent descents have taken place at much lower water but most parties opt to helicopter around it.
Labyrinths of icebergs and rugged, barren canyons appear to be of another planet altogether.
Locked in a staring match with the griz that was lasting far too long, we were all too aware of our remoteness.
Apparently deciding we weren’t worth the trouble, the bear finally dropped down, turned around and lumbered across the Alsek’s otherworldly terrain. We decided we didn’t need coffee with our breakfast that morning.
If you’re curious…
Take a guided raft trip on the Upper Alsek or on the Tatshenshini, a tributary that joins the Alsek 40 kilometers below Turnback Canyon (www.nahanni.com).
If you’re serious…
For self-supported kayak trips, you need a permit for Wrangell-St. Elias Park (search “Alsek Permit,” at www.nps.gov). Then get permits for Kluane National Park and B.C.’s Tatshenshini-Alsek Provincial Park.
The river crosses an international boarder—you have to go through customs beforehand. From the take-out at Dry Bay, the only way back to civilization is by plane (www.flydrake.com).
What To Bring
- Bear spray. There are a lot of big, hungry grizzlies on the Alsek!
- A good tent. Weather can be extremely harsh; be prepared for multi-day rain and snow.
- Whisky and hot chocolate. See above re: extremely harsh weather.
- Map of the Alsek and Tatshenshini Rivers. Hand-drawn to scale maps by Cloudburst Productions.
- Never Turn Back by Walt Blackadar. The best book to read on this trip.
This article first appeared in the Early Summer 2015 issue of Rapid Magazine.
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