Hot tea, delivered to our doorway at 6:30 a.m., kick-started the fourth day of the raft trip. Tim and I sipped the brew from our warm mugs, shook the sleep from our tired bones, and emerged from the tent refreshed and ready for another day on the water.
The Copper River rewarded us with easy paddling again this morning and we drifted along until we reached an area called “The Dunes”. Formed by winds blowing pulverized glacial silt, the dunes seemed out of place in the Alaskan woodland wilderness. We climbed the sandy hills while munching a pre-lunch snack of crackers and cheese.
Back in the rafts we caught a good current which whisked us to Shell Creek where we stopped for lunch. Kate and Guide Tim prepared pasta salad, fruit and bagels while Husband Tim strung up his fly rod for a little casting. No luck.
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| The Dunes on an overcast day. This area reminded me of coastal Washington or Oregon. |
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| Leave your inner fashionista at home when rafting in Alaska. I'm sporting the latest in raft-wear—a decidedly unfashionable (but waterproof) outfit of rubber pants with suspenders, topped by a rubber coat. |
Back in the rafts we caught a good current which whisked us to Shell Creek where we stopped for lunch. Kate and Guide Tim prepared pasta salad, fruit and bagels while Husband Tim strung up his fly rod for a little casting. No luck.
Winds picked up this afternoon and we had a tough go of it, fighting head winds all the way to our fourth night’s camp along the Wernicke River at the head of Baird Canyon.
After making camp Husband Tim fished the Wernicke where it spills from the mountains to meet the Copper. Again, no luck. We later learned that the Copper River is among the most silty and turbid rivers in the world due to glacial run-off—rendering fly-fishing a thankless task.
We retired soon after dinner this evening, knowing we would need our rest to face tomorrow’s long day of paddling and our run through the Abercrombie rapids.
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| Tim fishes the braided channels near The Peninsula. Beautiful spot. No fish to be had. |
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| The turbulent Wernicke near our campsite. The fish weren't biting. |
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| Fourth night's camp near the mouth of Baird Canyon. |
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Much to Husband Tim’s dismay, the Copper River was not well-suited for either trout or for fly-fishing. Steelhead Trout do live in the Copper River and they're prized for their salmon-like coloring and taste. However, the prime catch on the Copper River and its tributaries are King, Silver and Sockeye Salmon. Native Alaskans employed fish wheels to catch salmon, and the wheels are still in use on the river. Alaska residents may also use dip nets to catch fish in the Copper (seasonal restrictions apply). Most tourists who want to fish in Alaska sign on with a guide or charter service. Maybe next time!
Read about our other adventures on the Copper River Raft Trip by clicking on the links below:
