Upper Nenana Packraft - July 2022

Just like so many times in the past, last Friday night found us driving north on the Parks Highway for a weekend smash-and-grab in the land of Southcentral AK packrafting Shangri-La around Broad Pass. We planned to park at the confluence of Wells Creek and the Nenana where the aquamarine waters of Wells swirl into a muddy mix with the glacial Nenana. From there we'd use the primo Argo trail up Wells Creek to avoid as much brush as possible, then climb to the head of the watershed where we'd drop to the upper Nenana to float back to the car.

By 10:30 on Friday night we were parked at the picturesque little campsite at the confluence. We drank a beer, set up the tent, and took in the soft pink sunset over the river as campfire smoke clung to the edges of the valley.


Saturday morning started with inflating our boats for the quick ford of the Nenana. With our packs sitting in our laps we tried not to dump into the chocolate soup as we splashed across.


The trail usually has a bit of wolf and bear sign, but this time it was covered in the evidence of heavy wolf traffic. There was furry scat everywhere.

Yanert Packraft Traverse - September 2021

The minute we first walked up the Wells Creek ATV trail last fall brought realization of the potential access to so much country and then the dreaming and scheming of potential adventures. One that immediately stood out was a traverse from the Denali Highway to Glitter Gulch at the entrance to the Denali National Park. It wasn't until a year later that our schedules would line up for the Wells Creek - Louis Creek - Yanert - Nenana Traverse.

On a cold and rainy fall evening we drove north, leaving a shuttle Subaru at the Parks Highway bridge over the Nenana River, then turning southeast for the Denali Highway. Where the Nenana joined the gravel road of the "highway" we drove down the zigzag access road to camp where the silty brown Nenana meets the spectacular blue of Wells Creek. The dawn brought a classic crisp fall morning with the peaks above us dusted in new snow. We inflated our packrafts, made sure the car keys were packed, and paddled across the big brown conveyor belt to the ATV trail on the far side.

As moose hunters in jet boats thundered past, we squished the air out of our dripping boats, rolled them up, and stuffed them into our packs.

Photo: Nyssa Landres

Then we followed the familiar trail into the woods. So many of these trails become mud pits straight out of the Fire Swamp from the Prince Bride, but protected from heavy pounding this one is a dryish treat.

Photo: Dmitry Surnin

Climbing out of the Nenana River valley and onto the high plateau, the foothills of the Alaska Range spread out in front of us.

Photo: Dmitry Surnin

Packrafting Shangri-La - July 2021

The 4th of July weekend found us driving north after work on Friday night with the goal of day tripping the classics of Broad Pass. We camped along the East Fork of the Chulitna while clouds of mosquitos feasted on us then on Saturday morning hiked into the woods from the north bank of Honolulu Creek.

For four miles we waded thru waist deep grass, crawled under Jurassic ferns, and surfed alders to the brush line. The surprisingly legit bushwhacking slowed our progress as we worked towards the alpine. 


Reaching the tundra, visibility, and easy travel of the valley, we cruised towards the pass that would bring us to the headwaters of Honolulu Creek.


There was still ice on the lake as we crossed the pass and started the descent towards Honolulu Creek.