Tired of booking the same summer camp?
Eco-Wild Camps at British Columbia’s Bear Claw Lodge create fresh adventures for youth and their parents
Parents dreading having to book yet another summer camp can look beyond the confines of the city and instead sign the family up for Bear Claw Lodge’s Eco-Wild Camps, providing kids with the opportunity to learn outdoor skills and parents with the chance to unwind in the gorgeous surroundings of the Kispiox Valley.
The 2014 Eco-Wild Camps at Bear Claw Lodge will be offered from July 17 to 24, and Aug. 4 to 11. Available to children aged 10 to 16, the camps aim to instill in all youth 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 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 including 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.
The 2014 Eco-Wild Camp at Bear Claw Lodge is $2,000 Cdn per child. Parents staying in the lodge pay $450 Cdn per person, per night, which includes all meals, and guided activities.
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.
At the end of the day parents can unwind and relax in either the outdoor, handcrafted cedar sauna that is just steps away from the lodge, or the indoor river rock Jacuzzi, knowing their kids are having a fantastic time. Interior lounge areas include a pool table, entertainment screen for movie nights, and a large communal dining table that is perfect for sharing stories with the other adult guests about the day’s activities.
All meals at Bear Claw Lodge are prepared by Chef Kaleigh Allen and feature recipes inspired by the region and local ingredients. 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, floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Mount Baldy, and sliding glass doors that open on to balconies above the Kispiox River.
For more information, and to register for the 2014 Eco-Wild Camp, call 1-604-629-9578 or visit www.kispioxriver.com.
Media Contacts:
Deirdre Campbell, Tartan Group: 250-592-3838, 250-882-9199 (cell) or deirdre@tartangroup.ca
Kate Rogers, Tartan Group: 604-682-8811, 604-880-1494 (cell) or kate@tartangroup.ca
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 steelhead salmon spawns 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.
Tags:
