Veterans of river travel know that waterways can be a creature of movement in more ways than one. In mountain country, rainfall in the hills all goes downhill by gravity and ends up ocean-bound via the river system. In Alaska’s arctic specifically, most river flow is dominated by snow melt or rain, unlike many of the glacier melt rivers of the interior. So when the rain comes in abundance while on a wilderness river trip, vigilance is prudent. While on the Marsh Fork of the Canning river in July, plenty of rain fell in the mountains of the Brooks Range, creating a swollen river. Note the two pictures below which reflect the rapid change that can happen as a result of heavy rains.
Beautiful clear water of the Marsh Fork, Canning River, Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, arctic Alaska.
Muddy, rain induced high-water 24hrs later than the previous photo, Marsh Fork, Canning River, Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, arctic Alaska.
Have you ever done time-lapse videos? This would have been an interesting scene.
Very Interesting! Thanks! 🙂
Eli,
I’ve not ventured into the time lapse video. Many colleagues have done it, but I find I’m not usually willing to dedicate a camera to it. It makes some great vids though.
Patrick,
I’ve been fortunate to float many of Alaska’s rivers and know exactly what you mean! I once pitched camp a comfortable distance from the Kiwolik River on the Seward Peninsula knowing full well the river couldn’t rise high enough overnight to cause me any problems. Wrong! I awakened earlier than expected to a warm, moist feeling around my feet and in my down sleeping bag. Not quite the same feeling as the movie producer in the “Godfather” movie when he woke up and felt the blood from the horse head left in his bed, but close. I moved camp immediately and learned a valuable lesson or two.
But my worst memory of remote river floating had to do with a lack of water, not too much water. I dragged a raft and heavy gear for days, falling dangerously exhuasted into my sleeping bag each night and tossing and turning not so much from aches and pains as the nightmarish idea of repeating the drudgery in a few short hours. And all the time it poured down rain!
Jim
P.S. Had a nice talk with Hugh today.
Jim,
That sounds nightmarish indeed. I have a love-hate relationship with rafting. It is great since you can take so much stuff, including decent food and camera gear. And then, well, you can take so much stuff that you have to schlep it all the time. As a photographer, there is not much of a way around that issue I guess. It is just impossible to go super-light. All in all though, those river trips are fantastic. So far, no major dragging for me, I hope to keep it that way.