Venture with us into the vast Canadian north—a remote tundra teeming with glacial landforms, boreal forest, and beautiful wilderness—accessible only by plane or boat. The destination: a supremely outfitted lodge that will be home base amidst days filled with wildlife spotting and outdoor adventures, and evenings featuring delicious dinners followed by opportunities to watch for the northern lights. Northern Manitoba is considered to be one of the best places in the world to view this phenomenon, and fall is considered the best time to comfortably view the aurora borealis and to experience the other wonders of this extraordinary region.
Discover the uniqueness of the area during guided interpretive tours focusing on wildlife, botany, and geography, and learn about local plant life the First Nations Peoples used for food sources and medicines.
At the lodge, take advantage of leisure activities like hiking, fishing, and kayaking or canoeing, or join optional excursions to further explore the area.
Trip Itinerary:
August 29
Arrive Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Welcome to Canada! During leisure time, take advantage of the hotel's many amenities.
Overnight: The Grand Winnipeg Airport Hotel
August 30
Flight to Gangler's North Seal River Lodge / Eskers Tour / Northern Lights Viewing
Take an early morning charter flight, arriving at a private airstrip at Gangler's North Seal River Lodge. After landing, meet your Orbridge Expedition Leader during a welcome lunch at the lodge followed by a brief introduction to the property and available activities.
After lunch and time to settle into your cabin, rejoin the group for a tour of the surrounding area by all-terrain vehicle. Learn about glaciation and how it plays an important role in the geography of this region. Over time, lakes, moraines, eskers, and glacial erratics have designed a visually fascinating landscape. Eskers—which are remnants of sub-glacial rivers that stretched across the area, sometimes as high as 400 feet and 100 miles long—are a notable feature of the terrain. These winding landforms have been used for hundreds of years as an important migratory route for wildlife and First Nations indigenous peoples.
While traversing the terrain, discover different habitats, visit an actual trapper's cabin, and view various glacial erratics—non-native rocks transported to the area by moving glaciers.
Return to the lodge for time to unpack and unwind followed by hors d'oeuvres and a relaxing dinner.
Afterward, hear a presentation on ideal photography techniques to best capture the northern lights before heading out with hopes to view the aurora borealis when darkness falls. (Peak viewing may occur as early as 9:30 pm this time of year.)
If the northern lights become visible overnight, guests can request a wake-up call to join the viewing.
Overnight: Gangler's North Seal River Lodge (B,L,D)
August 31
Gangler's Lodge / Wildlife Excursion / Northern Lights Viewing
Wake up this morning with fresh coffee delivered to your cabin prior to breakfast. After eating, embark on a wildlife spotting expedition and scenic tour across the vast terrain. The North Seal River is located at the very top of the transitional subboreal forest—remarkably beautiful country that's easy to hike, traverse, and explore. This area is home to bears, moose, wolves, otters, eagles, ospreys, and many others.
This afternoon, travel by boat to a pristine esker—a long, narrow ridge that snakes across the land. Made of layers of sand and gravel, eskers mark the location of a tunnel that developed beneath a glacier. Explore the topography of this geological curiosity during an easy walking tour, and track and spot wildlife with expert interpretation by a local guide. Animals use eskers for dens, as access corridors across boggy land.
Lunch is a special treat—an incredible fresh Shore Lunch, a real Canadian wilderness tradition.
After hors d'oeuvres and dinner, watch the sunset over the river. Then bundle up and venture back outdoors to view and photograph the northern lights alongside a professional nature photographer and the lodge guides.
Overnight: Gangler's North Seal River Lodge (B,L,D)
September 1
Gangler's Lodge / Caribou Spotting / Northern Lights Viewing
Today's highlight includes a floatplane excursion north to the Barren Lands to spot for migrating caribou, which travel in small groups, landing on the tundra (if conditions allow) to stroll the area by foot.
Retreat back to the lodge for hors d'oeuvres, dinner, and a presentation on Manitoba's ecosystems and the North Seal River's unique characteristics. Afterward, enjoy another opportunity to view the northern lights.
Overnight: Gangler's North Seal River Lodge (B,L,D)
September 2
Gangler's Lodge / Optional Activities / Northern Lights Viewing
Depending on demand and availability, the following options may be chosen as individual, group, or guided activities. Options with additional fees are noted accordingly.
• Kayaking
• Canoeing
• Lake exploration by motor boat
• Mountain biking
• Hiking
• Birding
• Fishing (guided or not, experienced or not, from the shore or a boat—Gangler's will provide the equipment, instruction, and license)
• North Seal River float trip ($625 per person)
• Blackfish Lake flyout to Roberston Esker plus archaeological tour ($350 per person; limited to six guests)
• Revisit previously explored ground to delve deeper into a particular place of interest to you
• Additional discussions, lectures, and presentations by local guides and naturalists
This evening, partake in hors d'oeuvres with fellow travelers while recounting highlights of the past week, followed by a special farewell dinner.
Overnight: Gangler's North Seal River Lodge (B,L,D)
September 3
Gangler's Lodge / Flight to Winnipeg / Depart for U.S.
After breakfast, bid a fond farewell to the Gangler's Lodge staff and board the return charter flight to Winnipeg to connect to flights home. Guests joining the post-tour will transfer to Inn at the Forks hotel for check-in. (B)
Map:
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