This is the furthest up the valley you can get. It is not far from the terminus of the Chitina Glacier and there are some great hikes to do in this region. You will need 7 to 8 days to fully enjoy this trip. One disadvantage to this starting point is that the strip is a long ways from the river and a portage of up to 2 miles is needed to get all the gear next to the river. Maybe the river channel near the strip will have water but lately it has been the far channel. Pilots will be able to advise about this. But with a few extra days spent here some good exercise can be had as you carry gear to the launch site. Another small disadvantage is the need to negotiate the numerous, wide shallow braids all filled with fine glacial silt and a daily wind that blows the silt into clouds of fine dust that settles into everything. But the rewards of this rarely traveled stretch of wilderness will, likely, outweigh all the dust and carrying. From here it is 112 miles to the confluence with the Copper River.
