Paddling Alaska

In Paddling Alaska, you can drive to all the lakes and rivers described in this guide. This fact might sound unremarkable, but Alaska is mostly wilderness, with few highways. This is the first guidebook to organize journeys in this manner.

For fans of Cheryl Strayed, the gripping story of a biologist's human-powered journey from the Pacific Northwest to the Arctic to rediscover her love of birds, nature, and adventure. During graduate school, as she conducted experiments on the peculiarly misshapen beaks of chickadees, ornithologist Caroline Van Hemert began to feel stifled in the isolated, sterile environment of the lab. Worried that she was losing her passion for the scientific research she once loved, she was compelled to experience wildness again, to be guided by the sounds of birds and to follow the trails of animals. In March of 2012, she and her husband set off on a 4,000-mile wilderness journey from the Pacific rainforest to the Alaskan Arctic, traveling by rowboat, ski, foot, raft, and canoe. Together, they survived harrowing dangers while also experiencing incredible moments of joy and grace -- migrating birds silhouetted against the moon, the steamy breath of caribou, and the bond that comes from sharing such experiences. A unique blend of science, adventure, and personal narrative, The Sun is a Compass explores the bounds of the physical body and the tenuousness of life in the company of the creatures who make their homes in the wildest places left in North America. Inspiring and beautifully written, this love letter to nature is a lyrical testament to the resilience of the human spirit. Winner of the 2019 Banff Mountain Book Competition: Adventure Travel

The rich tapestry of Alaska is threaded together by 365,000 miles of waterways, from cascading mountain streams to meandering valley rivers, from the meltwaters of glaciers to broad rivers that empty into the sea. This guide profiles a wide variety of rivers from all over Alaska, concentrating on trips for intermediate boaters, and including a few major expeditions for the experienced river-runner. A section on gear outlines what to take into the backcountry.

The only guide to feature the destinations in Alaska accessible by rail, car and ferry written by an author who grew up in Alaska and continues to live there today.

Paddling the Yukon River and its Tributaries covers more than 4,000 miles of watery trail. The Yukon, Tanana, Porcupine, Koyukuk, and Kuskokwim Rivers are the five longest rivers in Alaska, extending into the Yukon Territory. This water flows freely, almost entirely undammed. Salmon surge against current. Moose, bears, and wolves wander the banks. Birds swarm in spectacular density. Roads rarely cross. Many residents live a subsistence lifestyle. No permits are required to be here. These channels are a natural path through the last large wilderness in North America.Paddling the Yukon River and its Tributaries approaches journeys of this magnitude like a through-hiker on the Appalachian Trail, but with a canoe or kayak. Each river is described from beginning to end, detailing access points, resupply options, and navigation tips throughout the flow. There are 35 original maps. Although the approach assumes long voyages, information is supplied for a range of trip lengths. Anything from an afternoon to a weekend to a week to a two-month float is possible. Paddling the Yukon River and its Tributaries is the only guide book to paddling the entire Yukon River from beginning to end.

Features full descriptions of 41 trips, including mile-by-mile descriptions, detailed maps, trip difficulty ratings, and tips on the logistics of kayaking this largely uninhabited area.

This guidebook details the history, culture, geography and climate of the Inside Passage and Coastal Alaska. It includes places to stay and eat, sightseeing, land, sea and air tours, nature watching and town walks.

... [offers] a bountiful amount of concise information... goes beyond the usual sights to present lesser-known options. Maps embellish the down-to-earth text. Prodigy Travel Board. The ideal traveling companion, and a wonderful book for the armchair traveler. Midwest Book Review. ... packs in fine details. Reviewer's Bookwatch. Highly recommended... Library Journal. The focus of this book is the Alaska Marine Highway, which serves as a lifeline for many coastal communites in Alaska. This ferry system - a total of nine boats - links tiny coastal communites and large cities alike. It runs from Washington, up the Inside Passage, all the way to the Aleitians in the far north, a total of 3,500 miles. The Adventure Guide to The Inside Passage & Coastal Alaska follows this route, telling you everything you need to know about the ships themselves, the sights and the towns. Tours on land - flightseeing, kayaking, canoeing, boating - are covered. The book is targeted at anyone traveling in this region, not just those taking the ferry, and has full information on what to see and do in each town, where to stay and eat and how to get out of town. Extensive details about wildlife, including the best places to see some, and how to be an eco-conscious traveler.