Henry Newton
In the summer of 2025 NOLS Alumni will be embarking upon our most ambitious Alumni Expedition to date. With the help of our world-class Instructors a small group of Alumni will dip their paddles and begin heading north on perhaps the most celebrated and storied long-distance sea kayaking expedition in the world, The Inside Passage.
Paddlers will convene at NOLS' campus north of Seattle and likely put kayaks in the water after driving into Canada. Paddlers will travel the entire west coast of Canada as they make their way to the end destination, Glacier Bay, Alaska. Much of the route will be in between barrier islands and the mainland allowing protection from major weather and sea challenges, but the trip will be far from easy. Exposed crossing, strong winds, large ocean swell, and an active bear population will all be factors to be considered and navigated.
Is this trip for you? Likely not, but that is ok.
This trip will take a huge commitment of time and resources and few will be able to fit it into their lives. Spending 3 months semi-damp in a Sea Kayak, camping on challenging terrain, hauling gear day in and day out, cooking over a single burner stove, and sharing a tent with others is a far cry from what most consider vacation. But for a few folks out there, these are the highlights of an good expedition, where miles on the water turn into lifelong friendships and unforgettable wilderness travel. Rainy afternoons turn into shared laughter through adversity and hot water toasts. Hasbrowns become "heybros" and ramen isn't complete without instant potatoes and olive oil. If this sounds like you, we would love to have you along.
Due to the difficulty of this trip and limited camping options we are restricting the group to 6 dedicated paddlers that will be accompanied by 2 NOLS Sea Kayaking Instructors.
At this point, our dates are approximate, but interested paddlers should plan on a 3-month commitment. For most people, this will be the largest trip you will ever do and the one you talk about for the rest of your life.
Join our interest list here to get more details as we roll them out.
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