Kechika Jet boating

[Apolonius]

Any info about how far you can go up/east Kechika river.What are the logistics and is it crowded?Access to game Sheep/Goat/Caribou???Talking about jet boat to a point and backpack the rest.Thanks in advance.

[primmed99]

Just make sure you go the right direction when you leave the boat launch is my advise…..and how far you thinking of going up?

[Apolonius]

That was the question.How far is it possible to go to get some access to some nice country ,to hike for sheep off the river.Is it possible to jet to a place so you can actually hike for Sheep?Get away from the guide crowds?Valemount??

[Brett]

way up!! like 100km or go up the Turnagain..for your critters

[primmed99]

Its pretty crowded unless you go way way back and haul tons of fuel or get out and are willing to hike for a day min off the river


That was the question.How far is it possible to go to get some access to some nice country ,to hike for sheep off the river.Is it possible to jet to a place so you can actually hike for Sheep?Get away from the guide crowds?Valemount??

[ElectricDyck]

There are lots of terrible climbs off the turnagain with some of the nastiest alder, berrys and willow I've ever experienced...once through all that and on top you don't see too many people...I counted over 100 sheep in 3 days and lots of goats. We were there late august, came home empty handed, the sheep were too close to shoot and the goats (billys) seemed to always stay just far enough away or disappear into the trees.

Its an awesome experience but you can have the same experience hiking off the highway into nasty shit without burning all the fuel....

[Apolonius]

Thanks.I never thought it would be easy.About the highway hike, i always held the opinion it is more crowded as there are few good access points.And more hunters that would try to save money that way.And truth be ,there are some great rams coming out of the highway corridor.

[Riverratz]

In August to early Sept you can go as far as fuel will take you.
Water levels start to drop at end of Aug and into Sept.
Weather can change overnight from hot and sunny one day to a blinding snow and sleet storm the next.
Water can drop drastically in a matter of hours, so stay alert to that fact or you'll find the boat high and dry when you wake up in the morning.
You won't enjoy trying to move a stuck boat in knee deep mud and sand.

You launch at Skook's Landing into the Liard........ from the launch, head west (upstream) for about 1.0 km to confluence of Kechika.

DO NOT head downstream on the Liard from the launch. !!!!!
1.5 km. downstream from Skook's is Portage Brule Rapids ....... your boat will not survive and it's highly doubtful that you will either.
I emphasize this because almost every year someone makes the fatal mistake of doing just that, with disastrous results.

Skook's to Gataga River confluence is exactly 196 km. (by GPS).

Skook's to Frog River is 210 km., (14 km. from Gataga confluence) and will take 8 - 10 hours of hard running, allowing for a couple of re-fuelling stops, stretches/lunch, etc. assuming you don't have any mishaps or delays along the way.

Total fuel consumption over 14 days on river was 600 liters per boat, (18 ft. Alicraft Merc. 175 SJ, 20 ft. Alicraft 250 Merc. SJ).
We did approx. 600 km. of river running in total, fuel consumption averaged 1 liter/km. for each boat.
To be exact: it was precisely 1.3 liters/km going upstream, 0.8 liters/km. coming downstream.
That included a couple of day trips up the Frog about 20 km., one day trip up Gataga about 50 km. and the remainder spent on the Kechika, with about 50-60 liters left for each boat upon return.

You can't go much further on the Kechika past the Frog confluence as it turns into a rock garden.
Most of the Kechika is easy.
First few km's off Liard can be tricky in a few spots, (especially coming downstream), after that, all the way to Turnagain confluence is pretty easy going, almost boring actually.
Scenery really starts to improve after you pass Turnagain, the mountains are finally visible in the distance and keep your interest up giving you reason to keep going.
Kechika is pretty slow and easy, muddy, soft bottom, a few braided channels, 5 or 6 fast riffle sections but nothing too challenging.
A few log jam sections and braids as you get higher that will have you guessing.
Stay wide on the big curves.

Kechika from Gataga to Frog is narrower and twisting with quite a few log jam sections and braids, (watch out for sweepers both in and out of the water), brown silty water but still soft bottom for the most part.

Frog is narrow, skinny, winding, crystal clear, (so clear in fact that you'll be thinking 6 ft. deep water is only 6 inches.
Be prepared to do some bottom bouncing, watch out for sweepers, shallow riffles, sharp rock, very skinny braids, and a few white-knuckle moments.
UHMD bottom is an absolute must have.
The Frog is NOT for a larger, heavy boat.

Gataga is faster water, a little gnarly for the first few km's off the Kechika, sharp granite just barely above surface and under the surface, but then smooths out, lots of twists and turns and log jams. Avoid those "bumps" in the water.
Water is milky white, can't see bottom anywhere, not even in 6 inches.
Again, don't go without UHMD bottom, those sharp rocks will open the boat up like a sardine can in an instant.

As for "crowds" ....... the further you go upstream on the Kechika beyond Turnagain, the fewer boats you will see.
Once you get past Terminus Mtn it really thins out, you might see a boat or two in a day, some days you won't see any.
If you make it all the way to Gataga or Frog you probably won't see more than two or three boats in a couple of weeks, if that.

Fuel is your biggest concern, most people don't plan properly and don't have enough.
Hope you have a great trip.

[Apolonius]

Thanks very much.That was of great value.

[Stone Sheep Steve]

Take lots of fuel. She's a windy biatch.
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/img003.jpg

[BCrams]

Looks familiar SSS.

[358mag]

Take lots of fuel. She's a windy biatch.
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/img003.jpg
Guess that why its called "Turnagain River "

[sako_300]

^ thats the Kechika - Turnagain is clear.

[358mag]

^ thats the Kechika - Turnagain is clear.

Just testing ...:wink:

[325]

That is a gorgeous picture. Really makes me long for the north...

[Riverratz]

Kechika - near Terminus Mtn.
http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/tt73/lloymar/KFG%202009/IMAGE063-1_zps660ee7fc.jpg (http://s599.photobucket.com/user/lloymar/media/KFG%202009/IMAGE063-1_zps660ee7fc.jpg.html)

Up the Frog about 15 km.
http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/tt73/lloymar/Maries%20misc%20175_zpswm1psrwx.jpg (http://s599.photobucket.com/user/lloymar/media/Maries%20misc%20175_zpswm1psrwx.jpg.html)

Gataga

http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/tt73/lloymar/Maries%20misc%20241_zpswjwzpfi4.jpg (http://s599.photobucket.com/user/lloymar/media/Maries%20misc%20241_zpswjwzpfi4.jpg.html)

Gataga - Split Top Mtn.

http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/tt73/lloymar/Maries%20misc%20253_zpsprl3dcpb.jpg (http://s599.photobucket.com/user/lloymar/media/Maries%20misc%20253_zpsprl3dcpb.jpg.html)

[Apolonius]

Great photos riverratz

[albravo2]

^X2. Riverratz, thanks for posting. That is some beautiful country.

[fuzzy]

I like the foam gaurds on the window frames:) I was unlucky enough to be on a boat that wasn't equiped with such luxuries.

Fuzzy

[Riverratz]

I like the foam gaurds on the window frames:) I was unlucky enough to be on a boat that wasn't equiped with such luxuries.

Fuzzy

Teeth, nose and forehead savers :lol:

[pg83]

Great pics river! Would love to get on a jet boat up any of those rivers.