Beginning in the Babine Mountains, this trip offers mountain scenery, canyons and wildlife encounters. Put in at Nikitkwa Lake and take out four to six days and 130 kilometers later in Kispiox. Bring your fishing rod—the Babine River is one of the richest salmon spawning areas in the world. Volume on the Babine is medium but expect larger volume on the Skeena with excellent play waves. A solid class III+ run.

Local Beta

Check out Smithers’ paddle shop, Aquabatics (www.aquabatics.com), for last-minute trip needs. The wildlife in the area is rich—expect to see eagles, salmon and deer. Count yourself lucky if you see moose, wolves and lynx. This is one whitewater trip where you’ll want to bring bear spray.

This article originally appeared in Rapid, Summer/Fall 2013. Download our free iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch App or Android App or read it here.