"The Tiekel, is an incredibly beautiful, absolutely pristine whitewater river, one through completely trackless terrain. Paddlers down the canyon can be sure that almost no one has ever been there." -Andrew Embick
Put-in:
Richardson Highway bridge over Stuart Creek at mile 45.6.
Take-out:
Confluence ofthe Tiekel and Copper rivers, 30 miles below Chitna, 70 miles upstream from the Flag Point Bridge near Cordova.
Description:
First run in 1988 by Andrew Embick and Chris Roach, the Tiekel Canyon has been completed only a handful of times by various groups in kayaks. The canyon itself is a commiting and technical run due its difficult rapids, isolated location, and complex logistics.
Sixteen miles in length, the run begins off the Richardson highway at the confluences of the Tiekel and Tsaina rivers. The section ends where the Tiekel flows into the mighty Copper River, where one can either arrange for a gravel bar pick up via bushplane, schedule a jet boat rendevous from Chitna upstream, or continue to float 70 some odd miles of flatwater down to the coastal town of Cordova where marine ferry and commerial flights are the best options for return.
Most groups have opted to run this section in September when the river is at lower flows which allows for a more manageable experience, scouting and/or portaging the multitude of rapids. Typically, the run is done as a multiday trip where groups camp in the canyon but single day runs have been completed.
Further description is available in Andrew Embick's, " _Fast & Cold: A Guide to Alaska Whitewater."_
Local Alaskan boaters Paul Schauer, Trip Kenney, and Matt Peters ran this section in October 2013 and produced a video of their experience which can be viewed in the link below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxE9Qd5njM4