Magical Old-Growth Creek Trek
Offered by Tongass Teague In Ward Cove, Alaska
: $
About us
Welcome to Tongass Teague LLC’s Mindfulness Rainforest Treks!
We are a summer-season shore excursion that offers mindful hikes into Ketchikan's rain forest for up to seven people at a time. We pick you up downtown at the docks or wherever you may be staying, drive you to the trailhead, and guide you down the trail and back. We offer morning and afternoon tours roughly from May into October. Our focus is on mindfulness, or in other words, practicing how to be more present and alive at the moment so that we can better connect with ourselves, one another, and the environments we find ourselves in. Our tours are a great way to temporarily unplug from the hustle and bustle of the cruise ships and downtown crowds and to remind yourself of the importance of taking a breath, slowing down a little, and relaxing into just being where you are without worrying about what comes next. We greatly look forward to meeting you!
About Your Guide:
Hello, I’m Teague Whalen, a local Ketchikan, Alaska resident who is here to guide you on a hike through the rain forest down to the secluded Coast Guard Beach. As a grad-school graduate with a newly minted M.F.A. in creative writing, I moved from Marquette, Michigan in the Upper Peninsula to Ketchikan, Alaska in the summer of 2009 in order to teach English and communication at the University of Alaska Southeast’s Ketchikan campus as a tenure-track assistant professor.
I first experienced Ketchikan in the late 90s when I visited my younger sister who had moved out here, and I immediately jumped on the opportunity to hike the trails. There’s nothing more exciting than discovering a new trial, a new place. I grew up with two younger sisters and parents who were both teachers, so this meant we had the summers off to travel. We caravanned all over the United States with other families and bicycled toured, canoe camped and backpacked into the wilderness. I’ve hiked the Smoky Mountains in Tennessee multiple times and many of the trails around the Great Lakes in Michigan and Canada—Pictured Rocks, Porcupine Mountains, the Bruce Trail, the North Country Pathway, Lake Superior Coastal Trail, and Agawa Canyon to name a few. I’ve also guided Northern Michigan University students on hikes as an English instructor in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula as well as University of Michigan students in the White Mountains of New Hampshire and upstate Maine as part of the New England Literature Program. And now I’ve started a summer-season hiking tour here in Ketchikan: Tongass Teague LLC’s Mindfulness Rainforest Treks. So, if there is one thing I know about, it’s hiking and how to do it safely.
We are a summer-season shore excursion that offers mindful hikes into Ketchikan's rain forest for up to seven people at a time. We pick you up downtown at the docks or wherever you may be staying, drive you to the trailhead, and guide you down the trail and back. We offer morning and afternoon tours roughly from May into October. Our focus is on mindfulness, or in other words, practicing how to be more present and alive at the moment so that we can better connect with ourselves, one another, and the environments we find ourselves in. Our tours are a great way to temporarily unplug from the hustle and bustle of the cruise ships and downtown crowds and to remind yourself of the importance of taking a breath, slowing down a little, and relaxing into just being where you are without worrying about what comes next. We greatly look forward to meeting you!
About Your Guide:
Hello, I’m Teague Whalen, a local Ketchikan, Alaska resident who is here to guide you on a hike through the rain forest down to the secluded Coast Guard Beach. As a grad-school graduate with a newly minted M.F.A. in creative writing, I moved from Marquette, Michigan in the Upper Peninsula to Ketchikan, Alaska in the summer of 2009 in order to teach English and communication at the University of Alaska Southeast’s Ketchikan campus as a tenure-track assistant professor.
I first experienced Ketchikan in the late 90s when I visited my younger sister who had moved out here, and I immediately jumped on the opportunity to hike the trails. There’s nothing more exciting than discovering a new trial, a new place. I grew up with two younger sisters and parents who were both teachers, so this meant we had the summers off to travel. We caravanned all over the United States with other families and bicycled toured, canoe camped and backpacked into the wilderness. I’ve hiked the Smoky Mountains in Tennessee multiple times and many of the trails around the Great Lakes in Michigan and Canada—Pictured Rocks, Porcupine Mountains, the Bruce Trail, the North Country Pathway, Lake Superior Coastal Trail, and Agawa Canyon to name a few. I’ve also guided Northern Michigan University students on hikes as an English instructor in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula as well as University of Michigan students in the White Mountains of New Hampshire and upstate Maine as part of the New England Literature Program. And now I’ve started a summer-season hiking tour here in Ketchikan: Tongass Teague LLC’s Mindfulness Rainforest Treks. So, if there is one thing I know about, it’s hiking and how to do it safely.
What we'll do
Come join us on a lovely 3.2-mile roundtrip hike through an Alaska State Park into the Tongass National Forest. Enjoy a small group of 2 to 8 people! First, relax on the forty-minute scenic drive to the end of the road. Then hike an improved gravel trail alongside a river with glimpses of waterfalls. Walkthrough a magical old-growth rainforest displaying impressive specimens of Sitka spruce and western red cedar fencing in the trail.
Besides some stairs at the beginning of the hike, the trail flattens out and winds along the river valley below a ridge. 1 mile down the trail, our destination is a stone bench beside a serene bow in the river, where we can pause and enjoy one another and the peace and quiet.
This tour is led by owner and operator, Tongass Teague. Enjoy connecting with him, each other, and the wilderness of Southeast Alaska. Ask about how to practice mindfulness on the hike and in other areas of your life! Ask about our endangered old-growth forests and how to protect them!
Besides some stairs at the beginning of the hike, the trail flattens out and winds along the river valley below a ridge. 1 mile down the trail, our destination is a stone bench beside a serene bow in the river, where we can pause and enjoy one another and the peace and quiet.
This tour is led by owner and operator, Tongass Teague. Enjoy connecting with him, each other, and the wilderness of Southeast Alaska. Ask about how to practice mindfulness on the hike and in other areas of your life! Ask about our endangered old-growth forests and how to protect them!
What to expect / what's provided
* Duration:
3 to 3.5 Hours
*Length:
3.2 Miles Roundtrip
*If children under 8 or infants, please note at checkout - carseats are required by Alaska State Law and will be installed for tours!
*Who Is This Tour For?
This hike is for those who are able to walk two miles on an unpaved trail, climb stairs, and traverse uneven tread at times. Not recommended for those who lead mostly sedentary lives or who have health issues or injuries.
*What to Bring:
- Jacket, sweater, or sweatshirt.
- Hiking boots or trail shoes that have some traction and support.
- Rain Jacket and rain pants
- If possible, a backpack (we suggest lining the inside of your backpack with a garbage bag)
- We will have backpacks and rain ponchos available if needed.
- Children under the age of 8 years old must have their own car seat for the initial car ride.
*What's Included:
- Dock-side pick-up and drop-off from Berth 3 or as arranged if arriving via plane or ferry, transportation to and from the trailhead.
- Bottled water.
*The trailhead is a forty-minute drive from Berth 3 and is a rural hike. No facilities are available at the trailhead or along the trail. If needed, public restrooms are available at the Settler’s Cove campground nearby the trailhead before or after the tour. However, if there is a #2 bathroom emergency, we have toilet paper and military waste kits--Wag Bags--one can use and cart out. This is a leave-no-trace excursion, including no littering or food left behind. This is also a tobacco-free, drug-free, and alcohol-free excursion.
3 to 3.5 Hours
*Length:
3.2 Miles Roundtrip
*If children under 8 or infants, please note at checkout - carseats are required by Alaska State Law and will be installed for tours!
*Who Is This Tour For?
This hike is for those who are able to walk two miles on an unpaved trail, climb stairs, and traverse uneven tread at times. Not recommended for those who lead mostly sedentary lives or who have health issues or injuries.
*What to Bring:
- Jacket, sweater, or sweatshirt.
- Hiking boots or trail shoes that have some traction and support.
- Rain Jacket and rain pants
- If possible, a backpack (we suggest lining the inside of your backpack with a garbage bag)
- We will have backpacks and rain ponchos available if needed.
- Children under the age of 8 years old must have their own car seat for the initial car ride.
*What's Included:
- Dock-side pick-up and drop-off from Berth 3 or as arranged if arriving via plane or ferry, transportation to and from the trailhead.
- Bottled water.
*The trailhead is a forty-minute drive from Berth 3 and is a rural hike. No facilities are available at the trailhead or along the trail. If needed, public restrooms are available at the Settler’s Cove campground nearby the trailhead before or after the tour. However, if there is a #2 bathroom emergency, we have toilet paper and military waste kits--Wag Bags--one can use and cart out. This is a leave-no-trace excursion, including no littering or food left behind. This is also a tobacco-free, drug-free, and alcohol-free excursion.
Cancellation Policy
As John Lennon said, life is what happens to us when we are busy planning. As we all hope to see our plans through, sometimes plans change, emergencies happen, and we need to cancel tours. At the same time, a booked tour does not allow for others to book in its place, so last-minute cancellations are strongly discouraged unless it is a must.
A 100% refund for cancellations made at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience. Cancellations made within 24 hours of the start date of the experience or no-shows at the time of the tour will receive no refund.
If you have cause to request a refund, please contact us in order to inquire about the possibility of a refund.
A 100% refund for cancellations made at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience. Cancellations made within 24 hours of the start date of the experience or no-shows at the time of the tour will receive no refund.
If you have cause to request a refund, please contact us in order to inquire about the possibility of a refund.
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