- 5 hours Duration 5 hours
Appreciate the rugged landscapes that surround the lake and enjoy this once-in-a-lifetime helicopter fishing experience! Catch and release only.
Quick Details
COVID-19 regional and international travel bans saw a significant increase in people taking an interest in the great outdoors and adventure sports (like kayaking and packrafting). Back country safety and awareness are more prevalent than ever, thanks to an abundance of outdoor education providers that are held accountable by their applicable governing bodies. However, there is always room for improvement and innovation with safety culture. As local recreational areas and parks become overcrowded, backcountry users are seeking lesser-known wilderness areas. Many packraft kits weigh less than 5lbs so it’s not uncommon to find individuals and groups out hiking, overnighting, and paddling at remote lakes. Many alpine lakes and several glacial lakes can be accessed by a day hike or multiday hike out of the Chilliwack, Squamish, Whistler and Pemberton areas. New lightweight products are constantly being shared over social media and as a result, this type of trip is growing in popularity.
At the time of writing, there are only a handful of packrafting courses available, and they focus on rivers and white water. There are currently no offerings for alpine and glacial lake paddling courses. Hiking for a full day to access a classroom is not efficient so in the interest of time, and to set ourselves apart as a unique educational provider, we aim to fill this niche by offering an alpine and glacial lake paddle clinic or course, by helicopter, for recreational paddlers. These educational trips provide added value for each user. Glacial and alpine lakes provide an inspiring classroom away from crowded local lakes.
Summer is a special time in the mountains. The glacial lakes undergo a series of seasonal transformations yielding jewel-like water colors best enjoyed on a kayak or packraft. See below for the different monthly experiences:
MELTWATER KAYAKING
ALPINE AND GLACIAL LAKE KAYAKING
LOOKING FOR SOMETHING MORE ADVANCED?
Kayaking and packrafting educational clinics are available at different lakes until the lake begins to freeze over in early September.
Rest easy knowing we have extensive local area knowledge coupled with wildlife management strategies already in place for proposed crown land adventure tourism applications. Through our collaborative efforts, we will adhere to the Wildlife Guidelines for Backcountry Tourism and Commercial Recreation in British Columbia (2006). Only Astar Helicopters will be used, and strict flight paths will be followed to remain >1500m from Ungulate Wintering Range.
In keeping with the rules set out in Appendix 1: Incidental Use for AT Guiding Purposes of the Adventure Tourism Policy, we will restrict courses to no more than 3 consecutive days in length and will not exceed 21 calendar days per year per location. All instructors will be registered Paddle Canada Instructors, and will comply with all operational, safety, experiential, and service standards set forth by Paddle Canada. Instructors will have no less than 2 million liability insurance for the activities taught.
Meltwater channels and ponds are highly dependent on weather conditions daily and as a whole throughout the seasons. Total Winter snowfall, Spring precipitation, and Spring temperatures play a crucial role in how the conditions will shape up prior to the arrival of Summer. The melting snow forms the water channels or ponds on top of the lake ice. These channels often do not encompass the entire lake. Channel length during peak conditions can reach 350 meters (1150ft) in length and take only minutes to kayak from end to end. Water depth can fluctuate greatly from barely enough to paddle through to over 3 meters (9.8ft)!
Conditions can also change daily and even hourly. For example, the water can freeze over during cooler temperatures. Sometimes up to an inch thick, making for a challenging paddling experience. Snowfall in May/June/early July is not uncommon. Snowfall accumulations create slush, which sits on top of the water creating the most difficult paddling conditions. Conversely, hot temperatures may detach the bottom slush layer from the ice and float it to the surface, again resulting in challenging paddling conditions.
Another unique phenomenon occurs when the snow on the glacier gradually slides downslope, putting so much weight on the lake ice that it rises up out of the lake, displacing the melt ponds. It’s a beautiful feature that eventually leads to the break up of all the ice on the lake. Picture perfect conditions can happen at any time during the season. The blue color remains constant whether it’s slushy or not. Deeper water means darker blues, shallow water means lighter blues. Bottom line is, the quality of conditions is impossible to predict, and you as the client must be aware of that before you book. If that sounds like a gamble, consider booking your kayaking course later in the summer when the ice and snow are gone and the lake is wide open for exploring.