CHOOSE YOUR ADVENTURE: Guided Wilderness Trips Offered by Eau Claire Outdoors
local recreation hub and gear shop launches adventures to the Boundary Waters, Porcupine Mountains, Ice Age Trail
Choose your own adventure thanks to Eau Claire Outdoors’ curated Guided Wilderness Trips series, which offers curious newbies and seasoned adventurers alike the opportunity to explore some of the Midwest’s natural gems. Take a one-night trip or prep for a three-nighter, all slated for August or September this year.
Eau Claire Outdoors owner Kate Felton has spent several months planning the newly announced trips to a T, though she has been on her fair share of wilderness adventures over the years. Each destination is a natural location she feels comfortable traversing and is beginner- and moderate-friendly.
“We’re so lucky in Eau Claire to be surrounded by some of the most pristine natural resources. There is a strong community for outdoor recreation, but I think there’s a lot of people who don’t have the outlets to step into it.”
KATE FELTON
EAU CLAIRE OUTDOORS OWNER
“It’s so important to me to showcase overlooked treasures in the Upper Midwest,” Felton said. “It can be intimidating to go out (on wilderness trips) without any prior knowledge, so I’m looking to introduce these kinds of adventures – backpacking, canoeing, and others – to people.”
The first trip, slated for Aug. 14-Aug. 18, is a three-night backpacking trip in the Porcupine Mountains of Upper Michigan that will bring the group to incredible Lake Superior overlooks, forested mountain vistas, and more, a roughly 31-mile hike in total. Its cost is $700.
The second trip is a one-night backpacking adventure on the Ice Age Trail, scheduled Aug. 24-25. The most beginner-friendly of the three trips, the group will be brought through the Ice Age Trail’s unique landscapes, to scattered lakes and rocky terrain. the trip will include about 7 miles of hiking over two days and one night. Its cost is $250.
The final trip, Sept. 5-Sept. 8, is a three-night canoe journey in the Boundary Waters that will come across towering rock formations, rocky shores, sandy beaches, and bring folks to islands and into the forest. Individuals should expect to paddle for several hours a day over the four-day, three-night trip. Its cost is $700.
Detailed itineraries are available on Eau Claire Outdoors’ website, as well as a recommended packing list, a Q&A, and more. Participants must be 18 years or older, and After Pay can be used when paying for your trip, which includes the fees for the guides – each adventure will have two Wilderness First Aid certified guides leading the way – providing food, insurance costs, permits, and more.
“One of the big reasons I started Eau Claire Outdoors was to foster an even stronger culture of enjoying the outdoors in our community. We’re so lucky in Eau Claire to be surrounded by some of the most pristine natural resources,” Felton said. “There is a strong community for outdoor recreation, but I think there’s a lot of people who don’t have the outlets to step into it.”
Besides the incredible experiences of visiting some of the Upper Midwest’s treasured natural sites, participants will also receive a few perks before and after the scheduled adventures. Individuals will receive 10% off one night at The Oxbow Hotel – “to treat yourself!” Felton said – one free month at FitElite to get physical activity in prior to the trip, 50% off rentals at Eau Claire Outdoors for the trip, and more.
“I hear from a lot of people that there's an expectation that you have to travel 1,000 miles away to get to incredible beauty, and that’s just not true," Felton said. “I’d love to see, overall, an outcome where people really have an awareness of these area treasures.”
Set yourself up for an incredible summer adventure this year and find camaraderie in the wilderness, thanks to the Guided Wilderness Trips.
Visit Eau Claire Outdoors’ website to learn more about the Guided Wilderness Trips and to sign up.
