The Route: A rugged eight-day river trip via paddle-raft and inflatable tandem sea kayak through the Class IV Upper and Lower Primrose Canyons and across Primrose, Rose, and Kusawa Lakes. Includes a helicopter porage around a spectacular 170-foot waterfall.

When to go: June-July

Difficulty: Difficult

Travel advisory: Because of its location just east of Alaska's St. Elias Range, the Primrose area largely escapes the two usual north-country summer bummers: rain and bugs. Instead of deet, bring SPF 30.

High/low points:

• Being towed at four knots across Primrose Lake by a rainbow-colored parafoil kite anchored to the bow of your sea kayak.
• Discovering a fresh moose kill buried by a soon-to-return grizzly only 30 feet from your idyllic lakeside campsite.