U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service DescriptionThis is the only major river whose entire course is within the refuge's designated wilderness. Beginning high in the eastern Brooks Range, the Kongakut flows east and then north through rugged mountains to the coastal plain and the Beaufort Sea. Clear water, scenery, wildlife, fishing and access combine to make the Kongakut the most floated river on the Refuge. At average flow rates, its waters are generally class I and II, but there are stretches of class III.
Loading the plane in Coldfoot, Alaska
Lisa on the oars
Becky & Dan
Dan on the oars
Put in site
Camp 1 - we're still pretty dry!
Final Camp!
4 Aug 2002 (Sunday): Wake up, no bugs(relief!). Arrive Coyote Air. Left at 11:30 when we took off. Thought Dan's GPS was cool. Plane was a beaver (not made anymore). dozed during flight (!). Put raft together in sunshine, started down Kongakut in overcast. No rain. 3 mi continue dragging. Before we left there were some teens spent 42 days out here. VERY excited to be back. Campsite had Antler marking beach (gravel).
5 Aug 2002 (Monday): Woke up. Blue skies. Went for hike w/ Dad, found caribou antler & baby carobou antler. Started rafting. Rained, rained, rained. Wet, miserable and hypothermic. Wonder if I will live? 2 pairs of socks. Mossy campsite. Saw a golden grizzly.
6 Aug 2002 (Tuesday): Got up - ICE on tent where it had rained. Felt awful, icy toes. Becky and Dans aniversary. Wore 5 pair of socks, 3 pants,
7 Aug 2002 (Wednesday): Half way until I'm out of here. Rain, not frozen, on tent (wow!). Saw sheep, rapids were easy.
8 Aug 2002 (Thursday): Saw a ton of sheep (7) and a male carobou. Did 6-7 miles on the raft. It was funny because Dad was on the front boncing up and down like a young adolesecent. Just 3-4 miles from take out.
9 Aug 2002 (Friday): Saw an eagle and a fox. And some grayling fish. Got up this morn and hung out for a long time. Becky gave me some fishing lessons.
10 Aug 2002 (Saturday): Woke up. Sun was shining through the tent. Figures, the 7 day we don't need sun - it is sunny.
11 Aug 2002 (Sunday): Dan's thinking about hunting chicken for lunch (cheep cheep), Dad's reading his book. Becky and I are warming up by the fire. The flight service (hah!) said that they are fogged in that they first hace to go rescue some other poor folk so that we have been waiting to leave. Then they fly (!) to take us out! God, will we never get out of here?
