If you are interested in a genuine wilderness experience I can help you. Eight of the twelve people who have signed on for my two upcoming Alaskan arctic expeditions have travelled with me at least once before. Comments from them about previous trips include a sense of accomplishment, a confidence of safety, a feeling of autonomy and an overwhelming experience of adventure.
The group is crew and my expectations are that each individual will contribute to the success of the expedition to the limits of their ability. They will also have a “say” in what we do, where we camp and how we travel. These are not vacations, and comfort is secondary to experiencing the wonder of wildlife viewing and in some cases covering prodigious distances. We eat wholesome, healthy one-pot meals, but not elaborate riverside buffets characteristic of big rafting outings. My gear is top quality, for example Savage River ultralight carbon canoes and Cooke Custom Sewing packs and shelters. However, we don’t bring tables, solar showers or ice chests. My philosophy is that in the modern world we spend a lot of our lives barricading ourselves from nature, and my trips are an opportunity to embrace, rather than insulate, ourselves from the natural world. I keep the groups small. That way we leave a smaller footprint on the land and tend to see more wildlife. There is another important reason. I have been guiding for over 30 years and although people come into trips with apprehensions about bears, rapids or weather, I have discovered that the biggest threat to a happy adventure is people problems not a nature challenges. A positive group dynamic is the key to a successful and fun adventure. Although I emphasize my outdoor accomplishments in my literature, I believe my Masters degree in Organization Development and my experience as an educational leader contribute more to the success of our expeditions than my bushcraft and paddling skills. I have learned that smaller sized groups also contribute mightily to positive group dynamics. I limit the size of groups from 6-12 individuals. Although couples and small groups are common on my trips, the most likely paddler to sign on is signing on solo. Men outnumber women on most trips, but not always, and ages have ranged from 21 to 78. At the onset participants might wonder if they will fit in. They always do. In the next twelve months I will be guiding five very different wilderness canoeing experiences.
The common denominators are that we travel by canoe, respect the environment, and focus on immersing ourselves in the wilds.
May 22-25 and May 27-30 will be the the fourth annual Birding in the Boundary Waters adventure. The one million acre Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness is a place where together we will find incredible beauty, and in May, quiet solitude. The trip is scheduled at this season to catch the warbler migration and to view birds when they they are the most brilliant and vocal. If you are new to canoe tripping and birding this is a great opportunity to learn about both. If you are an experienced birder, this is a unique opportunity to view some boreal birds seldom seen in most of the continental United States. Black-backed Woodpeckers, Black-throated Blue warblers, Boreal Chickadees, Northern Waterthrush, and over fifty other species of birds have been viewed on these trips. Barred Owls and Northern Saw-whet owls have roosted next to our tents. One site where we frequently camp is right below an active Merlin nest. These bird ecology experiences are a little different than my typical expeditions. We move slowly and base camp so that we can focus on the birds. This enables us to have a a few more creature comforts and more fresh foods. Sue Plankis will lead us and her abilities to identify, spot and call birds is astonishing. Even seasoned BWCA canoe campers will be introduced to a whole new realm of wild nature. Groups are limited to six participants. There is still space on both trips this spring.
In July it’s time to go north to Alaska. This a is a real expedition. 400 miles down the Noatak River by canoe. This is not your typical Alaskan float. The Noatak River is the largest undisturbed watershed in North America and entirely north of the Arctic Circle. Musk Oxen, Wolves and Grizzlies are commonly seen and Caribou, Dall Sheep, Wolverine, Lynx, Moose, have all been spotted in 2013 and 2014. This crew is almost set, but contact me about a possible opening. Paddlers should be in good health have some canoeing experience.
In October it’s back to the Boundary Waters Wilderness for a 4-day bushcraft and solo paddling experience. Dan Cooke joins me on this one and we camp in a blend of modern and traditional styles including a tent with a wood stove. We have had moose in camp, watched families of otters and heard howling wolves on these experiences. If you want to beef up your canoe-camping skillset, and want to learn to paddle with more grace and efficiency this is the adventure for you.
February and early March is the time to paddle the Lower Canyons of the Rio Grande on the Texas-Mexico border. These eight-day, ninety mile, expeditions are a step back in time. It seems as if we are cowboys camping in the nineteenth century, curled up in front of a mesquite campfire beneath the Zodiacal Cloud. In three years we are yet to see another group of canoeists, and some years we never even see a human footprint. We have viewed Mountain Lions, Desert Bighorn Sheep, Javelina, Coatimundis, and Mule Deer. Birders might be interested in Zone-tailed Hawks, Vermillion Flycatchers and breeding Peregrin Falcons. We soak in hot springs, marvel at two thousand foot high canyon cliffs and visit ancient cliff dwellings. My trip in 2013 was written up in Sierra Magazine. Three expeditions in 2016: February 8-15 February 18-25 February 28-March 6.
If none of these experiences catch your fancy give me a call and share your dream my motto is ‘guide service anywhere’ and I mean it.
My trips are fully insured, sanctioned by the National Park Service and the United States Forest Service. I am a trained Wilderness First Responder a former bush pilot and Registered Guide in Canada’s Northwest Territories. Everyone has come home alive, a little thinner sometimes, but always with a smile on their face. It’s become cliche to promise the adventure of a lifetime, but many of my crews have sincerely made that claim at the conclusion of these expeditions. References are available on request. I am off the grid for ten days paddling Utah’s San Juan River so I will be slow to respond to inquiries and registrations until early April, but to learn more, browse my website , read my blog and order my books. Best, Rob