Colder temperatures mean thicker ice, but Bethel Search and Rescue is still urging caution for travelers on the Lower Kuskokwim River. BSAR measured the ice as more than a foot thick in some spots in front of Bethel, but that’s not the case everywhere on the river.
The latest report says that “the ice thickness is very slow.” That’s due to the snow insulating the ice on the river, slowing down the freezing process. The report also says that all known open water is marked from Bethel to Akiak and that there is still open water nine miles above Bethel. Open water is labeled with blue reflector tape and tree branches.
BSAR warns that upstream, no open water from Akiak to Tuluksak has been marked. The search and rescue team in Tuluksak has been marking open water at the mouth of the Tuluksak river. There are still several open water spots above Akiachak, and the report lists some more established trails. Between Akiak and Akiachak, there is a trail labeled with white reflective tape. There are also two established trails that head toward Tuluksak. One trail runs on the Kuskokwim River, then portages through Maciivik Slough and into Tuluksak. The second one is a back trail from from Akiachak.