Floating through Time in Wood-Tikchik State Park, Alaska

The Trip

We have public lands to thank for the opportunity to explore Alaska as one of our last wildernesses. This trip is a wilderness journey through geologic and seasonal time that will allow you to experience the beautiful interconnecting web that is nature at its most untouched.

Wood-Tikchik State Park, the nation's largest, is at the very headwaters of Bristol Bay. This fabled series of lakes and rivers has for eons supported the largest salmon runs in the world. Some of the rivers that empty into the lakes have only fish bones as sand. Wood-Tikchik state park encompasses mountain ranges carved by recent glaciers and its rivers feed Bristol Bay’s rich ecosystem. Home to most of the large and small wildlife species in Alaska, it has been set aside for the enjoyment and preservation of the wild lands we all find so valuable.

This trip will showcase the mountain to sea habitats created by ice and water that are the heart of Alaska and its unique inhabitants. Flying over this vast river and lake system, our floatplane will transport us through time and space to the scenic headwaters lake formed by receding glaciers. Here, moose and caribou roam the tundra, feeding to gather strength for the coming winter. Wolves and the famous brown bears of maritime Alaska gather to subsist on the teeming runs of salmon migrating into these rivers and lakes.

We will have a leisurly float down the clear flowing, salmon crowded, Tikchik river on our journey toward the sea. The terrain changes gradually from the moss and lichen tundra to the perfect combination of taiga spruces and poplars that create a serene landscape surrounded by mountain skylines and gently rushing water. There will be adequate time each day for hiking, fishing, wildlife viewing, and just relaxing in this wilderness paradise. Our last camp will be on the shores of remote Tikchik Lake near its inlet, a place renowned for the viewing of the massive salmon migration heading upstream.

Gunnar Pedersen wrote of this river in his book Alaska Fishing:

"The Tikchik is one of Southwest Alaska's most outstanding wild rivers, with superb scenery, swift but not too challenging water, abundant wildlife and good fishing. It drains Nislik Lake, the uppermost lake of the Wood Tikchik chain, emptying into Tikchik Lake some 65 miles below. Clear, fast and gravelly, it makes an exciting wilderness float through some of Bristol Bay's more remote backcountry, with some good fishing for grayling, charr, salmon, lake trout, pike and even some rainbows along the way.

The trip begins with an exciting plane ride through the heart of the Tikchik Lakes (an experience that some say is worth the price of admission alone) to remote Nishlik Lake, where most folks put in. From there it is a serene cruise (fast water, some class I) through lonely mountain ringed tundra valleys and canyons where you can expect to see caribou, wolves, moose, ptarmigan and waterfowl and enjoy outstanding fly fishing for grayling and charr. Further down the river gets braided and wider as it takes on tributaries and enters lowland forest. The fishing gets more interesting too, with some rainbows and brighter salmon and more charr in the sections above Tikchik Lake. Be mindful of bears as there will be plenty along the river during salmon season.

Allow plenty of time to enjoy Tikchik Lake. It makes a superb finale to the trip with its scenic views and great fishing for charr, lake trout, rainbows and even monster pike in the backwater sloughs."

Day 1: We will board seaplanes in the morning with all our rafts and gear and leave Dillingham for Nishlik Lake far to the north. The group will occupy three float planes, in succession and slowly assemble for our first base camp on the tundra shores of the lake. After setting camp, some will dayhike up into the hills above to look for berries and mushrooms, and some will be drawn to the lake and its outlet for a little more foraging for our first night’s feast.

Day 2: A layover day. We will prepare our rafts for the morrow and hike up into the tundra for wildlife viewing and more foraging for berries. Some may row around and explore the lake for bird watching, and perhaps a chance to catch one of the renowned lake trout found there.

Day 3: We begin our float down the river. Still surrounded by tundra and mountain peaks, the first spruces appear, clustering in the swales, giving contrast to the landscape.

Days 4-5: Floating down the glass clear river, we relax and observe the multitude of sockeye salmon crowding the waters in dark masses of red and green. There will be brown bears and perhaps wolves feeding on these spawning masses in the clear riffles. No better place to be, safely in our rafts.

Days 5-6: As we travel down the river and forward in time, the taiga gives way to mixed forests of white and black spruces, intermingled with bright green poplars and birches. Our camps will be streamside with enough wood to roast a fish or two and tell tales around the fireside. The rafts provide the perfect blinds to view wildlife traveling along the shores. There should be a plethora of bald eagles feeding alongside the bears as the salmon spawn and die.

Days 7-8: We reach Tikchik Lake, home to loons and eagles, and camp on the shore for our last night. The lake has some shallow and weed-filled bays that are home to some very large northern pike. The float plane will arrive the last morning and begin shuttling our group, three at a time, back to the relative civilization of Dillingham. After a shower we will gather for a last no-host meal at some questionable establishment and dine in the finest Alaskan style. The food will not be as good as you were recently accustomed to. 

Getting There

Dillingham, like most Alaskan bush towns, is reached by air from Anchorage, usually on the big 737, on the 3 o'clock. It is also subject to the same unpredictable weather as any bush community in this area. For this reason, the trip leader requests that you arrive two days before the first day of the trip to make sure your luggage arrives as well.

Plan to fly out on the day after the trip ends. There is always a chance that low clouds or fog will affect our bush travel plans, either coming or going. Alaska Airlines is very relaxed about these changes and is very accommodating to weather-related delays.

Please do not make non-refundable travel arrangements until notified to do so by the trip leader.

Accommodations and Food

There is a fair choice of accommodations in Dillingham, since many boats fishing Bristol Bay use this as a home port. It is a small enough town to walk from place to place (such as a grocery store and a place to get a beer). You will need to book rooms for the two nights before the trip and a room for the night of our return. A quick internet search will show you the range of places to stay. The prices vary wildly.

Creating good and tasteful wilderness meals are a shared passion of the leaders. We are planning a menu that will please vegetarians and carnivores alike. We always try to provide whole and fresh foods within the restraints of wilderness travel on a small airplane. There will be some fish on the menu, some salads and baked goods, and things we have foraged along the way. We will have a few hot breakfasts and a few more cereal and fruit concotions to keep it simple. Our lunches are usually a medley of nuts, fruit, cheese, and crackers. Sometimes we will plan a shore lunch, weather permitting, with hot soup or streamside roast fish. You will not go hungry.

Trip Difficulty

The most difficult thing about Alaska wilderness trips can be the weather. The river is not a particularly difficult or dangerous one. The day hiking is only as hard as you like to make it -- it's an easy to moderate trip depending on the amount of hiking you do. The bugs should be mostly gone and the camping is pretty easy. It could rain some of the time so it's important to be prepared with gear and attitude.

Equipment and Clothing

Each trip member will need a leakproof pair of rainpants and a raincoat with a hood that also does not leak. It will not be particularly cold, but clothing should be assembled in layers, avoiding cotton, which is very difficult to dry out. A good, lightweight, leakproof tent with a ground cloth is essential. Sleeping bags should be rated to 20-30 degrees F and a comfortable sleeping pad is essential.

Water shoes, or a pair of “Juneau sneakers” (cheap high-top wading boots found in any store in Alaska) will suffice for the non-fishers. The leaders will be bringing a pair of full-length trout waders and hiking boots, as well as some camp sneakers.

We will issue a full gear list after registration.

References

• Kanter, Seth, Ordinary Wolves.
• Pielou, EC, Naturalist’s Guide to the Arctic.
• Pielou, EC, After the Ice Age.
• Lopez, Barry, Arctic Dreams.
• Limeres, Rene and Gunnar Pedersen, Alaska Fishing.

Conservation

Bristol Bay is home to one of the largest salmon runs in the world and is perennially threatened by the proposed Pebble Mine. Other factors also are of concern to this fragile and enormous system. Proposals to stock salmon for ocean harvest and increase the commercial take of fisheries' resources, and reductions in regulation and enforcement brought on by the collapse of the state budget are all factors that affect this area. 

Climate change is imminent and obvious everywhere in Alaska and concerted political pressure is needed now.

Sierra Club National Outings is an equal-opportunity provider and when applicable will operate under permits obtained from U.S. federal land agencies.