Category: Refuge Discovery Trips

Explore the Yukon Delta Refuge with Friends!
Raft, hike and fish with us in 2024

This trip is FULL- Contact us to be added to the waiting list.

Travel with us on the crystal-clear waters of the Kisaralik River to experience being in salmon and bear country, to bounce through riffles, to be pampered by our guides and to fall asleep to river music. This river is scenic and wild with no lodges and river boat traffic is limited by the falls (yes there are falls – we will portage). Habitat is varied from the Kilbuck Mountains at the headwaters to the flat productive lands of the Delta 80 miles downriver from our start. We will learn about this 19-million-acre refuge which produces so much of the country’s waterfowl and shorebirds as well as five species of salmon and trophy rainbow. The Kisaralik is a tributary of the Kuskokwim River that along with the Yukon River forms the vast watery world of the Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge. We will have opportunities to hike, bird, photograph and fish.

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Float the river with us. PC Frontier River Guides

When: July 15 – 23: July 15 in Bethel to meet with refuge staff, tour cultural center; July 16 – 23 (8 days) on the river. We will return to Bethel via jet boat on the 23^rd in time for the evening Alaska Airlines jet to Anchorage.

Difficulty: This is one of the few western Alaska rivers with any whitewater at all. We will need to portage the falls and two other rapids are Class II. Our guides are capable of handling this. Mostly it is a lively little river that slows as it hits the flats. To be comfortable on this trip, you must be able to sit in a raft for long periods, climb in and out of rafts and tents, walk over uneven ground, squat, tolerate some wet, windy weather (it’s the Bering Sea out there) and biting insects. The bugs are not bad in most places but you will need a bug jacket. No children.

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Class II Golden Gate rapids is just one of the fun features of the Kisaralik. Most of the river is Class I with riffles but there are 4 rapids, one of which we will portage.

Guides: Frontier River Guides. Check their website for more information. Do not be put off by what seems to be an exclusive focus on fishing. I have had long talks with their owner Marty, a former school teacher, and I am confident they will provide us with a diverse trip. Setting up fishing rafts and non-fishing rafts may be one way to ensure everybody’s happy. There will be only two of us per raft with our guide.

Cost: $5600 for the river trip includes a $200 donation to Friends, transportation to the river via float plane and return from the river via river boat, gourmet food, all camping gear except your own sleeping bag and pad, and one guide for every two of us. What’s not included: transportation to Bethel (Anchorage – Bethel about $300); housing and food in Bethel (we might have use of the bunkhouse for the night of the 15^th).

Payments and Refund Policy:

• $1800 is due to Frontier River Guides at the time of booking. This is refundable until February 1.

• 2nd payment of $1800 due February 1

• Final payment of $2000 due June 1.

How to book: Email me Poppy Benson with your name and phone number. I will forward the first 8 names on to Frontier River Guides. They will contact you and arrange payment. I expect this trip will quickly sell out but we will maintain a waiting list.

Membership: Required before signing up. You can join here. Not sure if you are current? Ask me and I will check.

Questions? Contact me Poppy Benson (907) 299-0092 for questions about signing up. I have also ran this river twice with my family and it is my favorite of the Yukon Delta Rivers. Contact Frontier River Guides info@frontierriverguides.com; 877-818-2278 for questions about the trip and gear.

2019 Tetlin NWR – Refuge Discovery Trip Report

Refuge Discovery Trip Report – by Pauline Strong, Friends Member

At the beginning of July, a group of Friends of Alaska National Wildlife Refuges met at the Tetlin National Wildlife Refuge to assist with two projects requested by the refuge staff and to explore a small part of the refuge. Although the trip was originally intended to have 12 participants, only 7 were able to come because of concerns about traveling through smoke from wildfires on the way to the refuge. Fortunately, we only experienced a small amount of wildfire smoke at the end of the trip.

The first day’s work was assisting with blocking the Alaska Highway for the Tok 4^th of July parade, setting up and manning an information booth about Friends of Alaska National Wildlife Refuges, and doing face painting for the 4^th of July celebration. There was intense rivalry between the Forest Service and Fish and Wildlife for the best float in the parade, and the refuge float won out.



The two face painting volunteers, Moira O’Malley and Georgiana Smith, have extensive experience working with youth and boundless enthusiasm. There was a long line of kids waiting to have their faces painted the entire 4 hours of the festival and the fair grounds were full of fantastically painted children. We were all surprised at how tremendously popular the face painting turned out to be. Steve Ebbert was able to share his knowledge of the Alaska Wildlife Refuge system with people who came by the information booth, and we all explained what it means to belong to the Friends of Alaska National Wildlife Refuges while enjoying the wonderful music of Juno Smile who played the whole afternoon. This two-person band had been unknown to us, but they were fantastic musicians, able to play and sing clearly on pitch and with a toe-tapping beat.



The next morning, we loaded up the canoes and gear and set off the canoe portion of the trip. We went to Scotty Creek to launch, but found the creek far too low to get our canoes and gear on the water with a reasonable amount of effort, so we went back to Desper Creek and paddled downstream to a campsite 3 miles down that was used by the Friends last year. The weather was wonderful. We saw several sets of ducks with ducklings on the creek, a red-tailed hawk and its nest, and the air was full of dragonflies.

The next day we put up a bird nest box not far downstream from the campsite and then paddled down to the first (unnamed) lake. After Dave Schroyer installed the bird nest box, he let Meg Parsons and Pauline Strong stand next to it while he took a photo. After a lunch stop there, we started the water trail marker part of the project.  The creek is so slow moving that it could be hard to tell upstream from downstream coming out of the lake. We had time to put signs on one side of the creek from the unnamed lake to Desper Lake this year. Clearing the brush for visibility may have been the hardest part of installing the water trail markers.

Join us as we explore Tetlin National Wildlife Refuge, experience a small town 4^th of July and help this understaffed refuge.    We will combine a canoe trip into Tetlin’s vast birdy system of lakes and rivers to begin signage of the refuge’s first water trail with helping the refuge make Tok’s 4^th happen.  

We will meet in Tok on Wednesday the 3^rd to help the refuge set up the town’s 4^th.  On the 4^th we will help staff the refuge booth and lead family games, and take down the booths in the evening.  And Yes!  There will be a parade with a refuge float.  The refuge’s prominent role in Tok’s 4^th of July has always been a key part of the refuge’s outreach to the community.  Now that the staff has been reduced to 8, it is a struggle to make this happen.  We can help!

On Friday the 5th, we will launch the refuge canoes on highway accessible Desper Creek to a campsite amidst numerous lakes providing perfect habitat for nesting waterfowl, swans, rusty blackbirds and warblers.  Camping for two nights will give us time to begin work on a long-term Friends project to sign a water trail on Desper and Scotty Creeks.   Some of this will be exploratory going beyond where Friends have gone before to identify routes through the lake systems.  Paddling out Sunday against the slow current of Desper Creek should not take more than three hours putting us back at Tok by early afternoon for our farewells and the drive home.   Desper Creek is a very slow-moving creek suitable for beginners.  We may have to lift canoes over beaver dams depending on the water level.

For more information about the Tetlin Refuge check out their webpage or on Facebook.  You can read about our 2018 trip here

The trip limit is 12 and the minimum age is 18 or 16 with a guardian.  You must be a current Friend to participate but you can join here. 
Registration is now open and limited to the first 12 applicants.

Canoeing Desper Creek on 2018 Tetlin Discover Trip

 Leaders:

•  Dave Schroyer, david_schroyer@hotmail.com; (907) 240-1375.  Dave was raised in Alaska with life long experience canoeing, hunting, birding and exploring all over the state.  He is bear safety qualified and was co-leader of last years Friends trip on Desper Creek.
  
  
• Moira O’Malley, moiraomalley@hotmail.com; is a long time Fairbanks resident, teacher and avid canoeist.  She also was on the Friends 2018 trip to Desper Creek and has “fallen in love with Tetlin”.

Cost:  $60 for 4 dinners and 4 breakfasts.  Bring your own lunches and snacks.  Contact the trip leaders if you have dietary restrictions.

Equipment needed:  Your own personal camping gear plus bear spray.  Contact the trip leaders if you don’t have a tent.  Canoes and life jackets will be supplied by the refuge.  If you would rather bring your own let us know.  We will not be portaging other than the possible beaver dam.  Also bring binoculars and fishing gear if desired.  Equipment list will be furnished to participants.

Weather, Bugs and Bears:  Average highs are in the 70s and thunderstorms are possible.  Bring good raingear – jacket and pants, and waterproof knee-high boots.   Gortex fishing waders with wading boots are an option to stay dry and allow walking into lakes and creeks when launching canoes.  Bugs this time of year are not supposed to be as bad as up north but a bug net or bug jacket is a prudent idea.  This is not noted as a “bear-y” area but it is Alaska so please bring your own bear spray and a holster system that will allow you to wear it.

Housing in Tok: The refuge staff is reserving 3 of their cabins for use Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday night if needed.  There is also plenty of tent space at refuge headquarters.  We will be able to use their staff kitchen for meals.

How to sign up:  Trip will be limited to the first 12 to complete the registration, including the $60 fee.  Please fill out the registration form below.  Registration payment options will be presented after the form is completed and submitted.   All participants will be required to fill out a Volunteer Agreement for the Refuge and sign a liability waiver for Friends.

Registration for the Tetlin Refuge Discovery Trip July 3 – 7, 2019 is closed.

Let’s go play in the snow! 

Ever want to experience the Kenai Refuge in winter? Try out ice fishing with people who know what they are doing in a warm ice fishing tent? Then join our Discovery Trip to the Dolly Varden Lake cabin on the Kenai Refuge the weekend of February 1 – 3, 2019.

Enjoy a cozy, off-road, cabin, ice fishing and assisting the refuge!  Ski, snowshoe or probably even walk into the cabin only a mile across the lake from the Dolly Varden campground.   Since the cabin only sleeps 6, we will have a Friday night group and a Saturday night group.  Both cabin groups will help the Refuge with their Saturday Family Ice Fishing event on Dolly Varden Lake.  

Not up for an overnight? Then come out on Saturday just for the day to help with or participate in the Ice Fishing event which will be held right next to the Dolly Varden Campground, 14 miles up the Swanson River Road from Sterling, from 1 to 4 p.m. with set-up at noon.

Times: Friday group will meet at the Dolly Varden campground at 2 p.m. Friday to pack gear and ski, snowshoe, or walk in. We will haul our gear back to our cars by noon Saturday to be ready to help set up the ice fishing event which opens to the public at 1 p.m.

The Saturday cabin group will meet at the Dolly Varden campground about noon to help set up the event and have lunch with staff. Afterwards, we will ski into the cabin and spend the night coming out by noon Sunday.

The cabin overnights are limited to 6 per night with a minimum age of 16.  You must be a current Friend to participate but you can join here. 

Day trippers who want to help with the ice fishing event should show up at the Dolly Varden campground about noon to help set up. The event is open to the public from 1 to 4 p.m.  The ice fishing event on Saturday is open to all and free. Families are encouraged to attend, and you do not need to be a Friends member.

Leaders:

• Friday night: Poppy Benson, poppybenson@alaskarefugefriends.org; (907) 299-0092. Poppy has had 30 years of experience in Alaska and more than that on skis. Poppy is Wilderness First Aid certified and a Friends Board Member.
• Saturday night: Tim Shipman, tim.shipman@gmail.com; (907) 252-8450. Tim lives in Soldotna and has been hiking and snowshoeing on the Kenai Refuge for 30 years.

Cost: $20 for dinner and breakfast at the cabin plus a hot dog lunch over the fire on Saturday. Bring your own snacks and beverages other than coffee and tea. Contact the trip leaders if you have dietary restrictions.

Equipment needed: Your own personal gear for traveling to and overnighting in a cabin and being out on the ice. The refuge will have ice fishing gear but you might want to bring your own chair or bucket. Contact the trip leaders if you don’t have a way to bring your gear in. A pulk (shown in photo) is the very best for hauling gear but a backpack works too. Bring skis or snowshoes for the mile trip across the lake as snow may be deep. A full equipment list will be supplied to participants.

Weather: The trip will happen unless we have a major blizzard or record low temperatures. The refuge is bringing portable ice fishing tents. The cabin has a stove and will be warm but a winter weight sleeping bag is a good idea.

How to sign up: The overnights will be limited to the first 6 people per night to register and pay but any number can join in on the Saturday ice fishing.   Please fill out the registration form below even if you only plan to go for the day.  You must be a current Friends member to participate in the cabin overnight but you can join here. 

All participants who are not yet signed up as Fish and Wildlife volunteers will be required to fill out a Volunteer Agreement. Prior to the trip, all participants will be required to sign a liability waiver which will be sent to you.

Please leave your furry friends at home.

Questions about this awesome opportunity to experience the wilds of this refuge in the company of Friends and refuge staff? Please contact Poppy Benson, Outreach Coordinator: 
poppybenson@alaskarefugefriends.org

Register for the Kenai Refuge Discovery Trip – Feb 1-3, 2018

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