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Stikine River Explorer |
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The Stikine River, or Great River in the native Tlingit language, drains nearly 20,000 square miles and flows over 400 miles from the head waters in British Columbia to the delta in Alaska. It is the largest navigable undammed watershed in North America. In 1879, John Muir described the Stikine as a 100 mile long Yosemite Valley. If paddling through the mountains is what you want, our eight night Stikine Explorer is for you!
Forming an easy route through the formidable coastal range, the Stikine provided access to the interior for native peoples in dugout canoes as well as gold seeking miners traveling on steamboats at the turn of the century.
Our adventure begins at the Great Glacier, approximately 70 miles upriver from the delta. As we head downriver, we will experience excellent flat water paddling and innumerable interesting side trips--Alpine Creek, a salmon spawning stream, the towering cottonwoods of Ketili River and a soak in a natural hot spring.
A day trip exploring Shakes Lake will allow us to paddle under the shadow of the incredible Castle Mountain, looming 7,329 feet above. Our adventure will come to an end as we paddle across the Stikine River Delta with its braided channels and estuaries. The Delta is a great place to see shorebirds.
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TOUR ITINERARY 
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Day 01 Petersburg
Catch one of the two daily Alaska Airline Jets into Petersburg. After you settling in at the hotel (included), you'll have an opportunity to relax and explore our little town. At 7:30 pm your group and guides will meet in the lobby of the hotel to plan out your adventure! |
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TOUR INCLUDES:
- Kayaking Equipment
- Group camping gear
- Camp meals/snacks
- Professional guides.
- 2 Hotel Overnights
NOT INCLUDED:
- Airfare to and from Petersburg
- Meals in town
- Alcoholic beverages
- Personal insurance
- Sleeping bag and pad
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Day 02 Stikine River
After a lesson on packing the kayaks we'll head to the harbor and board a river boat for our journey up the river. The trip offers us spectacular views of the river valley and the Coast Range. We'll cross the Canadian border and land on a sand bar, our home for the night. The afternoon will be spent reviewing essential kayaking and safety skills. Then we'll enjoy a dinner of fresh Alaska seafood and get to know each other! |
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Day 03 Stikine River
Down the river we go! Our first stop is Glacier Creek and a hike to the Great Glacier. A Tlingit Legend says the glacier once blocked the river and formed a large lake. Today the glacier is two miles from the main river. Our camp tonight is just up river from the 30 yard wide cut line that marks the US/Canadian border. |
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Day 04 Stikine River
We turn off the main channel and paddle the winding Ketili River, with its towering cottonwoods, on our way to Chief Shakes Hot Springs. Sitting in a hot tub and looking out over the Stikine Valley is an amazing experience, and very relaxing! Camp will be at the mouth of Alpine Creek for the next 3 nights.
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Day 05 Stikine River
Today we head for Shakes Slough, a glacial stream flowing from spectacular Shakes Lake. The lake is walled in by fantastic 4000 ft cliffs and towering above at 7200 ft is Castle Mountain. At the north end of the lake, Shakes Glacier slides right into the water forming a wall of ice.
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Day 06 Stikine River
This is an open day with several options: a paddle to the hot springs for an early morning soak, track some of the moose that always seem to be in the area, exploring Alpine Creek, a little fishing, a hike to the beaver dams, or just sitting in camp with a good book.
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Day 07 Stikine River
Time to break camp and head for the North Arm of the river and its delta. We'll stop at Twin Lakes and at North Arm Creek to check out the salmon (July and Aug.) before entering Knig Slough. The slough is home to incredible wildflowers and meadows, and will be our home for the night.
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Day 08 Stikine River - Petersburg
Continuing down Knig, we'll reach Dry Straights at high tide and paddle across to Mitkof Island. At low tide we would have to walk! The van will return us to Petersburg for our last night in a hotel (included). Tonight we have a no-host dinner at a local restaurant sharing stories of our travels.
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Day 09 Petersburg
It's good-bye to new friends and it's off for your next adventure!
(Please note that Mother Nature sometimes changes our itinerary due to weather and the timing of the daily tides.)
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RATES PER PERSON IN US$
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Adult
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Stikine River Kayaking Tour
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$1550.00
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Departure Dates: July & August. Please enquire
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