Spirit Walker Nature Week in the Canadian Rocky Mountains

8 Days / 7 Nights

The native North American culture and the rich history in the Canadian Rocky Mountains are inseparable from the natural environment that surrounds us. It is in those wide expanses of nature and wilderness that the first Canadians devoted their culture to respecting and protecting it long before we arrived. This unique package was created to give you an exciting wilderness adventure, including hiking, backpacking, exploring, and river rafting, alongside with the opportunity to experience the wilderness through native Canadian eyes.

Connecting with the natural world in this way will be an enlightening and refreshing experience that will also help you relax in your new remote surroundings as we partake in some First Nations ceremonies at the end of the week. The early ancestors of the Kootenay River valley and surrounding areas become our spiritual guides this week as we have fun digging down into the essence of the Canadian Rocky Mountains and beyond.

Activities:

Lodge-based, interpretive out trips, all-inclusive: three-day backpacking expedition, or load-assisted base-camp adventure; river rafting; native ceremonies; native cultural and wilderness activities with a native elder.

Difficulty:

Class 1-3 (easy to advanced).

Dates (2008):

June 23-30
July 3-10
July 25 - August 1
July 30 - August 6
August 10-17
August 20-27
August 29 to September 5
September 5-12
September 12-19

"Everyone likes to give as well as receive. No one wishes only to receive all the time. We have taken much from your culture…I wish you had taken something from our culture…for there were beautiful and good things in it".

- Dan "Teswahno" George, famous chief of the Squamish indian band, 1951-1963, Canada.

Price:

$1,995.00 per person ($1,796.00 per person with tipi accommodation).

What is included:

Certified guides, permits, meals, activity costs, native elder and spiritual teachings donation, group gear, five nights cabin accommodation based on double occupancy, and transportation while at CWC.

Package Price:
1796.00 Can./Person
0.00 U.S./Person

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Location: Rocky Mountains, British Columbia
Weather: Warm summers
cold winters

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Day 1

Your arrival day to CrossRiver Wilderness Centre (CWC).

A hot evening meal will be served over some friendly introductions, followed by some final preparations and orientation before settling in to a relaxing night at the cabins.

Day 2

Bright and early, we gather for breakfast and then set out for the historic White Man Pass.

Our ascent takes us up through dense forest, over river beds, and through open marshlands to the top of the pass, where we camp for the first night.

Wildlife, including bear, elk, and deer often frequent the pass, and the views looking out over the Cross River, White Man Creek, and the nearby lakes are alone worth the trip.

Day 3

Today we head out over Albert Pass, cross through the meadows below White Man Mountain, and then up above the tree line to some adjacent plateaus and alpine lakes, where we will camp the second night.

The wildflowers of the meadows will colorfully highlight your way to the second camp, and its comfortable setting amidst the marmots and surrounding peaks.

Throughout the day, there may also be opportunities for various track and plant identifying and possibly other nature awareness activities based on native teachings.

Day 4

After a morning stroll around the surrounding ridges, we will return to CWC for a delicious home-cooked meal, a relaxing soak in our outdoor, wood-fired, hot tub, and a relaxing evening at the cabins.

Day 5

We rise for breakfast then head out today on a river rafting trip down the Kootenay River.

Depending on time of year, the waters may range from grade 1 to 3 with some sections of class 4 rapids to keep you smiling.

The surrounding cliffs, characteristic waterfalls, and good stories along the way also make this trip a fun and unique way to enjoy the mountains.

Day 6

The rest of the week is an empowering and unique opportunity to be in nature with a native elder.

We will participate in various nature walks, nature awareness activities, and native ceremonies, such as a traditional purification/healing lodge and various thanksgiving and rising sun ceremonies. All will be an adventure in their own right that can open up our hearts and minds to new perspectives on our own lives.

Day 7

There will be no mystical/magical event, just an empowering opportunity to engage with tradition and learn about another culture and way of life in thanks and openness.

It may even leave you with a renewed sense of possibility, respect, and connection with the landscape that could last a lifetime.

Day 8

After one last breakfast together, we part ways until next time.