What has traditionally been a key element of spiritual life in Japan – a deep connection to nature – is catching on more in places like the Canada and the United States. People are seeking out adventure travel because of the peace and tranquility it offers, a balm for the mind and soul.
Related: The immense natural beauty that draws travellers to Princeton, B.C.
Meditation and mindfulness are resonating more, as people step outdoors to camp, hike, mountain bike, kayak, more appealing now after three years world-wide upheaval. The pandemic did a number on all of us, followed by over a year of economic turmoil and a European war. Plus all the social media-stoked division.
Enough of it, people are saying. That’s why things like forest therapy walks and nature connection guidance tours are more popular – anything that promotes an inner state of relaxation, deeper connections with the natural world around us. There’s a mental health epidemic now. It’s time to turn off the technology so one can better reconnect with oneself, families, friends, nature, taking a moment to experience something that allows one to connect with whom they are. That needs to be outside of the hyper-connectivity and hustle and bustle of daily life these days.
Adventure travel: Mount Logan EcoLodge in the Yukon
There’s a reason why Mount Logan EcoLodge is seeing a noticeable uptick in bookings from big cities like Toronto and Vancouver, and beyond Canada’s borders. They’re offering direct flights into the area now, to help expedite people’s arrivals there. Nestled at the foot of the Mount Logan mountains in the Yukon, a territory in northwest Canada, next to Alaska, it’s where people are heading to experience the “healing power of nature”.
Mount Logan EcoLodge is located in Haines Junction, a town located along the Alaska Highway, about 100 miles due west of Whitehorse, Yukon’s capital city. There you’ll find a range of accommodations – from spacious luxury suites to unique outdoor accommodations (for a true wilderness experience try a few nights in the mongolian-style yurt on site).
Guests start their day with a delicious cooked meal with a varying array of choices – like French Toast Topped with Caramelized apples, or Smoked Salmon Eggs Benny. There’s a selection of fresh fruit, yogurt and home made granola. They grow their own herbs and vegetables on site and serve them from June to mid October. Everything is locally sourced. After their day outdoors guests sit down for a three-course dinner.
But it’s when you walk out the front door at the lodge, and you’re met with the awesomeness of Mount Logan, Canada’s tallest mountain, that the sheer emotional impact hits you. The lodge is at the border of Kluane National Park, part of the world’s largest non-polar icefield. There is so much to explore in this part of the world, a lot of it undiscovered, so many little pockets of nature.
Dreamscape for hikers
If the objective is the inner state of relaxation, that whole-being restoration after years of tech-driven desensitization – and the healing for the body and mind that it brings – there’s no better place than Canada’s Yukon.
Most of us in cities look out our front door at a Tim Hortons. At Mount Logan EcoLodge, walk out the door at night and you’re met with the Northern Lights (also called the Aurora Borealis, a natural phenomenon, beautiful dancing waves of light illuminate the night sky creating a breathtaking spectacle), a symphony of lights and colour. Guests sit next to a crackling fire, in comfortable chairs, with blankets, hot coffee or hot chocolate.
Custom tour experiences
Mount Logan EcoLodge is home to countless outdoor activities, including custom experiences in partnership with Yukon Guided Adventures, for private tours with an expert by your side. Discover hidden lakes fed by melting glaciers, sparkling rivers and canyons and deep forests, with stunning panoramic views. There are countless hiking options for all skill levels.
This summer try the Pine Lake Canoe Tour, for beginners or intermediate, and take in the glacier views, all while listening to the soothing sounds of wildlife. Whole families will go on rafting tours, soaking in the mountain views. There’s a 4×4 SUV Wilderness Tour through the Alsek Valley, through creeks, old river beds and mountainsides.
And with that love of nature comes a commitment to sustainability. Mount Logan EcoLodge constantly works to further hone their sustainability practices, in areas like recycling, water usage and energy consumption. Guests tap into interpretive programs that help them understand the history and landscapes they are visiting.
I am a 50-something Torontonian who loves everything about my city. It’s been my home, my playground, for my entire life. I went to school here. I met my wife here. I own real estate here. I love writing about the transformation of my city on the world stage, which hasn’t been anything short of dramatic. That continues on, as I write this. I write on the real estate scene. I write on travel and fashion. I like following the world of luxury watches.
But I love writing about cars – check that, luxury cars, a level of superior, engineering sophistication, high performance and style, that transports you not just from one destination to another but also out of whatever you are going through on a particular day, whatever mood you are in, all to another head space. It’s complete and total exhilaration, head to toe.
Check out my stories, and email me direct at mkeast@regardingluxury.com
