Coast Mountain Expeditions
Box 25 V0P1W0 Read Island, BC, Canada

This is the approach to one of our favourite waterfalls up Bute Inlet. Tumbling down from super tall sheer cliffs, this one is best viewed from afar - the perspective is unreal! Can you spot it?

Have you heard?? 2021 multi-day trips are a go and registration is now open! Head on over to our website and take a look at our trips calendar for available dates. We're hopeful that some normalcy will return to our operations this year, but we are proceeding with caution. We're planning fewer trips with a smaller crew and we are SO EXCITED to get back out there! We're still favouring and encouraging local and 'bubble' groups - so grab your friends and family and start planning!

This was such a wild event, and it certainly is having an impact here in the islands; there are a lot more logs and woody debris floating around than normal. There is a lot of concern regarding loss of salmon populations and habitat due to this event. While this slide was the direct result of climate change, it's also important to remember that these sort of catastrophic events can occur naturally, and nature would normally find a way to rebound and restore balance. That th...ere is so much concern for salmon populations is a reflection of the poor job we humans have done in managing so called "natural resources". Department of Fisheries and Oceans has always managed fisheries in such a way as to maximise the amount of catch that is "sustainable". Such an approach doesn't leave much room for populations to recover after catastrophic events like this. Perhaps this will serve as a reminder that we should be seeking to live lighter on this planet, rather than trying to maximise profit. https://www.cbc.ca//science-team-seeks-cause-massive-bc-ro

Kayaking near humpback whales can be a thrilling experience, and something that is high on a lot of people's "bucket list". It elicits such a strong emotion, that it can be hard to remember that humpbacks are bus-sized wild animals that at times can be unpredictable. Since the recent dramatic return of humpbacks to the Discovery Islands, there have been at least three (likely more) dangerously close encounters between humpbacks and kayakers. Why humpbacks and not orca? Orca... (as well as most other toothed whales and dolphins) use echolocation to create something close to a three dimensional image of the world around them. In most cases, they will be well aware of the location of kayaks and boats. Humpbacks on the other hand do not echolocate, at least not in the same way, although new research suggests the possibility that they might have limited echolocation abilities. Exactly how humpbacks find their way through the oceans and locate prey is not well understood, but it is believed that they rely primarily on their sense of hearing (which is really strong) and eyesight (limited underwater). As a result, humpbacks may be totally unaware of the location of kayaks and boats, increasing the risk of accidental contact. This doesn't mean that we should be fearful of kayaking with humpbacks, but we should treat their presence with respect and always keep a safe and respectful distance (100m in most cases). Stay safe and respectful out there folks!

We sometimes struggle with the fact that as a tourism company we encourage people to travel to reach us, even when air travel is one of the primary drivers of the climate crisis. We know that we are a part in the problem, and we work hard to be part of the solution as well: 1. We offer a high-quality experience. We know that a lot of people are making the choice to fly and travel less, for others, a trip with us is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. When you come on a trip with... us, we make sure it's worth it. 2. We serve only vegetarian food on our trips and at the lodge. We hope that some guests leave with a new understanding of how delicious and healthy an all vegetarian diet can be. 3. We love our international guests, but we choose to spend most of our advertising budget reaching local travellers. 4. We do our very best to run our operation in an efficient manner that decreases our reliance on fossil fuels, and hope that the wilderness experiences that we offer encourage everyone to live more lightly on the earth. 5. We spend energy and money to support land purchases that protect forest land from logging. Despite these efforts, we know that we still have a long way to go in our efforts to have a light impact on the climate and environment, and are committed to constantly working toward that goal.

Fall is in the air and this is typically the time of year that we release our next-season calendar. Because nothing is typical these days, we're taking our time and re-thinking the wheel around how we plan to operate during this pandemic (and beyond). We've got some big and exciting new plans in the works! Stay tuned for big announcements in the near future. : Our awesome one-man show guide, Anthony (2020).