Continued…… As the Copper River exits the narrow channel at the Childs Glacier, it spreads out and meanders slowly around sand bars, and islands rife with narrow channels and backwater coves.   Floating slowly in the sunshine leaning back against the inflated side tubes we studied the glacier capped mountains above the east shore.  We lost [...]

Continued……. Paddling across the placid Miles Lake was slow and peaceful, sunshine warmed the rubber raft and its occupants.  With the historic Million Dollar Railway bridge in view, first as a small dot, it was fun to watch it grow larger and larger as we approached until it loomed huge overhead.  Beaching our flotilla we [...]

Continued….. It was a fast, quick trip through the Abercrombie Rapids on the Copper River, unlike the legendary stories about how rough it could be we navigated it like pros.  Bear signs marked heavy use along the right shoreline and the rafts following us spotted a Grizzly sow with two cubs close to the water.  [...]

Continued…. We broke our camp near the Wernicke River on the Copper River, Alaska, in 1998 on the morning of our fourth day, and floated through Baird Canyon to a spot on the east bank at the Allen River lake outwash/overflow channel.  We explored the whole region from the Allen River mouth area on both [...]

Continued….. Paddling the rafts past the braided channels and vast sand and mud flats of the confluence of the Bremner and Copper Rivers was tedious and tiring.  We were glad to see the confluence of the Wernicke River on the west shore, and slowly floated close to land until we found a small protected cove [...]

Continued…….. Day three of our 1998 float trip on the Copper River, Alaska, exploring the possibility of creating a Rails to Trails system using the abandoned rail bed of the Copper River and Northwestern Railway from Chitina to Cordova.  We found the area around the Heney Glacier Lake was rife with relics and remains of [...]

Continued…… We floated the Copper River on day 3 with the goal to explore the historic Copper River and Northwest Railroad rail bed along the Tasnuna River delta.  Each stop revealed another part of the history of this region.  Braided into many channels, a hiking trail would not necessarily follow the original route of the [...]

Continued….. The third day of a float trip surveying the Copper River and Northwest Railroad bed along the east shore of the Copper River from Chitina to Cordova, Alaska, during the summer of 1998.  We rose knowing our time would be spent pursuing one of the essential tasks on a long float trip; replenishing drinking [...]

Continued….. The continuation of a float trip on the Copper River, Alaska, following the Copper River and Northwest Railway rail bed during the summer of 1998.  After exploring the Tiekel River tunnel, we arrived at the delta of Cleave Creek to make camp as the sun was setting.  Alpen glow bathed the mountains across the [...]

Continued….. We scoured the riverbanks along the east shore of the Copper River, searching for the historic Copper River and Northwestern Railway tunnel near the Tiekel river delta, on our float trip from Chitina to Cordova, Alaska, in 1998.  The shoreline all looked similar.  This massive river is fed by many glaciers, summer heat causes [...]

Continued….. Our second morning was uneventful as we floated along the east shore of the Copper River, visually scouting for remnants of the Copper River and Northwest Railway on our trip from Chitina to Cordova, Alaska, the summer of 1998.  Consulting topographic maps of the area we kept track of every landmark, and used them [...]

Continued…… The photo above is the view from our tent on the sandbar at the confluence of the Uranatina River and the Copper River, Alaska, on the first night of our float trip from Chitina to Cordova in 1998.  A beautiful end to a rainy, cloudy day. The next morning we woke to this scene, [...]

Continued….. After lunch at Haley Creek on the Copper River, Alaska, float trip in 1998, we embarked with care and paddled hard to the opposite shore to bypass a powerful whirlpool below the creek delta.  I’ve experienced this hydraulic in a jet boat, it is an adrenalin packed adventure where the boat goes through a [...]

Continued….. Our first stop on the Copper River float trip that began at Chitina, Alaska, was for lunch and exploration of the popular clear water tributary Haley Creek.  In 1998 vehicles were able to access the old Copper River and Northwestern Railway rail bed to this point, and parts of the historic railway trestle still [...]

Searching through my archives; journals, photos, files, and maps, seeking subject matter for aa new painting I found photos from a very interesting float trip in 1998 on the Copper River, Alaska, and thought I’d share this experience with you on my blog.  The goal was worthy, a bit heady, and offered a chance to [...]