Down Alaska's Wild Rivers

"Frank Keim, poet, educator, environmentalist, naturalist, lives in Fairbanks, and has written several books of poetry, plus a previous book describing Alaska river trips-White Water Blue, from 2012. In this new book, Frank describes 11 different trips on wild Alaskan rivers-all but one being up in the Arctic; the last is in Wood Tikchik State Park in south central Alaska-a vast compendium of connected lakes and rivers. At least one trek described is not actually on a river, but backpacking in the Sadlerochit Mountains in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. In his new book, Down Alaska's Wild Rivers, Frank Keim describes 11 different trips on wild Alaskan rivers-all but one being up in the Arctic; the last is in Wood Tikchik State Park in south central Alaska-a vast compendium of connected lakes and rivers. At least one trek described is not actually on a river, but backpacking in the Sadlerochit Mountains in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. When I began reading Frank's book, I was amazed at the level of detailed day-by-day description. Do we really need this much detail? I mused. But what at first seemed excessive quickly became the ""meat"", the crux of the trip descriptions-the daily journal format made me feel as though I was right there really sharing the adventure with Frank and his family or friends. As I read, I felt absorbed into the day-by-day account, including exceptionally detailed identifications and descriptions of many kinds of birds and plants-their appearances and, at least for birds, their movements and activities. Frank has a truly thorough knowledge of the many bird species and flowering plants encountered. In time, as I seemed to be headed toward finishing the book too fast, I rationed myself to follow along-reading one chapter day per day. The rivers he traveled include the Sheenjek, Kongakut, Yukon, Birch Creek, Spring Creek and Marsh Fork, Canning, Ivishak, Delta, and the Wood-Tikchik lake and river systems in southwest Alaska. -- from review by Vicky Hoover, for Sierra Club"