Rapids on the Fortymile can be hazardous. The degree of hazard depends on your conditioning, experience and equipment, as well as the flow rate of the water. The Fortymile River is a rain-dominated system. In a dry June there may be no rapids at all, but after heavy August rains the rapids may be class III.
The Fortymile River runs through a remote area of interior Alaska. It is a designated National Wild and Scenic River. Wild is right. Rapids often should be portaged to prevent injury or loss of provisions far from help. Hard and fast rules for running the river are impractical because every trip is run under different conditions. You will need to maneuver around rocks or waves in nearly every bend of the river, and sweepers and snags are common. There is no substitute for good judgment and attentiveness. The following guidelines cover the significant rapids.
Bald Eagle Rapids, on the Middle Fork just above the confluence of the Middle and North forks, is hazardous for canoes at high water levels. It generally can be run on either side of the large rock in the center of the stream.
Along the riverbank of the Middle Fork, watch for remnants of the Washington-Alaska Military Cable and Telegraph System. The WAMCATS line, completed in 1902, provided a communications link between Fort Egbert in Eagle and Fort Liscum near Valdez to Washington, D.C., and the rest of the United States via Seattle.
The Chute is about a half-mile below the confluence of the Middle and North forks, where the river straightens from a turn to the right as you face downstream. Canoes generally should portage this class III water, using either bank.
The Kink is big water, with several drops over three feet and recirculating hydraulics. It is rarely runnable and should be portaged on the right bank. To recognize the approach to the Kink, note that two significant streams enter the river on the right after passing the Chute. The second of these, Hutchinson Creek, is about 10 miles below the Chute. Keep your eyes and ears open after passing Hutchinson Creek, staying close to the right bank when the river bends to the left. Before the river turns back to the right, stop and scout ahead. Walk downstream to determine just how far you can safely bring your boat before starting the portage. The portage generally is made over the shelving bedrock on the right bank. If the water is high, use the trail on the higher bench.
The Kink was formed in 1898 when a group of Danish prospectors blasted away a 100-foot rock ridge to drain a 2.8 mile-long meander. The dry river bed was worked for gold, but proved to be poor ground and was abandoned by 1905. Draining the meander might be an easy task using today's technology, but creation of the Kink was a major engineering feat in that day and time. It was accomplished in a relatively uncharted wilderness without benefit of developed transportation or communication systems. The area is now on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Falls is a class II to III rapids about two miles above the Fortymile Bridge. Notice a large eddy that has taken a bite out of the cliffs of the left bank. It shows up clearly on the inch-to-the-mile (1:63,360) map. Generally you will run The Falls on the right at high water and on the left at low water. It can be portaged on the right bank.
Deadman's Rime is on the main stem of the Fortymile about 15 miles below the Fortymile Bridge. It is class III at some water levels and can be portaged on the right.
Canyon Rapids is in Canada, below the mouth of Bruin Creek. At extremely high water it is very dangerous. It is difficult to line or portage due to the steep canyon walls. At lesser flows it is class II to III water and can be lined or portaged on the right.
The Fortymile country was not always as accessible as it is today. In the past, summer travelers walked overland with packhorses or poled up the river. In the winter they traveled overland or along the river by dog team. But summer or winter, the Fortymile River was always a reliable thoroughfare for travelers.
Prospectors gave the Fortymile River its name about 1886, because the mouth of the stream is about 40 miles below the former Hudson's Bay post of Fort Reliance.
Today's travelers on the Fortymile can find relaxation, adventure or a touch the past. Many signs of mining activity, both past and present, are visible along the river. Watch for remains of old bucket and line dredges, turn-of-the-century trapper cabins, and old townsites, such as Franklin, Steele Creek and Fortymile.
As you float the river, you will probably encounter small suction dredge operations. You can also see some evidence of the large"cat" (caterpillar) mines with large sluice boxes, heavy machinery and rustic log cabins.
Early foot travelers, freighters and mail carriers followed an overland trail connecting all the communities in the Fortymile country. The trail ran south from Eagle to Liberty, over to Dome Creek, then followed O'Brien Creek to the Fortymile River and downstream to the roadhouse at the mouth of Steele Creek. From there the trail wound up Steele Creek, over the ridge to Gilliland Creek, and down to Jack Wade. It then headed west to Franklin and south again until it reached Chicken. The trip would take from 3 to 4 days by dog team or horse-drawn wagon.
The river is a peaceful and refreshing alternative to road travel. You can select a half-day float on the Mosquito Fork or a week-long float to Eagle—or anything in between—by consulting the chart on the opposite page.
Whatever your choice, the river will bring you closer to past prospectors and settlers who faced seemingly insurmountable odds as they tamed the Fortymile gold country.
