Alaska River Guide
Canoeing, Kayaking, and Rafting in the Last Frontier
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.
Karen Jettmar learned to paddle and row on the placid waters of the Severn River in Maryland. Since then, she has paddled all over Alaska and the world. A 30-year Alaskan, she has combined a passion for the earth’s wild places with writing, photography, and a life in the outdoors. She worked as a backcountry ranger in several of Alaska’s premier national parks, taught school in rural Native communities, and was Assistant Regional Director for The Wilderness Society.
Karen loves water in its many forms. When liquid turns to ice and snow, and the boats and paddles go into storage, she is often found gliding on skinny skis on forest trails, or on fat skis in the backcountry mountains.
She directs Equinox Wilderness Expeditions (www.equinox expeditions.com), an adventure- travel company that specializes in taking small groups to explore Alaska’s wild rivers, coasts, and mountains. Also an award-winning writer/photographer, she has published feature articles and photos in many books and periodicals, including National Geographic, USA Today, Newsweek, National Parks and Conservation, and National Wildlife. She is the author of Alaska’s Glacier Bay: A Traveler’s Guide. Her essays appear in a number of books, among them: Hell’s Half Mile: River Runners’ Tales of Adventure and Hilarity, A Road of Her Own: Women’s Journeys in the West, This Last Treasure: Alaska National Parklands, Travelers’ Tales: Alaska, and Crosscurrents North: Alaskans on the Environment. She lives in Anchorage.
