Custom Tour
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
If you are interested in being guided on one of the other commercially-approved trails in the Ketchikan area, please contact me. Additionally, here are a few custom-tour packages I can offer:
Tongass Old-Growth Tree Tour
Join me as I drive and walk us to some of my favorite old-growth cedars in and around the Tongass National Forest!
Landscape Photography Tour
Bring your camera or cell phone along and we'll specifically track down landscape photo opportunities and explore how to best utilize your gear!
Get Married or Renew Your Vows in Alaska Tour
As a credentialed minister of the Universal Life Church, which is recognized in Alaska, I am able to conduct marriages and officiate renewing vows. All denominations welcome! Join me on an Alaska State Park platform overlooking a waterfall and get married in Alaska or renew your vows! Bottle of Champagne included (or non-alcoholic sparkling wine)! Please plan ahead and contact me for personalized marriage ceremonies as there is paperwork to be managed ahead of time.
Tongass Old-Growth Tree Tour
Join me as I drive and walk us to some of my favorite old-growth cedars in and around the Tongass National Forest!
Landscape Photography Tour
Bring your camera or cell phone along and we'll specifically track down landscape photo opportunities and explore how to best utilize your gear!
Get Married or Renew Your Vows in Alaska Tour
As a credentialed minister of the Universal Life Church, which is recognized in Alaska, I am able to conduct marriages and officiate renewing vows. All denominations welcome! Join me on an Alaska State Park platform overlooking a waterfall and get married in Alaska or renew your vows! Bottle of Champagne included (or non-alcoholic sparkling wine)! Please plan ahead and contact me for personalized marriage ceremonies as there is paperwork to be managed ahead of time.
What to expect / what's provided
* Duration: 2-3.5 Hours (as needed)
* Capacity: Up to 7 people maximum
*If children under 8 or infants, please note at checkout - carseats are required by Alaska State Law and will be installed for tours!
* Rates:
1-3 Guests: $500 + Taxes/Fees
4-5 Guests: $689 + Taxes/Fees
6-7 People: $875 + Taxes/Fees
* 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
* 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.
* Important Notes & Requirements:
• For children 8 years old or younger, child car seats are required by law. Don't hesitate to contact Teague if you intend to bring a younger child. Currently, 2 child car seats are available, rear or front-facing.
• Signed digital liability waiver
*Often no facilities are available at the trailhead or along the trail. If needed, public restrooms are available at Berth 3 before or after the tour. However, if there is a 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.
* Capacity: Up to 7 people maximum
*If children under 8 or infants, please note at checkout - carseats are required by Alaska State Law and will be installed for tours!
* Rates:
1-3 Guests: $500 + Taxes/Fees
4-5 Guests: $689 + Taxes/Fees
6-7 People: $875 + Taxes/Fees
* 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
* 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.
* Important Notes & Requirements:
• For children 8 years old or younger, child car seats are required by law. Don't hesitate to contact Teague if you intend to bring a younger child. Currently, 2 child car seats are available, rear or front-facing.
• Signed digital liability waiver
*Often no facilities are available at the trailhead or along the trail. If needed, public restrooms are available at Berth 3 before or after the tour. However, if there is a 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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