This ultimate 16 day and 15 night nature adventure is perfect for any wildlife and nature enthusiast!
Our destination, the last Frontier in Yukon Territory and Northern British Columbia.
Our target... Mountain Grizzly at a fly in camp in Northern British Columbia, breathtaking landscapes in the Patagonia of Canada, the Tombstone Mountain Range... and the jewel of the Yukon, Kluane National Park.
But, by night, you will be in the right place at the right time to photograph the aurora in the best place in Canada to photograph the Northern Lights.
Trip Highlights
Book your flight to arrive in Whitehorse not later than 5:00pm on August 17, 2018.
Flight Destination: Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada. Flights are offered daily from Vancouver and Edmonton by WestJet, Air Canada and Air North.
August 17, 2018 we will have a welcome dinner in Whitehorse, overnight in Whitehorse (dinner is included)
August 18, 2018 we board our helicopter to depart for the BC Bears wilderness lodge. Overnight at bear camp, 18, 19, 20, 21 of August 2018.
August 22, 2018 we return to Whitehorse from bear camp, overnight in Whitehorse
August 23, 2018... those that joined us for the Grizzly portion will return home and the group that stays will head to a private Ranch in the mountains outside of Whitehorse.
August 23, 24, 2018 We will relax in the seclusion of the mountains on the shores of Fish Lake
August 25, 2018 the people joining us for the Yukon portion of the trip get picked up at the airport and we will gather that night for a group dinner in Whitehorse.
August 26, 27, 28, 2018 we will spend our days photographing what some call the Patagonia of Canada as the slopes are painted in autumn colours, the peaks of the mountains dotted with fresh snow and the meadows alive with oranges, yellows and crimson red.
At night, our eyes will be on the skies for the best place to photograph the aurora in Canada, tombstone Territorial Park and the meadows and forests around Dawson City.
August 29, 30, 31, 2018 we will spend our days visiting Yukon's jewel, Kluane National Park. Kluane is filled with pristine Lakes, stunning mountain landscapes and the opportunity to see the aurora in some of Yukon's most unique and picturesque landscapes.
You will also visit a very photogenic wildlife preserve that contains, Lynx, Arctic fox, caribou, elk, Bison, Thinhorn Sheep, Mountain Goats and Mule deer. We can walk through the Preserve at our leisure and photograph these animals in a natural setting.
Your flights home can be booked at anytime on September 1st, 2018. Flights are offered daily to Vancouver and Edmonton by WestJet, Air Canada and Air North.
Trip Details for Grizzly Portion
Our Grizzly Bear trip is located at a remote bear camp operating since 1976 and only accessible by helicopter deep inside the BC wilderness.
A total of eight of us have been granted exclusive use of this camp where you will photograph amazing bear activity that includes fishing on the spawning salmon, bears swimming in the pools and playing along the banks.
We will all meet at our hotel in Whitehorse on August 17, 2018 and enjoy a welcome dinner together in downtown Whitehorse. We can get to know each other and discuss what you can expect during our time with the Grizzly Bear. We then overnight in Whitehorse and leave at 7am for a 2 hour drive to the helicopter pad.
Our Grizzly Bear adventure begins as we board the helicopter for an exhilarating and scenic trip to our home base for the next few days. On our way you will pass over some of northern British Columbia's most beautiful wilderness locations. Then, when we arrive at our base camp, we will have the opportunity to experience a closeness and intimacy with the inland grizzly bears seldom experienced, and normally only see on the Nature Channel.
When you arrive by a 45 minute helicopter ride at the camp, you know you are in an area virtually untouched by man. Giant spruce and cotton wood trees tower over the clear rushing water of the river. The camp is built riverside and offers comfortable heated cabins of double occupancy, and a main lodge with kitchen and dining room facilities where our chef provides excellent meals 3 times a day, and by night, an area to sit as a group and regale in the days exciting photo opportunities.
During our days you will be photographing the Grizzly bears that are drawn into the area of the camp to fish and feed on spawning pink as well as Chinook salmon. This fishing ritual of the Grizzly bears has been going on for decades in that specific area and within the last 30 years the bears became very accustomed to the presence of the camp and its inhabitants.
Thus, they will go about all their normal daily activities - including fishing, eating their prey, interacting with each other and much more - in and around camp. This provides exceptional photographic opportunities all around the clock. Guests are literally living in the world of grizzly bears from the time they get up in the morning until their head hits the pillow again at night. Here, virtually all bear age- and sex-classes are present - from large adults through to females with cubs. While yearling and third-spring cubs are more commonly seen, there is always the chance of seeing and photographing small cubs-of-the-year.
There are four ground-based locations to view and photograph the bears. One of these is the platform adjoining the main lodge (ground- level) and the three others are locations along the river where we can view the bears fishing. Each location offers different scenery and backdrops. So most of the Grizzly bear viewing and photography is done "face to face" on the ground with a guide. However, guests also have the option of being put out at one of the two platforms where they can view and photograph bears and other wildlife in a non-guided situation.
Due to the closeness of our viewing sites and the excellent viewing opportunities from the deck of the lodge, the physical fitness level required for your wildlife adventure is basic. We even have had wheelchairs up at the lodge in the past.
As an added benefit, You will also learn about bear behavior from our expert guides and owner of the camp, Phil. A seasoned bear expert that has an intimate relationship with the bears that have been calling this location home for generations. Phil will be on hand the whole trip to answer all your questions regarding the species, the location and the salmon spawn that is occurring.
Trip Details of the Yukon Fall Colors and Aurora portion
This portion of the trip is designed to give you the opportunity to photograph all the diversity that the Yukon has to offer. We will cover the area around Whitehorse, Kluane National Park and the Dempster Highway. You will be shooting mountain landscapes, macro images of fall foliage, travel type photography of historical streetscapes, the wildlife, northern lights and other long exposure night photography.
August 25 - A day to Welcome You to the Yukon
Today you will arrive in Whitehorse from Home. You should schedule your arrivals so that you arrive in Whitehorse before 4:30pm. You will get picked up at the airport and shuttled to the hotel in Whitehorse.
You can unpack and have some free time before dinner. Today would be your day to explore Whitehorse, buy your souvenirs for the children and grandchildren because once we gather for dinner our excursion begins...
We will meet for a group dinner and go over the itinerary, get to know one another and discuss the various photography situations we will find ourselves in this week.
After dinner, if the skies are clear, we will head out into the countryside for one of many nights of aurora photography. There are a number of spots around Whitehorse that we have identified with interesting foreground elements that will enhance your aurora images.
Accommodation in Whitehorse - Dinner is included
August 26 - Headed to Dawson City
Today is a day to drive to Dawson City. Dawson City... the epitome of a Gold Rush town in Northern Canada. We will get picked up and begin one of two journeys along the Dempster Highway. The landscapes here are breathtaking and the fall colours will be covering the landscapes like a multi colored blanket. Your highlight on this leg of the trip is Tombstone Territorial Area.
And let's not forget about the wildlife. The porcupine herd of Caribou will be in the area in late August on their annual migration. It is our intent to introduce you to one of Canada's largest animal migration, in one of the most photogenic fall landscapes Canada offers.
If the aurora is dancing... come out and enjoy the sight near the Arctic Circle... something you will never forget.
Accommodation in Dawson City. Included is breakfast, snacks during the day and dinner.
August 27 - Headed to the Klondike
Here you will see vast expanses of fall colours and distant mountain ranges that offer everything from panorama's to macro photography, and yes, even the odd fox, wolf, caribou and an abundance of bird species that will be feeding before their southern migration.
If the aurora is dancing... come out and enjoy the sights from just south of the Arctic Circle... something you will never forget.
Accommodation in Dawson City. Included is breakfast, snacks during the day and dinner.
August 28 - Tombstone Fall Colors
We will once again continue down the Dempster or Alaska highway for a chance to photograph the remote painted landscapes one more time.
In between our golden hour photo shoots you will have a chance to explore the preserved Klondike buildings and see how the original settlers lived hundreds of years ago. If you are adventurous... it's a sour toe cocktail for you... and yet another claim to fame that you will tell your friends and family that you did while in the Yukon.
If the aurora is dancing... come out and enjoy the sights from just south of the Arctic Circle... something you will never forget.
Accommodation in Dawson City. Included is breakfast, snacks during the day and dinner.
August 29 - Return to Whitehorse
Today we return to Whitehorse and pass through some of the best landscapes to photograph the fall colours in the Yukon. Its an early morning departure after breakfast in order to arrive back in Whitehorse before dinner.
After dinner, if the skies are clear, its another night in the rural areas north of Whitehorse to photograph the aurora under minimal light pollution.
Accommodation in Whitehorse. Included is breakfast, snacks during the day and dinner.
August 30 - Saving the best for last, well, in my opinion anyways... its a drive west to Kluane National Park.
But before we get to Kluane, we will visit the Whitehorse wildlife Preserve. You will have just spent 5 days photographing areas that many of the animals in the preserve live in. If we were not lucky enough to see these animals in the wild, we want to give you the opportunity to photograph them in a smaller wildness area. You will have the opportunity to photograph, Lynx, Arctic fox, caribou, elk, Bison, Thinhorn Sheep, Mountain Goats and Mule deer. We can walk through the Preserve at our leisure and photograph these animals in a natural setting.
Then it's on to Kluane. If you've ever imagined standing amidst a sweeping landscape of mountain valleys carved by glaciers and sprinkled with alpine wildflowers and vibrant fall colours, you will get to live your dream in Kluane National Park and Reserve of Canada. An icon of North America and the center piece of the Kluane region in Yukon, Kluane National Park and Reserve is one of our natural treasures and was declared a World Heritage Site in 1979.
Accommodation in Haines Junction area, Breakfast and Dinner Included
August 31 - Kluane National Park - A World Heritage site
Encompassing breathtaking views of lush valleys, mountain ranges, Kluane National Park and Reserve of Canada is part of the largest internationally protected wilderness area in the world. Four interconnecting wilderness parks in British Columbia, Alaska and the Yukon are designated a World Heritage Site.
We will take different hikes into the back country of Kluane before we gather and have a campfire dinner in the park as the sun prepares to set. After dinner, it's a golden hour photo shoot at one of the two of the most beautiful lakes in the Yukon, Kluane Lake or Kathleen Lake.
Long into darkness we will remain in the area. You will be presented with golden hour and blue hour photography opportunities that end with a star show with zero light pollution, and maybe, a once in a lifetime chance to photograph an aurora show in this area. But if the aurora doesn't present itself, the night skies still offer the opportunity to learn how to easily create star trail photos or other night time long exposure photos.
Accommodation in Whitehorse, Breakfast and Dinner Included
September 1 - Departure Day for home
Departure day. We will transfer you to the airport for your flights home. There are early morning flight options and late afternoon flight options for those that want to stay and do some shopping and sightseeing downtown Whitehorse before they depart. There are airport shuttle buses and we will have our vehicle to ensure that you get to the airport in time to get your flight... unless you want to stay. ;-)
Pricing Details and Inclusions
Group size: Max 7 participants and one workshop leader
Workshop Leaders: Kevin Allen Pepper
Price of Workshop: $10,995CAD (right now the USD exchange is equivalent to $8385USD - please confirm the exact exchange rate to determine the USD price at time of booking as this may fluctuate. Today's exchange is $1.00USD buys you $1.31117 CAD)
Deposit: Deposit of $1250CAD is due upon registration to reserve one of the remaining 3 spots and $1250CAD due March 2017
Balance is due May 7, 2018
Included: Grizzly Bear Portion of Workshop
Single accommodations in Whitehorse for nights prior and return from Grizzly portion of workshop, Accommodations at the lodge based on double occupancy (No single supplement available), welcome dinner, all meals while at the lodge, Shuttle from Whitehorse to helipad and return, Helicopter ride in and out of camp, guides while at camp, photo instruction and guidance in the field.
Included in Yukon Portion of Workshop
Included in the Yukon portion of the Workshop
Shared accommodation, (single room available upon request. (Please ask for details and price if you want your single room), all meals, all park entrance fees, Snacks, soft drinks, water during the day, Daily transportation via an 8 passenger Suburban or equivalent. Hot drinks and snacks during aurora viewing nights.
Not Included: International airfare to place of tour origin. (Whitehorse), Meals outside of the lodge dates except for first night dinner. Alcoholic beverages or personal gifts or items, additional tips for staff such as guides and camp staff, additional excursions or gifts are not included.