WILD EARTH ADVENTURES
Friday, 30 October 2009
Thursday, 1 October 2009
Some of the faces of summer 2009
Blue Netherclift, head guide at the Odegaard Falls lookout in Bella Coola.
Fraser Koroluk, Bella Coola River guide taking a break from oaring during guide induction.
Avalon, our fantastic and forever inventive backcountry cook, enjoying a day hike to the beautiful Odegaard Falls (the falls in the photo are not the same...these are just a tease!)
Anika, assistant guide for rafting adventures on the Bella Coola River.
Guide training in the spring. Kevin leads Blue as he carries Chris the 'casualty'.
Michelle, one of our french guests on the trail.
Lexie, during guide training, also the host of the Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival or VIMFF which Wild Earth Adventures sponsored to bring to Bella Coola in July.
Ron, visiting from Bristol, trying to catch a fish in the Bella Coola estuary. Sometimes it's all about the view. Location, location, location. Which in this case was a good thing. Not one bite.
Our friend King, a Great Pyrenees mountain dog in Bella Coola.
Ryan, local guide outfitter, cooking up breakfast during a three day trail maintenance expedition.
Blue and Ron. Come fly with us.
Natalie riding upfront in the Wild Earth Adventures tour van.
Jade and Tupelo fight for the window seat during a family trip. They were only acting up for the camera!
Mikey 'Mears' and friends. Always a cheeky grin.
Leslie, one of our horse packers and an incedibly accomplished rider.
Dave, local legendary horse packer, always good for some fireside chat.
Sir Christopher Kelly, on a rather blustery day hiking in the alpine.
Ida, a very strong and competent horse packer at only 15 years of age.
John and Patricia Griffin, lovely folks and always good for a chat on the trail.
Heather, one of the assistant guides, ready for anything!
Friday, 18 September 2009
Fresh Wild Salmon
This Coho Salmon was fresh out of the Bella Coola River and a real treat for our guests in Bella Coola. We like to make sure our guests eat as much local produce as possible. And it doesn't get much better than a salmon straight out of the river. This Coho was filleted and BBQed for the last night of the Canoe Safari this month. Yum.
Bella Coola Alpine
It was a real treat to be able to take a group into the alpine of Bella Coola Valley. The Canoe Safari in September had to be cut short by a few days as the forest fires continue to burn. In order to fill the extra days I decided to guide the group along some of the alpine trails accessed high up on some of the old logging roads. The photos don't do it justice...stunning.
Fishing with a Grizzly!!!
As the forest fires had closed down business in Bella Coola Valley for a couple of weeks I thought it was a good idea to tackle the fires and check out the damage. On the way back out of the valley I decided to try a few casts with the rod, see if I couldn't catch a salmon...I thought I might be in for some competition from one of the local grizzlies...but this grizzly was far more interested in the berries - it's been a killer season for berries with the consistent hot temps. Check out these photos!
Trekking with Wolves
One of the most exciting moments this summer was walking into two large grey wolves on the Chilcotin plateau. We were on our way out of the stunning Rainbow Mountain wilderness park when two wolves calmly trotted into view before slinking into the shadows of the trees. I must have been within 50 feet of the wolves as I guided the group of 8 hikers walking quietly behind me enroute back to the trailhead after 7 days in the backcountry.
After weeks of forest fires, which continue to burn, we had to reroute our popular Mackenzie/Grease Trail trekking trip and explore some new wilderness areas in the Rainbow Mountain range. And we were not disappointed. The first day from the trailhead was a big challenge to guide. It is always intimidating, for me atleast, having the responsibility of looking after a group of tourists, and exploring a new wilderness below the treeline. Due to the nature of the terrain, below the treeline can be tough going. There is a mix of bog, streams, fallen trees and thick bush. This is real wilderness to me...nothing but an old horse trail to follow and some old game trails. After a few challenging guiding moments we managed to get into camp in plenty of time although a longer day than expected.
On these trekking trips I use a local horse packing outfit to carry all the gear. In this case it is the Dorsey family that runs one of the most well known and respected horse packing and hunting outfits in the region. Riding ahead of us they always arrive in camp early to put the horses out to pasture in the meadows and get the fire going ready for tea and coffee. The Dorsey outfit have been using these wild campsites for years. So while the camps are fully wild and remote they do have fire pits and a drop toilet! And they are always in a stunning location.
From the first camp we explored Dark Peak behind the camp and walked the alpine ridges to afford spectacular views. From the high point of the day we descended to alpine lakes, watched by a family of hoary marmots. A short stroll back to camp through alpine meadows we made it back to camp in plenty of time for tea and biscuits before a dinner of steak and mash.
Our second camp of the trip was a challenging day hike over Mary's Pass and over alpine ridge into a forested valley with a series of small creeks flowing into a main river. The camp was adjacent to the river with views across the horse meadows to the mountains. The day hikes from here were stunning and offered some of the best alpine views I have had the pleasure of enjoying.
What is such an treat is being the only group in a vast wilderness of mountain, forest and valley. There are no other hikers in these areas and with the horse support we are given the advantage of travelling light and exploring the area umimpeded by heavy backpack.
I have only scratched the surface of this area, somewhere I would like to bring more groups over the coming years to add to the range of adventures that Wild Earth Adventures offers.
After weeks of forest fires, which continue to burn, we had to reroute our popular Mackenzie/Grease Trail trekking trip and explore some new wilderness areas in the Rainbow Mountain range. And we were not disappointed. The first day from the trailhead was a big challenge to guide. It is always intimidating, for me atleast, having the responsibility of looking after a group of tourists, and exploring a new wilderness below the treeline. Due to the nature of the terrain, below the treeline can be tough going. There is a mix of bog, streams, fallen trees and thick bush. This is real wilderness to me...nothing but an old horse trail to follow and some old game trails. After a few challenging guiding moments we managed to get into camp in plenty of time although a longer day than expected.
On these trekking trips I use a local horse packing outfit to carry all the gear. In this case it is the Dorsey family that runs one of the most well known and respected horse packing and hunting outfits in the region. Riding ahead of us they always arrive in camp early to put the horses out to pasture in the meadows and get the fire going ready for tea and coffee. The Dorsey outfit have been using these wild campsites for years. So while the camps are fully wild and remote they do have fire pits and a drop toilet! And they are always in a stunning location.
From the first camp we explored Dark Peak behind the camp and walked the alpine ridges to afford spectacular views. From the high point of the day we descended to alpine lakes, watched by a family of hoary marmots. A short stroll back to camp through alpine meadows we made it back to camp in plenty of time for tea and biscuits before a dinner of steak and mash.
Our second camp of the trip was a challenging day hike over Mary's Pass and over alpine ridge into a forested valley with a series of small creeks flowing into a main river. The camp was adjacent to the river with views across the horse meadows to the mountains. The day hikes from here were stunning and offered some of the best alpine views I have had the pleasure of enjoying.
What is such an treat is being the only group in a vast wilderness of mountain, forest and valley. There are no other hikers in these areas and with the horse support we are given the advantage of travelling light and exploring the area umimpeded by heavy backpack.
I have only scratched the surface of this area, somewhere I would like to bring more groups over the coming years to add to the range of adventures that Wild Earth Adventures offers.
Monday, 13 July 2009
Researching New Frontiers
It's work. Honest. It just happens to be exploring new areas and discovering new frontiers, all in the name of research and development. I have been looking at new alpine touring areas with floatplane access and going on horseback into remote corners of the coastal mountains to consider new trekking options. These new trips will be featured in 2010 through our travel agents and on our website...really exciting to be able to offer these unique trips that no other companies are able to offer...it's all about who you know! So below are a few shots from the last three weeks.
Meanwhile on the office front things are looking good...bookings still coming in for the summer which is pretty full. And we are looking at being the west coast agent for a large UK wildlife holiday company.
Meanwhile on the office front things are looking good...bookings still coming in for the summer which is pretty full. And we are looking at being the west coast agent for a large UK wildlife holiday company.
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