We first heard about packrafting when we passed a group with paddles strapped to their backs heading down Crow Pass from Girdwood. We asked what they were doing and were blown away that there were even boats light enough to carry on a tough hike and then withstand the incredible frigid force of Eagle River (which we had just waded through up to our waists). We decided next trip we had to figure out a way to try it ourselves!

Two months and a few packraft rentals later, our group of four absolute beginner rafters set out on an epic backcountry trek. After a required safety briefing with rangers, we took afternoon camper park bus in and told the drive to drop us off at the near side of the Teklanika bridge. Conditions were perfect and we took a leisurely several mile walk along the gravely river bed before pitching camp on a modest bluff next to the river. Note that there are several small crossings required to avoid the dense brush outside the river bank, so bring water shoes or be prepared to go barefoot.

After a night of playing mini card games in our tent (Shh!), we set out in the morning for our big ~10 mile hiking day. The first half of the day was similarly along the river before we veered off to the left to follow a tributary stream into the mountains. We saw three grizzlies, thankfully at a safe distance, happily munching away on the bountiful fall berries. The bright yellows and orange colors in early September are out of this world, even for a color blind person such as Dan.

In Denali, there are no official trails and the paths are just as likely to be from animals as from previous visitors. This means every mile can be very challenging even on flat ground. At one point, we were ankle deep in soft moss. At another, on rough shifting river rocks. With hefty, hefty packs filled with 3 days of food and gear plus the packrafts, do not underestimate this hike based on the modest distance. The trail gets particularly challenging as the ascent begins. First we walked along a stream with steep banks and then up the soft mossy highland plain filled with wild blueberries. Just when our backs started to really start killing we came across about 30 lily white mountain goats in two large groups including some shy "teenagers." Finally, the ascent concludes with a scree-filled ascent of the ridge line which seemed to take ages as the wind and rain kicked up, but we were rewarded with an epic vista of the other valley at the top.

Due to the rain and our exhaustion, we decided to camp the second night a bit higher up than we had planned at the bottom of the scree descent on the other side of the ridge. We awoke to a downpour so intense we decided to actually wear our dry suits on the descent which worked surprisingly well!

After a short but steep descent to the river headwaters, we inflated our boats without incident and loaded up for the packrafting portion of the trip. Despite a very, very low water level that meant we had to butt-scoot as much as we paddled in the first few miles, we immediately fell in love with pack rafting. The pure euphoria of transitioning from carrying a hefty load over rough and unforgiving terrain often at no more than a miler per hour to effortlessly hurtling down a river at 5x the speed was indescribable. The views constantly change as the river bends and descends and while we didn't see any large wildlife it seemed like an ideal place to do so.

After about 2 hours, just as we were getting comfortable with the rafts, the river accelerated into a more wooded section as we neared our terminus at the park road. I had read and informed the group about the dangers of "streamers" and "strainers," logs and trees which extend into Alaska's fast flowing rivers but reacting in real time is different than reading a blog post! As we rounded a bend, all four of our group members hit a series of trees extending into the river about a foot above the water line and flipped in quick succession. Without adequate scouting and paddling skills, the river was just too fast for our skill level!

Luckily, we were all wearing dry suits and no one took any serious knocks. So while two of our boats and all of our paddles floated away, we were able to recover them thankfully and hike the last mile out on foot. A good teachable moment! For the record, we were epically unprepared for this packraft. Please, learn from our mistakes and take things slow always focusing on safety best practices. This turned into a fun story but it could easily have been otherwise. We highly recommend giving Luc Mehl's packrafting handbook a read if you're a novice and finding some experienced friends to teach you the ropes.

Overall, this is an epic adventure not for the faint of heart or unprepared. The views and totally wild, trail-less experience are 100% worth it, in our opinion, anyway.

Logistics:

• Before setting out, you will need: 1) National Park entry fee or annual pass 2) Backcountry camping permit and 3) Denali park bus ticket.
• Starting in 2022, it appears backcountry permits are only available in-person. They used to be available 2 weeks in advance via email, so this may really complicate planning as Denali only allows ~6 people or ~1 group per night per zone. We did our first night in Zone 6 (where you start out) and second night in Zone 5 (once you cross ridge line). If both these permits are not available, you could likely shorten trip to a single night in either zone depending on conditions and your group's fitness level.
• The Denali Park Bus tickets sell out! Please book as early as possible to avoid an unfortunate surprise. They are also surprisingly expensive.
• There are several options in Anchorage to rent packrafts. For context, we paid ~$65/day per raft including dry suits and all accessories.
• Check the water level on Sanctuary river with the rangers before setting out to make sure it isn't too low to be passable. There is a gauge but apparently it hasn't worked for quite some time