Chullitna River Raft

A few weekends ago we set out on an awesome adventure to float the Chulitna River from the bridge over the East Fork, to Talkeetna. This swift water river runs through a whole variety of land scapes from tight deep canyons to spread out braided valleys. Where we put in the East Fork is a narrow, clear, rocky and shallow river. It wasn't long before we joined some other forks and rivers. The Chulitna becomes much bigger, silty and has many fun obstacles to navigate. It provided us with many learning opportunities, and the perfect platform for a stellar trip!

We did some lessons on how to row in the oar frame.

We learned about local flora and Fauna.

Ate some really great food!

And so much more!!

After four days on the river you realize what great experiences you've had. We saw a black bear from a distance, a number or eagles, some huge salmon swimming up river, and the most well organized beaver dam I have ever seen. From camp we had glimpses of the huge mountains around us including Mt. McKinley. Best of all we did all of this with an exceptional group of people with a great sense of humor, a creative mind for riddles, with some fun stories to tell, and an amazing eye for birds and bugs.

At the end of the trip, when we took out in Talkeetna, the group spent some time wondering around the down town area, and enjoyed some awesome pizza before the long drive back to Fairbanks.

This was a great trip with an awesome group! I look forward to running this river again for Wilderness Welcome because every time we do a river trip we have fun and make new friends.


Lily Grbavach