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Email I received on the Copper River...
Posted by Brian Richardson on Feb 17 2005
Wished to make this post in response to an old posting I had made on the Copper River... (I think other posters can help as well that know the Copper River is not exactly a hard river, but there are risks that many folks cannot perceive if never having been there. It rings true w/ many Alaska rivers, and so many book descriptions are not always providing spot on info.)
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Here is the email (and I'll leave the name out of it):
"Hello,
I read a post by Brian Richardson about the Copper River where he states
that the Copper is a dangerous river. I would say I am an
intermediate-experienced river canoe paddler, with little whitewater
experience. I have spent 3 weeks traveling by canoe down the Rock and
Mississippi Rivers here in Wisconsin, run most of the class II or less
rivers in the southern part of the state and have weeks on the Lakes of
Northern Minnesota.
From you description, the Copper can be treacherous. Is that true for
someone of my experience level. What if I said I wanted to take my new
bride on a honeymoon trip down the Copper from Gulkana to Cordova?
Would you say I was crazy.
Any advice or diretions would be appreciated.
Regards,"
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Here is my response... a bit on the weighted side - but I did not wish the guy a potential bad Alaskan experience:
I discern by your drawn out portrayal that you would be assembling an exceedingly foolish float trip for yourself, friends, loved ones, or family members... particularly in light of taking a canoe, what has the brass tacks of no matter-of-fact experience on this category of river in Alaska, and taking another person w/ (I'm reckoning) having far less significant experience.
1. The Copper is extensive, very, very swift, and packin' big time, cold (37 F) Cubic feet/Sec
2. High winds and sand/silt storms daily (just about every day)
3. Whirlpools (strong eddy currents) in turns, and in Abercrombie Rapids have especially big Standing waves.
4. COLD, COLD, COLD HIGH VOLUME silty glacial river.
5. You will go by two glacial terminuses that yield random yet volatile calving Ice walls. These can result in wave surges like tidal waves, and at very least place immediate congesting massive floating obstacles in those areas. The Childs Glacier wall for example is one of the “cut banks” river right of flow.
6. The silt and sands can be somewhat dangerous even lethal (wrong place wrong time)… like quick sand only it vacuum packs you steadfast without having to get drawn in very deep. Can be convincingly alarming at times!
I would advocate doing a guided trip of the river by raft. It is not that the Copper is a difficult river in terms of class this and that… however this vast river has its intricacies that have indeed swallowed persons up over the years.
Yes - to make a long story short - you'd be crazy... other than there would be a better descriptive term. I only say this so stalwartly to advise in opposition to under-respecting Alaskan rivers of this character and the existent jeopardy when over-estimating one's skills or level of safety/understanding.
Positively would love to have you come up and float Alaska - Hate to see ya show up on the news as a vanishing episode.
Please don’t take this as a cluster of Alaskan bravado, doom saying, or audacity. This is the genuine picture I’ve connected on.
Brian Richardson
http://www.northernrim.com
Next: right arm! jklingel Feb 17 2005
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