Jewel of the Cassiar

Departing Dease Lake, BC
Duration of Trip: 9 days

Boreal forests of northern British Columbia

Arctic-bound, the crystal clear waters of the Turnagain run shallow and intimate through a wilderness as big as all of Ireland – the largest south of the 60th parallel.

This giant ecosystem is large enough to support and protect the natural ebb and flow of prey-predator interactions. The region’s big game populations are of global significance: Ungulates such as Stone sheep, mountain goats, woodland caribou, elk and buffalo contend with grizzly bears, black bears, wolverines, wolves and mountain lions.

Born out of a chain of dark lakes linked together by slow gentle streams, the Turnagain swells to carve a deep passage through the rugged Cassiar Ranges. It is full of the exotic looking Arctic grayling and Dolly Varden; however, what is most remarkable to this river is the size and quantity of rainbow trout. The lake district of the upper Turnagain also boasts possibly the best moose habitat and viewing in British Columbia. From the rafts we may slip unobtrusively past moose nursing their young, or bulls with massive broad antlers pouring off water as they raise their faces from feeding on lakeweeds. An intimate forest of tall black spruces teeter and arch over the shallow wash of the Turnagain River. Wildflowers grace the banks with yellows and whites. Beavers cruise the shores by dusk and dawn. Kingfishers, sandpipers and waxwings claim the airways, and loon calls echo into the night.

Bottle-green, the Turnagain runs with a hushed mellowness. However, some sections are punctuated with the lively dance of exciting whitewater. Beyond the expedition’s close, the spectacular three-tiered Turnagain Falls drops over ten stories as it froths and roars through the confines of an unrunnable canyon. We buckle up for a memorable heli-portage and soar over the forests to alight in alpine for easy panoramic hiking, and a rendezvous to return us to Wolf Creek Lodge.

Join us, by floatplane, helicopter and raft, as we explore the magnificence of a truly undefiled land on an adventure that will be unforgettable!