PeaceNick

Chilean Passage Expedition Slide Show in Bellingham, Oct. 18th

2011-10-16T19:20:00.001+13:00

Spring is time to paraglide

2011-05-26T16:29:00.000+12:00

Sorry to have dropped off the map so suddenly after completing the Chile trip. Now that we're not paddling every day we've had the opportunity to indulge in another of our passions. For us, springtime in the Pacific Northwest is for paragliding!

The weekend of April 16-17 was the 1st annual Blanchard Bash Fly-In in the Chuckanut Mountains just south of Bellingham. Paraglider and hang glider pilots from around the northwest converged on our local launch for two days of spectacular flying. Even the local TV station came out to see what flying is all about. Watch the clip, you might see someone you know!

If you're still itching for paragliding media, follow the link to an article that I wrote for a local adventure sports magazine.

Adventures NW - Spring 2010 - Paragliding Article

And finally, want to see what a paraglider is capable of? Here's a link to a recent 30km flight I had in the Fraser Valley east of Vancouver, BC. The good pilots that day were flying three times this distance!

It sure is nice to be home!

Home Sweet Home!

2011-04-02T05:06:00.000+13:00

Just a quick note. Beck and I are back home in Bellingham. Thanks to all who followed along!

Some eye-candy from the last month

2011-03-23T11:59:00.000+13:00

3-22-2011

Last evening in Puerto Natales

Patagonia. What a magical, ferocious place. We´ve only been finished a couple of days and have yet to really process just what we´ve experienced over the last 100 days. It involved wind, rain, sunshine, rainbows, beech-tree jungles, moonstone beaches, glassy water, roaring surf, rolling hills, granite spires. We laughed from our bellies, cried from our hearts, shook our fists at the sky, worshipped the sun, cursed at the bugs. We paddled...alot.

Here are a few shots from the last month of the trip. Tomorrow we´re on the Navimag ferry to Puerto Montt and will spend the next 100 hours retracing a good deal of the water we spent the last 100 days travelling. We´re looking forward to having the time to reflect. Enjoy the photos!

Unsupported? NOT US!!

2011-03-23T11:31:00.001+13:00

Thank You!!

Now that we´ve had a few days to relax, recoup, and recharge, it is time to place some credit where credit is due.

While there are plenty of expeditions out there that claim to be "unsupported" or "independent" or operating "without assistance" we are certainly not one of them. We never would have been able to pull-off this expedition without the help of many, many people. Below are a few of them:

Weather Forecasting

Karel at http://www.kayakweather.com/

We consider Karel "one of the team" and indeed he was with us each morning and evening with accurate and timely forecasts via satellite phone. The forecasts were integral to our decision making each day and played a significant role in minimizing our risk, especially in the Golfo de Penas.

Inspiration, Information, and Encouragement

Reg at http://www.brewmug.com/

From a chance incounter on Ross Lake in North Cascades National Park to stories, advice, charts, and route assistance shared over brews at the Chuckanut. Reg knows more about paddling this part of Patagonia than just about anyone else, truly legendary. See what Canoe & Kayak has to say here.

Marcus at http://www.marcusdemuth.com/

Google is a fabulous tool and that´s how we found Marcus. After his help with info on the permitting process, logistical advice, and route beta we checked out his website. Amazing accomplishments! We had no idea that the friendly, helpful guy on the other end of the e-mails was such a badass! If you´re on the east coast don´t miss his talks this spring!

Yosale at http://seakayakingpatagonia.blogspot.com/

Yosale and two of his buddies did the same trip in 2008-09. We took 100 days, these guys did it in 65! Nuff said! Yos walked us through the Armada´s permitting process and helped with route questions.

Rob and Karen at http://www.mountainminded.com/

Way back in 2004 when Becky and I were just picking out this route on a world map, Rob and Karen dedicated 6 months to paddle the route to Puerto Natales and then continued to Puerto Toro (spitting distance from Cape Horn)! Rob and Karen showed us that the route was possible and helped with charts and books. Truly inspirational!

Kayaking Skills and Coaching

Shawna and Leon at http://www.bodyboatblade.com/

When Becky and I first got serious about sea kayaking and set our sights on the Inside Passage we turned to Body, Boat Blade for technique and rescue skills. Since then Shawna and Leon have continued to encourage and inspire us. They are world-class coaches and paddlers.

Spanish Language Skills

Sarah at http://www.saludspanish.com/

Sarah made room in her schedule for a two-week crash course for us with a special emphasis on distress calls and nautical terms. Without the basics that she taught us, I doubt we would have gotten our permit in Puerto Montt. Three Cheers!

Basecamps

Perla and Thomas at http://www.casaperla.com/ in Puerto Montt

Talk about feeling at home! A warm cozy house, plenty of room to pack and organize, spanish lessons, and awesome paddling advice.

Alejandro and Andrea at http://www.hostaldoslagunas.com/ in Puerto Natales

The best coffee in Chile and a breakfast that just keeps coming. Friendly family atmosphere and great conversation. Just the place we needed to lay-low at the end of the trip.

Last but not Least...

Thank you to all our family, friends, and loved ones who posted encouragement here, on e-mail, and via sat phone. This expedition was, at times, Really Hard, and your well wishes kept us focused, determined, and supported.

Special mention goes to Nick´s mom, Cathy, for keeping better track of our progress than even the Chilean Armada. She sent us a tsunami warning two days before the Navy! Thanks Mom!

Off the water and in Puerto Natales

2011-03-19T10:20:00.001+13:00

We´ve arrived! We paddled into Puerto Natales, our final destination at about noon today. 100 days on the dot. More pics and narrative coming soon. Thanks to everyone for all of the great well wishes and support!

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2011-03-17T12:17:00.002+13:00

2DAY WE RODE THE FLOOD TIDE THRU WHITE NARROWS, WE R NOW OFFICIALLY ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE ANDES & IT IS DRY! NATALES IN 2 DAYS!?

West side.

East side.

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2011-03-17T01:38:00.002+13:00

REACHED R FURTHEST SOUTH YESTERDAY, NOW HEADING NORTH IN CANAL SANTA MARIA. ALMOST OUT OF RUM!

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2011-03-14T10:41:00.002+13:00

75 MILES IN LAST 3 DAYS WARMER W/ DRIZZLE REGALED BY PORPOISES 2DAY @ SENO PROFUNDO NO TSUNAMIS

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2011-03-10T10:12:00.002+13:00

DAY OFF IN PASO STEWART OFF CNL SARMIENTO IN A 987 MB LOW W/ STORM FORCE GUSTS, RAIN, THUNDER & TEMPS IN HI 40S. EARNING LAST 150 MI

"Do you think it´s going to get windy?"

It got windy.

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2011-03-08T12:18:00.001+13:00

LONG SHOT, BUT IF ANYONE OUT THERE KNOWS OF A N. BOUND YACHT WILLING 2 TAKE US FROM NATALES 2 PTO MONTT DROP US A NOTE ON R IRIDIUM.

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2011-03-08T12:08:00.002+13:00

HAVING TROUBLE W/ SPOT, BUT ALL WELL IN CNL SARMIENTO. GALE YESTERDAY & TODAY.

Spot: No Bueno this far south.

Nick the human Spot antenna. Didn´t help reception.

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2011-03-05T02:12:00.002+13:00

STORM PADDLING IN WIND & RAIN, VERY WET BUT STAYING WARM. BAROMETER ON THE RISE, FINGERS CROSSED 4 SUNSHINE!

Typical low pressure weather forecast from kayakweather.com. Thanks Karel!

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2011-03-05T01:59:00.001+13:00

HAPPY 92ND BIRTHDAY GRANDMA! YOU CONTINUE TO BE AN INSPIRATION TO US ALL.

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2011-02-23T14:03:00.003+13:00

IN PUERTO EDEN (POP. 280) FOR A LOOK & MINOR RESUPPLY (VINO TINTO). BACK ON WATER THURS.

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2011-02-16T11:35:00.001+13:00

CORRECTION! AFTER CALLING SPOT RE: "MALFUNCTION" SUGGESTED NEW POSTING STRATEGY SEEMS 2 B WORKING PROBLEM LIKELY DUE 2 SAT COVERAGE

Departing Tortel

2011-02-15T03:58:00.002+13:00

Sorry for the short posting, but we're only allowed 30 minutes of internet per day here in Tortel, it is free though. I've added some pics to past posts and a short video. Enjoy!

Our SPOT seems to be malfunctioning and won't send position reports. We're trying to fix this, but for now our "current position" map is off-line.

We will post position reports via sat phone to the blog at least once a week, but they won't appear on the map. We're less than thrilled with the reliability of the SPOT and happy to have the sat phone and epirb backups. Buyer Beware!

Here are a few more pics from the past month of paddling. It has been a wet and windy 30 days!

Today we're packed up with 50 days of food and ready to head out for Puerto Eden and then south to Puerto Natales. We hope to arrive in Puerto Natales before April 1st. Wish us luck and THANK YOU for all the wonderful comments and encouragement!!

Bahia Marta

Romilio's Casa at Bahia Sisquelan

Sharing Maté at Romilio's

Golfo de Penas Day One

Golfo de Penas Day 2. Off Punta Delirio.

Bahia Kelly

Canal Martinez

Canal Martinez.

Real Coffee in Cochrane

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2011-02-12T06:24:00.002+13:00

HEADED 2 COCHRANE BY BUS FOR 2 DAYS 4 A LOOK & REAL COFFEE. PIX POSTED SOON!

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2011-02-10T14:27:00.002+13:00

IN TORTEL FOR NEXT 3 DAYS FOR RESUPPLY, REST, BEER & FOOD! (AND NOT IN THAT ORDER) LOOKING 4 INTERNET ACCESS. ALL WELL!

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2011-02-08T01:43:00.001+13:00

GIANT THANK U 2 R WEATHER FORECASTER KAREL AT KAYAKWEATHER.COM! INFO HAS BEEN TIMELY & ACCURATE AIDING R DECISION MAKING. 3 CHEERS!

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2011-02-07T14:04:00.001+13:00

WIND RELENTED & FINALLY LET US GO! 2/5 IN BIG WATER WAAAY OFFSHORE W/ THE ALBATROSS. 2DAY NICE OPEN COAST.WE'RE THRU GOLFO DE PENAS!

Isthmo de Ofqui Portage

2011-01-28T07:54:00.156+13:00

01-27-2011

Day 39

Portage from Laguna San Rafael to Rio Negro

(Here you go Marcus!)

What would a kayak trip be without a portage? Indeed, one of the remarkable things about kayaks, besides being able to tuck into tiny nooks to camp for the night, is portability. The Isthmo de Ofqui is a route that was used for centuries by the Patagonian Indios to avoid paddling their canoes through the rough, exposed waters around the Peninsula de Taito. It has since been used by explorers and fishermen, and an attempt to build a canal was made back in the mid-1900s.

When we first began the permitting process with the Navy they thought we were planning to paddle the outside waters around the Peninsula and infamous Cabo Raper.

Here's what the Port Captain (in understated maritime terms) had to say about conditions on this open coast: "The open sea near Raper Lighthouse is normaly very bad with waves among 4 and 7 meters and winds between 25 to 45 knots."

No thank you. We'll take the portage.

Landing at the north side of the portage.

A vertical scar in the treeline of the southwestern coast of Laguna San Rafael clearly marks the beginning of the abandoned canal. The route through is comprised of sections of wet boggy ground alternating with bits of the old canal. In the dry places, old skid logs are still in place and allowed us to drag our empty boats without too much trouble. Eventually the old trail intersects the narrow, tannic waters of the upper Rio Negro. The land crossing is about 1.2 miles and took us 6 hours. We carried gear in two loads followed by the boats. So, in all, we hiked about 6 miles. Once in the rio, we followed the tiniest hint of current downstream where the river deepens and widens. From there it is all downstream through a tranquil riverine wilderness to the estuary where the Rio San Tadeo enters the Pacific. All the while the glaciers of the Patagonian Icecap loom in the background, wetland birds flit here and there, and snag trees stand like skeletons on the water's edge. Remote, wild, beautiful.

We completely enjoyed this peaceful paddling well aware that the next stage of the trip was likely to be the most strenuous, most technical, most difficult of the trip. Now poised on the shore of the Golfo de Penas, we're set for a week or more of coastal paddling fully exposed to the 3 to 4 meter swell of the open Pacific.

Camping on the 30km long Playa San Esteban is nothing short of sublime, surreal, awesome and the apprehensive knot in our stomachs only intensifies the experience.

Wish us luck!!

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2011-01-27T14:12:00.003+13:00

PADDLING AMONGST ICEBERGS IN LAGUNA SAN RAFAEL WITH VIEWS UP TO THE ICECAP! TOMORROW WE PORTAGE THE ISTHMUS. ALL WELL.

Nice hike towards the face of the San Rafael Glacier.

Beck paddling past one of the smaller bergy bits in the laguna.

Consulting with the Park Rangers at the CONAF dock.

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2011-01-23T09:32:00.002+13:00

NO RAIN 2DAY, SO WE'RE DRYING & REPAIRING GEAR & HAVING A REST. AFTER OVER A WEEK OF STORM PADDLING, WE NEED IT! ALL WELL. BUGGY!

Nick patching his thrashed neoprene gloves. Warm hands tomorrow!

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2011-01-22T00:45:00.002+13:00

MAKING SLOW PROGRESS IN WIND & RAIN. ALL WET, ALL WELL.

Did we mention it has been raining. That´s RAINING. Yep.

Resupply, rest, and a few good feeds in Puerto Cisnes

2011-01-11T11:31:00.001+13:00

Greetings from Puerto Cisnes!

After consulting with the locals, Beck and I found a wonderful little hospedaje with great home cooking and a corner room with a view of the sea. We're in town gathering 30 days of food for the next leg of the trip to Tortel. The last 20 days or so have been filled with varied and challenging paddling along with a few days of just cruising along under the sun and mountains. Our weather has been nothing short of miraculous, only 7 days of rain in the last 20! Whoever is donating their good karma to our cause, thank you!

Our route from Achao has taken us across the Gulf of Corcovado through a chain is islands called the Deserter`s Group. We then headed south along the coast and spent a few weather-bound days in Caleta Santa Barbara on a beautiful black sand beach which we shared with the local vacas (cows). Christmas Day found us itching to be on our way and we launched through surf at the first sign of the wind decreasing. This turned into only a lull and we found ourselves in "big conditions" (our definition) and following seas while rounding a point into the town Chaiten. We were right on the edge of our comfort zone, but had the safety of a relatively friendly lee shore, thus giving us a bailout if needed. (We also provided some entertainment for the local Carabineros who stopped their truck on shore to watch us battle around the corner and out of sight. I can only imagine their conversation, " los gringos locos!") We made a poor choice to launch that day, but Patagonia gave us the lesson for free as a Christmas gift.

Camp at Caleta Santa Barbara

A wrecked section of Chaiten

Volcan Chaiten smoking in background left

The town of Chaiten is a modern day ghost town. Briefly, in 2008 the Chaiten Volcano erupted and buried a good deal of the town in ash. The city of 4,000 people (the regional capital at the time) was in the midst of rebuilding when the volcano erupted again and trashed the place a second time. The government declared the townsite unsafe and began a relocation effort while suspending all services in the city. Now Chaiten is home to about 200 souls who live by their own means, they are truly urban homesteaders relying on generators for power and wood and propane for cooking and heating in homes along paved streets lined with lamp posts. Truly a surreal place. We were lucky and surprised to find, on Christmas Day, a restaurant open and serving wonderful fish, salad, and cerveca to wandering sea kayakers. ¡VIVE CHAITEN!

Christmas Dinner

South of Chaiten came the open coast of the Gulf of Corcovado. This section proved to be cruxy due to the rocky and steep coast combined with ocean swell and surf. We spent a good five days launching and landing in breaking waves. Our weather was excellent, sunny, but with howling southerlies that tended to crank every afternoon, but sometimes by 9 am. We began waking at 4 am in order to get our paddling done by noon.

"Bigger than it looks." Scoping the surf.

Mt. Corcovado. Some days have been a honeymoon!

One reward for getting through was peaceful Bahia Tictoc with its sheltered black sand beaches and tranquil shores. After a week of camping with the roar of surf in our ears it was wonderful to camp next to quiet lapping waves next to a sea pretending to be a lake. Ahh!

Tictoc Sunrise

Bahia Tictoc

Entering Canal Refugio

Not long from Tictoc we entered Canal Refugio and experienced our first real "inside" paddling, finally experiencing the fjords for which Patagonia is so famous. We were surprised at Puerto Domingo to run into a family of four in two double kayaks. Rachel is the new branch director for NOLS Patagonia and has just relocated to Coyhaique with her husband and two sons. Thanks guys for letting us share the last evening of your vacation!

Pto Santo Domingo. (Thanks for the photo Rachel!)

A couple of days north of Cicnes we took a day to detour north of our route to visit the Termas de Puyuhuapi, Chile`s "premier 5-star hot springs resort." We dropped $85 US on a soak and lunch for two and it was worth every single penny! The architecture of the place is truly amazing and the lodge emerges from the back of a small cove like something out of Tolkien. Spectacular.

We`ve budgeted a little more than 30 days for the next section of the trip. We'll paddle south to Laguna San Rafeal where we will portage 1.5 miles (UGH!) into the upper Rio San Todeo which leads to the Golfo de Penas, our most open section of coast. Thence around the corner into Canal Baker and east to Tortel. How hard could it be? Ha! My journal entry from 12/26 likely predicts the future. Written after a particularly strenuous day, it reads, "Patagonia. The ass kicking that just keeps on kicking ass."

Of course, that is partly what we came for.

Thanks for all your comments, well-wishes, and positive energy. Depending on battery power, we`ll likely post a few times via sat phone on this next section, so stay tuned!

-Nick and Becky

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2011-01-10T11:24:00.001+13:00

IN PUERTO CISNES 4 RESUPPLY & CERVECAS. SEARCHING 4 INTERNET ACCESS. ALL WELL. SUNNY!

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2011-01-03T13:18:00.001+13:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR! WE ALMOST FORGOT THE DATE. EXTRA GROG FOR THE CREW! BACK IN THE RAIN AFTER 5 DAYS OF SPECTACULAR SUNSHINE! ALL WELL.

Sir Francis Beaufort Declares a Weather Day

2011-01-03T08:45:00.003+13:00

Day 25
January 3, 2010
Ubaldo Islands
Mileage: Zero

Awoke this morning to a gray sky, racing clouds and whitecaps out in Canal Moraleda. We cooked brekkie as usual, but left the tent up just in case. Our camp is set on a tiny islet with a narrow white sand beach topped by a shell midden just above high tide and just below the tangle of native scrub. Our tent and MegaMid just fit on the flat patch of shells. We're on the south side of the island where the vegetation is tallish, over on the north side the scrub is bent into tortured shapes forming a thick carpet of flagged vegetation. The wind that formed these arbores banderas is rising quickly and it doesn´t take long for us to decide to wait and see what Patagonia is going to do today.

This is what it looked like before it got windy!

Gradually the wind fills in and by noon it is truly howling through the trees above our tent. After a morning of hot drinks, reading, crosswords, and BonIver on the iPod I decide to circumambulate our little haven in the storm. Here's a short video shot from the north side of the island.

You can be the judge, but here is what the Beaufort Scale has to say:

Moderate waves of pronounced long form. Many white horses, some spray. CHECK. That's force 5.

Some large waves, extensive white foam crests, some spray. CHECK. That`s force 6.

Sea heaped up, white foam from breaking waves blowing in streaks with the wind. CHECK. Force 7.

Crests break into spin drift, blowing foam in well marked streaks. CHECK. Force 8.

Okay, so what we have here is Beaufort Force 8, quaintly referred to as a Gale with wind speeds around 34-40 knots (aka 39-46 mph).

In our world this is otherwise known as a sleep-in, a rest day, a weather day, or a Honeymoon! Today we`ll go nowhere and enjoy the protection of our snug camp.

Love to everyone at home. Thinking of you all during the holidays! Thanks for the comments, encouragement and well-wishes!

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2010-12-26T12:08:00.001+13:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM CHAITEN.BEERS AND FRIED FISH FOR CHRISTMAS DINNER.ALL IS WELL.

Greetings from Achao, off the east coast of Chiloe!

2010-12-19T09:39:00.000+13:00

Hello everyone,

First of all THANK YOU to everyone who has written to express their well-wishes and encouragement! It is wonderful for us to feel the support of all our friends while we adapt to our new environment.

Becky and I are currently cozily tucked away at La Nave Hostel in Achao for a little rest, some feasting, a resupply, and some sightseeing around the island of Chiloé. We´ve been out now for about ten days. So, a recap is in order.

We departed Puerto Montt in the midst of a 1000 Mbar low pressure system and, predictably, were greeted by strong winds and rain for the first couple of days on the water. It truly was trial by fire and we slugged out the miles, scoured the rock beaches for shelter, and gave our muscles an expedition style shock treatment. In some ways I think we´re still recovering from those first hard days of paddling, trying to force the miles. We learned our lesson and are now adapting our paddling to the conditions. What a concept!

Behind the low we were gifted with three rain-free days in a row with skies filled with cumulous cloud, virga, and occasional rainbows as showers passed to our left and right. The skies here are dramatic, dynamic, and completely mystifying to us. It seems that we can watch macro-weather patterns evolving in the air before our eyes. Three cheers to Karel at www.kayakweather.com for providing us with weather updates via text message. The extra information is proving really helpful as we try to make sense of the patterns.

Coasting south we crossed east of Canal Chacao on the neap tide without much drama, except for racing across the ferry lanes. It was here, in mid crossing, that we saw our first Magallenic Penguins. This must be the southern hemisphere!

The island of Chiloé is low and pastoral with sheep and cows grazing above quiet coves filled with aquaculture operations and fishing boats. The art of wooden boat building is alive and well here and the colorful vessels are beautiful in a utilitarian sense. We are, however, a bit dismayed to find so many fish farms since the ecological impacts are difficult to ignore. Whatever invisible damage might be happening to the water quality is hard to tell, but ubiquitous styrofoam, monofilimant, and other industrial trash litters the beaches.

Camping has been easy to find, but very exposed. Most of the land above high tide is fenced for grazing leaving we kayakers vulnerable, but comfirtable, just above the intertidal. Every night we attempt to divine the intentions of the wind, generally sw in good weather - nw in bad, and camp in an appropriately sheltered spot. So far, we´re running about 50%.

Chiloé is home to a slew of 18th and 19th century churches and we´ve been able to use the sightseeing opportunities as an excuse not to paddle. The buildings are worthy of a post unto themselves, but for now here are a couple of photos.

Now we´re off the the supermarket to resupply for the next stretch of about 21 days to Puerto Cisnes. Tomorrow we start on our way across the Gulf of Corcovado!

Thanks again for all your support!

On the Water - TOMORROW!

2010-12-08T18:18:00.001+13:00

Just a quick note, but all well here in Pto. Montt. Yesterday, we passed an extensive equipment inspection by the Navy. Today was a holiday in Chile, so not much accomplished logistics wise, but Nick did pound a few nails while helping the family here build a playhouse for Perla´s granddaugher Sara. We have one last appointment with the Navy tomorrow morning and then we hope to begin paddling! Wish us luck! The first section of the trip is not too remote, so we should be able to post more soon. It is going to be wonderful to be on the water!!

Trial packing the boats.

Becky´s home cooked feast before we depart.

5 meter tides in Puerto Montt.

Protein anyone?

Signing the papers after the safety inspection.

Puerto Montt - Home at Casa Perla´s

2010-12-05T05:13:00.000+13:00

A four hour bus ride south from Valdivia brought us to the city of Puerto Montt and Casa Perla, our home for the next week or so while we arrange permits and supplies. Puerto Montt is euphemistically referred to as southern Chile´s "transportation hub" in all the guidebooks and it is true that the city has the edgy feel of a bus station and shipping port. In short it is a working city with an authenticity that is lacking in more touristy towns. Throughout Chile so far we have found the people to be patient with our Spanish, friendly and open, and the streets safe, Puerto Montt is no exception.

Our to-do list here is HUGE! Back home if we want to go kayaking we buy some food, dump the boats in the water and head out. Not so here in Chile. For one we have to wait for our boats to be trucked from Valdivia. Next we have to arrange for a permit from the Chilean Navy to transit their waters and submit to a safety inspection of our equipment. Only then can we wander the markets and buy our food and fuel for the first month of paddling. These complex logistics are all part of the adventure. We must be sick.

The Navy was expecting us. One mention of "kayak" and we were whisked out of the waiting line filled with Chilean fishermen and down to the Port Captain´s office where we waited. Much shuffling of paper ensued. Finally we were led to a room where an array of fully uniformed and decorated Navy officers sat bolt-upright around a polished conference table. The Navy ensign and Chilean flag stood at the far end of the room. It all felt very official and formal.

Official and formal it was, however, also friendly, professional, and courteous. We had laid the groundwork via e-mail over the last several months, so most of the discussion had already taken place. The officers had some suggestions about our route and information about sea conditions we might expect to encounter along the way. They did not question our plans or capabilities, or ask us to deviate in any way. Only recommendations were given. This was a pleasant surprise. Handshakes all around. The final hurdle to starting the trip will be on Tuesday when three officers will inspect our safety equipment to ensure that it meets the Navy´s requirements. Whew!

For now we are tucked away at Casa Perla, also home of Kayak Austral Outfitters who´s principal, Thomas has paddled much of our route and has offered a bunch of useful tips and imformation. We´re soaking up some spanish, customizing the boats and making new friends, big and small.

Valdivia - We have boats!

2010-12-01T04:03:00.000+13:00

Brand spankin´new, we feel spoiled!

The next stage in the adventure was a critical one. For months we scratched our heads about our boats. Should we ship our own, use folding Feathercraft kayaks that we could fly with, or buy boats in Chile? Thankfully, we learned of an outfitter in Valdivia who stocks P&H Kayaks from Great Britain and sells them at reasonable rates. Becky and I prefer to paddle British style skeg kayaks and the P&H Skorpio will fit the bill nicely.

Hooray, the spray skirt fits!

Chile is a very modern country and we´d been using our cards for payment everywhere from cafes to hostels, but we did have a minor hiccup when we discovered that we were going to have to pay cold, hard, cash for the boats. An important detail that I neglected to iron out ahead of time. After two days gaining valuable financial spanish language skills in Valdivia´s banks we raced across town with pockets brimming with pesos. Cheers to Jorge and Roberto at www.pueblitoexpediciones.cl for hooking us up with kayaks and arranging the shipping to Puerto Montt!

Well fed and watered despite our poor spanish skills.

I couldn´t resist sharing this cover shot of Pope Benedict, we saw it on every news stand we passed.

The Pope´s announcement caused a splash in this predominately Catholic nation.

Santiago

2010-11-30T11:15:00.001+13:00

Santiago, a city of four million.

Just a quick note to let you all know that we arrived in Santiago safely on Friday. Yup, Friday! We enjoyed a free night in Seattle and a free night in Dallas courtesy of American Airlines due to two mechanical delays in a row! I think we sampled most of the major eateries in SeaTac during our stint in traveller's purgatory.

Si, tenemos muchas mapas!

The airline delays have had the additional benefit of allowing us the weekend in the giant city of Santiago since we had to wait until after the weekend to accomplish our errands. Today was a busy day of running around town for odds and ends and, importantly, topo maps. We now are the proud owners of about $300 worth of Chilean topos covering the 1200 miles from Puerto Montt to Puerto Natales. Unlike the US, where you can find topos just about anywhere, Chile only distributes the maps through the Military and specifically, only from one office in Santiago.

We are now in the land of NesCafe.

Tonight we'll be bussing south for 12 hours to Valdivia where we'll be picking up our boats and thence to Puerto Montt tomorrow night. Wish us luck. More soon.

Speed rollerblading, serious business, who knew?

Sea Kayak Expedition II

2010-11-20T12:44:00.000+13:00

It's 36 F in Bellingham today and that means.......it'stime to head south. In a few days Nick and I will be flying to Santiago,Chile to begin another long distance sea kayak expedition. From Santiago, wewill head straight to Puerto Montt, where we plan to spend about ten daysapplying for permits, picking up our boats, buying food and finalizing any lastdetails.

Our plan is to paddle approximately 1200 miles fromPuerto Montt south to Puerto Natales. We are estimating that the trip will takebetween 3-4 months. We realize that this is a fairly generous margin and areplanning conservatively with the expectation that we will be spending a lot ofdays on shore.

A number of family and friends have asked us howthis trip compares to our last long distance kayak trip through the InsidePassage. I'm sure that we will have a lot more to say in response to this question in four and a half months, but at this point we can identify a fewkey differences. However, first let me start with the similarities- both tripare of equal length, spanning similar degrees of latitude (although indifferent hemispheres) and follow a route through mostly protected waters. Thedifferences between the two trips originate primarily in geography. First ofall, Chile is in South America, where people speak spanish. Hablamos solo un pocoespanol. Secondly, the larger scale weather systems that track through thehigher latitudes of the southern hemisphere are generally stronger and morefrequent, so despite the fact that it will be summer in Chile, we are preparingfor cooler temperatures, wind, rain and more wind.......... The third and finalobvious difference is that there is significantly less information availableabout this section of Chilean coastline. While planning the Inside Passage we had ourchoice of the numerous kayaking guidebooks, cruising guides, current tables,tide tables, etc. In researching Chile, we have been fortunate to come across aa small number of very helpful resources (Thanks Reg!), but there are a lot of details thatremain unknown.

Therefore, Nick and I are approaching this tripwith a humble attitude, conservative judgement and hopefully a bit of goodkarma in tow. Wish us luck.

Meanwhile, we have been busy planning and packing and asking ourselves,"What are we forgetting?"

Nick pouring over nautical charts, struggling with the inconsistencies in size and scale and trying to make sure we have coverage for the entire route.

At the Mountain Equipment Co-Op in Vancouver, B.C. We will be purchasing these same boats from an outfitter in Valdivia, Chile. We couldn't pass up the chance to see the boats in person before hand and try out some preliminary packing configurations.

Briefing friends on the trip, over one-two-three-four empty glasses.......

And asking myself, "Does this drysuit make my butt look big?"

SMS from 881631813370@msg.iridium.com

2010-11-13T10:01:00.001+13:00

TEST POSTFROM SAT PHONE

Christmas at Lake Hoare

2010-01-12T10:26:00.001+13:00

Here are a few pictures from Christmas day at Lake Hoare.

Decorating sugar cookies in the morning.

Assembling the gingerbread house.

The first annual DLH (Dirty Little Hoare) boat regatta.

Everyone in camp designed and constructed a boat to sail downwind and across the pond.

Another one of the contestants. This one used a balloon for propulsion, cheating? Perhaps.

All of the contestants arrived in style.

Christmas dinner. A full house of 15 people.

Merry Christmas.

Chocolate Covered Candied Orange Peel

2009-12-21T10:31:00.000+13:00

Yum..... An excellent use of otherwise discarded citrus peel.

Ingredients:

Peel of 5-7 oranges, lemons or grapefruit

3 cups water

2 cups sugar

1/4 cup Grand Marnier (optional)

3/4 cup granulated sugar for coating

or melted chocolate for dipping (my recommendation)

Directions:

1. Slice citrus peel into 1/16" x 1 1/2" strips. Using a sharp paring knife, cut away as much of the white pith as possible.

2. Place strips into large saucepan. Add water to cover. Boil for 10 minutes. Drain. Dry and chill strips on a towel or parchment paper.

3. Return strips to saucepan. Boil with 3 cups water and 2 cups sugar. Bring to a gentle boil for 15 minutes.

4. Remove the pan from heat and add the Grand Marnier. Leave strips in liquid and covered loosely for 12 hours.

5. Remove from liquid. Lay out to dry. Dip in melted chocolate as desired.

6. Enjoy!

High Summer

2009-12-11T22:28:00.001+13:00

With temperatures hovering around freezing most days, the height of summer has arrived. The first trickles of melt lubricate and dissolve the frozen landscape resulting in an exponential increase of melt water each day. Snow is melting, streams are running, small ponds are thawing and the locals are celebrating.

Our local pond affectionately known as Dirty Little Hoare.

Shoreline melt. Ice meets water meets earth.

An ephemeral polar desert stream.

Lake Brownworth.

An evening frisbee session on our glacial beach.

Ahh, the feeling of sand between your toes.

Snow and Light

2009-11-30T17:22:00.000+13:00

Sunday, Shower Day

2009-11-05T18:21:00.002+13:00

With no running water, and environmental regulations requiring that all gray water be contained and shipped home to the states, developing a workable shower system was a formidable task. Fortunately.....
Sunday is shower day! Everyone in the field camp is allocated one shower per week. The limit is in place partially to cut down on the grey water produced, and partially to conserve on the resources that are required to create the showering system.

The singer Greg Brown sings about summer in a jar, this is my bliss in a box. The shower hut.

Originally used as a lab space, the shower hut is now exclusively used for showers. The setup takes 24 hours, and begins with me lighting the diesel preway heater on Saturday afternoon.

Over the course of 24 hours, the diesel heater warms the small space to near sauna temperatures. One large pot is left sitting atop the heater overnight and by the following morning the water temperature is nearly boiling. In addition, two smaller pots are left on the counter tops and left to reach room temperature. The third pot is used to make cold water and actually requires the addition of ice to cool it back down.

Water is drawn from each of the three posts and combined, to a temperature of one's liking, into a solar shower suspended from the ceiling. There are no drains in the floor, and no where for water to drain to, so we substitute with a small metal drip pan placed beneath the shower on the floor. The drip pan eventually fills up, and the water is transferred to a bucket. This process is repeated numerous times until one feels sufficiently scrubbed and clean. There is an unlimited amount of time allotted for each shower, so for many the process turns into a 45 min to 1 hour ritual, and includes copious amounts of time simply enjoying the hot humid air and the quiet private space.

Notice the temperature reading!

It is a time consuming process and a primitive means, but come Sunday afternoon the opportunity to have a private sauna and a decent rinse feels like a well deserved luxury.

Just some pretty pictures.....

2009-10-28T19:27:00.000+13:00

Looking west toward evening light.

Home is where the Feathered Friends down sleeping bag is.

An evening stroll.

Freshies!

Mt. Rae and Lk Hoare field camp (hint- look for the tiny buildings just to the left of the glacier).

And encounters with natives.

A week in McMurdo

2009-10-24T19:33:00.000+13:00

Welcome to McMurdo Station, Antarctica.

Arrive on Station via the one of a kind, "Ivan, the Terra Bus". Lots of people and tiny seats, just like grade school again.

Report to the housing department to pick up your room key. Pray to the Ice gods that you will have a decent roommate. Fortunately for me, the quarter are tempoaray. I will arrive at my field camp in less than a two weeks.

Swing by the post office to check for mail, hint hint.

Admire the views and intersting clouds on the way to the galley.

Drop into the galley for a hot drink.

And take one last hike around town before the helicopter ride to Lake Hoare field camp tomorrow.

The Journey

2009-10-09T22:01:00.001+13:00

This winter I will be traveling to Antarctica to work at a remote field camp. The camp is located about 70 miles from the main station and in one of the few snow free regions on the Antarctic continent. I will be sharing the camp duties with the camp's long time supervisor and together we will maintain all of the amenities of the field camp in addition to assisting resident scientists with various aspects of their research.

But, before we can be of any use to the researchers, we have to first get to Antarctica. This year, the journey from Bellingham to McMurdo lasted ten days....

Day 1- Fly from Bellingham to Denver and Raytheon Polar Services HQ for two days of orientation.

Day 2 and 3- Denver orientation: training, power points and too much coffee.

Day 3 cont.- Load the bus to Denver International Airport. Begin mental preparation for the almost 24 hours of travel that lies ahead. Denver to LA, LA to Sydney, Sydney to Christchurch, Christchurch International to hotel. Phew!

Day 6- Arrive Christchurch NZ. Get settled in cozy British B and B. Beware of persuasive resident Dachshund loitering at your feet during breakfast.

Day 7- Stretch out legs with a wander around the Christchurch Botanical Gardens. Spring in New Zealand is always a pleasure.

Day 7 cont.- Catch shuttle to Antarctic Center for more orientation and extreme cold weather gear issue. Every participant receives two orange bags filled with polar tested cold weather gear.

Day 8, 9, 10- Enjoy the fine weather in Christchurch compliments of poor weather in McMurdo and canceled ice flights. The small town behind me is Lyttelton harbor, the departure port for almost all of the early explorers to the Ross Sea and for all of the modern vessels that service McMurdo Station.

Day 11- Weather finally clears in McMurdo. 0500 alarm to board the C-17 military jet by 0800. Arrive Antarctic center, change into cold weather gear, show ID, check luggage, have breakfast, more briefings, pass through security and board plane.

Day 11 cont.- Five hour plane ride from Christchurch to McMurdo Station. Temperatures in the plane turn progressively cooler as we descend into Southern latitudes. Read, sleep, eat and eventually, arrive McMurdo.

To Be Continued.

On the road again...

2009-10-03T17:54:00.000+13:00

I found myself wandering around Christchurch today, going store to store, searching for a pair of foam slippers, or better known as Crocs shoes. This particular piece of footware is especially handy in field settings, as they make a nice, lightweight and comfortable camp shoe. As I began to piece together my packing list for my season at the Lake Hoare field camp, I added a pair of Crocs to my list, but since I didn't already own a pair I decided I could easily pick some up during my stopover in New Zealand.

Much to my surprise, I could not find a pair of Crocs anywhere in the city. This was very unexpected, as only a year or two ago, Crocs were the shoes of the moment and you could find them for sale just about anywhere- at the gas station, the airport, in road side stands and at the drugs store. As I wandered around the city today, inquiring if the stores still carried this shoe, I was told time and again that, "We no longer carry that shoe, and we're not going to get any more." It made me wonder how something can be so necessary at one point, and then completely irrelevant the next. I had confirmed that Crocs, like many other bygone fashions, are officially a thing of the past.

And I can't help but compare the passing of Crocs, with what appears to be the simultaneous passing of the blog. I have seem innumerable blogs (including our own) maintained for a year or two, and then slowly abandoned to the great void of the internet. It makes me wonder if the blog has simply been overtaken by newer more interactive forms of communication, or if the format of blog is flawed and in need of new innovation.

However, despite the questionable relevance of the blog in today’s Facebook world, I plan to spend the winter posting regular updates and photos chronicling my four months spent at a remote research camp in Antarctica. Grandma, this is for you..........

Paragliding in Nepal

2009-04-04T02:44:00.009+13:00

Boomerang

2008-11-17T22:35:00.005+13:00

30 September, 2008

The windows are porthole sized and there are only six of them on this plane. Welcome to cargo class. We’re on the first flight of the summer “Mainbody” Antarctic season and the C-17 globemaster is roaring over the Southern Ocean. A walk to the window and a glance outside reveals breaking waves visible from 30,000’. Back at my seat I plug into my iPod and slouch under the hood of my Big Red Parka, 2 hours down, 3 to go.

I was half asleep earlier this morning when Beck and I rode the shuttle van to the Antarctic Passenger Terminal outside the Christchurch airport. After years of midnight wakeups in the mountains you’d think I’d be used to pre-dawn starts, but 5:00 AM still feels like the graveyard shift. I can’t even drink coffee at that hour. The departure ritual goes like this: stumble into the dressing warehouse, pack away the street clothes and climb into insulated carhartt coveralls, fleece, and poly-pro; strap on comically oversized smurf blue FDX polar boots; then pile all your luggage onto an airport cart and proceed through the x-ray and metal detector along with the other 120 souls on the flight. Invariably the metal detector goes off for everyone, so we all get the wand treatment. Next comes the first of six briefings we’ll receive today, a video and lecture. Strangely, the TV in the waiting lounge is playing a special about the Mt. Erebus Disaster when an Air New Zealand DC-10 slammed into the very volcano that overlooks McMurdo Station. There were no survivors. Like sheep to the slaughter, we board a bus and are whisked onto the tarmac and into the belly of the beast. Before I step aboard I take one last glance at a patch of green grass and one last breath of the humid New Zealand air. Next stop: Winter!!

Two hours is a long time to expect my second generation iPod battery to last and, predictably, 2 hours and 25 minutes into the flight my blissful date with Gillian Welch is replaced by the dull roar of Pratt and Whitney. Rifling through my bag for a book I suddenly feel as if I’ve been stood on my head and I glance around at the other passengers. Everyone is sleeping, eating, reading, drooling as normal. When the plane rolls out of its turn I understand: we’re going back. A few faces are grinning now and soon the intercom crackles the word, “Boomerang.”

The Boomerang is legendary amongst USAP participants. Capricious weather combined with the need to stick to a schedule forces the Air Force into launching planes even if the weather in McMurdo is marginal. Sometimes the gamble pays off and the flight gets in, today we’ll burn $35,000 in jet fuel and go nowhere. Tales of turning back mere minutes from landing abound, weeks spent in Christchurch waiting to fly, horror stories of 5am wake-ups and trips to the airport day after day after day without reaching the ice. However, Uncle Ray-Ray (that’s Raytheon Polar Services, my employer) picks up the tab for food and lodging, so it’s a bit of a vacation.

By mid-afternoon we’re on the ground and checking into another Christchurch hotel. There is green grass, tulips and trees, dogs on leashes, kids playing in the parks. Thai food for dinner? Why not. Tomorrow we’ll check back in at the passenger terminal, but if we’re cancelled we’ll go flying, or maybe we’ll drive into the mountains for a soak in the hot springs. Christchurch is a great city when you have money to burn and time on your hands!

Happy Birthday Sweet Bea!

2008-10-28T20:55:00.001+13:00

28 September, 2008

Happy Birthday Becky Peace!!

Becky arrived in Christchurch this morning and after two days of non-stop travelling was rearing to go PARAGLIDING!! Time was short, tomorrow would be filled with extreme cold weather clothing issue and the following day we depart for the ice. Now or never.

I met Beck at the airport at 10am with a rental car and we sped off to the coastal town of Redcliffs, a suburb of Christchuch. Here we met Dave with ParaPro (http://www.parapro.co.nz/) who would graciously serve as our site guide for the day. Conditions were on, so it was off to the local cliff soaring site: Taylors Mistake.

Becky and I first flew paragliders in 2004 in an intro course at Taylor’s Mistake, so it was a bit of a homecoming to fly here with our own equipment. Taylor’s launch sits at the back of a horseshoe shaped valley that faces the sea. The prevailing afternoon sea breeze funnels into the valley and is forced upwards by the hills forming a soarable lift band. Coastal soaring heaven! As long as the wind blows you can stay up! Soar for an hour, top land for a pee, relaunch, soar for 30 minutes, land for lunch, launch again, fly until sunset. The scenery isn’t bad either!

Mid-Clip Snow Anchor

2008-09-27T16:30:00.004+12:00

27 September, 2008

The Vertical Mid-Clip Snow Picket .

This snow anchor was developed in New Zealand after an accident in 2003 which claimed the lives of several experienced mountain guides on Mt. Tasman. The investigating coroner asked the NZ Mountain Guides Association and the NZ Mountain Safety Council to look into whether industry standard snow anchors currently in use were adequate. The fact that the Tasman accident claimed the lives of two of the most highly regarded mountain guides in NZ suggested that they were not. After a great deal of research and testing, the kiwis came up with the vertical mid-clip picket. This anchor is now the standard in New Zealand, having gained favor over North American type anchors like the top-clip picket and t-slot.

The mid-clip is basically a vertical deadman. Imagine a snowstake with a clip-in cable swaged to the middle. The piece is placed 30 degrees back from perpendicular to the surface and a thin slot cut for the cable. The cable makes a 90 degree angle with the picket and should emerge from the snow just at its end.

When placed properly, the mid-clip is the strongest and fastest snow anchor for a maritime snowpack like the Cascades or the Southern Alps. I was skeptical at first, but ultimately blown away by its ease of placement and strength. This is the snow anchor currently carried by the Joint US/NZ Antarctic SAR Team.

Testing data from the Search and Rescue Institute of New Zealand (www.sarinz.co.nz) in strong snow (best case scenario):

Mid-clip picket (placed 30 degrees back from perpendicular): 10kn
T-slot (deadman): 7kn
Top clip picket: 5kn
Mid clip (placed at 45 degrees): 4.5kn

Note: 1kn approximates 220lbs of force.

To fully geek-out on the mid clip, follow this link to Don Bogie’s testing report: http://alpineclub.org.nz/documents/activities/instruction/Snow%20Anchor%20Report.pdf

Conclusion: In summer cascades-style snow the mid-clip is about as fast to place as a top clip picket while being stronger than the more time consuming t-slot anchor. They are stronger than they look, but require care in angle of placement.

Available at: http://www.aspiring.co.nz/ (I have no affiliation with Aspiring Enterprises, Inc.)

Be on the lookout for an SMC version available in the US soon??

Another Season Begins!

2008-09-18T16:07:00.001+12:00

18 September, 2008

Another season begins!!

After a furious bout of planning, mailing, packing, storing, and house cleaning I left my boat, van, and stuff in Bellingham, WA on 15 September. As always it was bittersweet to leave the ‘ham in full indian summer mode for the Great White South. As the turboprop climbed out over Bellingham Bay I could look northwest across the San Juans and into the Gulf Islands of the Inside Passage. Oh to think where Becky and I were just one year ago on this day, about to finish our three month paddle. This summer was a bit different with paragliding consuming most of our free time.

This season I’m departing about one week early in order to attend a search and rescue training in New Zealand before heading to the ice. Becky should join me in Christchurch around the 28th and we’ll fly south together.

Its worth mentioning that this season I’ll be working in a new role. As a field instructor for the US Antarctic Program I’ll be instructing scientists and support staff in winter survival skills, glacier travel/crevasse rescue, high-altitude emergency medical response and serving as a primary SAR team member. I’m also going to be in charge of monitoring sea ice conditions, something I’m looking forward to learning more about. Change is good.

SAR training in Christchurch is provided by Grant Pratley (formerly of Mount Cook Nat’l Park Rescue) and his Search and Rescue Institute of New Zealand (http://www.sarinz.co.nz/). Over the next week we’ll cover search theory, high angle rock (in the port hills of Christchurch), and steep angle snow rescue (in the mountains around Cragieburn ski field).

Overall, the training was a good refresher on industrial rescue techniques. But the big kicker was my introduction to the mid-clip snow picket. More on that in a subsequent post.

Three cheers for my friends Jen and Brian who are joining me this season as instructors for the USAP!!

Let's Go Fly a Kite

2008-08-28T11:39:00.004+12:00

.....Yes, a real big one. And man is it fun.

Nick and I started paragliding this past spring with a school in eastern Washington. We started our training with a two week immersion course at Aerial Paragliding, a world class training facility and flight park. The school provides an ideal setting for beginning pilots with top notch instructors, gentle terrain and on site accommodations at a very reasonable price. Our hats are off to Denise, Doug, Stefan, and Dave! We passed our first two weeks completing the required ground school and logging as many flights as possible off of the small training hills.

One of the many amenities of the school is the shuttling of students from the landing zone back up to the launch, providing a fast turn around time between flights.

Most of the flying is done in the morning and evening, when conditions are generally settled. The instructors split themselves between the launch and the landing and use radios to communicate with the students in the air. The short flights off the training hills mean that most of the student's time is spent launching and landing, using repetition to reinforce two of the most fundamental skills for a beginning pilot.

After two weeks, Nick and I were just shy of earning our Novice Paragliding Certification, or P2. It only took a few more weekends to demonstrate the required skills and accurately discuss the fundamentals of the sport with our instructors. And then.....

We were on our own!

At some point, we had to leave the comfort of the flight school to get out and fly on our own. Fortunately, having learned at "The Ranch" plugged us into a whole community of local pilots who were more than willing to serve as mentors and site guides. Thanks to the Northenders of Boundary Bay: Sid, Delvin, Guy, Rita, Jan, Murdoch, Roger, Chad, TJ, Bob, Kirk, Doug, and Jim for looking after us and introducing us to the great flying to be had around Bellingham. These folks have treated us like family from the very beginning. We tried to carry over the caution of our instructors and scrutinized all of the aspects of a flight. We would often stand on launch for half and hour or more studying the wind conditions and discussing our ideas about what was happening in the sky. If we decided we were happy with the wind speed and direction, then it was time to fly.

The launch process begins with the assessment. Then we unpack our gear and lay out the fabric of our gliders onto the launch pad and go through our pre-flight check. When all of the gear is in place, we stand in position and wait for the wind to fall into the right orientation and speed, which is usually straight onto launch and between 3-7 mph. With a nice cycle, we pull on the lines attached to the leading edge of our glider to inflate it with air, transforming the limp pile of fabric into a rigid airfoil. Thanks to Jan for the next three photos.

Once the glider is squarely overhead, a few strong steps forward and we're in the air.

Happy Trails!

Mount Rainier

2008-08-19T16:31:00.004+12:00

The arrival of summer typically brings change to the peacenick household, and this summer I find myself working on a vegetation survey crew at Mt. Rainier National Park. This particular position is one that I have applied for in numerous years past, so when the offer finally came- I decided I better give it a try.

Some benefits of this position include spending ample time outside and being active, working alongside my other great crew members, honing in my plant ID skills and learning all of the scientific names, getting paid to go backpacking and getting to sleep outside most nights of the week.

So what sort of vegetation survey you may wonder. No, it doesn't have anything to do with vegetables (a common confusion when I misleadingly refer to my job as a "veg survey". Instead, my crew members and I spend our days in the field navigating to certain areas of the park and describing the plant communities that we find at that particular location. Our sampling sites are selected from high resolution aerial photos to be representative of the immediately surrounding areas. Our job this summer is to visit as many sites as possible to create a statistically sound correlation the aerial photos and the plant communities on the ground. Then computer software can be used to make an educated guess of the plant communities found in all of the other areas throughout the park.

Now, some pretty photos....

Clark Island to Bellingham!!

2007-09-22T21:45:00.000+12:00

9/22/07

Day 89

10 nautical miles

This is it, the bittersweet last day!! Just a regular morning today: alarm goes off at 6:30am, pack the tent, cook breakfast, sip coffee, take down the tarp, jump into the drysuits, carry the gear down the beach, carry the boats down the beach, pack the boats, a quick stretch, and we’re paddling. Mostly sunny with a little traffic in the channel over to Lummi Island. A slow moving tanker with two tugs passes by just as we’re shoving off the beach. We look both ways, smile at each other and dig in to cross our last shipping lane at slack and in good time. It would be a shame to get run over this close to home.

Rounding the north end of Lummi we enter Hale Passage as the flood tide is beginning to push north. Combined with a headwind funneling through the pass we’re slowed to a crawl. It looks like we’ll have to pull hard all the way home, no coasting today.

A flooding tide means that we’re able to get over the “portage” on the north end of Portage Island by paddling through the shallows and this puts us into the water of Bellingham Bay. Native gillnetters are out and about hauling nets and motoring around.

We take a break on Portage, break out the binocs and survey the Bay. Bellingham Bay is notorious for rough, steep waves when the wind is southerly. Today is no exception and Becky and I carefully evaluate the whitecaps speckling the last 4 miles of our expedition. We scan the shore of our home town too, taking in the well-known landmarks: Sehome Hill, the Fairhaven Drydock, the GP site, kites flying at Zuanich Park, clusters of masts in the Squalicum Marina, planes flying overhead making a bee-line for the airport on the bluffs that line the NE edge of the bay. It is all at once familiar and foreign.

In just a few short days Becky and I will be out of our boats and tucked into an outbound flight from that very airport, headed south to our wintery summer in Antarctica. It is nothing short of surreal to contemplate paddling these final 4 miles out of 1300 into that town in the distance where our friends are waiting. We linger on Portage Island, soaking up our last bits of solitary simplicity and savoring the anticipation of reconnecting with friends and family after a three month absence. Only four more miles!

Our break is rewarded with diminishing winds. When we finally push off Portage and aim for Fairhaven the whitecaps have all but disappeared. We’re able to shoot straight across the bay with only the occasional powerboat to worry about. Ever so slowly the landmarks grow to full size and the waterfront comes into sharp view.

Near the Taylor Street dock we meet the city shoreline and turn to follow the pedestrian walkway towards Boulevard Park. The day has turned sunny and folks are out in force enjoying the last bits of sun before the rains of winter set in.

Becky and I paddle around the dock at the north end of the park and there on the beach are our friends Mary Marie, Emmelina, and Lisiana!! When we catch sight of each other everyone begins cheering and hollering. Our boats glide the last few feet and connect with the beach side-by-side. We’re home. Hugs all around, excited chatter, treats from the picnic basket, questions bouncing back and forth, and more hugs. Becky and I embrace and string out our prayer flags for the obligatory “summit” photo. We look and feel like deer in the headlights! That evening Mary Marie hosts a party in our honor and we’re showered with more congratulations. Lisiana even created a 15’ welcome home banner for us! It is a surreal ending to an unforgettable experience that has expanded our horizons and strengthened our partnership.

Special thanks to Mary Marie and Emmelina for dragging our 50lb resupply boxes to the post office every couple weeks this summer. We would have starved without you!!!

Thank you also to our friends and family, both at home and up and down the Inside Passage, for encouragement, inspiration, and love. This blog is for all of you!

We hope you’ve enjoyed following the adventure!!

More reflections to come…

Prevost Island to Patos Island

2007-09-20T21:34:00.000+12:00

9/20/07

Day 87

21 nautical miles

Today was one of our longest days in miles and one of our best in terms of interesting paddling. We woke early at 4am and managed to get paddling by 6am. Paddling in the dark was great, calm water and navigational lights flashing everywhere. The ferry landing on Mayne Island looked like a highway on-ramp all lit up and flashing in the distance. Lots of ferry traffic in and out of Active Pass at dawn. Becky tuned in the Vessel Traffic Service on her VHF radio to monitor the ships and hail them if we needed. There is nothing like sharing a small channel with four BC Ferries to make you feel very small, slow, and vulnerable. Now we know what a turtle feels like trying to cross a highway. Thankfully, the visibility was okay.

We continue east along the north shore of Pender Island into a light headwind with overcast skies and light drizzle. At Razor Point we turn north and cross over to Saturna Island aiming for the vineyards snaking up the hill. Yes, vineyards. Dry microclimate perhaps?

During the crossing Becky hollers out, “ORCAS ISLAND!!!” and we spot Mount Constitution looming above Waldron Island in the distance. Home waters are in sight. These are the first familiar landmarks we’ve seen in the 94 days since we left Bellingham! Looks like we just might make it home in time for our flight south to Antarctica on the 27th.

Much of Saturna’s south shore is newly protected as part of the Gulf Island National Park and it is easy to see why. The coast features spectacular sandstone erosion cliffs, terraces, madronas, feral mountain goats, and, remarkably for the Gulf Islands, no houses. The exception to this is East Point, the island’s eastern most finger, a cliffy promontory topped by simple cabins as well as palaces straight out of “Architectural Digest.” Paddling at the base of the cliffs we fight the current and dodge giant reflection waves caused by a freighter headed into Boundary Pass.

The East Point Light marks the last bit of Canadian soil before the border. Becky and I look both ways for freighter traffic, set the GPS, and paddle out into a bit of an ebb current pushing south through Boundary Pass. We’re in a major shipping lane now and waste no time crossing to Patos Island and the good ‘ol USA. Skies are clearing, seas calm, winds light, and, surprisingly, we encounter no shipping traffic in the pass. Yippee!

We pull onto the beach looking hopefully for our friend Glenn from Parkdale, OR. Unfortunately, he’s nowhere to be found, but we do encounter four paddlers from the Seattle area. Dianne and Jerry are paddling Greenland style skeg boats while Jim and Karen are in a double. Becky and I get an invitation to happy hour and dinner and we all share stories of the Inside Passage around the campfire that evening. All evening long we watch a constant stream of freighters and tankers parade through Boundary Pass. We’re disappointed to have missed Glenn, but sharing a sunset and stories with some fellow Washington kayakers is about the best welcome home we could hope for. For the first time in three months we enjoy a sunset reflected off our home waters, the San Juan Islands.

Mowgli Island to Prevost Island

2007-09-19T21:25:00.000+12:00

9/19/07

Day 86

12 nautical miles

We had a special morning today on Mowgli Island. Our friend, Delphine, used to own the island and built a log cabin there in the 60s. We got permission to stop by and have a look around the place. The new owner has built a palatial island home, but Delphine’s modest one-room cabin still stands and continues to be lovingly maintained as a guest house.

The island is small, “Just a rock” is how Delphine describes it, but a microcosm of the Gulf Island ecosystem: Salal, Gerry Oak, Douglas Fir, Red Cedar, and all sorts of ferns, mosses and grasses.

We won’t be getting to sleep early tonight since there is a giant commercial group sharing our campsite. It is a school group composed of teenagers, teachers, and guides from “Island Escapes”. Shortly after Becky and I set camp their armada paddled in with 30, count ‘em, 30 kayaks, 40 people and an outboard powered support boat. We’re camping tonight in James Bay, which is part of the Gulf Islands National Park. I’m not familiar with National Park regulations in Canada, but being a ranger for the US Park Service myself, I’m appalled that a commercial group of this size would be allowed to operate in a National Park. Twelve or even fifteen people I could understand, but there is no way to justify a group of 40 as anything other than the gross exploitation of wilderness for profit. Besides, smaller groups are easier to manage, afford better opportunities to view wildlife and learn skills, and allow for better client care. Thankfully, the camping area is in an old apple orchard (good apples too!) and there is plenty of space. However, there is no minimizing the impact of a group that size, particularly when they insist on playing games of tag after dark. Even the adults are shouting and carrying on into the night. Ahh, our last night in Canada.

Since this is the first campsite that Becky and I have shared in 86 days of paddling we just shake our heads, laugh, and head out for a sunset hike. The late night affords us both a chance to catch up in our journals and make good use of the earplugs we’ve been carrying.

Okay, I’m done ranting…

Slack in Boundary Pass is around 2pm tomorrow and 17 nautical miles distant, so the alarm is set for 4am. Tomorrow we paddle in the pre-dawn dark!

Gear List

2007-09-15T20:53:00.000+12:00

Many of you have been asking specific questions about the gear that Becky and I are using on our trip. As you might expect, we need less than we thought. As the trip evolves, so has the equipment. At this point we’ve discarded all the extraneous junk. Here are the essentials that have remained with us through our last resupply.

Boats

Nick is paddling a modified, self built Artic Tern from Pygmy Boats in Port Townsend, WA. Modifications include a day hatch, perimeter deck lines, retractable skeg, graphite bottom paint, reinforced keel strip, and Necky seat and backband. The boat is 17’ long and 23” wide with three watertight compartments and thigh braces.

Becky is paddling a 1997 Nigel Dennis Kayaks Romany Explorer from the UK. The boat is 17’ long and 21.5” wide with a retractable skeg, and day hatch for a total of three watertight compartments.

Paddling Hardware

Werner Ikelos bent shaft paddle

Onno Mid-Tour straight shaft paddle

Spray Skirt

PFD (lifejacket) with hydration pouch

Cockpit cover

Paddling Software

Kokatat Meridian Gore-Tex drysuit with removable hood

Neoprene booties

Neoprene gloves

Kokatat Surfskin skull cap with brim

Long sleeve rashguard shirt

Kokatat Storm Cagoule hooded paddle top

Universal Clothing

3 Pairs socks

Underwear (not telling how many!)

2 midweight capilene longjohns

1 Fleece pants

1 Quick dry nylon pants for camp and town

1 Gore-Tex rain pants

1 Short sleeved capilene tee shirt

1 Long sleeved midweight capiline zip-tee

1 Long sleeved cotton tee for town

2 Expedition weight capilene tops

1 Hooded Primaloft anorak

1 Gore-Tex rain jacket

1 Wooly Hat

1 Visor

1 Headnet

Footwear

Extra-Tuff rubber boots

Neoprene booties

Keen sandals

Safety Gear

6 Red meteor flares (2 in PFD, 4 in boat)

2 Red locator flares in boat

Knife in PFD

Signal mirror in PFD

Whistle in PFD

Tow-line

Pig-tail

Bilge pump

Paddle float

Bailing sponge

VHF Radio

C-Light

Horn (The use-your-lungs kind.)

LED Headlamp

Bear spray

Sunscreen and chapstick

Water Filter w/ spare element

Iodine tablets

Fire starter, matches, lighter

Spare batteries w/ AC charger (DC solar charger died early in trip)

Repair Kits

Leatherman Multi-Tool

First aid kit

Water filter maintenance kit

Stove and pump maintenance kit

Drysuit repair kit (Next time we’ll bring more spare gaskets!)

Boat repair kit

Sewing kit / software repair kit

Plenty of Aquaseal

Camp Gear

MSR Mutha Hubba 3-season, 3-person tent with footprint

Big cheap plastic tarp

Thermarest Trail Comfort sleeping pad (2.5” thick!)

20 degree Dryloft, down sleeping bag

Compressable pillow (yes, a pillow!)

Dry Bags

Kitchen Gear

Black Diamond Megamid single pole, pyramid cook shelter

MSR simmerlite stove (Later we used a borrowed whisperlite.)

2 pots w/ lid and pot gripper

Outback Oven non-stick frypan w/ lid and baking cover

Simmer plate

Folding aluminum stove table

Stove mat made from flameproof fire shelter material

Plastic fold flat “goldfish” bowl

Fillet knife

Spatula

MSR Mugmate coffee filter

Thermos

Waterbottle, 1 Liter

MSR Dromedary watersacks (2x 6 Liter, 1x3L, 1x2L)

Rubbermaid bowl with lid

Mug with lid

Spoon

Fork

Scrubber

Dish soap

Fuel Bottles (2x33oz, 1x22oz, 1x11oz)

Lighters and matches

5 Ursack spectra food storage bags w/ OP-Sack liner bags

50’ bear line with 2 mini carabiners

Navigational Hardware

Deck compass

GPS (used only for long crossings)

PDA with Tide Tool, Coast Pilot, and Sailing Directions

Hand compass

Waterproof binoculars

Large waterproof chart case

Navigational Software

Topo maps (1:250,000)

Nautical charts for AK

Hilson Historical Atlas for AK and central BC

Wild Coast Kayak Atlas for southern BC

Guidebooks (Miller, and Wild Coast)

Tide tables for AK (free!)

Ports and Passes tides and currents for BC and WA

Additional

Toiletries

Fishing gear and license

Natural history guidebooks

Journal and pens

Digital camera with waterproof housing

Prayer flags

Believe it or not, all this stuff fit comfortably in the boats. We even had room to spare for booze and chocolate!

Jedidiah Island to Southy Island

2007-09-15T20:45:00.000+12:00

9/15/2007

Day 82

Jedidiah Island to Southy Island

15 nautical miles

Pretty cool day today. Up at 0630 and paddling by 0830. We relaxed and took our time packing up this morning and still got off in two hours. Our efficiency has improved dramatically. A little overcast today, but winds are calm to light SE. Looks like a good day to cross the Strait of Georgia!

Jedidiah Island is a provincial marine park and a popular one at that. Lots of good, deep, sheltered coves with stern anchor tie-offs means lots of cruising boats. Last night, Becky and I took a little hike around the island and stumbled upon another kayaker’s site. The paddler was fast asleep and sawing logs in his/her tent. This morning there is no sign of life from either the yachties or the kayaker. We silently glide away unnoticed.

We cross narrow Bull Passage over to Lasqueti and enjoy paddling around its rugged east end admiring the perched homes. Farther along lies Squitty Cove, a provincial boat haven. The float in the harbor is packed with sailboats. The south BC coast is certainly the land of the sailboat, they almost outnumber the power boats down here. SE Alaska seemed to be dominated by commercial fishing boats, north BC was full of power yachts, and central BC had its charter fishing skiffs buzzing everywhere. As the character of the coast has changed so have the users.

Beyond Squitty Cove the water opens up. We now start our crossing of the Strait of Georgia by hopping over to Sangster Island. Previously flat seas turn slightly bumpy due to a current running in the channel between Sangster and Lasqueti, but the wind is calm. The coast of Sangster turns out to be sedimentary conglomerate sandstone, gone are the rugged granite shores we’ve encountered up to this point.

We leave Sangster and point for North Ballenas Island and the automated lighthouse visible atop the bluff on the north shore. The crossing is only 4.5 miles, but exposed to the entire length of the Strait of Georgia to the northwest and southeast. The seas flatten out as we cross, the wind remains light and we spot nary a tanker, ferry or barge the whole way across. Perfect!

A concern unique to this stretch of water is Whisky Golf, a joint Canadian / US torpedo testing range. The range takes up a significant portion of the Strait of Georgia off the city of Nanaimo, our next destination. Apparently the depth and flatness of the sea floor in this area is perfect for the sonar and hydrophone arrays used in torpedo testing. Our planned course keeps us well clear of the restricted area, but we carefully monitor our drift all the same. While the torpedos aren’t armed during testing, crossing paths with one speeding through the water at 40 knots is something we’d like to avoid.

We land at the old boathouse below the light station for a break and a look-see. The North Ballenas Lighthouse is perched on a bluff with a commanding view of the Strait. The keeper’s house is boarded up and the concrete sidewalks are crowded by blackberry bushes covered in ripe fruit. Becky and I stroll the grounds picking berries, enjoying the view and imagining the joys and struggles of lightkeeping.

A short paddle past a fleet of reefs, rocks and islets brings us to Southy Island and our camp for the night. Southy is a small swatch of public land in an increasingly developed coastline. On the shore, about 1 mile distant, we see nothing but rows of houses. We can even hear the sounds of vehicle traffic and police sirens carrying across the water. The sun and water are as warm as ever and both Becky and I indulge in a swim before a dinner of home-baked biscuits and dehydrated beef stew. An extra ration of grog for the crew in celebration of crossing the Strait!

Lund to Harwood Island

2007-09-14T20:38:00.000+12:00

9/12/2007

Day 79

10 nautical miles

Leaving town after a rest day is always a challenge. There are always more phone calls that you’d like to make, more photos that you’d like to post, and more beer you’d like to drink. Today our chores got the better of us and we didn’t push off until 3pm. Good thing we had a short day planned.

Harwood Island, off the north end of Texada Island, is a First Nations reserve, so we called the band and obtained permission to camp before we left Lund.

Another sunny day without the drysuit! The coast south of Lund has road access so we’re seeing more and more homes and cottages. We can feel the wilderness disappearing. But at least we no longer have to worry about the bears.

Harwood Island has a long sandy spit off the north end. The spit is topped with nice prairie grass, lots of flat ground, and a 270 degree view! The air is warm and still and the water like glass. Its such a nice day that someone is out tonight wakeboarding without a wetsuit! The Sunshine Coast is certainly living up to its reputation. At sunset Becky and I stroll the beach and watch the sky and sea merge into a bright orange hallucination.

We decide to leave the fly off the tent tonight and are rewarded by an ocean of stars, occasional meteors, and the twinkling lights of Powell River. We can hear the dull roar of the pulp mill despite our distance from the city. Tonight is our first camp with city noises. Indeed, we’re getting closer to home.

"So what do you eat out there?"

2007-09-13T20:29:00.000+12:00

Believe it or not, we’ve actually been eating quite well on this trip. Here’s what was in our last resupply box which we picked up at Refuge Cove, BC on 9/10/07.

Pasta with sauce – dehydrated

Potatoes with beef and gravy – dehydrated

Assorted soup mixes

Dehydrated chicken

Farina

Corn chowder mix

Couscous

Rice

Pancake mix

Beef jerky

Minced dried garlic

Minced dried onion

Pine nuts

Brown sugar

Pepperoni sticks

Cinnamon and nutmeg mix

Trail mix

Assorted energy bars

Rice krispy treats

Asian trail mix

Assorted teas

Milk powder

Gatorade

Dried apricots

Quaker oatmeal squares

Instant strawberry cheesecake mix

Toothpaste

Multi-vitamins and glucosamine tablets

Hot cocoa mix

Dehydrated beef

Dried mixed vegetables

Olive oil

Topo maps and nautical charts

Yum!!

Of course, since we we’re “in town” when we picked up this box, we just had to raid the general store for some goodies. Becky picked some crackers, Brie and an apple. Nick came out with a candy bar and a can of Pringles! Bring on the calories!

Cape Caution to Lund, Photo Gallery

2007-09-13T07:26:00.000+12:00

9/12/07

Day 80

Greetings from Lund on BC's Sunshine Coast

Well, after an epic two weeks of marginal weather, rain, and difficult paddling we've finally turned the corner. The last five days have been crystal clear with tailwinds or no winds, miles have been quick and days short. Our bodies are thankful for the rest and summer-like relaxation. Paddling has been a pleasure after starting to feel like a chore. A week ago we saw our first Douglas Fir and three days ago our first Madrona tree. Out last campsite was a developed BC Park site with an OUTHOUSE! Now, that's civilization.

Today is a bit of a rest and resupply in a town that you can drive to, our first since Prince Rupert. We have about 170 miles and 10-12 days to go until Bellingham and the forecast is for contined high pressure, sun and light winds!! Yippee!!

Here are some highlight photos:

Lining the boats over to our campsite.

Counterbalance food hang to keep our goodies out of Yogi's paws!

A typical misty day on the Inside Passage.

Paddling in Queen Charlotte Strait.

Sullivan Bay, a floating community off North Broughton Island and one of our resupply points.

Cooking up the goodies on Cedar Island, Broughton Islands.

Sailing the kayaks at 6 knots in the strong westerlies of Johnstone Strait!!

Unloading the boats after a short day before running Green Point Rapids.

Estero Peak, Discovery Islands.

Outside Shoal Bay.

Refuge Cove, near Desolation sound and our last resupply point.

Sorting food on the float at Refuge Cove.

Sunset at our site in the Copeland Islands.

Finally, a good feed at the Lund Hotel Pub!

Ahhh, Becky in rapture at our digs in Lund.

Cape Caution

2007-09-13T06:45:00.000+12:00

8/31/07

Day 67

Smith Sound (Redsand Beach) to Skull Cove

Cape Caution Crossing

20 Nautical Miles

Ugh! Our most difficult day yet. The alarm started beeping at 4:30am in the pitch dark. After spending several days weathered in by a SE gale, we wanted to get an early start if the weather proved good enough to tackle our most exposed section of paddling yet.

(Its worth noting that during our little weather induced rest day we were again visited by Donna and Barry on "Water Music". We were camped at Kelp Head at the time and wondering if we'd made the right decision by staying put for the day. They welcomed us aboard, fed us breakfast, and then took us for a short sail around the point to have a look at conditions. A large west swell and NE wind chop was turning the rocky coastline to a roiling wall of spray. We'd made the right decision. Later, back inside at anchor, Donna made up a delicious pasta salad and the first beer I'd had in over a week. Oh, its good to have patron saints like Donna and Barry. Thanks for looking out for us!!)

We listened intently to the radio weather forecast. The gale had blown itself out, but there was still a low pressure system lurking offshore and spinning crap off at the BC coast. Winds were forecast to be light in the morning, rising in the afternoon. But the outlook for tomorrow was for strong SE winds, not an improvement. Current conditions at 4:30am at Egg Island Lighthouse, just north of the Cape, were winds NE 7 kts, 1 foot chop, low west swell. Offshore the West Sea Otter Buoy was reading seas 1.4 meters, wind SE 12 kts. Good enough for us to go have a look.

By 7am we were paddling under leaden skies and oily calm seas. We passed out of Smith Sound and into the open Pacific coast to be greeted by rolling swells. The rocky shore and reefs off Hoop Bay were breaking, but by staying offshore Beck and I were able to just ride the rolling seas. Sea lions were playing in the kelp beds and bobbing vertically out of the water to catcha glimpse of the strange humans paddling past. A parade of cruisers and gilnet boats were cruising south about a mile further out from our path. So far, so good.

At Neck Ness we encounter opposing current and are slowed to a crawl. Still making progress we inch our way to Cape Caution. Turning the corner is quite an experience, almost immediately the swell becomed confused, sloppy, and bumpy. A blast of chill air greets us and the neoprene gloves go on. Nature is calling as well, after several hours non-stop in the boats both Becky and I have to GO!! I use a pee bottle while Becky goes through some amazing acrobatics with the boats rafted together. Since we don't want to run the surf breaking on the few beaches on this stretch its the only way.

Around the Cape we're getting the full effect of the swell and the seas increase to monsters, nothing scary or dangerous, just huge and rolling. For me, it was the beginning of the suffering. Big 6' then 8' and finally 10' rollers under the boats. I've never before been seasick in a kayak before, but today was the day. Hammering headache, wretched nausea and nothing to do but keep paddling the next 6 miles until we were around the corner. Down in the troughs of the waves everything disappeared, up on the crest we could see for miles. We both felt very small and insignificant and vulnerable out there.

Eventually, we turn the corner into protected waters and everything goes flat. 20 minutes later we're ashore and we're having a much needed stretch and pee.

7.5 hours of continuous, non-stop paddling got us around the cape with no landings and no drama besides the incredible scenery and a bout of seasickness. Not too bad, but we're both wasted at day's end. Time for a nice long sleep!

Fury Cove

2007-09-13T06:07:00.000+12:00

8/26-27/07

Day 62 and 63

Hakai Pass crossing to Fury Cove, Penrose Island Marine Park

12 and 14 nautical miles

A great couple of days. We crossed notorious Hakai Pass in a big rolly west swell. Some reflection waves bouncing off the cliffs on the south side made things a little bumpy, but nothing to eskimo roll about. The area feels like the back of beyond until you spot the fishing skiffs running back and forth looking for salmon and halibut. Commercial fishing boats have all but disappeared in these waters to be replaced by omnipresent outboard powered skiffs filled with sport fishermen.

The real treat of the day was a hike!! Its hard to believe that our legs are still capable of walking after all this time on out butts, however we managed to follow an old road up to a communications tower high on Calvert island. This was the first aerial view we've had of our surroundings. Spectacular!

Then we crossed Fitzhugh Sound in utterly placid conditions stopping mid-channel to chat with some Texans on their sailboat from Galveston. It was a bit strange to be out in a major shipping lane, bobbing around having a conversation.

Fury Cove in Penrose Island Marine Park lived up to Clyde's recommendation. We paddled into a sheltered anchorage surounded by white shell beaches. A perfect spot for both yachts and kayaks. We shared the anchorage with several boats, but "Water Music", a 44' C&C sailboat, turned out to be a special boat.

Barry and Donna came motoring over and right-off-the-bat offered their forward stateroom if we didn't feel like weathering the forecast storm in our tent. Since we'd already picked a bombproof campsite, we graciously declined, but when they returned from fishing with a lingcod and an invitation to dinner we couldn't resist.

The rest of the evening was spent trading stories of paddling, sailing, family and friends. Barry indulged my curiosity in his GPS and electronic charts while Donna cooked up a gourmet feast of fish, rice and cabbage salad. All this topped off with glasses of white wine and Becky and I were in heaven. Three cheers for Barry and Donna! Thank you for your hospitality!

Headed South from Shearwater

2007-09-12T12:00:00.000+12:00

8/24/07

Day 60

Headed south out of Shearwater

We left Shearwater yesterday around 2 PM all fat and happy. Two and a half days of lying about in the sun, drinking beer, and eating out of a cafe will do that to you. Otherwise, we spent our time repairing gear, drysuits and the stove to be precise. We've had major issues with the latex gaskets on our drysuits. Nick has blown out two neck gaskets and a wrist, while Becky has "only" blown out her neck gasket. We've done as good a patch job as we can and are hopeful that they'll at least last through Cape Caution. Kokatat offered to send replacements to Sullivan Bay. As for our stove, well about the only thing on an MSR stove that you can't fix in the field is a clogged fuel line and that's what we've got. The stove is still working, just. Becky spent some time on the phone with MSR today and they'll be sending a replacement fuel line to Sullivan Bay. We're going to have Christmas in Sullivan Bay, all sorts of goodies to pick up!! Such are the trials of a long-term expedition. Not bad considering the use all our stuff is getting and Beck and I are still sane and healthy. Yippee, off again into the blue!

So, yesterday we departed Shearwater under sunny skies, calm winds, and whispy high clouds. It was so warn and placid that I paddled without my drysuit relishing the summer sun. About the time we were ready to camp we came upon a couple camping on a small islet, their double kayak hauled up on the rocks. Pat and Bev, from Vancouver, were on their last night out after a week of local paddling. We chatted about our trips and shared campsite information as is the ritual when paddlers converge. Tomorrow they'll head to the BC Ferry terminal in Bella Bella and home from there.

Beck and I find camping on the next islet to the south behind a crushed white shell pocket beach. The spot is everything a kayaker looks for. The beach is steep and soft, but composed of coarse shell bits. Walking barefoot is possible, but all our gear doesn't get coated in sand. The steepness means that it is a short carry with the boats to get above the high tide line. There is a small clearing above the beach in the salal, just steps from the beach but well above the highest of tides. No worries of the water coming to get us tonight!

Beck sets about pitching the tent while I set up our kitchen. Tonight we have a treat for dinner, a halibut steak given to us by Karen from the Shearwater store! Salivating already, I pump up the stove and open the fuel valve. Nothing. Not a drop of precious halibut cooking petroluem is coming out of the jet. Okay, I guess I'll field strip and clean the stove. Again, nothing. I try a number of desperate measuers to get the stove fired up, but nothing works. Meanwhile my model expedition partner has started a fire and is boiling water. After an hour, I give up. By now, Becky has grilled the halibut over the fire and we enjoy our meal in the fading light.

Later, lying in the tent, we weigh our options. No stove means no food since most of our staples, rice, pasta, oatmeal, etc, all need to be cooked. We consider cooking over fires for the next 12 days. Possible, but a messy and time consuming prospect, especially in the mornings. Shearwater didn't even have white gas camping fuel, we're using gasoline from the fuel dock, so we can't buy a new stove there. The native village of Bella Bella is about a day's paddle back towards Shearwater, but we're not sure what we'll find and that will set us back at least two days, time we don't really have. Then, a light goes on...

Just 10 minutes away, on the next islet are Pat and Bev. Pat and Bev have a stove of some sort and they're on the last night of their trip. Maybe, just maybe we can buy their stove and continue on our way. I drift off to sleep dreaming of a working MSR Whisperlite stove.

So, that was yesterday.

Today we sleep in a bit and at the respectible hour of 7am I sheepishly paddle over to Pat and Bev's campsite. They're awake, and crawl out of their tent into the drizzle to greet me. They refuse to sell me the stove, instead they insist we come join them for breakfast and borrow their stove for as long as we need it, gratis. What's more is that they are using a Whisperlite, which means that our spare parts, fuel bottles, and pump will work with their stove.

Yippee! I wonder how many Karma Points we've just cached in. What a tremendous stroke of luck.

So, Beck and I pack up camp and spend the morning hunkered under a tarp, sipping tea and munching frybread, swapping stories with our new friends and saviors from Vancouver. The weather goes from bad to worse and we depart into a 15 knot headwind with sideways rain, but wave happily back at the two paddlers who have truly saved the day!

Thank you Pat and Bev! The stove is working perfectly and we should have it in the mail back to you around the 22nd of September.

Shearwater, BC

2007-08-23T13:40:00.000+12:00

Hello from Shearwater, home of the slowest computer on the BC coast!! (Maybe the only computer on the cenetral BC coast!)

Shearwater is also a little more than halfway for Becky and me!

Apologies for the lack of photos, but the computer won't even recognize my camera and likes to crash with more than one window open.

Just so nobody worries: We might have trouble getting internet access over the next two/three weeks, so if we don't post, don't worry. We're expecting to arrive in Sullivan Bay, BC in about two weeks and will phone from there.

So, this last section has been one of our longest yet. about 165 nautical miles over 12 days. We have been blessed with mostly good weather, although did take half a day off due to winds on the 16th. Overall though, winds have been at our backs or light.

Becky and I skipped the normal Inside Passage route through Grenville and Princess Royal Channels in favor of more open water to the west. Instead of paddling through the narrow, sheltered channels fovored by most of the traffic on the north BC coast we wanted to see mountainous Campania Island and its white sand beaches. We also were hoping to avoid most of the ferry, freighter, barge, and cruiser traffic and maybe see some wolves. We succeeded and were treated gently by the Pacific, there wasn't much more than a low westerly swell the whole time.

Gotta make this quick before the ancient IBM Aptiva I'm using crashes again.

Highlights:

Giant grain elevators with tug and frighter traffic outside Prince Rupert.

Amazing stars and sunsets now that we're getting more sunshine than rain.

A rocky campsite on a rugged granite point in Principe Channel with a 270 degree view.

Paddling along the west side of Camapnia Island below giant granite cliffs worthy of Yosemite or Squamish and camping on a 1/2 mile long white sand beach dotted with wolf tracks, setting up our tarp for shade from the sun and swimming in the crystal clear water as if we were on a California beach!

Watching a school of 20 salmon swim right past my fishing lure, catching and eating Spiny Rockfish cooked over a driftwood campfire. One of these days I'll get a salmon!

Paddling along on an open section of coast, minding our own business when a Humpback Whale begins breaching about 200' behind us and coming our way! We turn towards shore and watch it pass breaching and lobtailing the whole way, happy to be out of the path of those powerful fins.

Stopping in at the Ivory Island Lighthouse to chat with keepers Ron and Colin.

Watching a deer swimming across two-mile wide Seaforth Channel in an ebbing current.

Meeting Dana and Chris, previously of Bellingham, hearing stories of refitting a boat for world cruising and having a delicious home cooked breakfast on their 32' Westsail the "Puffin".

And finally, Whistler Pale Ale, Prawns, Steak, Fresh Greens, and Chocolate Cake at the Fisherman's Bar and Grill in Shearwater!! Bring on the calories!

Hope this post finds everyone well and healthy. Thanks for the comments and support. Again, sorry for the lack of photos.

Arrival in Prince Rupert, BC

2007-08-09T11:09:00.001+12:00

Greetings from CANADA!!

Just returned from the post office with a shopping cart full of goodies! Thank you Mom, Sue, Stefan, and Mary Marie for all the packages.

Yes, Mom, I returned the shopping cart to the supermarket.

Stef, I have no idea what you wrote on the prayer flag, but I'm sure it is all good. We're looking around the hostel for a Swede to translate.

Sue, you shouldn't have. But since you did, we're having dinner on you tonight at the Cow Bay Cafe! Thanks.

Mom, I loved the watercolor card. We scarfed the beef jerky almost immediately and will enjoy the dried fruit from Michigan.

Mary Marie, thanks for lugging that huge box to the Post Office. Everything arrived ship-shape!!

Thanks to everyone for the packages, e-mails, and support!

Be sure to check the archives on the lower right of the page for earlier postings, we only display the most recent few on the front page.

And now, just a few photos:

Fisherman's float at the site of abandoned Port Tongass, just shy of the BC border.

Nav bouy near Port Simpson, BC

Not quite high tide, but we stayed dry at this campsite at Jap Point, a day north of Prince Rupert.

The Man who Fell from Heaven, a prtroglyph in Venn Passage, just outside Prince Rupert.

Dixon Entrance, Anatomy of a Capsize

2007-08-09T08:35:00.000+12:00

8/4/2007

Day 40

Dixon Entrance, Kah Shakes Cove to Tongass Island

23 miles

Beautiful sandy beach at Kah Shakes Cove

The short story: We had a fabulous day paddling in great sunny weather around an exposed section of coast in fun, challenging conditions. Around Cape Fox, an over-enthusiastic Nick goes for a surf, applies his paddle incorrectly, flips his boat, misses his Eskimo roll twice, exits said boat, swims, and self rescues, climbing back in. Becky is soon alongside and helps stabilize the boat while Nick, laughing and grinning now, pumps the boat dry. We all enjoy a break on a sheltered nearby beach, CACKLE and chatter with excitement, then continue on to Tongass Island where Wild Turkey bourbon is applied to one wounded ego and two courageous companions. Overall, it was one of the best days of the trip! No, REALLY, it was one of the best days yet. We had fun, things went awry, we dealt with it and carried on, still having fun and still safe, happy that we'd trained for such an occasion.

The long story (ad nauseam) is below:

Sunset at Kah Shakes

What a day today!! Some of the best paddling we've done yet, and definitely the wildest stretch of coast we've seen. Headed out of Kah Shakes Cove (the site of an abandoned native village) around 7am to beat the wind and waves. We're in Dixon Entrance now, a section of coast that is exposed to the open pacific. For the first time in the trip we can look to the west and see only water on the horizon. We can also feel the swell and surge of the Pacific. Today there is bright sun, sparkling water, perhaps a two foot swell, and light winds out of the S-SW. We were hoping for the forecast NE tailwind but it was not to be today.

The shoreline here is gnarled. Rocky, craggy, stunted trees, offshore rocks and reefs, and lots of kelp beds. Where the rocks give way to beach we can see the gleam of bright white sand. Great paddling in the surge, scooting in and out of rocks and islets, lifting and falling with the swell.

Becky paddling in the morning's stellar conditions. We traded boats for the morning.

We're low on water so we spend the morning looking for a creek behind the walls of weed covered rocks. One promising spot lures us in, but only reveals a lagoon that fills with the high tide. Low tide now has it draining salt water back into the sea.

We're lucky to have such great weather for this exposed section. After nearly a month of clouds and rain the bright sun is a welcome surprise. We're going on nearly a week of sunshine, unbelievable! Tides lately have been high in the morning and high in the evening blessing us with short gear and boat carries.

We pass Foggy Bay and its long white sand beach. There is a small Bayliner anchored just off the beach and two figures combing the sands. Continuing south the coast just keeps getting rockier, but is consistently indented with deep, narrow inlets backed by sand. Perfect camping and rest spots. Plenty of places to land should the need arise.

After chasing our Japanese friend, Shinya, for a few hours we duck into a bay for a break on a white beach. A small gillnet fishing boat pulls into the adjacent bay while we sip tea and munch on pilot bread, salami and cheese. No lack of company even on this remote section of coast.

Tree Point Light

Heading out after our break we're nearing Cape Fox and a turn to the east and into more protected waters. The seas have become noticeably bumpier and the breeze has picked up a bit, typical conditions for a Cape in the afternoon. We all agree that we're still comfortable in the conditions even though the tops of some of the larger swells have begun to chatter with whitewater. Paddling along Becky I notice the hull of her boat disappearing into the wave troughs as the crests pass between us. We're both having a fabulous time, playing in the waves, shooting gaps between islets, choosing a route through the conditions. Eventually, as we round the cape, the seas turn behind us and we enjoy the push the conditions give to our speed.

We pass behind Fox Island, just off the Cape, hooting with the thrill of paddling such a wild, remote stretch of coast in fun, challenging, but manageable conditions. I'd guess that the following seas and tailwind are boosting our speed to above 4.5 knots at this point, a nice ride. The biggest waves are maybe three feet with gently breaking tops, the sun is shining, green water sparkling, spray flying off the rocks, and 5 knots of tailwind pushing things along.

The last section around the cape offers us a choice. We can paddle around a cluster of rounded rocky mounds or shoot a 100' wide gap between the two largest rocks. Looking at the backs of the waves passing through the gap we don't see the telltale white streaks of breakers, so we decide to go for it.

Nearing the gap the waves steepen and most of the waves begin to break. Becky is in the lead with my boat right behind her, too close actually. Shinya, in his skin-on-wood Baidarka is a couple boat lengths behind and to my left. We're still grinning. I'm relishing the thought of perhaps catching a wave and surfing a bit. Beck is, prudently, paddling conservatively by coasting on the fronts of the waves and paddling on the backs, easing through the gap.

Soon we're between the rocks and the bottom is clearly visible in the wave troughs in front of us. It looks shallow. The first twinge of worry crosses my mind. Although the waves are only about 3 feet, things could get interesting. My boat accelerates down a wave and begins to broach or turn sideways on the face. No big deal, but rather than just bracing and edging I decide to correct the turn with a stern rudder paddle stroke.

Now, the stern rudder is not one of my strong points. Properly executed the paddler twists sideways to align the paddle shaft parallel to the boat. Then you raise your front hand which drops the rear paddle blade into the water near the back of the boat forming a rudder blade. Now the paddler can twist the paddle shaft and apply left or right directional control to the boat. The crux of the stroke, however, is proper alignment of the back paddle blade so it slices straight into the water. "NEUTRAL!" as my coach Leon would say. Well, finding neutral is where I have problems.

The moment my back blade enters the water, apparently not in neutral (tisk, tisk, tisk) it slices under the boat and I'm flipped. Boom! It happened so fast that all I really remember is looking up through the water towards the surface and thinking how beautifully green it was. I was absolutely stunned that I was upside down. "This isn't supposed to happen on this trip!!" And confused.

In retrospect, having flipped in a stern rudder stroke, my paddle was already in the set-up position to roll. But instead of going for a weak-side roll, I waste time dragging my paddle underwater to the other side of the boat to set-up on my strong side. Now, when I hip snap and come up, I'm short on air, my head comes up first, I get a breath, but flip back upside down. I've just committed the cardinal sin of rolling. "HEAD COMES UP LAST!", Matt would say. I can hear my coaches clucking their tongues from here! I set-up again and try a second time, but its a weaker effort and I blow it.

So, I resort to the infamy of pulling my spray skirt off and exiting my boat. Oh, the shame! Ha,Ha,Ha! But now, on the surface, back in the sunshine, I can breathe. "HANG ON TO YOUR BOAT, HANG ON TO YOUR PADDLE!", Shawna's mantra is ringing in my ears. I flip my boat upright, straddle it and flop my butt down into the flooded cockpit. Oh look, there's my bailing sponge floating away, GRAB IT! I was in the water for maybe 45 seconds. Its only then that I see the yellow boat next to me. Somehow, Becky managed to get her boat turned around and paddle back to me while I was in the water. She rafts next to me and takes my paddle while I get situated. We've drifted close to the rocky wall of a rounded islet and decide to paddle out of the gap before pumping my boat dry.

Just beyond the gap, the seas mellow considerably and we round a bend into a placid protected cove. We all grin, they laugh, and shake their heads while I CACKLE and pump out my cockpit. You'd be surprised just how stable a boat full of water can be! Shinya is muttering something in Japanese, probably questioning the sanity of his yammering partners. Just beyond the cove we find a small beach and take a short break. The only casualty of the event was the loss of my skull cap, a bummer to be sure, and a bruised ego.

We're well equipped for this situation, not only was I in a drysuit, but we still have 500mL of Wild Turkey with us. After a nice 3 mile downwind run to Tongass Island we land on a sandy beach and Becky breaks out in the TURKEY DANCE! Gobble, Gobble, Gobble!.

Seriously though, we feel pretty good about the whole thing. We're equipped for the situation, we're trained in how to rescue each other, and now we have some first hand experience doing it for real. The sea was kind to us today, and we've learned another lesson.

What a great day!!

(But, I promise Mom, we'll try to avoid such excitement in the future.)

Bear Video from Anan Creek

2007-08-09T08:01:00.000+12:00

I think the video speaks for itself. Enjoy!!

Last Stop before Canade, eh?

2007-08-02T09:31:00.000+12:00

Nick and I arrived in Ketchikan yesterday afternoon. This is our last port in Alaska before we cross the border into Canada in about a weeks time. This next section, the Dixon Entrance, will include some of the most exposed waters that we have seen. This section of coastline leaves the protection of islands to the west buffering and leaves us to contend with the open Pacific and ocean swells. The truly exposed portions should only take us about two days to cross, and we will of course, choose our timing wisely.

Arriving in K'Kan with TEMSCO Helicopter headquarters in background

Highlights since Wrangell include the Anan Creek Wildlife Observatory and the seaside town of Meyers Chuck. Anan Creek is more like a river that flows down rom the moutains through a turbulent rapid and then into a large open lagoon before finally pouring into the sea. This creek supports a large salmon run which at the time of our visit, were primarily humpbacks. The fish all congregate in the lagoon before attempting the rapids, which they must pass before reaching their spawning grounds further upstream. Through the rapids, the fish pile up as they are working against the fast flow of the river. Then the black bears arrive. From our viewing platform, we spent about two and a half hours watching the bears gorge themselves on the abundant salmon. A few of the bears were so indulgent that they would consume only a quarter of the salmon before discarding it into the stream, only to minutes later pick out another. It seemed wasteful until we realized that the half eaten carcasses were fodder for the lesser bears, bald eagles, ravens and all the other scavengers of the woods. Watching these bears feed was both a spiritual experience and a sobering reminder of the cycles of life.

Nick at Anan Creek, notice how thick the salmon are

From Anan we paddled a few days along the Cleavland Peninsula to arrive at Meyers Chuck. We had read that Meyers Chuck was a bit of an eccentric town and worth a stop. As we paddled into the protected waters of the "chuck", or saltwater lagoon in the trade language Chinook, we were struck by the coziness of the village. Most of the houses were built on stilts and were spread about the numerous islands that created a protected central harbor. In the harbor, we found the state dock and tied up our boats to have a look about. Within about ten steps, we were approached by a gentlemen who asked where we were from and if we were looking to stay in town. There are no formal accommodations in town, but the gentlemen immediately offered to let us stay in one of the spare cabins on his family land, and there was a pizza potluck that night as well. Were else can you arrive and be immediately offered a bed and meal, no questions asked. We found the potluck to be a very enjoyable experience. Almost all of the Chuckers came out for the affair, all arriving in their various skiffs (you pretty much need to boat to get anywhere). The pizza was the best I've ever tasted, cooked in a homemade pizza oven and topped with all sorts of garden grown veggies. Then the desserts came out and the selection was equally as impressive. Beyond the festivities of food, this was a special evening organized to decided whether the community should fight the impending incorporation into the Ketchikan borough (county, in Alaskan). For the most part, this free minded community would rather remain under self rule but the question became, at what cost (in lawyers fees to fight the borough). Nick and I were able to sit through the meeting as flies on the wall and both seriously enjoyed this slice of Alaskan politics. Thanks to the Chuckers for there generous hospitality!

Our cozy accomodations in Meyers Chuck

While in Meyers Chuck, we met up with a Japanese man named Shinya and have been paddling with him the last few days. He is in a wooden frame traditional Inuit style skin kayak, and has at times made Nick and I feel like sissies with all of our Gortex, coffee and booze. Shinya is an origami machine and thus is his greeting to everyone he meets- a crane, a frog, an elephant and if you're really lucky, a red rose.

Our next port is Prince Rupert in about seven days. Talk to you then!

The Routine

2007-07-25T07:04:00.000+12:00

7/23/07

Day 28

First Presbyterian Church, Wrangell, AK

Wrangell, Alaska is home to ten churches and two bars. Probably the only town in the state able to boast that kind of ratio. Becky and I are in the Presbyterian Church of Wrangell today. The Catholic Church is right next door, but this place has a hostel and our room is in the bell tower, overlooking the harbor, with an intriguing rope hanging through the ceiling. I keep egging Becky in, hoping she'll pull the cord and wake up the town. Not only is this church the oldest continuously functioning Presbyterian church in Alaska, it also has a neon cross on the steeple that shows up on nautical charts as a navigational aid. We're here resting and resupplying for the day. Its nice to have a little break from the paddling, do some laundry, shower and rest the shoulders and backs. Although Beck and I are by now muck stronger than we were three weeks ago, joints and muscles are a little sore.

We've fallen into a bit of a routine having been on the water this long. Days are structured around the tides, we plan to make the most of favorable currents. Not that we always guess the water's mind correctly, but it is nice to pick up a knot or a half if we can. The trick is to decipher the weather forecast to predict what the wind might do. Having a sleep-in to catch a favorable afternoon tide might backfire if the wind picks up. Nothing like paddling a loaded boat into 15 knots of wind to kick your butt in a hurry!

Some mornings, like the one we crossed Chatham Strait, dodging the wind might mean waking at 5am to be paddling by 6:30. Most days we're awake around 6am. One of us will retrieve the food bags (hung out of the reach of Yogi Bear), set up the kitchen, pitch the megamid if its raining, and cook brekkie. The other will pack up the tent and related gear, and do dishes. Once camp is packed and our engines are fueled with farina or oatmeal we schlep all our gear and boats to the water's edge. This is trickier than it sounds since the water's edge is always moving. Its a bit of a bummer to spend 15 minutes loading your boat only to find it left high and dry by a falling tide.

After a brief warmup stretch its into the boats to paddle away the day. Breaks are determined by out hydration level and its a common occurrence to sprint to the beach for a snack and a much needed pee. Around 3 to 5pm we start looking for a nice steep pebble beach to camp on, we reverse the morning routine, have time for a swim, walkabout, or just dinner than bed. We usually cover about 15-17 miles a day.

Bliss!!

Rocky Pass

2007-07-25T06:59:00.000+12:00

7/17/07

Day 22

Devil's Elbow Forest Service Cabin

Fabulous day today! Perhaps one of the best yet. Covered 15 easy miles thanks to the tidal current. Foggy morning from Pup Island to Entrance Island on compass. Caught the beginning of the flood current into Rocky Pass at 10am. At Entrance Island the fog lifts to reveal a narrow, well marked waterway between Kuiu an Kuprenof Islands. Narrow passes, reefs, islets, rocks, kelp and current. Just enough current to speed us along. No real rapids except right at "The Summit" where the passage is so narrow and shallow it has been dredged to accommodate boats up to 50 feet. It sure would be tight though! We rafted the boats for lunch and ate while drifting along at about two knots!

Saw no one until reaching what the Douglasses call "Baidarka Anchorage". Paddling over to the Lacretia B we chat for a bit with the couple on board. They are about to haul anchor to slip south through a tricky spot, Devil's Elbow, at high water slack. "You came all the way from Glacier Bay in kayaks?! Where's all your gear? And you're going to Bellingham, in kayaks?!" Its awesome to see folks so flabbergasted. They're from Sitka, but have wintered in Bellingham and know our friends Chara and Emmo! Small world. They even offered to send an e-mail to Chara for us to keep her posted on our whereabouts. Three cheers!!

The next kicker of the day is the Forest Service A-frame cabin. Tucked away on an isthmus between two tidal flats it has a cozy downstairs with two double bunks, a large kitchen counter and table with two benches, oil stove for heat and sleeping loft upstairs. Big windows top to bottom front and back, nice view out front over the salt grasses and mud flat. South exposure with a wooden deck and patio and today is a bright sunny day, perfect for drying gear and charging batteries with the solar panels. There is even a nice creek nearby for a quick bath courtesy of Dr. Bronner's Magic Soap. Beck is baking biscuits while I write and soak up the sunshine. No bugs either!! How is that possible? Later we take a stroll on the flat and discover he tracks of bear, moose, deer, wolves, and heaps a waterfowl.

We are both ecstatic that we are having this experience together!

Thanks to all our friends and family for the support and comments. We love you!

Crossing Frederick Sound

2007-07-24T12:45:00.000+12:00

Crossing Frederick Sound

Day 20

7/15/07

Surprise Harbor, Southern Tip of Admiralty Island

Well, we hoofed it 22 miles yesterday to make the most of a favorable weather forecast. That long day put us into camp late in the evening and preparing for the crossing kept us up even later. It took a bit of stamina to stay awake plotting courses, checking charts, and reading the Coast Pilot on the PDA, but we're taking the crossing seriously.

Frederick Sound is the longest crossing of our trip, 10 miles of wide open water. It is a major thoroughfare for ferries, tugs with barges, fishing boats, and gargantuan, gleaming cruise ships. While the forecast calls for "light winds and seas less than 2 feet" we're still treating it with respect. We've plotted a compass course on the chart, plugged coordinates into the GPS, and we're planning to cross as the tides are changing in order to avoid the worst of any current out there.

Fog is the theme for today. Early this morning we could barely see 1/4 mile. Not exactly great visibility for little kayaks in big water with giant ships. After all, we don't exactly show up on radar. Fortunately, the slack water for today falls in early afternoon which allows us a lazy morning watching the fog lift. Around 11am we push off the beach and say goodbye to our bear-free island campsite.

The southern tip of Admiralty Island, Kootznahootoo "fortress of the bears" to the Tlingit natives, is deeply indented by several island-filled bays separated by narrow, forested peninsulas. It is as if the island were stretching its own bear claw out into Frederick Sound. The coastline is rough, steep, and rocky. We lucked out last night to find our pebble beach campsite. Paddling out of our bay we turn east and aim for Carroll Island. Looking south, across the sound, all we can see is flat gray water blending seamlessly into flat gray cloud. Its hard to tell just how far we can see, but the visibility seems good enough for us to give it a go, especially since there is no wind.

Soon we turn, set the GPS, check the compass and paddle off towards the nothingness. It is a bit disconcerting pointing the boat at a distant fog bank and paddling away from shore. There is a faint horizon, but no land in sight. The only sounds are the paddle blades dipping and the low hum of a fishing boat somewhere out there. Beck and I paddle on in silence for about 30 minutes, snugly wrapped in the mist.

A loud woosh followed by an elephant's trumpet announces the presence of a humpback. The vocalization startles both of us out of our trance. The whale surfaces twice more, its glossy arched back showing each vertebrae through the skin, looking just like a sea monster. After the last throaty breath its fluke rises high and disappears without a ripple. Three quick breaths and a dive, then the silence is back and we are alone. Eventually we see a few boats buzzing in the distance, a helicopter flying east and finally, squinting into the haze, we spot the trees of Point Cornwallis. We're still 1.5 hours away, but at least we can see the other side. Yes, there is actually land over here, just like the chart shows. Becky starts a word game and we toss place names back and forth the rest of the way across.

After about 3.5 hours of continuous paddling we reach the point, butts aching and needing a pee. The rain, real SE Alaska rain, has set in by now as we locate a small pebble beach and step ashore. We groan and stretch, pitch our Megamid tarp shelter and hide out with a thermos of hot tea.

Frederick Sound is behind us and the elements were kind to us; zero wind, seas flat and not much current. It was also nice to find Point Cornwallis exactly where our compass and GPS said it would be! A few miles later we'll camp with some yachties in Honeydew Cove and sleep contentedly.

Angoon

2007-07-13T14:44:00.000+12:00

Greetings from Angoon, AK. Nick and I have arrived safely to our second resupply in the small Native community of Angoon. We came in early yesterday evening in the pouring rain and were incredibly fortunate to stumble upon the warm and inviting Kootznahoo Inlet Lodge, and it is by their graces (through the owners home computer) that we can add this post to the blog. Thanks Albert and Sally!!

We have had a fabulous two weeks and find ourselves warm, dry well fed and overall very prepared. We spent a week in Glacier Bay under clear skies and unseasonably warm temperatures. We took a charter boat from Park headquarters halfway up the Muir Inlet, and took a few days to paddle to the terminus of the Muir Glacier. This where our journey south would begin (and also the furthest point for home). We had a spectacular tour in the Bay and saw icebergs, puffins, humpback whales, sea otters and all the other usual stuff (YEAH!).

From Glacier Bay we crossed Icy Straight on nearly glassy seas and landed on Pt. Adolphus, a notorious humpback whale feeding ground. We were not disappointed in our viewing. When we set off to paddle away from the point, four humpbacks came up for breath no more than 20 ft. from our boats and headed straight for us. We must have taken them by surprise and they escaped collision only by diving right beneath our boats. It was a special experience but feel bad to have spooked these docile creatures.

We stopped in Hoonah for the Fourth and shared a rib feed with the community and then watched fireworks from a small island just out of town. We then paddled down Port Frederick to attempt the portage into Tenakee Inlet. It was easy going despite the quarter mile drag down a small creek.

One morning on our paddle out Tenakee Inlet, we were treated with a classic mist hanging from the hills, a rainbow and a pod of Orca whales actively working their way up the inlet. We made fast time on the glassy seas and arrived in Tenakee by noon. We tied our boats to the sea plane dock and wandered into town where we quickly found the harbor master sitting in front of the cafe sipping coffee. Tenakee is known for it's hotspring bathhouse and you bet we put our time in soaking our bones. Most of the down is built on stilts and hangs over the intertidal, such as this privy. Tide comes in, tide goes out.

Landfall in Juneau

2007-06-25T11:40:00.000+12:00

Becky and I arrived in Juneau at 1:30 am on Saturday. We crashed out with a few other paddlers on the lawn in front of the ferry terminal and attempted to sleep during the few hours of darkness that night. In the morning we were greeted by a text message from our friends Erik and Haley. Congratulations to them both on the arrival of Tilly! They make a beautiful family. Thanks for the photos Erik. We're thinking of you!

Our ferry ride north was idyllic. After weeks of hectic planning and studying suddenly we had absolutely nothing to do. Right out of Bellingham, between Sinclair and Lummi islands, we were sent off by a pod of leaping Orcas! Catching up on sleep, reading, writing and simply watching the inside passage slide by kept us entertained. We pitched a tent on the beck deck of the boat and stayed dry despite a bit of rain during the passage. Our fellow passengers ranged from families on vacation, a USFS fire crew, wannabe and veteran fishermen heading north, folks relocating to new lives and jobs in AK, and a few paddlers, bikers, and hikers out for adventure, from genteel to truck-stop rugged. Our longest layover was in Ketchikan where we had enough time to walk down to the recreated native village at Saxman to view the totems and carving studio. It was nice to have a chance to stretch our legs after 40 hours on the ship. Continuing north we stopped briefly in Wrangell and then headed through Wrangell Narrows in the pitch black ghosting between the bouys with only yards to spare on either side. Petersburg was shrouded in fog and backlit by the glow of dawn, but by then it was time to head back to bed. By morning of our third day we were in Frederick Sound and staring at the biggest crossing of our paddle trip south. That morning the 10 mile wide channel was as calm and flat as a lake, a beautiful day for a crossing. We're crossing our fingers to have similar weather when we finally get there in our kayaks. Arriving in Sitka via the narrows of Peril Strait we had just enough time to run to the NPS historic site to soak up a few more totems and history. Then it was north to Juneau for an early morning arrival, a snooze and a short but painful carry down the Glacier Highway to our put-in spot next to a fish processing plant. A short 1.5 mile paddle, our first in the expedition loaded boats, took us to the USFS Auk Village Campground, on the site of an old native settlement. A little bubbly to celebrate Tilly's birth and the beginning of the trip topped off the day. Tonight, Becky and I will be boarding the ferry to Bartlett Cove and Glacier Bay. Oh and by the way, Becky and I did a little roll practice in loaded boats today and are happy to confirm that, yes, you can roll a fully loaded sea kayak! Again, three cheers for our coaches Shawna, Matt, and Leon from Body, Boat, Blade!!

Rolling Videos

2007-06-19T19:39:00.000+12:00

Check out these links for some cool underwater videos of Becky rolling her Romany Explorer sea kayak. Many thanks to Body, Boat, Blade for their expert instruction, inspiration and support! We wouldn't be rolling without you!! Best of luck on your trip. www.bodyboatblade.com

Final Preparations

2007-06-19T19:05:00.000+12:00

I really shouldn't be posting right now, but I'm burned out from backing. In a mere 15 hours, Becky and I will be in line to board the Alaska State Ferry. Today had been a feverish finale to months of preparations. More about that a little later.

The big news is that on Saturday, Becky graduated from the Huxley School of the Environment at Western Washington University!! Hooray!!! To celebrate a gang of friends and family went out to Western's Viqueen Lodge on Sinclair Island for the weekend. In fact, just this morning we were on Sinclair. Water taxis sure do make the San Juans seem small!!

We had a wonderful weekend of relaxing, exploring, tidepooling and catching up.

A big THANK YOU to Tristan and Julia (who took this photo) for making it out for this special weekend, and for the pancakes.

Alright, time to get back to packing. Food boxes are all wrapped up, dry bags are stuffed, the boats have even been fully loaded for a dry run. Amazingly, everything fits!! Even the iPod!

Schedule and Mailing Addresses

2007-06-10T15:05:00.000+12:00

Many of you have been wondering where we'll be this summer and when. Well, here's the plan. If you're interested in joining us for a segment, or just want to send along a little package of goodies, check out this list. Packages can be addressed "Becky Peace or Nick Giguere, General Delivery". Be sure to allow at least 2 weeks delivery time.

Start - June 27

Bartlett Cove, AK - July 3
Glacier Bay N.P. and Preserve
Attn: V.I.S.
Becky Peace
PO Box 140
Gustavus, AK 99826

Angoon, AK - July 12
General Delivery
Angoon, AK 99820-9800

Wrangell, AK - July 26
General Delivery
Wrangell, AK 99929-9800

Prince Rupert, BC - August 10
General Delivery
Station Main
Prince Rupert, BC V8J3P3
CANADA

Shearwater, BC - August 25
General Delivery
Shearwater Marine
Denny Island CPS
1 Shearwater Road
Denny Island, BC V0T 1B0
CANADA

Sullivan Bay, BC - September 4
General Delivery
Sullivan Bay Post Office
Sullivan Bay, BC V0N 3H0
CANADA

Refuge Cove, BC - September 14
General Delivery
Refuge Cove, BC V0P 1P0

Home in Bellingham on September 25!

Off to Antarctica September 27th!

Two Weeks Away

2007-06-07T14:52:00.005+12:00

This has been an unbelievably busy spring for Nick and I. I have been consumed with finishing up my last quarter at school and all the little details of graduating. Nick spent the month of April working at Mt. Rainier with pre-season preparations and then returned to Bellingham to dive straight into trip preparations. This has been a full time job for Nick for the last month and a half. I think he deserves a degree too (B.S. in Expedition Logistics?). Nick has also been spending a lot of time customizing his Pygmy kayak, see photos below.

We have been working and living in a friends finished barn in Ferndale. It's about a 20 minute drive to Bellingham, but we have more space than we need and Nick is able to work on his boat in the attached garage. We have both been pouring over all of the available resources that cover this trip, charts, guides, trip accounts, etc. We have also purchased an embarrassingly large amount of gear , but justify it with the thought that this will be our life for the next three months, and that we want to be comfortable with good quality gear. Nick has worked magic with some of the techie stuff, constructing a deck mounted solar panel that will charge a battery pack or directly to our electronics: VHF radios,

camera batteries, i-pod, headlamps, etc. We have also been working on our food resupplies. It was quite intimidating at first, trying to plan food for a hundred days, but we then figured out that we could just plan for about 6 fifteen day trips. That felt manageable. And of course there are all the little itty bitty details. Where are we going to sleep when we arrive on the ferry in Juneau at 1am? We can't leave our boats. How much toilet paper should we bring? Do we need a pruning saw? Can we eat mashed potatoes for three out of ten dinners? All questions that will soon be strikingly clear.

We hope to continue to make posting through the trip. We are currently following one gentleman's blog who is about a month ahead of us and paddling in the opposite direction. Otherwise we will do our best to send word along through various other means.

Spring Time So Soon

2007-03-26T18:53:00.000+12:00

My sincere apologies to all of our dedicated family and friends who so graciously visited and commented on the blog, only to be bitterly disappointed the sheer lack of commitment of the authors (or perhaps, by myself). Although the 2007 Antarctic season is officially over we hope to continue with this blog through other adventures and quite likely additional seasons on the ice. We are both currently back in the states and settling down in Washington for the spring. I (Becky) will be in school at Western and Nick will be splitting his time between preseason work at Mt. Rainer and preparation for this summer's sea kayak expedition up the Inside Passage. Although we cannot be sure of Internet access and connections, we hope to offer at least a few posting of progress. Otherwise we will be in touch through traditional e-mail and the telephone. Our current plan is to depart June 18th, from Sinclair Island where we will hosting a graduation celebration and be joined by friends and family as we push off from shore and make our few first paddle strokes north. We will be busy compiling resources this spring and hope to post a few entries outlining some of the more essential aspects of our trip. Until then, enjoy the morning birdsong and the long dusky evenings of spring.

Hillary's Sherpa

2007-01-24T14:03:00.000+13:00

This past Sunday Scott Base celebrated its 50th Anniversary. As part of the celebration the Prime Minister of New Zealand, Helen Clark and Sir Edmund Hillary came down for a visit. Hillary was part of the original Scott Base construction expedition in 1957 and was most recently on the ice in 2005. The Kiwis absolutely adore "Sir Ed" and made every accommodation to make his visit as comfortable as possible. This included constructing the "Hillary Step" which affords an easier ascent into the helicopters down here.

At 87, Sir Ed is not as agile as he used to be, but maintains his commitment to the NZ Antarctic Program and the preservation of Ross Island's historic huts. On this visit, speaking at Shackleton's Nimrod Hut at Cape Royds, he asked that the British Government offer more financial assistance towards protecting and preserving these monuments to Antarctic exploration. Currently the maintenance of these huts is headed by the New Zealand based Antarctic Heritage Trust.

Pilot Paul Murphy and I felt privileged to have such a living legend aboard our aircraft.

For those of you who are reading about the "Forgotten Men" of Shackleton's Ross Sea Party, here is a photo of the Aurora's anchor. Imagine the despair you'd feel to wake up and find no ship attached to this giant hook!

Climbing the Matterhorn

2007-01-14T16:30:00.000+13:00

Happy 2007 Y'all!!

There has been lots going on the world lately. A huge thank you to everyone back home for keeping in touch.

Nick here, Becky has been banished to the South Pole Station for the next two weeks. Perhaps she'll be able to post from 90 degrees South, but until then you're stuck with me.

There has been lots going on back home of late. A huge THANK YOU to everyone for keeping in touch and sending prezzies and treats!! Getting news from home means a great deal.

Congrats to Stefan and Rebecca who were married on the 6th of January. I'm sure that it was an awesome party! Wish we could have been there. Please no photos of the powder on Mt. Bachelor!

Congrats to Paul and Jessie on their engagement in India. Paul, I understand your ring fetish completely, read on! Will there be dahl bat at the wedding?

And hip-hip-hooray to Ma and Pa Dodd of Napa!! Becky and I can't wait to instill some wanderlust into the youngster. Better start saving now!

And, in case any of you missed it, we have a celebrity in out midst. Ol' TOC has gone primetime! Click here to read all about Dr. Terry's lifesaving (no joke!) antics on the Big E. Thank you to Michael for allowing Beck and I to follow the series. Congrats T on your accomplishment! And nice hat!

Now for the latest from the Ice.

On December 27th I had the opportunity to join Becky for an evening at her field camp in the Dry Valleys. Surprise!!! Rather than wasting the 24 hour daylight by sleeping, we decided to climb a nearby peak known locally as the Matterhorn. We departed the Lake Bonney camp at 7 pm, crossed the lake ice, humped up a steep scree slope, kicked steps along the edge of the Matterhorn Glacier, scrambled a ridge and finally climbed some steep, but blocky rock to an airy summit. Becky fairly dragged my sorry arse up the whole thing, she was charging!! The windless air was cold, but the sky was cloudless and the midnight sun, bright. It was one of those climbs that just gets more interesting the higher you go. The rock up high on the Matterhorn has been "ventifacted". That is, it has been sculpted and carved by the wind. Imagine climbing granite that looks like swiss cheese. Absolutely surreal.

On the summit, Becky sat for a moment to admire the view and sign the register. I fumbled around in my pocket for a small box. There, in the middle of the night on a peak in Antarctica I asked Becky to marry me. Shouted from the mountaintop, I think her "yes" could be heard all the way back at camp!! Hooray! Hooray! Hooray!
We spent the next three hours skipping back to camp in a euphoric haze brought on by bliss and sleep deprivation. Then, after a few hours sleep

it was time to get back to work. Thanks again for the comments, congrats, and e-mails. Oh, and check out the new PeaceNick Image Gallery, its listed with the links on the right of the page.

Merry Christmas Everyone!!

2006-12-25T16:08:00.000+13:00

Happy Holidays Y'all!

Its a very mellow Christmas Day here at McMurdo. We have today off in celebration of the holiday. Most folks are spending it lying low, watching movies, sipping coffee, and sleeping in. The town was absolutely deserted early this morning. After a few days of tropical above-freezing temps and light winds, we're back to light snow, 1/2 mile visibility, temps in the teens and frigid winds. Perfect for cozying up to a book and listening to NPR over the satellite feed. Becky is spending the holiday at a field camp in the Dry Valleys. She should return before the New Year with crazy stories and photos to share. I've been keeping busy in her absence writing and skating.

Since I don't have any skating photos of me, here's one of Bea! She can rip!

For those of you who've been wondering just exactly where the heck we are (Merry Christmas!) here's a map. Notice the positions of NZ and So. America and the tracks of our icebreakers. The icebreakers are converging on McMurdo to punch in our shipping channel for the fuel tanker and resupply vessel slated to arrive later in January. Hooray, diesel and beer for next year!

Merry Christmas!

Weather Day

2006-12-21T16:18:00.001+13:00

Well Tuesday was a bit on the cloudy side. Compare the two photos. Where did the mountains go? In conditions like those on the right, we stay on the ground. Coffee and cookies anyone?

Antarctica is notorious for "flat light". Most downhill skiers are familiar with the poor depth perception that comes with diffuse overcast lighting and snow on the ground. Its a case of white-on-white. Flat light makes it difficult to determine relative movement, height-above-ground, and terrain fluctuations. This alone won't keep us grounded, but obscure the horizon with a little blowing snow, ice fog, or clouds and you have all the ingredients for spatial disorientation. In conditions like these skiers fall down and well, so do helicopters. Best to stay put, enjoy a nice hot beverage, and watch the cargo stack up. With one-day weekends down here we're often thankful for the extra rest day.

Fly Day

2006-12-17T13:10:00.000+13:00

Alright, another blissfully work-free Sunday has arrived! That means it's time to catch up on sleep, calories (great big brunch this AM), and the journal.

Good weather has kept us busy down at the helicopter pad. We specialize in cramming 10 pounds of humanity and science into the proverbial 5 pound bucket, in this case a Bell 212 helicopter. On occasion we have to fly the big loads on the outside. Pictured above is a load of propane and diesel about to be hooked to the belly of the approaching aircraft. It is quite a thrill to have 11,000 lbs of thrashing machinery hovering overhead as you hook the cable to the belly.

Its been said that the Bell 212 can be a dump truck or a greyhound bus, but not both at the same time. Here is a typical dump truck load of science instruments, camping gear, food, and probably a few bottles of wine. A 212 can carry 2500 lbs of cargo, but we often run out of internal space before we max out the aircraft's lifting capability. Packing and securing internal cargo is the art of the Helo-tech. However, we occasionally forgo finesse for the brute force of a Tokyo subway pusher. Just watch out for the million dollar NASA Mars probe instrument! Seriously!!

Just over the hill from McMurdo Station is Scott Base, home to the New Zealand Antarctic Program. Notice the pretty green buildings and contained, thoughtful layout. The station has one main door with all the major buildings and workshops connected by heated corridors. Spectacular nature photographs from around New Zealand grace the station's interior. Windows are plentiful and oriented to take advantage of spectacular views. The base is a reflection of New Zealand's national identity: small, pioneering, connected to nature, and sensitive to quality of life. In short, Scott Base has a soul. To be fair, it also has 10% the population of McMurdo. More on the splendors of McMurdo later.

I haven't seen much of the Antarctic continent, but this place is my favorite so far. Situated about one hour WNW of McMurdo and just on the edge of the polar plateau is a glaciated version of the desert southwest. A geology group led by Dr. Dave Marchant of Boston University believes that they have found ice that is over a million-years-old under the rocks of the Beacon Valley. More on this research can be found at: http://people.bu.edu/marchant/ This is also one of the more challenging places we fly into. Katabatic winds coming off the plateau frequently cause nasty turbulance around these peaks.

Paperwork! What government contract work would be complete without forms in triplicate? In addition to monitoring instruments, scanning for other air traffic (C-130s, Twin Otters, and other helicopters), watching the weather, and generally keeping the pilot awake, helo-techs write up passenger manifests and track flight time. For those of you who've never tried to write legibly while riding in a 212, just imagine a washboard road in an old Toyota pickup at 35 mph. Or at least that's my excuse!

That's all for now. Thanks for the e-mails from home!