We flew the Kuskokwim and North Fork rivers from McGrath to be reassured that it was good to launch our boat and it is. There's a little ice in a few tributaries, but not much, so boaters should still watch for ice like we would watch for other debris. We also didn't see many logs or other debris like in some years.

I launched based on the Alaska-Pacific River Forecast Center's website which showed that the North Fork was still ice covered. When I returned, it showed that it's ice free. They must have updated after I launched!

No matter, the river looks good. Lots of moose in the meadows too!