Mid July - Portage & Placer Rivers & Sactuary Packraft

Hi Alaskans and traveling packrafters. I’m planning two weekends of packrafting in Alaska. Would like to find river buddies for both. Let me know if you want to join for either of them and I’ll send you specifics. It’s scenic 1-2 float for both.

Sat 7/16-7/17 - Spencer and Placer Rivers via Glacier Discovery, AK Railroad Train out of Anchorage. For Saturday, I’m taking the train down to Spencer Lake in the morning. Will paddle the Placer River back to the highway in the afternoon/evening and camp somewhere at Portage. The next morning I’ll take the train again from Portage to Whittier, and attempt to marathon it over Portage Pass, across the lake, down the river to the highway and then catch the late train back. If I miss it, I’ll hitchhike back to Anchorage.

Sat 7/23 - Sanctuary River. I’m going to rent a car and drive up Friday night and camp at Savage River or Riley Creek and take the shuttle in at 6am the next day. I don’t have time for a multi-day over the passes, so I’m just going to get out at the river, hike as far as I can until mid-afternoon and then float back.

May want to check into sanctuary a bit more…
https://www.nps.gov/dena/planyourvisit/closures.htm

I’d double check on whether or not the Sanctuary is open. Rumor was it was closed (?) by the park service to protect wolf dens and it appears to remain that way currently on the NPS website. -RB

I would be up for it fairly new to packrafting but planning on doing allot of floating over the next few weeks.just bought all my gear. Have allot of backpacking experience and looks like a great addition to the adventures.

Yeah the Sanctuary is out this time. Bummer, right? That weekend is cancelled but the Portage and Placer trip is still on. Aboomer they’re good I to II beginner rivers from what I’ve read. If you’re interested I can contact you soon with logistics. But the main thing is booking the Glacier Discovery train.