From Chitina to Flag Point (near Cordova)
Report based on three trips in July and August of 1995, 1997 and 2001
July or August are usually the best floating times. Early July trips may encounter snowdrifts at campsites near glacier. Plan on at least 4 full floating days. At high water, it can be done in three, but it’s a nicer trip if you allow for 5 days. The trip is about 150 river miles, and the water is fast & flat for most of the way.
14-18 foot rafts are probably the ideal craft for the Copper, but I used a smaller cataraft. Sea kayaks, and inflatable kayaks work well for this river, and to a lesser degree, whitewater kayaks. There is no real reason for not taking a canoe on this river, except that if you did tip it over mid stream, you would probably need to be close to a more stable craft to help you out. Swimming to shore is usually not an option, hypothermia would disable you before you got there.
If you are paddling a small inflatable craft that might get turned over, or you might fall off of, you should consider tying yourself to the boat with a thin tether. If you were to fall out, and the frequent wind is swiftly blowing upstream, you would quickly get separated from your boat. Other nearby rafters may not be able to row fast enough to fight the wind in time to retrieve your now drowned body. Make sure any tether has a quick release.
For most of the trip you will be able to see parts of the old railroad that runs near the bank on river right. This was built in 1910 to create transportation for copper ore from the Kennicott Mines near McCarthy.
This old rail bed has been converted to a road for much of its length. The 70 mile section from McCarthy down to Chitina and then on to at least O'Brien Creek is all driveable, and the 50 mile section from Cordova to the north end of the Million Dollar Bridge is as well. It’s the section in the middle that is missing, and as you float the river you can see many signs of the old rail bed. There have been attempts at finishing the conversion to vehicle traffic, but has run into many logistical, financial, political and environmental roadblocks. The most popular plan in the last few years has been to forget about much of this old rail bed and put a road in from the Richardson Highway, down the Tiekel River and thence to the north end of the Million Dollar Bridge. It may never get done.
Along the float you can see one section where one of the rails still holds as it hangs high over a river valley, totally unsupported. Obviously this is a continuously welded rail. Much of the old rail was removed years ago and sold for scrap. The only sections with actual rail remaining are in the middle where it was too difficult to remove. Much of the rail bed that runs opposite of Bremner Flats has been washed away, and you can see sections of rail that run off into the water, and a few miles down stream reappear the same way.
River Description & Features
This is a very large & fast river. At higher water levels it is often over a mile wide & flooded bank to bank. It takes a long time to move a heavy raft from one side to the other. Its average speed is 9 mph, one of the fastest rivers in North America, and at high water some sections are considerably faster. Abercrombie Rapids was doing over 20 mph the last time I saw it. I have never seen a river move so fast without being vertical.
Mostly this is flat water. In the first constricted section, Wood Canyon, ten miles down stream from Chitina, and just below O'Brien Creek, there are very large & powerful eddies, whirlpools and reversals near the edges of the river. Most of these should be avoided, as some of them can be very difficult to get out of.
After you finish the canyon Haley Creek comes in on river right. In the recent past it has been possible to drive four wheel drive vehicles this far. In 2002 or 2003 some of the road had washed out just above O’Brien Creek and I’m not sure of the conditions of any of this road at present. You can find many decent campsites along both sides of the river from here on.
The Uranatina River enters at about mile 30. Just below here there is a railroad tunnel that has been camped in before, and should make for a decent shelter if needed. The Tiekel enters at about mile 50, and across the river near where Dewey Creek enters is another good campsite if the water’s not too high.
At mile 75 the Tasnuna rives enters on river right with the sand & silt fields of Bremner Flats on river left. The wind is most often blowing upstream for most of the trip and you will often encounter the blowing silt from the flats. It’s often advisable to wait until the wind dies down in the morning to run through this section. Unless the water is running high, this is a slow section and competing with the wind & silt is not worth the struggle. In the morning it is usually a comfortable 20 mile float.
