Nizina Glacier Fly-In Kayaking

I’ve done lots of camping and travelling and I can honestly say that this trip was one of the best I’ve done. This is truly what you picture when you think of the Alaskan peaks you see in the movies. Beautiful hikes, perfectly cooked meals, and great friends – I could not have asked for anything more from this trip. I would recommend this trip to anyone and everyone! Alexis P. Hiking Iceberg Lake Basecamp 2015

This was an amazing experience! Food was top notch – exceeded expectations. These memories will last our lives. I highly recommend your company and guides. Thanks!

Brandon E.
Nizina Canyon Raft & Flightsee
2014

Everything was excellent – the flight over, the companionship, the awesome scenery and, of course, the hiking… a truly enjoyable adventure. [Our] guides felt like family. They were fabulous, very personable, professional and helpful. Skelly M Hiking Skolai Basecamp

Copper Oar and St. Elias Alpine Guides exceeded my expectations. They helped me fulfill my dream of plein air painting on an extended wilderness trip. Their high level of professionalism, knowledge, and skill coupled with the right equipment led to a safe, comfortable trip.

I enjoyed my guides’ and fellow travelers good cheer, humor, companionship, not to mention the tasty meals. I am planning on returning for more adventures with St. Elias and Copper Oar.

Jackie B.
Copper River
2012

Lucas is a fantastic guide. While I was new to pretty much everything on the trip (ice hiking and climbing, pack rafting, etc.), I always felt encouraged to reach beyond my comfort zone and try to accomplish more without ever feeling unsafe. He’s very thoughtful, always enthusiastic, and surprisingly personable for a White Sox fan.

Annie O.
Ultimate Wilderness
2012

We wanted to tell you straight away how much we have enjoyed the Source to the Sea trip. The trip was a tremendous success for us due to the skill, professionalism, knowledge, commitment and humor of Kevin and Carleton. We had a really fantastic time and learnt a great deal about the wilderness we travelled through from them both. We will remember them and the rest of the crew for a very long time. There were moments of seriousness and quietness which we enjoyed of course but it feels as if we laughed and sang our way down those marvelous rivers. Many many thanks.

John K.
Source to Sea
2007

Just a quick note of appreciation for the entire Source to Sea trip. The trip was awe inspiring, Danny, Dale and Jules were extraordinary, and the travel companions were a lot of fun. I feel so lucky to have been able to participate on such short notice. […] Thanks again for making an amazing journey possible.

Martha L.
Source to Sea
2011

We had the most amazing trip of our entire life. It was perfect…the itinerary, the lodges, great activities, amazing river. Leo’s aloha spirit made the trip. I’ve never been so relaxed in my life.

C. Kubota
Multi-Sport Package Trip
2003

Our family of 4 (kids aged 8 and 11) did a 3day/2night wilderness rafting trip with Copper Oar that was fantastic. Top notch all the way. We’ve done multiday rafting trips in Utah and Idaho before and the trip we took in Alaska compared very well to those trips and had a completely diffferent feel to it.

Well worth the money. We started by flying in a bush plane from Chitina to McCarthy and an overnight in McCarthy (which was a great experience in itself! Loved the amazing tasting menu restaurant there!) We put in in McCarthy just down river from the Kennicott glacier and ended up in Chitina after 3 days on the river. We didn’t see a single person the whole time, just a bear, a couple of moose and lots of bald eagles. Great bouncy water the first day then smooth floats the second and third day and the water volume increased and the river bed spread out.

We camped at two different spots on the river and were fed great meals by our guides Jules and Dale. Oddly enough, the camping was one of the highlights. It was so serene to be out in the middle of nowhere watching the sun set (sort of) and the rise (again, sort of) with craggy mountains and huge vistas all around us. We had fun spotting bear tracks (black and brown) and moose tracks. The gear provided to us was great and handled the cold nights well — I never felt cold.

Our kids LOVED the whole experience and we’d all go back in a heartbeat and do another trip with Copper Oar. The rafting was a wonderful way to get away from everybody else and experience Alaska in a very intimate and awe inspiring way.

Nicola W.
Alaska River Journey
2010

The planning was exquisite! Gaia helped me plan the day trips at Kennicott, including the mill tour and a day hiking on the glacier. We loved Noah and the day we had just as a family walking on the Root. She also helped us with booking the plane from Chitina (which included telling us where to park our car), booking the Lodge, picking us up in McCarthy, and arranging the dates for the raft trip, etc. I felt like a had an experienced travel agent! And I don’t even think travel agents understand the needs of an adventurous family. She was great and made the trip easier, with no hassle at all, a true vacation for all. I would definitely 100% recommend to other families.

Melanie F.
Alaska River Journey
2011