When I tell my children about the next exciting adventure we have planned, it can go one of two ways. They will be excited (which is the preferred reaction) or they will immediately launch into a bevy of over the top reactions arguing that they do not want to go anywhere. Invariably, once we are wherever we are going, they have the expected good time and don’t want to go home.  I can’t win for trying.

However I think the next time we suggest a drive up to Squamish, they will be excited to go because our recent trip to Sunwolf to take part in their Eagle Float was awesome.

Sunwolf Rafts

Nestled near the crook of the Cheekye and Cheakamus rivers in Brackendale, Sunwolf started out as a fishing lodge, and has been reborn as a year round resort. From fishing, rafting, eagle floats and more, with homey cabins and natural backdrop it’s a delightful spot to unplug and unwind.

Sunwolf Cabins

And I do mean unplug! The cabins do not have televisions and there is no Wi-Fi service yet. I admit to a moment of slight panic at the prospect but I quickly recovered thanks to full cell service and to my delight, we didn’t notice the absence of the television at all. In our recently updated, cozy cabin, the four of us lounged about reading together, playing board games and yes even playing on the tablet in front of the warm fireplace. With a queen size bed & single day bed, the cabin sleeps 3 comfortably and has cots available for additional children. Our cabin also came equipped with a kitchenette with basic accoutrements, which is great for longer stays.

sunwolf rafting

The next morning, after a peaceful sleep (My husband was snoring by 10 pm!) we had a lovely breakfast at Fergie’s Café with Jess, one of the owners. Fergie’s gets its food from local, organic & free range suppliers and smokes a lot of their sausage and fish on site. I had the salmon eggs Benedict and have been dreaming about it ever since!

Sufficiently stuffed, we boarded a school bus for the short drive up the river to the put-in spot. After orientation & safety checks (wet weather gear is provided) we boarded the rafts and made our way down river. While we won the weather lottery with a beautiful sunny day, we still dressed warmly, in layers, for the raft ride on the cold water. My one piece of advice would be to wear very warm socks!! I somehow overlooked packing extra socks and my feet were rather cold while the rest of me was quite toasty.

sunwolf on the raft

The minimum age for the eagle floats is 5 so that the child can properly fit in a youth sized life jacket (the smallest they have). My 6 ½ year old son was able to sit nicely about ¾ of the way down the river before he got bored and wiggly, however my 8 ½ year old girl sat perfectly and was transfixed the whole time. Our awesome tour leader Jake (the other owner) was very willing to accommodate my son’s desire to see a cave during our trek which, along with some well-timed hot chocolate, helped keep him from getting too rambunctious.

Sunwolf cave collage

Seeing the sheer size of the eagles and watching them take flight and swoop above us was spectacular. I was amazed to see so many eagles at once (I stopped counting after 20) and was told that this time of year (Late January, Early February) is the end of the season! If we had been in December, we would have seen hundreds! After the  tour, we relived the highlights of our eagle float while enjoying a delicious hot lunch in the lodge.

sunwolf eagle

While eagle float season may be drawing to a close, there is still plenty of reasons to visit Sunwolf; fishing goes year round, rafting begins again in June and it’s conveniently close to Whistler while being away from the hustle and bustle of the village. A rustic gem in the woods, we’re all looking forward to our next visit to Sunwolf.

Sunwolf Contact Details:

Address: 70002 Squamish Valley Rd, Brackendale, BC
Phone: (604) 898-1537
Web: www.sunwolf.net
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Sunwolf.net
Twitter: @SunwolfBC
Email: sunwolf@sunwolf.net