Summer
CANOE ITINERARIES
3
day and 6 day trips
3
DAY TRIP
In the summer, we operate three day canoe trips on the beautiful Clearwater
Lake. Clearwater Lake is the heart of the 1.4 million acre Wells Gray
as it is the meeting point for all of the water draining out of the
mountains of the Park. No canoeing experience is needed as our guides
are also instructors and all trip members will have the opportunity
to perfect Canadian canoeing techniques.
Day
1: After a 10:00 am pickup at your accommodation, we have a
scenic one hour drive to Clearwater Lake and the trips starting
point. We start with canoe instruction, and then paddle approximately
three hours to a beautiful sandy beach campsite. All campsites have
outhouses, tables, firepits, and tent sites.
Day
2: Today there are many options. The guide can set up a canoe
obstacle course and we can have races and sharpen our skills. We
can pack a lunch and explore up lake for fishing holes or paddle
to the end of the lake where the Clearwater River pours into the
lake and forms a small lagoon. We can swim or sit in the sun and
read or choose a combination of all these activities.
Day
3: Today we have a leisurely start. After breakfast and a swim,
we can start to take camp down. We load up the canoes and paddle
down the other side of the lake to the canoe dock. We then start
back down the Wells Gray Road and after 30 minutes stop at Helmecken
Falls (the third highest in Canada) We then have a look at Dawson
falls and continue down to Clearwater.
Equipment
List:
- Sleeping
Bag
- Good
quality Rain Coat and Pants (with hat or hood)
- Running
Shoes for camp
- Shoes
for the boat - diving shoes or flip flops
- Warm
wool or fleece coat
- Sun
hat
- Shirt
and pants (both short and long sleeves)
- Personal
Toiletries including sun screen, sun glasses
- Towel,
water bottle, flashlight
- Any
Personal Medications
- Duffle
Bag or Pack which holds all personal equipment
- Note:
We provide two dry bags per person; one large for your camp gear
and a small clear one for cameras etc.
6
DAY TRIP
In the summer, we operate six day canoe trips deep into the heart
of Wells Gray Park. These trips take the visitor up the Clearwater
and Azure Lakes, two of the premier canoeing lakes in British Columbia.
Wildlife viewing on both lakes is excellent as wolf, deer, and moose
are frequently seen. No canoeing experience is needed as our guides
are also instructors and all trip members will have the opportunity
to perfect Canadian canoeing techniques.
Day
1: After a 10:00 am pickup, you have a scenic one hour drive
to Clearwater Lake and the trips starting point. You start with
a bit of canoe instruction, and then paddle approximately four hours
to a beautiful sandy beach campsite. All campsites have outhouses,
tables, firepits, and tent sites.
Day
2: Paddle north up Clearwater Lake for two hours and reach the
mouth of the Clearwater River. You take 30 minute to paddle up the
river to the portage site, and then carry the gear and equipment
across the portage to Azure Lake. The portage is about one kilometer
and will take two hours to unload, carry the route, and reload the
canoes. Another one hour paddle brings us to our camp, a beautiful
beach surrounded by an old growth forest of giant cedar trees.
Day
3: You paddle for three hours along the south shore of Azure
Lake. The crystal clear water of Clearwater contrasts sharply with
the sky-blue glacier fed waters of Azure Lake. The terrain changes
also, with the easy shorelines of the Clearwater giving way to spectacular
cliffs and snow capped peaks of Azure Lake. As we paddle, we pass
small streams cascading over the cliffs into the lake, and the views
are spectacular. Finally, you glimpse the crescent of white sand
where the rainbow falls plunges into the Azure lake. This gorgeous
spot will be your home for two nights.
Day
4: A rest day at Rainbow Falls provides the opportunity to fishing
and hiking in the area surrounding the falls.
Day
5: A good days paddle along the north shore of Azure Lake and
down the Clearwater River. This is a safe river run, which gives
the now experienced canoeist a feel for moving water. You arrive
on Clearwater Lake and camp on the west shore.
Day
6: A four hour paddle back to the put-in-point and the vehicle.
You get off the lake in the early afternoon. On the return drive
you stop in and see the famous Helmcken and Dawson waterfalls along
the way and also visit Green Mountain lookout to get a feel for
the immensity of this wilderness park.
Total
distance of the trip is 60 miles. The canoe trips and summer
hiking trips run on alternate weeks, and make an excellent two week
trip combination.
Equipment
List:
- Sleeping
Bag
- Good
quality Rain Coat and Pants (with hat or hood)
- Running
Shoes for camp
- Shoes
for the boat - diving shoes or flip flops
- Warm
wool or fleece coat
- Sun
hat
- Shirt
and pants (both short and long sleeves)
- Personal
Toiletries including sun screen, sun glasses
- Towel,
water bottle, flashlight
- Any
Personal Medications
- Duffle
Bag or Pack which holds all personal equipment
- Note:
We provide two dry bags per person; one large for your camp gear
and a small clear one for cameras etc..
|