Made it to Bettles

Last day of rafting. We made it to Bettles in 6 hours. Once we got back to "civilization" the bugs were insane!!!.  Spent the night at the lodge, slept on a bed, and ate a real meal. What a treat!!!
Next morning Brian flew us back to Prospect creek where the truck was parked. We headed to Fairbanks and then back home via Paxson. GREAT TRIP!!!
What would I have done different?-- TAKE AN EXTRA DRY BAG AND A PACK OF CARDS
What would Derek have done different?---Save weight by not bringing an extra change of socks and boxers
What would have Cody done different?---Not go back home and face the cat!

Highlight of the trip: When Cody discovered echo, echo , echo  :-).

Bettles Lodge

View of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline from the Richardson Hwy

Photos

Camping after a full day of rafting ... in the rain :-)

Cody rafted with Derek for the rest of the trip after I dunked him in the river

Yeah!! We are done for today

Cody and Derek

Tacky plastic bag over my pack... a dry bag would have weighed an extra pound!!

Creating an entrance way to the tent. Did I mention I forgot to bring a pack of cards... actually, I didn't forget, they weighed too much. 

We finally decide to raft

whatever day this was... we (Derek) inflated our rafts and put them in the river YEAH!!

Loaded and ready to float on a river 20 miles from the Continental Divide, thus not a lot of water at this point. However, Cody and I managed to get tangled in some sweepers and were submerged within the first 30 minutes of the trip.

And then I lost count...

The view of the Frigid Crag from the North. 

Ernie's Pass way over there- Valley of the Precipices




We made it to Ernie creek and camped at the confluence with the NFK for 2 nights. We hiked up both rivers and continued to enjoy amazing scenery and weather. One day, it felt so warm and the water was so blue and inviting, I decided to go for a swim. It was definitely a "refreshing" swim. The water was so cold it literally took my breath away.

Confluence of NFK and Ernie Creek

The picture does not do justice to this spot. The colors were amazing. It was about 10 ft. deep and you could see the bottom

Days 2 and 3

Woke up to another beautiful sunny day. Derek boiled some river water and made us some yummy instant oatmeal

Both of us wore running shoes that allowed the water to drain and dried faster than any Gortex shoe would.

Speaking of challenging, some of our camping spots did not offer the easiest food hanging options...

nor did a small two person tent have enough room for me :-(

We starting heading north toward Ernie Creek. The NFK is pretty braided in this area and our hike today  was basically river crossing all day long. Cody was very apprehensive at the beginning but later on  became the leader who pointed the best crossing spot. The river was low and the deepest was probably waist-high;  only a couple turned out to be a bit challenging.

Day 1-

July 12

We drove to the Arctic Circle and spent the night in this mosquito infested campsite.















Next morning we drove to Prospect Creek, about 35 miles south of Coldfoot on the Dalton Hwy. We parked at the  runway at one of the Trans Alaska pipeline pump stations and were picked up by a small bush plane that flew us to Bettles. A whole 10 minute flight. Cody was super psyched as it was his first flight on a small plane.

Brian, our pilot, suggested we wait a while before taking off as there was a sight he believed we should not miss. It turned out to be a helicopter carrying an Otter plane that was being brought to the road system so it could be repaired. The helicopter pilot was planning to drop the plan on a parked trailer but soon realized he took on more than he could handle.

Next, we arrived in Bettles and checked in with the Gates of the Arctic (in yellow)Park's Ranger. We switched to a Cessna 185 with tundra tires that took us to a gravel bar on the North Fork of the Koyukuk River. The North Fork rises on the south slope of the Continental divide in the Brooks Range.

We left Bettles about 12:30 pm. It was a sunny day and the temps were in the mid 80's. We had a 40 minute flight to a gravel bar  right at the Gates of the Arctic. Facing north, we had the Frigid Crags to our left,  and  Boreal Mountain to our right.  The plane left us and we realized we were left to survive with our knowledge, our skills and our supplies. YIKES!-- So, we set up camp and started exploring the area. It was here where we decided to leave some of the gear we would not need for our hike, like our Xtra Tuffs, and planned on picking them up on the way back once we were rafting the river.

THESE ARE XTRA TUFFS

A little background history on Bettles

Bettles is located about 180 air miles and 250 road miles northwest of Fairbanks, adjacent to Evansville. It lies just north of the Kanuti National Wildlife Refuge. Bettles is located on the S.E. bank of the Koyukuk River. 


 Several Native groups have lived in the area, including Koyukon Athabascans and Kobuk, Selawik, and Nunamiut Eskimos from the north and northwest. The Koyukon lived in several camps throughout the year, moving as the seasons changed, following the wild game and fish.


 "Old Bettles," located 6 miles from the present community, was named for Gordon Bettles, who opened a trading post during the 1899 gold rush. Old Bettles was the northern terminal of the Koyukuk River barge line, and a post office operated there from 1901 to 1956. 


  The Bettles Runway was constructed in 1945 by the U.S. Navy. The U.S. Navy used these facilities as a support base for exploring National Petroleum Reserve. Later, the FAA took over the runway and its maintenance. 


 Wilford Evans, Sr., opened a sawmill at the present site of Evansville and built the Bettles Lodge and General Store. Today, there are approximately 30 residents of Bettles.