Noatak River, Gates of the Arctic National Park

Going Paddling
#1

A couple in Haines, Alaska is planning a Noatak River trip (NW Alaska). We are chartering with Coyote Air out of Coldfoot on July 25. We want to land on the upper River in Gates of the Arctic National Park. Last summer the pilot was landing at Tupik Creek (marked on Google Earth).

Given we are allowed 1200 pounds on the de Havilland Beaver, another party would be able to fit on the charter flight in. We are not seeking company on the subsequent downriver trip to Kotzebue. Only another tandem or solo paddler who’d want to split the charter cost (US$2050).

One could take out at Noatak Village (where there is scheduled air service) or get a charter pick up (from Bettles) if you did not want or have the time to paddle to Kotzebue. The Park requires a back country orientation prior to the trip and bear proof containers for all food. These can be borrowed from the Park Service in Fairbanks. We will have a PakBoat. There is scheduled service to Anchorage from Kotzebue.

#2

Hope you don’t mind me chiming in.
We did a 15 day trip on the Noatak very similar to yours and flew from Fairbanks to Bettles in two float plans. We also used Ally Pak canoes and it was a trip of a life time.
We climbed one unnamed mountain on the way and it is now named “Mt Nanci”.
Our guide who climbed Mt Denali several times said he always wanted to climb it, but his party always gave up half way and turned back. He said in the future he would always refer to it as Mt Nanci and eventually the name would make it to the charts

#3

How far are you going to get with a 600 pound limit? Two people and a boat can easily weigh 400-500 pounds.

#4

May 2019 post on a July 25 trip…and it is now Sept 2020.

Might be better to ask “How did it go?”

#5

How did it go?

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