Description

We will travel by raft and on foot through the Alsek corridor. This is a powerful experience, dramatic because of its scale and evocative because it can challenge our sense of identity within the world. Beyond the physical, this is a journey of the spirit, an opportunity to explore nature's expansiveness and connect to that same feeling  within ourselves. As we navigate our way down river we will slowly atune to the rythyms of the land, and still our busy minds.

In essence, we are undertaking a sojourn into the unknown, an exploration of body and spirit, and a stepping out of time as we know it. We invite you to come with an open mind, your creativity and a willingness to share your discoveries.

Jill Pangman, Sandy Bielenberg and Joanne Baines combine their vast array of skill, talent and experience to take you on this extraordinary journey to the edge of the planets largest non-polar icefield.

The Setting

The Upper Alsek is also designated as a grizzly bear preserve within Kluane National Park. Kluane is part of the worlds largest protected area, traversing an international boundary, and incorporating three other parks - Alaska's Wrangell-St Elias and Glacier Bay National Parks, and British Columbia's Tatshenshini Provincial Park. Kluane has also been designated as a World Heritage Site.

The itinerary below helps to place you in the physical landscape and to give you a feeling for the country you will be travelling through. Retreat activities will be interspersed throughout the seven days. Timing will be determined by weather, location and group interests.

Trip Itinerary

Day 1:
Our tour will begin at 7:30 am. After being picked up at our hotels by passenger van, we will depart for Haines Junction, 160 kms (110 mi) to the west along the fabled Alaska Highway. Haines Junction is the gateway into Kluane National Park and the put in location for our river trip. . A visit to the Park Interpretive Centre will provide us with an excellent introduction to the unique natural and cultural history of this area. Our put in site is on the nearby Dezadeash River. This section of river is narrow and meandering, and strong winds may affect our progress, determining where we spend our first night.

Days 2-6:
On Day 2 we will reach or pass the confluence of the Dezadeash and Kaskawalsh Rivers. The river, now called Alsek, noticably picks up in speed and size. Along its shores we'll visit an old lava flow, see an ancient volcano and scan the mountain sides and shorelines for wildlife. We can expect to see Dall's sheep, grizzly and black bears, and/or moose during our passage down river. We plan to reach Goatherd Mountain by the third or fourth evening and camp on the shores of ice-studded Lowell Lake. A perfect vantage point for observing the ever-changing face of the Lowell Glacier across the lake, and to listen to the thunder of calving ice. Behind us Goatherd rises dramatically, and we can scan for mountain goats scrambling along precipitous rocky ledges with their sure-footed gait.

We'll have 2 to 3 days to explore this area, ample time to marvel at the textures and patterns of rocks and ice. We'll have a chance to hike up Goatherd Mountain, and luxeriate in her verdant tundra and wildflower-dotted slopes. From here we have an amazing view of turquoise-hued and bizarrely-shaped icebergs floating on Lowell Lake. And panoramic vistas lead our eyes up the long snaking course of the Lowell Glacier. On the afternoon of Day 5, we plan to raft through the 'bergs to our final camp at the far end of the lake. From here we can wander the shores of the Alsek as it empties out of Lowell Lake on its its route to the Gulf of Alaska.

Day 7:
After a leisurely morning on the final day, we will be picked up by helicopter. It will take several loads to return us all back to Haines Junction. This spectacular half hour flight gives us an aerial view of the toe of the Lowell glacier and the tundra clad and snow capped peaks lining the Alsek valley. Our passenger van will be waiting for us all in Haines Junction to transport us back to Whitehorse by early evening.

Retreat activities over these 5 days will include focused discussions, yoga and stretching exercises, silent meditation, and creative writing techniques. Each day will start with a specific theme, which will be some aspect of the natural world surrounding us. There will be opportunities throughout each day for contemplation on our own inter-relationship with these aspects of the Alsek environment, as well as informal discussions in the evenings for those who wish to share their experiences and insights. In addition, Jill and Sandy will be incorporating some of Joanna Macy's inspirational teachings and practices into the trip, outlined in 3 of Joanna's books Thinking Like a Mountain, Coming Back to Life - Practices to Reconnect Our Lives, Our World, and World as Lover World as Self (for more on Joanna's work see www.joannamacy.net).

Your Yukon Guides

Jill Pangman has 25 years of experience as a wilderness guide, outdoor educator, naturalist, and conservationist. Her passion is exploring wild places and sharing these experiences with others. She recognizes the capacity of wilderness sojourns to rejuvenate and inspire, and to deepen our connection to the natural world as well as to ourselves. She expresses her own love of nature, and her commitment to the healing of our world through her guiding, writing, photography and conservation-oriented work. She has immense gratitude for the beauty of nature as well as the human spirit, and she finds that leading journeys into the wilderness is an ideal venue to share this appreciation.

Price:

What's included?

• all transportation from Whitehorse and return (including helicopter out of Lowell Lake)
  
• the services of 2 fully qualified Sila Sojourns guides and 1 group facilitator
  
• all rafting gear, including lifejackets and safety equipment
  
• all group equipment including tents, cooking gear, first aid supplies, and satellite phone
  
• all meals from lunch Day 1 to lunch Day 7
  * pretrip session with Joanne Baines

What´s not?

• transportation to and from your home and Whitehorse
  
• personal belongings and equipment as per equipment list
  
• any accommodation or meals in Whitehorse

Topographical Information

| Click here to return to Detailed Trip Descriptions main page |