Travel Blog

Sarah Palin White Water Rafting on the Matanuska River

An exciting glacial fed, class III & IV whitewater trip next to the 27 mile long Matanuska Glacier. The main rapids are several miles long and the result of a squeeze play between the glaciers lateral moraine and “Lion Head”, a massive basalt rock wall from an ancient volcanic plug. A perfect trip for first-timers or experienced river runners! Oar rafts with paddle assist or full paddle rafting available.

Sara Palin White Water Rafting

On the Sarah Palin show about Alaska were Sarah and her family went white water rafting, there was her brother and sister, her father and a number of the kids along with an expert guide. They appeared to have a wonderful time, getting totally soaked and thrills galore as they traversed the class III rapids. The water was ice cold since this river comes from the glacial melt that is just above the freezing point. It is also just plain cold in Alaska most of the time anyway.

All though I am sure that the entire event was somewhat staged, this was a great show and demonstrated what it is like for people to go white water rafting in a setting such as Alaska. Surrounded by mountains, glaciers and a raging river, it provides some of the best scenes for a show such as this. The scenery is fantastic and anyone who enjoys this sort of thing will like rafting on these rivers.

Other Rivers in Alaska Suitable for White Water Rafting

Perhaps the wildest and most visually spectacular rivers in North America, the Alsek and Tatsheshini give you mountains, glaciers and more! Flowing from the inlands of the Yukon Territory to the coastal regions of the Gulf of Alaska, these rivers offer a full range of outdoor experience.

The Tatshenshini River flows through the heart of the largest bio-preserve in the world. Wildlife abounds as you travel through tall mountains, vast glaciers and ice burg dotted lakes.

The Alsek is extraordinarily different from the Tatshenshini which is only “one valley over”. Glaciers, icebergs, wildlife, canyons and a helicopter portage around Turnback Canyon add to the adventure. The Alsek valley is perhaps the most “Himalayan-like” topography on the continent!

Additional rivers that can be candidates for white water rafting are COPPER RIVER – CHITINA RIVER – – NIZINA RIVER – KENNICOTT RIVER – GULF OF ALASKA.

If you are planning to head off to Alaska to do some white water rafting, check out the rivers online. Then book your trip with one of the rafting companies ahead of time. You want to make sure that you have a spot on the raft of course. But you will also want to find out what equipment they provide to their customers. Also what equipment and clothing you need to bring. A second set of warm dry clothes is definitely on the list for these cold water rivers.

For more posts about Alaska, click here.

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