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Glaciers to Plains: An Arctic Cross-Section, Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska Highlights:
Includes:
Trip Number: 09017A Price: $4495 Deposit: $200 Capacity: 4 Leader:
The Trip Unfortunately, this trip has been cancelled. If you have questions, please contact us. Photo: Drew McCalley This trip offers an unparalleled opportunity to explore all of the faces of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, from its glacier-ringed valleys to its threatened coastal plain. The Arctic Refuge is one of the largest and most unspoiled wildlife ecosystems in North America. Unfortunately, it has also attracted the attention of politicians and oil developers, who have for years sustained a continuous effort to open up the biological heart of the Refuge, its coastal plain, to oil exploration and large-scale industrial development. We will backpack the trail-free tundra and riverbanks of the Okpilak River valley, a remote valley surrounded on three sides by some of the highest peaks and largest glaciers of the Brooks Range. We will penetrate as far up-valley (south) as practical, day hike up its side canyons, and look for its natural hot spring. We will then turn north and backpack out onto the coastal plain into the “1002 Area”, the part of the Refuge that remains vulnerable to development. While wildlife sightings are difficult to predict, we will be in country frequented by caribou, grizzlies, wolves, foxes, muskoxen, and many species of birds. The tundra will be carpeted with millions of wildflowers in this summer solstice season in the arctic.
 Photo: Drew McCalley Day 1: Fly from Fairbanks to Arctic Village (on the southern edge of the Arctic Refuge) by commercial air service – a 225-mile flight over the White Mountains and the vast Yukon River valley. Meet our bush pilot in Arctic Village, who will fly us three at a time the remaining 100 miles over the Brooks Range to a tundra landing site in the northern foothills of the Okpilak River valley. Note: Variable conditions at bush landing sites may dictate a different starting point for our hike, either farther down the Okpilak River or on the nearby Jago River. Days 2-4: Backpack up to 15 miles along the Okpilak River valley into the mountains, moving camp daily, camping where conditions permit, and exploring our surroundings. Elevations will be low – our highest campsite will be at about 3,500 feet. Days 5-6: Return to our starting point.  Photo: Drew McCalley Days 7-9: Emerge from the mountains onto the coastal plain. Backpack up to 15 miles north onto the plain, again moving camp daily, exploring the countryside as it opens up, and hiking into the threatened “1002 Area”. Day 10: Hike to the pickup site pre-arranged with the bush pilot. Depending on conditions, this will be along either the Okpilak or Jago Rivers on the coastal plain. Day 11: Fly out to Arctic Village with our bush pilot, and then return to Fairbanks via commercial air service. Note that weather conditions could delay our return to Fairbanks by a day or more.  Photo: Drew McCalley Getting There The trip starts and ends in Fairbanks. Participants will provide their own transportation to and from Fairbanks before and after the trip. Lodging and meals in Fairbanks will also be the responsibility of participants. The leader will be renting a vehicle in Fairbanks and will make every effort to assist participants while in town, but participants may need or want to provide their own transportation as well. Participants are strongly encouraged to book their flights to provide at least one full day in Fairbanks both before and after the trip. This will mitigate any difficulties with luggage delays at the front end or with weather delays at the back end. There will be a pre-trip meeting in Fairbanks on the evening before departure.
Pre-trip and post-trip accommodations in Fairbanks are not included in the trip. However, the leader will provide information on lodging options in pre-trip communications. Fairbanks has a number of pleasant and reasonably-priced bed-and-breakfast inns as well as traditional hotels. All meals will be provided, from the time we leave Fairbanks until we return. Meals will be traditional backpacking fare, although we will rely as little as possible on pre-packaged freeze-dried meals. Accommodation can easily be made for vegetarian diets. Vegan, low-carb, or other more specialized diets would be more difficult to accommodate. Consult with the leader on dietary requirements. All participants will share in food preparation and other kitchen tasks.
This trip is rated Moderate. Total backpacking mileage will be 45-50 miles. Our typical backpacking day will be 5-7 miles, with very little elevation gain. However, the entire trip is in trail-free terrain, and the footing will at times be quite difficult and the hiking slow. Tundra can be very lumpy and/or wet. While we will avoid major stream crossings, we will be splashing across countless small streams and marshy ground. Expect your hiking boots to be wet for the entire trip. While mosquitos are typically less prevalent in June on the north slope, conditions can cause them to come out in great numbers earlier than usual. Weather can also be a challenge; strong cold winds off the Arctic Ocean are common, and rain (or even snow) can occur at any time. Participants must have prior backpacking experience and be in good health and physical condition.
Standard three-season backpacking gear is required for the trip, but no specialized technical gear will be necessary. Participants should be familiar with their equipment and adept at using it in field conditions. For instance, participants should be prepared to pitch their tents in the wind and rain. The leader will provide a detailed equipment list in pre-trip communications.
Maps The area of this trip is on the boundary between the Demarcation Point and Mt. Michelson maps in the USGS 1:250000 series. More detailed coverage can be found on the Demarcation Point A-5, B-5, and C-5 maps and the Mt. Michelson A-1 and B-1 maps, in the USGS 1:63360 series. For an excellent map of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, showing the boundaries of the 1002 Area, see the Conservation GIS Center website at: http://www.conservationgiscenter.org/maps/html/arctic_bound.html. The headwaters of the Okpilak River are just to the left of the “A” in “Arctic Wilderness” on this map. Books
Conservation When the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge was expanded in 1980, a large portion of it was given official wilderness designation. However, in a political compromise deemed necessary at the time, Section 1002 of the legislation excluded a portion of the refuge's coastal plain from wilderness designation so it could be evaluated for possible future oil development. This area, commonly referred to as the "1002 Area" (pronounced ten-oh-two), covers most of the coastal plain from the western boundary of the refuge, at the Canning River, to the Aichilik River, about 100 miles east. As it happens, this area -- especially the eastern portion between the Aichilik and Hulahula Rivers -- is also the critically important calving grounds for the great Porcupine caribou herd. Numbering about 120,000, the herd migrates several hundred miles each spring to raise its calves in the ideal summer habitat of the refuge's coastal plain, making this area quite literally the biological heart of the entire refuge -- even though it is "only 8 percent" of the refuge, as the oil lobby constantly (and irrelevantly) repeats. We will visit the area around the Okpilak River, immediately south of the heart of the 1002 Area. During the second half of our trip, we will hike north into the 1002 Area. Based on the behavior of the caribou herd over the last 20 years, this area has a reasonably good probability for sightings of large groups of caribou in June. (Of course, animal behavior is unpredictable, so large-scale sightings on this trip are a possibility, not a guarantee). Other animals commonly seen in this area are grizzly bears, musk oxen, wolves, and, less commonly, wolverines and moose. In addition, the refuge is the summer habitat for an immense number of migrating birds. Travel in Alaska and the Arctic Sierra Club outings in Alaska are special experiences in true wilderness, but they also carry an element of risk. Trip locales are often remote, away from the amenities of civilization, including sophisticated medical care and immediate evacuation possibilities. Many of our Alaska trips now carry satellite phones, but even with this technology, communication with the outside world can be difficult and emergency assistance can be days away. Weather in Alaska is unpredictable, and inclement weather can be severe. Among other hazards are cold river and stream crossings, tidal activity, calving glaciers, the psychological effects of remoteness, and the presence of large wild animals. You’re in good hands, though, so don't worry: Your trip leaders have vast experience in the Last Frontier, and they’ll provide all the guidance you need.
See the How to Apply for an Outing section for more details on registering for this trip and details about our Reservation and Cancellation Policy. The payment of a deposit does not confirm you as a member on the trip. Participants must be approved by the trip leader. After signing up for this trip, you will be sent a confirmation packet containing approval materials (Participant Approval Questionnaire, Medical Form, Liability Release Form). Each applicant (including those on the waitlist) must fill out these forms and promptly mail them to the trip leader. The leader will review the approval materials and notify you of your acceptance in a timely manner.
 Photo: Drew McCalley Drew McCalley has been backpacking throughout the American West for 40 years. He has done twelve backpack trips in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, seven of them as a leader for the Sierra Club National Outings Program. He is especially interested in wildflowers and wildlife sightings in his wilderness adventures, and is known among his friends for his savory backcountry meals. He can be reached at drewmccall@aol.com.  Karen Kopper is an ecologist by profession and a naturalist by instinct. She has fifteen years of experience performing forest and fire research in the backcountry; the past eleven of which she has spent leading these endeavors in the North Cascades. She never tires of exploring the wilderness. Between her weeks of fieldwork it is not uncommon to find her out backpacking for the love of it. General Notes About Sierra Club Trips
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