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We can fly you out for unguided canoeing, kayaking and rafting
adventures in BC Canada. Experience the true frontier of British
Columbia - embark on a multi-day canoe or kayak tour in BC.
Sample Destinations from Smithers, BC:
Kayaking trips:
Sustut - Skeena -
Hazelton
Sicintine - Skeena - Hazelton
Squingula - Skeena - Hazelton
Duti - Skeena - Hazelton
Canoeing trips:
Kidprice Lake Chain
Stikine River
All the above paddling trips require the flight in only. You
will paddle back to civilization.
Sustut River, BC: Sustut
Lake to the Skeena River confluence (We paddled this in the 1st
week
of August, at mid to low water levels. It took 3 days to kayak
to the Skeena confluence then another 4 days on the Skeena to Kispiox
Village.
Spring salmon were spawning in the shallow rocky 1st section and
grizzly bear sign was everywhere).
The trip starts at Sustut Lake in the very headwaters of the watershed
. Sustut Lake, almost at alpine elevation and ringed by snow clad
peaks, is a beautiful clear mountain lake that
has the distinction of being the highest elevation water body that
Pacific Salmon
species
reach, home of the “Mile High Steelhead”. Trout
fishing is excellent. The 1st 10 km of the
river is shallow, rocky and steep
(approx 200’/mile). Watch out for wood as the channel is
narrow and the corners are sharp. Johansen Creek joins the Sustut
after
approx 10 km and doubles the river volume. The river is near a
remote mining road at this point, turns southeast and begins a
more serious
descent into the Northern BC wilderness. The character of the river
is “drop-pool”,
with few flat sections. There are two crux canyons on the run.
The
first, a Class 5 sieve type drop, is approx 10k downstream of the
Two Lakes Creek confluence. We walked it on river right. The second
crux canyon is above the confluence with the Bear River. There
is a huge almost river-wide hole, just sneakable on river left.
The
rest of the run is a mix of Class 2, 3 and some great Class 4 drops.
Suitable campsites are not abundant because much of the river
is
in small canyons. Two Lakes Creek is a great spot to camp. There
is also a nice bench on river left downstream of Asitka canyon
and
above the last major canyon on the Sustut. The Bear River, with
its concentration of spawning Chinook salmon and grizzly
bears,
marks the end of the steep canyons. Here the Sustut valley broadens
and is Class 2 to the Skeena River. This section is one of the
world’s
most famous destinations for steelhead and salmon fishing. There
is a spectacular campsite at the Sustut/Skeena confluence, just
above the Class 4 section of the Skeena.
Duti River: South Duti Lake
to the Skeena River confluence (We paddled this in the 3rd week
of July, at medium water levels on the Duti, the Skeena was high
(BIG). It took 3 days to reach Skeena confluence then another
2
days on the Skeena to Damsumlo Bridge, our take-out. Portions
of Skeena were definitely intimidating at this level.)
The Duti River forms the northern most extent of the Skeena drainage
system. Very little ground separates the headwaters of the Duti
from the headwaters of both the Stikine and the Finlay Rivers.
Situated between Tatlatui and Spatizi Wilderness Parks,
the upper Duti has to be one of the most beautiful areas to kayak
in all of BC. The valley bottom
is treeless due to the harsh growing conditions but this makes
for spectacular views of the surrounding snow clad mountains.
The 1st
10 km of the river below trout filled Duti Lake is a shallow, meandering
stream through subalpine meadows. The valley walls then close
in,
the trees return and the rivers descent accelerates. There are
several solid Class IV drops (still 1st descents) prior to the
confluence
with Gil Creek. There is an exhilarating, continuous section of
Class III with the odd Class IV drop through the middle section
of the run. Tzaney Falls just upstream of Tzaney Creek is a MANDATORY
WALK Class VI drop, spectacularly powerful and heinous. There
is
a great camp spot at Tzaney Creek. Below Tzaney the river mellows
for a while then drops over a Class V and a Class VI falls followed
by the final Class V+/VI canyon that is about 1km long. We portaged
most the last canyon on a river left, descending the canyon wall
to run the last few drops. Do not miss the last eddy on the left
above the entrance falls to the crux canyon. There are about 8
other
small waterfalls along the length of the river, some of which could
be run, but are easily portaged. The Duti offers challenging whitewater
in a spectacular remote wilderness setting.
Other sites of interest:
Northern
Sun Tours
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