Yanert River Valley Ride, Alaska

Venture off the beaten path and visit wild Alaska in the style of yesteryear, on horseback. Explore the untouched Alaska early miners and trappers encountered more than a century ago. Strong draft cross horses are the perfect transportation to explore the Alaskan wilderness for riders of all skill levels. Camp comfortably with modern gear in pristine wilderness. Watch grizzly bears romp on the hillside, dall sheep traverse the ridgetops and see moose, beaver and porcupine go about their business of living in one of the most pristine settings imaginable!  A few short hours drive from Fairbanks, Alaska lives the secret wilderness where Alaskans go to recreate, rejuvenate and explore. Bordering Denali National Park is the quiet Yanert River Valley. The Yanert offers spectacular views of Denali and surrounding peaks.

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Rates include all meals from day 2 to lunch on day 6, 4 nights in tents ad 2 nights in local hotel in Fairbanks, 5 riding days (3-5 hrs per day)
7 days/ 6 nights  $ 1,495   
Single hotel room: + $195

2008 Dates: TBA

Gratuities: 20% - to be paid locally
Meeting: Fairbanks
Transfer: Fairbanks included
Horses:   Draft horses
Tack:   Western
Level:  Novice+
Min/Max Riders: 2-5
Note: All camping gear and horse packing equipment is provided including tents, sleeping bags, sleeping pads, first aid kit, water purifier, cooking gear and food.
Minimum of 2 riders, otherwise $200 supplement

Itinerary

Day 1 - Arrival and overnight in Fairbanks (dinner not included)
Day 2 - We drive from Fairbanks to the trailhead in the Alaska Range adjacent to Denali National Park. Once at the trail head we unload horses, tack and pack them, and are then on our way on the first day of our riding trip.  We follow a beautiful scenic creek to tree line and camp on a high bank overlooking the rushing creek.  As we ride upstream we can enjoy the feeling of leaving behind the road system and knowing that as we travel farther into the wilderness we are going where things are less touched by man. We travel as a small group  (5 people maximum).  When we get to tree line we can relax and enjoy dinner around a camp fire.  After dinner there will be time to reflect on the days ride, tell stories and enjoy the solitude of being in the mountains.
Day 3 - Again we Tack and pack the horses and set off riding up the creek to its head waters, up to and over a high pass that will lead us down into the Wood river drainage.  The ride from the first camp up to the pass is spectacular with a chance of seeing Moose, sheep and Caribou along the way and of course a Grizzly bear!  After cresting the pass we descend down into the Wood River country.  We continue riding until we get out of the high country and take a break at the bottom of the pass to have some lunch.  Here we can look back and see the mountains we have just crossed, and relax for a while as the horses graze on mountain grass.  We continue riding until we almost reach the Wood river and make our second camp in the woods next to the base of a beautiful mountain.  Again we will enjoy a dinner around a cheery fire. 
Day 4 - The day will start with a good breakfast and readying the horses for another spectacular days worth of riding.  We leave the creek we camped next to and after a short ride drop into the beautiful Wood River and ride upstream until we reach the mouth of another creek that we will ascend to its headwaters to cross another pass.  At this point in the trip we are 30 miles from the road enjoying the mountain wilderness.  As we climb the creek the vegetation will change from Taiga to high alpine tundra, as we cross the pass, if the weather is clear we may have a chance to see the tallest mountain in North America, Denali.  After the pass we will descend through a wide open valley carpeted with the ever changing summer flowers that flourish in the high Tundra.  As we further descend we get back into country that has trees, the Taiga.  We will climb out of the drainage and ride on a beautiful side hill trail that crosses several small creeks.  You will marvel at how sure footed your horse is as we traverse the hillside, stepping over logs and fording small creeks.  Before pulling into our third camp we take a break, letting the horses take a drink of the cool mountain waters that feed into the Yanert River, our next days destination.  We will make our third camp on a point on a wide open bench high above the Creek that allows fantastic views of the surrounding mountains.  Here water and mountain grass is plentiful for the horses to feed on.  In the evening we can enjoy dinner around a campfire again, and also enjoy the presence of the horses in camp.
Day 5 - High in the mountains in the mourning it is always fun to look around first thing with a pair of binoculars and a steaming cup of coffee to see if you can spot any wildlife.  Many times from this camp Caribou are visible wandering through the Dwarf Birch feeding on Lichen.  Keep an eye on the horses they will always tell you if anything is coming our way.   After packing the horses we will leave the high camp, ride through the Taiga meadows down to the more heavily treed country, and descend a fantastic trail following a ridge line down to the Yanert River.  As you are riding along it is always exciting to see the pack string winding its way down the trail.  After we descend to the valley bottom we will break for a snack and then continue on fording the Yanert River with our experienced horses.  Our forth and last camp will be at the base of a beautiful mountain in a meadow next to water where we can all relax.  
Day 6 - From our last camp the days ride will be a pleasurable one riding downstream on the beautiful wide valley bottom of the Yanert River.  Out on this broad braided river valley there is a chance to see wildlife as they cross from one side of the river to the other, often Grizzly bears can be seen digging and foraging on the river bottom.
The last leg of our journey takes us back out to the road system where we will load the horses back into the horse trailer and make the drive back to Fairbanks for overnight (dinner not included). 
Day 7 - Departure after breakfast