TOUR SUMMARY

Bring a couple of friends or family along who want to explore the Alaskan wilderness like the locals with a local.

There will be no van rides, megaphones, or exiting through a gift shop.

There will however be some mud, smiles, and new things to see.

Explore the Alaskan wilderness like the locals with a local. Come exploring the way you want, with who you want. Want to boat to remote coastline, go kayaking alongside the intertidal zone, cover some spectacular coastal wilderness hiking, relax on an uninhabited beach, or check out the local wildlife? Share what you are most excited to experience when you book and then lets do it!

This is the real Alaska experience and as a private tour that can mean a range of things. All of them are rad.

Planning together we can shape the itinerary to be physically demanding in a way that most other shore excursions cannot not. Do you plan to show up in your own wetsuit to play in the surf? Let's do it!

Planning together we can also craft inclusive experiences to meet everyone's needs and abilities. With a little communication and planning I have taken many multi-generational families and people with disabilities out on extraordinarily rewarding adventures. Please let me know your needs and what you are excited about in the notes field when you book. We will plan an adventure together and then do it!

An example tour itinerary to help paint a picture of what we can go do together:

We meet at the rain gauge near the visitors center on Berth 2 and walk over to the boat moored a block away. After we stow your gear in the boat we will head out of the harbor and out into the wild. After we take in some of what the ocean has to offer via our boat we will throw the anchor and get geared up in our professional level outdoor gear.

Following an introduction to kayak safety and technique we will load up into the tandem kayaks. On the water the training continues until we make sure everyone is safely and comfortably maneuvering their kayaks. And then it is off to explore the coastal portions of the Alaskan Pacific!

Whether you have paddled hundreds of miles of water or you are just getting in for the first time you are going to love the kayaks stability and their ability to get you close to the intertidal zone in a way that only kayaks can. We will paddle together going at a pace suited to your experience looking at what sights and animals the ocean has to show us for the day.

You’ll paddle up to shore, learn to exit the kayak like a pro, and help each other carry your kayaks above the tideline. If you are looking for a plush, no-effort tour, this might not be the adventure for you. But, if you are looking to spend some quality time in the more lightly traveled wilderness this is it!

We will hike into the rainforest after a short break on the coast. Tim is a nature nerd. Hiking with me through the forest is a touch-and-feel ecology tour of the Tongass National Forest. If the season is right we’ll feast on berries, and if it isn’t, don’t worry, we will bring along some good trail snacks. The trails generally wind through muskeg, over downed trees, and under the canopy of our evergreens.

To celebrate our hike we will have a picnic on the beach that will include some local caught salmon. Post picnic we will paddle a few minutes back to the boat and load up. The boat ride back to Ketchikan will bring us to the cruise ship dock where we originally met.

Cruise ship guests: We guarantee your arrival back in plenty of time to catch your ship!