Bear Claw Lodge
Bear Claw Lodge
Northern BC’s Bear Claw Lodge is as famous as the soft landing pad for Skeena Heli-skiing in the winter and a favourite fishermen’s haunt when the steelhead are running in the Kispiox River, so the Allen Family have launched a range of new summer experiences, offering wilderness adventures and their beautifully appointed lodge as base camp.
With room rates starting at $350 Cdn per person, based on double occupancy (and a three night minimum booking), Bear Claw Lodge is using its reputation as one of the best fishing and heli-skiing lodges in Western Canada to showcase its summer experiences. And, with just eight custom designed ensuite bedrooms, pristine remote wilderness environment, private air strip, and a location just 1.5 hours from the nearest commercial airport, expectations are Bear Claw Lodge will sell out as quickly as it does in heli-skiing and fishing seasons. Flight times from key markets like Los Angeles and San Francisco are less than five hours; a regional flight from Vancouver requires just under two hours in the air.
Guests can book for a relaxing, hang out at the lodge, enjoy the food and warm hospitality during a three-night getaway or take advantage of the all inclusive adventure packages that start at $4,800 Cdn per person and last a full week.
“We are a bit of an anomaly as most other BC wilderness lodges sell out in the summer but struggle in the spring and fall and many are not even open in the winter,” says Joy Allen, who co-manages Bear Claw with her husband Gene and four children. “We have been lucky because our location is such a hot spot for fishing and skiing, and so we decided to share the amazing summer experiences we can offer to those seeking soft adventure surrounded by incredible scenery and pristine wilderness.”
Included during a summer stay at Bear Claw are return airport transfers from Smithers Airport (approx. 1.5 hrs each way), accommodations, all meals, select alcoholic and all non-alcoholic beverages, full use of the 15,000 square foot lodge and its amenities (indoor Jacuzzi, games room, outdoor cedar sauna, Wi-Fi and miles and miles of hiking and riding trails, not to mention some of the best fishing and river rafting right outside its door). Overlooking the famed Kispiox River (home of the best wild steelhead fishing in the world, some say), and surrounded by literally thousands of acres of pristine wilderness, the Allens have chosen their summer activities to offer guests the best opportunities to explore not only Northern BC’s nature and wildlife but also its history along with pioneering and First Nations culture.
All meals at Bear Claw Lodge are prepared by local chefs Kaleigh Allen and Heather Muir and feature ingredients regionally sourced and harvested from the garden on the property. When it’s time to retire for the evening, the eight rooms within the lodge feature locally carved furniture and are themed to reflect local stories, artists and natural materials. Each bedroom includes a private washroom, windows overlooking Mount Baldy, and sliding glass doors that open on to patios overlooking the Kispiox River.
Also being offered this summer are Bear Claw’s famous Eco-Wild Camps, targeting children aged 10 to 16. Available twice throughout this summer – July 24-31 and August 3-10, 2014 – the camps aim to instill in all youth self-confidence, a love and respect of nature and the outdoors, along with educating them on how to be safe, knowledgeable and confident through the development of outdoor adventure skills. The 2014 Eco-Wild Camp at Bear Claw Lodge is $2,000 Cdn per child. Parents staying in the lodge pay $4,800 Cdn per person (double occupancy) or $5,900 Cdn (single) for the full week, which includes all meals, select alcoholic and all non-alcoholic beverages, and lodge-based guided activities like hiking, river rafting and horseback riding.
The Eco-Wild Camps were created based on the hugely popular conservation camp series, offered every year to children in Bear Claw’s surrounding communities. The seven-day, seven-night camps include swift water safety, allowing guides to then take camp attendees on the river throughout the week-long camp. River activities include rafting, swimming and saving trapped salmon fry. Horseback riding is also part of the Eco-Wild Camps, with Bear Claw Lodge teaching youth how to be comfortable and confident around horses before riding. In addition to water and horse activities, camp attendees also learn to identify tracks and help plant trees. Food preparation skills that are introduced at the camp include wild berry picking and jam-making, campfire cooking, fish processing and bread making.
Each evening, kids gather around the campfire where all meals are cooked. Dishes range from bannock (a Gitksan fried bread, cooked in a Dutch oven over the fire) salad from the lodge’s garden that the kids help harvest, baked salmon and rice. Following dinner, kids have the chance to listen and share stories over a campfire cooked banana boat dessert before heading to bed.
And, that is the beauty of Bear Claw Lodge’s Eco-Wild Camps. Parents may send kids on their own or take advantage of the opportunity to have their own wilderness adventure in Northern BC. While encouraged to let their children bond with the group without parental supervision, parents can enjoy the amenities of the lodge and their own outdoor, guided activities, including hiking, horseback riding, river rafting and mountain pack trips. Additional local attractions include the ‘Ksan Historical Village, a world-famous native heritage site located where the Bulkley and Skeena rivers meet, and Hagwilget Canyon Bridge, one of North America’s highest suspension bridges.
For more information or to make a reservation call 1-604-629-9578.
About Bear Claw Lodge
Located 1.5 hours drive north of Smithers, BC, Bear Claw Lodge on the Kispiox River is a beautifully crafted eco-resort and the base for exploring one of northwest British Columbia’s most stunning mountain valleys, Kispiox (pronounced: kiss-bee-ox) Valley. Imagine a valley where the world’s largest strain of wild steelhead spawn in pristine mountain fresh streams, and grizzly and black bear trample paths in the mossy forest floor. The valley is home to ancient village sites and trails hearken to a time before European contact, when the Gitskan people travelled and traded throughout this bountiful region. Bear Claw Lodge offers eight suites in a 15,000 square foot lodge, a full range of wilderness experiences including fishing, hiking, horseback riding and river rafting (heli-skiing in the winter) and exceptional Northern BC inspired cuisine. A private airstrip also makes accessing the warm hospitality of Bear Claw Lodge even easier. For more information, visit www.kispioxriver.com.