Alaska's Inside Passage: Ultimate Multisport Cruise

Alaska's Inside Passage: Ulitmate Multisport Cruise Itinerary:

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• Day 1 Before embarking on your SE Alaska adventure in Ketchikan, discover why this is the "Salmon Capital of the World".

  Welcome aboard! Meet your Captain, crew, and the expedition team of your weeklong adventure. Get acquainted with your new mates as you heave ho for the wilderness. All meals included once on board. Plan to arrive in Ketchikan, Alaska before 2:00p.m.

• Day 2 We start out with a bang with bear viewing, hiking and kayaking.

  Kick off your first full day of adventure with some up-close, amped-up bear viewing and kayaking. Hike in a mile or so to a bear observatory and stand within yards of bears feeding in their natural habitat. Breakout the gear for your first half-day kayaking foray; Alaska's shoreline and outback offers ample chances for spotting more wildlife.

• Day 3 Today we'll explore the backcountry wilderness of Revillagigedo Island with a chance to do some real Alaska bushwhacking.

  It's a multi-sport day and your first chance for all-day adventure. Today you'll anchor in bear country for backcountry hiking and exploration. Giving you the best of what you want, you can opt for a sack lunch and wild Alaska bushwhacking or kayaking the pristine bays that wind through the Tongass National Forest. Also offered is the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to snorkel in Alaska and discover the array of sea life hidden below the water's surface.

• Day 4 Get up close and personal with a glacier! Hike on Baird glacier for an experience like no other.

  Change gears today with glacier-hiking and a close-up view of this other-worldly terrain. Tiptoe back in time across the delicate landscape until you stand atop the mile-wide Baird Glacier. Explore the vast expanse of this “river of ice” while learning about the forces that create glaciers and their earth-shaping impact. If you opt for a full-day glacier exploration, you’ll need to bring your own crampons; or you can mix it up with combo of glacier hiking, paddle boarding, and kayaking.

• Day 5 Today is a great chance to really stretch your legs with a rugged hike to Swan Lake or a hike/kayak option to Paterson Glacier.

  Extensive backcountry explorations, on foot and by kayak, are on tap today in one of the most striking landscapes in all of Southeast Alaska—Thomas Bay. Choose the steep and rugged Cascade Creek trail (waterproof hiking boots and gaiters are a must), which terminates at Swan Lake, an alpine lake formed by glaciers over the course of hundreds of thousands of years. This established trail—with difficult stretches marked by tree roots, large rocks, and possible fallen trees—gains 1,200 feet in 5 miles, and requires 6-7 hours round trip.

  Another option is the 5-mile (one way) low-elevation hike to the glacially-fed and rarely visited Patterson Lake. Hike in with your companions, and then launch a kayak into Patterson River for spectacular kayaking to the foot of Patterson Glacier before hiking back to the trailhead. Elevation gain on this trail is less than 750 feet.

• Day 6 Frederick Sound – the summer feeding ground for the largest concentration of humpback whales in the Northern Hemisphere.

  Wilderness and wildlife and you —civilization has disappeared altogether and forest has reclaimed the prospector's territory where gold was first discovered in Alaska. Gear up for a back bay, multi-sport day of exploration —hiking, kayaking, and bushwhacking. Break out in small groups to explore on foot in the earth's largest temperate rainforest and push off in a kayak to uncover your own riches along its shores. Cruising through famed Stephen's Passage and Frederick Sound, take in some relaxation and whale watching —whales, sea lions, marbled murrelets or pigeon guillemots, and whatever else nature has in store.

• Day 7 Kayak next to sheer granite walls and cascading waterfalls in Endicott Arm.

  Paddle till your heart's content and make the most of your last day of exploration. Winding fjords with sheer granite walls, cascading waterfalls, and some of the largest icebergs in all of Alaska lie within this federally recognized Wilderness Area. With your boat serving as basecamp, you can opt for shorter kayak outings staying nearby or a full-day kayak excursion in Endicott Arm. Conditions permitting; there'll be a chance to kayak among icebergs in the fjord. This evening during the Captain's Dinner, raise a toast to the week's adventures.

• Day 8 Disembark in Juneau, located on beautiful Gastineau Channel and surrounded by the rich, green Tongass National Forest.

  Enjoy a farewell breakfast before disembarking this morning. Transfer directly to the airport or begin your overnight stay or extended land tour. Flights out of Juneau must be scheduled after 11:30a.m.

Due to the nature of our explorations, itineraries are guidelines and will change in order to maximize wildlife and natural encounters. Variations in itinerary and the order of days may occur.

Please check with us before purchasing your airline tickets to ensure your trip has the necessary minimum number of participants required to operate.

All single travelers pay the single fare.

Trip price includes accommodations on board, airport transfers for embarkation day and disembarkation day, all onboard meals, entry fees to national parks/preserves, kayaks and kayaking gear, paddle boards, guided hiking, snorkeling gear, small boat exploration, hot tub, sauna and yoga.

Airfare to/from Alaska, lodging and meals not onboard, port fees and taxes, insurance, gratuities, alcoholic beverages, items of a personal nature.

REI Adventures standard payment and cancellation policies do not apply. At the time of reservation, a $1200 deposit is due. Full payment for this cruise is due at 90 days before departure. Cancellations received at any time after making your trip reservation are subject to a non-refundable $600 per person service charge. When a trip cancellation is received 120-91 days from departure, your deposit is 100% non-refundable. When a trip cancellation is received inside of 90 days from departure, all trip costs are 100% non-refundable.

This trip is rated Moderate [3]. It is not necessary to be an expert hiker or kayaker to participate in this trip, but you should enjoy hiking and/or kayaking and feel comfortable spending 6-8 hours doing these activities during most days. To maximize your enjoyment of the trip and to avoid sore muscles, we suggest beginning a regular exercise regimen at least 2 - 3 months prior to departure. Recommended exercises include hiking, jogging, cycling and/or swimming. The better shape you are in, the more fun you will have. Minimum age is 15 years.

Activities include kayaking among icebergs, hiking far-off trails, stand-up paddle boarding, snorkeling, "polar bear club swims", whale-watching and glacier walks.

Long periods of rainy, cool and overcast weather are common in Southeast Alaska. Summer daytime temperatures range from 45° to 65°F. When the boat is underway there is a cool breeze if you are on deck. During the summer, days are long: May has an average of 16:47 hours of daylight, June has 18:15, July has 17:36, August has 15:25 and September has 12:51 daylight hours. June is the driest month, but the Inside Passage has a marine climate which means you should always be prepared for rain.

This trip is subject to the booking information set forth in the current REI Adventures Reservation Information. Please read this information carefully and call us if you have any questions. A full gear list and pre-departure information is sent upon sign-up. We highly recommend the purchase of travel insurance through REI Adventures. If coverage is purchased at the time of your initial reservation, the 'Pre-existing Conditions Exclusion' is waived (certain exclusions apply).

We look forward to having you join us for the trip of a lifetime! Why wait? Space is limited, reserve your adventure today.

The key to staying comfortable while on an active trip is layering. To get maximum comfort with minimum weight, you need versatile layers that mix and match to create the right amount of insulation, ventilation and weather protection. Try to bring only what is necessary—this will help you and the field staff.

Gear Checklist

Things to Consider

• Due to storage restrictions in your cabin, luggage should not be more than 21" deep when lying flat. Soft sided luggage with wheels is OK.
• Please remember to pack essential items such as appropriate identification, money, eyewear and medications in your carry-on baggage in case your luggage is delayed.
• If you wear prescription glasses, use a safety cord and bring an extra pair if possible. Contact lens users should also bring an extra set, or bring eyeglasses for a backup.
• Good raingear is essential. Your raingear should be able to repel a full day of rain without leaking. It should have taped seams and preferably an attached hood. We recommend bringing two jackets: A waterproof, non-breathable jacket with attached hood for use aboard the ship or on the zodiak, and a waterproof, breathable jacket with attached hood for use while kayaking or other physical activities.
• Rain protection for your camera will be a must while in the temperate rain forest. There are many affordable options, all of varying degrees of effectiveness, depending on the amount of exposure to rain. If you are bringing a point and shoot camera, there are water proof cameras on the market that are small and a great optical quality. Bring a cloth to wipe rain and spray from the lens. Also, be sure to have a lanyard attached to your camera, you'll be thankful for it the first time it saves your camera from falling from your kayak or onto the steel deck of the boat.
• A dry bag is highly recommended to keep your gear dry while kayaking (or hiking in the rain). Dry bags can be affixed to the top of your kayak.