Story Starters

Hikers Shangri-La at Nuk Tessli

A rejuvenating and restorative retreat into the heart of the Coast Mountains, Nuk Tessli is nestled on the shores of a high altitude alpine lake in the midst of a protective pine forest. For the naturalist minded hiker, this gem in the Chilcotin is the gateway to an intricate and unique trail system through the Coast Mountains renowned for their tranquil and remote landscapes. Whether you crave a self-guided outdoor experience or a guided tour through the many different alpine trail systems, there is no shortage of opportunity to revel in as much of this secluded haven as possible. Guests can expect to enjoy open access to all trails, canoeing on multiple high-altitude and glacier-fed lakes, and guided tour packages. With three fully-equipped log cabins, a rustic hot tub and a cookhouse on-site, guests can always expect a warm Chilcotin welcome at the fire and a hot meal upon return. Sela Bucovetsky Nuk Tessli Wilderness Experience nuktessli@gmail.com www.nuktessli.com

Nuk Tessli – Kleena Kleene, BC | Kari Medig

Maple Leaf Adventures

A New Luxury That’s Truly Wild

New to Maple Leaf Adventures, a luxury expedition ship, the Cascadia opens the experience of BC’s Great Bear rainforest to a new, upscale adventure traveller. Designed specifically for expedition cruises, this 138-foot catamaran provides luxurious accommodations for up to 22 guests, while being able to travel to the wildest, most naturally rich places on the coast. Its spacious cabins and salon, and its beautiful, open-air aft deck lounge are unlike any other vessel on BC’s Great Bear Sea. The vessel’s small size and small guest numbers provide an authentic, human scale experience that respects the carrying capacity of coastal inlets and communities. Selected for Canada’s “Signature Experiences Collection” by Destination Canada, Maple Leaf Adventures has provided eco-focused, big adventures since 1986. Cascadia is staffed by local experts who are passionate about the extraordinary environment they operate in; they are mariners, naturalists, community leaders, guides and chefs. Maureen Gordon Maple Leaf Adventures maureen@mapleleafadventures.com 1-250-386-7245 www.mapleleafadventures.com

East meets West and creates Magic

This Canadian Signature Experience signifies the uniqueness of Echo Valley Ranch. You can feel it and see it when you arrive, it’s the balance of East and West and the celebration of both cultures are palpable through so many facets of life at the resort: it’s the intercultural team that comes together to make your vacation experience memorable; it’s the buildings which create an effortless transition between rustic Wild West log buildings and Eastern elegance and it’s the Thai and Western spa treatments that work their magic for body and soul. The Baan Thai overlooks the whole resort and its spectacular vistas, and is a showcase of traditional Thai architecture. Their guests enjoy a pure, traditional Thai Spa experience in its Sabai Sabai Suite. Come and visit Echo Valley Ranch & Spa and experience for yourself how Western Riding and Thai Massage can create a truly blissful experience. Kerstin Auer Echo Valley Ranch & Spa Kerstin@evranch.com 1.800.253.8831 www.evranch.com

Guest Ranches BC Stories Echo Valley Ranch – Clinton, BC

Nimmo Bay Resort – Great Bear Rainforest

The Wild Within you at Nimmo

“The Wild Within,” a wellness getaway hosted by Nimmo Bay Wilderness Resort. Nimmo Bay has long been a destination for travellers seeking to relax and recharge in the wilderness while breaking away from the speed and demands of daily life. Now, our experienced guides and teachers are taking you on a journey inward with guided introspection, mindful outdoor pursuits, and neuro-muscular fitness classes. “The Wild Within” wellness getaway is designed to challenge you to connect with yourself and your surroundings in a mindful approach. Here you will be wonderfully immersed in the coastal rainforest of BC, with our gorgeous and comfortable accommodations, a nourishing and inspiring menu, transforming spa treatments, and exclusive activities designed to bring your mind and body into balance. Nimmo Bay Wilderness Resort provides a purposeful space for you to refresh, reflect and slow down to the rhythm of nature. Nimmo Bay Resort Jenny Jewczyk Nimmo Bay Wilderness Resort jenny@nimmobay.com 1-800-837-4354 www.nimmobay.com

The Flying U Ranch

Located in the Cariboo region of British Columbia, the Flying U was established in 1849 and has been in operation for 167 years! We believe this makes the Flying U Canada’s oldest continually running ranch. A major trail used by the Fur Brigade is the same trail guests use to ride out on today. The ranch slowly evolved into a working cattle ranch and by the early 1900s a legendary, colourful character, Jack Boyd, took over operations. He was to change the course of the ranch forever. Jack Boyd was a member of the family that founded the Flying U Ranch, and he developed a reputation as a maverick that spread from Western Canada to points all over the world. Jack was a champion rodeo cowboy, who loved to entertain people and tell tall tales of his card-playing, dangerous exploits and other adventures. His good friend, Tom Mix was a cowboy Hollywood star. With the financial backing and ideas of Tom Mix, combined with Jack’s larger than life personality, the Flying U Guest Ranch was born. It became the first guest ranch in Canada. Guests today sleep in the same cabins, answer to the same meal bell, relax in the saloon and ride on the same trails. On a quiet summers afternoon as you ride along the trail you might imagine the spirit of Jack Boyd riding beside you. John Lovelace Flying U Ranch reservations@flyingu.com 250 456 7717 www.flyingu.com

Flying U Ranch – 70 Mile, BC | Michael Bednar

Great Bear Rainforest Photography Tour

Encompassing 64,000 square kilometres, Canada’s Great Bear Rainforest is the largest tract of intact coastal temperate rainforest in the world. Grizzly bear and black bears, including the rare white Spirit Bear – a genetic variation of the black bear found nowhere else on the Planet – roam wild here as they have for Millennia. With giant Sitka Spruce and Western Red Cedar trees frequently exceeding 1000 years old, these ancient forests support more biomass than any other terrestrial ecosystem in the world. The forests, fiords, valleys, estuaries, islands, and mountain slopes of the Great Bear all combine to create a complex web of species diversity – bears, wolves, cougars, goats, salmon, deer, eagles, ravens, and millions of migrating water foul – to name a few. Only recently known as the Great Bear Rainforest, the 27 indigenous First Nations whose traditional territories are located here have lived here for more than 10,000 years. During our 2016 Great Bear Rainforest Photography Tour, our group of 6 participants and 4 crew will explore this magical region from the luxury of the schooner Passing Cloud. We expect a focus on bears, whales, wolves, and other charismatic megafauna, however, we’ll also spend time thinking about and photographing the interconnectedness of the Great Bear, from landscapes and sunsets to wildflowers and waterfalls. We’ll spend 1 day in bear viewing stands where we hope to catch a glimpse of the iconic Spirit bear. Russell Markel, PhD Captain EDO OuterShores Expeditions russell@outershores.ca 250 667 0554 www.outershores.ca/great-bear-rainforest

Great Bear Rainforest | Ian McAllister

Tweedsmuir Air – Fly into a Paddlers Dream, the Turner Lake Chain

A unique and beautiful paddling route awaits you, perched at 3,500 feet on the eastern edge of Tweedsmuir Provincial Park, stretches a chain of lakes which flow into Turner Lake and ultimately over 1,000-foot Hunlen Falls. Hunlen Falls is the 3rd tallest waterfall in Canada. This magnificent waterfall cascades from the north end of Turner Lake over a rugged granite precipice to rumble further on and down to Lonesome Lake below. Hunlen Falls is a short 20 minutes by air west of Nimpo Lake. Anticipation builds as you approach the Atnarko rivershed, flying over Lonesome Lake… the falls remain ‘hidden’ behind a bluff on the eastern side of a huge chasm worn by centuries of snowmelt running off mountains that surround the Turner Lake Chain and that’s just the beginning of your adventure! Or if you are just too busy and just passing through on assignment – Stewart’s Lodge on Nimpo Lake is the perfect destination to take a break from the freedom highway and experience some of the very best the West Chilcotin has to offer. Aside from great lakeside accommodation, you are within easy flying distance to outdoor adventure that abounds in the vicinity of Tweedsmuir Provincial Park…, Rainbow Mountains, Monarch Icefields, Mackenzie Grease Trail, countless lakes and streams with ample WILD trout… and much more! Duncan Stewart Tweedsmuir Air Services Nimpo Lake BC fly@TweedsmuirAir.com 250 742 3388 https://www.tweedsmuirair.com/adventures/intro.htm

Turner Lake, South Tweedsmuir | Kari Medig

Ski — Hut to Hut on the Bowron Lakes

During your four days on the Bowron Lakes chain, the mountains look fabulous all dressed in their snowy mantle. You will ski over the snowy portages and down the frozen lakes. Your guide takes you safely through the best terrain and spectacular scenery. Each night you arrive in a snug cabin with a stove, by day you travel in whatever weather nature sends and your guide ensures that you have the best gear to keep you warm and comfortable as possible. The lakes are beautifully desolate this time of year. However, all the wild animals leave their story to be interpreted. Otters drag deep trenches with their bellies through the snow, moose wander through the forests and across the lakes, wolves take advantage of the light snow cover on the lakes to travel extensively around the chain. These animals, and more, leave their tracks to be read like a book by you and your guide. In the evening, relax on your bunk by the fire, go for a moonlight ski, enjoy the brilliance of the star-filled sky or perhaps enjoy the Northern Lights. If the weather permits, you will have the opportunity to see and try kite-skiing, and even to optionally spend a night in an igloo! Dave Jorgenson Whitegold Adventures adventure@whitegold.ca 866 994 2345 https://www.whitegold.ca/

Winter Skiing on Bowron Lake | Thomas Drasdauskis