Outside Magazine, February 1995

The Outside Trip-Finder: North America

By Meg Lukens Noonan

ALASKA: Sea-Kayaking Prince William Sound

    The Route: A six- to ten-day exploration of the sheltered bays and fjords of Prince William Sound among seals, sea otters, and humpback whales, with hikes to alpine lakes and glaciers.

    When To Go: June-August

    Difficulty: Moderate

    Travel Advisory: Blackflies and no-see-ums can be a nuisance; local wisdom advises bringing bug repellent with 35 percent deet, light-colored clothing, a head net, and an umbrella.

    High/Low Points: Hearing the white thunder of building-size icebergs calving off the glaciers. Picturing the 11 million gallons of oil spilled in the Sound.

    Luxe Factor: Camping

    Outfitters / Departures / Price
    Adventures & Delights / 2 / $1,740
    Alaskan Wilderness Sailing/ On demand / $980
    North Star / 13 / $900-$1,550
    Sea Quest Expeditions / 8 / $1,199
    Sierra Club Outings / 1 / $1,550

BRITISH COLUMBIA: Horseback Riding And Fly-Fishing The High Country

    The Route: A six-day saddle trip through a private 500,000-acre cattle ranch northeast of Vancouver, with stops at lakes and streams to fish for rainbow trout, steelhead, and landlocked salmon.

    When To Go: June

    Difficulty: Easy to moderate

    Travel Advisory: You'll need to bring your own fishing gear, including waders, fly rod, sinking-tip line, and a selection of flies (if you don't bring the right ones, you can buy them at the ranch).

    High/Low Points: Catching your first ten-pound rainbow in the amazingly underfished waters. Getting caught up in a 1,000-head cattle drive by mistake.

    Luxe Factor: Camping; Rustic lodging

    Outfitters / Departures / Price
    Canadian Outback Adventures / 1 / $1,200

New
BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS: Sea-Kayaking And Fishing Anegada

Classic
MEXICO: Climbing The Volcanoes

    The Route: An eight- to 14-day technical climb of snowcapped El Pico de Orizaba (18,850 feet) and Popocatepetl (17,887 feet), North America's third- and fifth-highest mountains.

    When To Go: September-May

    Difficulty: Strenuous

    Travel Advisory: This is a good trip for the advanced beginning climber who has some experience using crampons and ice ax. You'll sleep in the relative comfort of mountain huts.

    High/Low Points: Feeling the rope-team camaraderie during the summit bids. Breathing the rotten-egg fumes from the volcanic vents on Popocatepetl.

    Luxe Factor: Camping; Rustic lodging

    Outfitters / Departures / Price
    Alpine Ascents International / 3 / $990
    American Alpine Institute / 4 / $1,950
    Condor Adventure / 9 / $1,150
    Mountain Madness / 1 / $1,750
    REI Adventures / 2 / $1,295
    Summits Adventure Travel / 2 / $1,295

MISSISSIPPI: Cycling The Natchez Trace

    The Route: A six- or 12-day pedal through the rolling countryside of the Old South to Natchez, past Civil War sites, antebellum mansions, and magnolia stands.

    When To Go: March-June, September-November

    Difficulty: Easy to moderate

    Travel Advisory: The Natchez Trace Parkway, on which you'll ride for most of the trip, is biker-friendly, with wide shoulders, a 50-mph speed limit, and a ban on all commercial traffic.

    High/Low Points: Riding ten miles through the monuments of Vicksburg National Military Park. Pedaling past the monumental Grand Gulf nuclear power plant.

    Luxe Factor: Camping; Tourist hotels

    Outfitters / Departures / Price
    Adventure Cycling Association / 3 / $750
    Backroads / 7 / $1,245
    Butterfield & Robinson / 7 / $1,890
    Classic Adventures / 4 / $1,155-$1,949
    Vermont Bicycle Tours / 6 / $1,295

NORTHWEST TERRITORIES: Trekking Ellesmere Island

    The Route: An eight- to 16-day journey by foot, skis, or dogsled into a mountainous, glacier-rich oasis that supports wolves, polar bears, caribou, and musk oxen.

    When To Go: May, July, August

    Difficulty: Moderate to strenuous

    Travel Advisory: Compasses are useless this far above magnetic north. You can get color topo maps of Ellesmere from the Canadian Map Company; call 416-362-9297.

    High/Low Points: Hopping from iceberg to iceberg on the coast at Tanquary Fjord. Frequently fording the fast, icy, thigh-deep braids of glacial meltwater.

    Luxe Factor: Camping

    Outfitters / Departures / Price
    Adventure Canada / 1 / $3,535
    Black Feather / 1 / $3,590-$4,450

OREGON: Rafting Or Kayaking The Illinois River

    The Route: A three- to four-day, Class III-V paddle trip through the forested canyon and sidestream waterfalls of southwestern Oregon's secluded tributary of the Rogue.

    When To Go: April-May

    Difficulty: Moderate to strenuous

    Travel Advisory: The spring runoff season is short, swift, and fluctuates wildly with rainfall. If the Illinois is unrunnable on your trip, your outfitter might switch to the Rogue.

    High/Low Points: Plowing through nonstop Class IV+ rapids along the five-mile Inner Gorge. Squeezing into your cold, damp Farmer John wetsuit each morning.

    Luxe Factor: Camping

    Outfitters / Departures / Price
    ARTA River Trips / 5 / $550
    Sundance Expeditions / 4-6 / $525-$700

TRANSATLANTIC: Sailing From Florida To Portugal

    The Route: A four- to five-week advanced-level instructional cruise on a 45-foot yacht, sailing from Fort Lauderdale to Lisbon with stops in Bermuda and the Azores.

    When To Go: April

    Difficulty: Strenuous

    Travel Advisory: Participants must be experienced coastal sailors with at least a week of previous offshore sailing experience and an understanding of the basics of celestial navigation.

    High/Low Points: Taking your first shaky steps onto the dock in Lisbon. Being on watch during your first gale-with 50-knot winds and 20-foot seas.

    Luxe Factor: Boat accommodations

    Outfitters / Departures / Price
    Ocean Masters Sailing Academy/ 1 / $7,500

New
VERMONT: Mountain-Biking The Green Mountains

    The Route: A ten-day, 300-mile inn-to-inn tour covering the length of the state on dirt roads, through forests, apple orchards, farmland, and the foothills of the Green Mountains.

    When To Go: August, September

    Difficulty: Moderate

    Travel Advisory: You'll be crossing the spine of the Green Mountains four times; while there are no sections that demand technical experience, you should be a fit road cyclist.

    High/Low Points: Riding the gorgeous, wooded "Natural Turnpike" from Ripton to Lincoln. Negotiating the 180-degree turn on the white-knuckle descent to Danby.

    Luxe Factor: Tourist hotels

    Outfitters / Departures / Price
    Bike the Light Fantastic / 2 / $1,350

Classic
WYOMING: Mountaineering In The Wind River Range

    The Route: An eight- to 30-day trek along the Continental Divide, hiking through a glacier system and learning the skills to summit several peaks above 13,000 feet.

    When To Go: June-September

    Difficulty: Moderate to strenuous

    Travel Advisory: Be prepared for long cross-country slogs carrying 50- to 75-pound packs weighted down with climbing gear.

    High/Low Points: Bagging peaks as high as those in the Tetons--with half the company. Post-holing up to your thighs for two miles across a snowfield.

    Luxe Factor: Camping

    Outfitters / Departures / Price
    Exum Mountain Guides / 3 / $1,375
    Jackson Hole Mountain Guides / 10 / $1,200-$1,500
    National Outdoor Leadership School / 9 / $2,625

See also:

Trip Finder Directory

Copyright, 1995 Outside Magazine






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