Canoe Trips

"What sets a canoeing expedition apart is that it purifies you more rapidly and inescapably than any other. Travel a thousand miles by train and you are a brute; pedal five hundred on a bicycle and you remain basically a bourgeois; paddle a hundred in a canoe and you are already a child of nature." Pierre Elliot Trudeau - (1919-2000)

Why Canoeing? Pierre Trudeau, world statesman and former Canadian Prime Minister, best presents the soul of canoeing . Read his full essay about canoeing in the Canadian wilderness, Exhaustion and Fulfillment: The Ascetic in a Canoe.

 Canoeing Questions? Go to Frequently Asked Questions 

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CANOE EXPEDITIONS

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Canoeing the Bowron Lakes - 10 Days/ Class 1 with some Class II - Beginner
A world famous and popular chain of lakes. The Bowron is considered the quintessential lake canoeing experience in Canada.

Algonquin Park Canoe Trip - 6 Days/ Class 1 with some Class II - Beginner
This is an exciting wilderness odyssey into the heart of the interior of Algonquin Park. We will travel through many beautiful wilderness lakes using light weight Kevlar canoes and short easy portage routes. The wildlife and fishing here is outstanding!

Nahanni River Canoeing - 9 & 15 Days/ Class 2/3 Intermediate
The Nahanni is Canada's most celebrated wilderness river and has long been favored as the country's classic river trip. Nahanni National Park Reserve was honored by UNESCO in 1979 as the first named World Heritage Site.

Canoeing Yukon's Wind River - 12 Days/ Class 1/2 Intermediate
The Yukon wilderness at its best. Remoteness, wildlife, layover days for high country hiking, and the clearest waters one can hope to drink from.

Canoeing Yukon Rivers - Class 1 with some Class II - Beginner
We have selected the Teslin - Pelly - Yukon Rivers for their history, wildlife and scenic landscapes.

Pelly River - 8 days
Over a hundred years ago explorers used the Pelly as a link to the Yukon River and the gold fields of the Klondike. The remote Pelly River flows through the Anvil Range providing paddlers with great wildlife viewing opportunities and superb alpine views.

Teslin - 9 days     Yukon River - 10 days     Teslin-Yukon - 19 days
In 1898 - the year of the Klondike Gold Rush -- it seemed that everyone was heading to the Yukon to seek his fortune. Today, abandoned settlements and sunken ship hulls recall the era of goldrushers, paddlewheelers, and settlers as they made their way up and down the Teslin and Yukon Rivers.

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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

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If your question is not answered here, check General Questions, or contact our office.

Do I have to have paddling experience?
No, but it would be helpful if you familiarize yourself with the rudimentary strokes: forward, reverse, "j", draw, pry and sweep. Our guides will instruct you in these strokes and before too long you should be comfortable in their use. We have selected rivers and lakes that are suitable for the beginner.

What qualifies a river as being suitable for beginners?
Physical requirements for river trips are generally modest. Rivers are ranked according to the difficulty of their most severe rapids:

Class 1	Easy flat water/lake and mild waves-current/river. Few or no obstructions, all easy to avoid. Some maneuvering may be required to navigate around log jams or sweepers. Risk to swimmers is slight. Self-rescue is easy.
Class 2	Straightforward rapids with wide, clear channels that are obvious without scouting. Occasional maneuvering may be required, but rocks and medium-size waves are easily avoided with some training. Swimmers are seldon injured. Group rescue is seldom necessary.
Class 3	Moderate waves and narrower channels due to obstructions such as rocks or gravel bars. Quick and accurate river reading is required with instinctive maneuvers orchestrated with a paddling partner.
Class 4	Expert whitewater canoeist. Difficult, with narrow channels obstructed by rocks, steep and narrow drops.

What if I'm an experienced paddler?
The fact that you have had previous canoeing experience should in no way detract from your enjoying the trip.

Can children come along?
Equipment and physical constraints may limit your child's participation. We can usually place youngsters in the middle of the canoe. Call our office to discuss whether the expedition is suitable for your child.

What kind of canoes do you use?
We use, Clipper , 17' canoes, for expeditions. They have proven themselves to be stable and comfortable craft.

Do I have to be in good physical shape?
There is a correlation between your physical readiness and your enjoyment of paddling. We will send home some conditioning ideas for you. Normal upper body strength and flexibility are key. Paddling is more technique than strength.

How much paddling will I do?
Generally speaking we like to get going around 9 and get into camp around 4. This would be interrupted with lunch, shore breaks, drifting, wildlife viewing, photographic opportunities. Some days may find us setting camp early due to poor weather and other days extending our days to make up for lost time.

When is the best time to do a trip?
We schedule all of our trips to coincide with the best weather and the best time to see wildlife.

What are your guides' qualifications?
Our guides have a keen interest in the outdoors, love their work, and enjoy sharing their knowledge. They are certified in canoeing, wilderness first aid, and emergency procedures. They possess backgrounds in areas such as natural and cultural history, photography and low impact wilderness travel.

What is the size of your groups?
Maximum of ten participants and 2 guides. A small group minimizes impact on the areas we visit, allows more individualized attention, develops group bonding, and better ensures safety.

Can I join your expedition if I'm alone?
Yes, as many persons come to us on their own. Most groups consist of couples, singles and friends traveling together.