ourowntwohands

Paddle Presentation - Orcas Island

2008-12-09T09:39:00.000-08:00

For those who have not seen it (or who want to see it again):

Around the Kenai Peninsula by Kayak

An Evening Presentation

Orcas Island Washington

Friday December 19, 2008

7:00 pm @ The Oddfellow’s Hall

Free! Donations will go to Cook Inletkeeper

Paddle Presentation - Lopez Island

2008-11-01T16:25:00.001-07:00

On Friday night, Nov 14th, there will be another presentation of the Kenai Circumnavigation on Lopez Island. Please contact us for more details - morearete@yahoo.com

Paddle Presentation - Padilla Bay

2008-10-09T14:24:00.001-07:00

Last night Matt, Djuna and I (mathew) presented to the Hole in the Wall paddle club at Padilla Bay. We were warmly received by 30+ members. Thank you all so much for the opportunity to share our journey.

Video & Optio W-30 Camera Review

2008-08-18T10:09:00.000-07:00

I spent some time the last few nights FINALLY starting the process of reviewing and editing all the video we shot. I'm not sure if you have done this before, but after gigs of material, but your eyes hurt. I've only begun...and have huge respects for those professional kayak video people out there - Justine, Bryan, etc. Not to mention how hard it is to get quality video shots. What looks great isn't easy to capture! Nonetheless we captured oodles of great footage!

Reviewing it all really took me back. I needed to be back as well. Lately normal work life and the pace of summer has been all around. I'm back in the city, only getting picture reminders of Alaska through my screen saver. Matt and Djuna have been real busy with Body Boat Blade, continuing their instruction and learning journeys. I know we all feel guilty for not having posted as much as we had hoped, but honestly it's a lot to digest. Not only that, but having some perspective from the trip has been so valuable. It still feels like a dream - one that you're not sure if it's about to happen, or already one that already has. It's a lovely energy feeling.

Saving the writing about video that we shot, I thought I'd first share what I found out as video camera operator. Again, shooting good video is hard, don't expect to be a pro after a few days.

We were well equipped with the waterproof Optio W-30 that most people have. I really can't really say enough about this camera. This model takes great video (older models really lacked in this department), awesome pictures, and the battery life is really decent.

We each had 3 batteries and found that truly the name brand ones pay off. Whereas the knock-off ones work and less expensive, they lose their charge quickly. Same with buying memory. We each carried about 8GB which was plenty for a couple weeks on the water. Again, cheaper memory resulted in much slower camera functions and shooting. Better memory writes faster and is worth it.

The thing I wish Pentax would improve is the ability to zoom once you're recording. I'd also add a better mic (though works great for dialogue from the camera person).

I was also concerned that the day in day out of saltwater exposure would tear the camera body apart. Actually, the cameras help up just fine with the rinse every now and then, sometimes days. Mine still has no corrosion. A thumbs up product.

So after hours of editing, I have an updated approach I'd take, hopefully to help you in your future trips.
** Take more self-dialogue clips
** Take more scenery and landscape from afar for perspective
** Set the camera down more (maybe use small tripod)
** Take more camp scenes
** Stop paddling more often and simply shoot more

We knew some of this going in and still could have done better. It is funny after reviewing though, because we have a lot of something areas, yet totally miss other sections I was hoping to see. I guess we were all in awe at the same time, and had our hands full with a blade in other sections. ;)

So here are few samples. Over the next months we'll be working up a big clip for upcoming presentations that once stitched together will highlight much of the coast and an overall feel of Alaska.

Paddling in Alaska - just a nice clip to give you a feel of what we saw much of every single day.

Puffins in Alaska - I've never seen so many tufted and horn-billed puffins. The little salami's were flying around everywhere. Not the most efficient of fliers, but great swimmers!

Turquoise Seas and Waterfalls - simple a stunning way to see the water and waterfalls come so close together

3 person kayak carry - I laugh when watch this, the 2x daily kayak haul usually easy in the morning on a high tide, and a struggle at night at slack before flood. We really bonded on these carries. Thankfully Matt devised a small tow strap so two can get most of the weight.

I see they also have a "high quality" feature when you watch these directly from YouTube. It's worth the trouble, far better quality.

Pictures and a Reunion!

2008-07-17T21:47:00.001-07:00

Matt, Djuna, and I met up last weekend for a celebration of sorts. It was the first time that we had been around each other since we were all at the airport in Seattle early July. It's hard to describe the feelings in seeing each other again, definitely different than before we left. We shared the meals we'd been eating, how we'd all noticed the change in our bodies before and after the trip, and a whole lot of intimacies that we never would have thought to share before paddling on such an amazing adventure together.

In the evening with friends we flipped through pictures we had printed. More stories came as questions flooded from all directions. It's hard to know what to talk about, hard to know what exactly everyone is interested in. Just a small question or a picture really gets us going on the story all around the ask.

We're hoping for more from you! I've posted the pictures here.

For the most part they are chronological, with the Cook Inlet leg first, followed by the outer coast, then finishing with Seward up through the Prince William Sound. Apologies for no captions, it'd take hours and hours. And also for the sheer quantity, I suggest looking in multiple sessions. (only 215 from 1300 were selected!)

If you have any questions, leave a comment and we can explain the photo, date, why we shot it, where it was, anything...

kicking off through the Turnagain Arm

2008-07-06T23:17:00.000-07:00

it was all set. months of planning and we were booked to fly on May 16th, 2008, silently hoping the weather was going to settle down and spring would come. the seas those 3 weeks prior were huge. I watched the weather while at work, hoping for a change. nothing, continued S and SW seas of 25 knot winds, with 20' swells on the outer coast. this was common. I never thought to think that our container with our boats, which was a big raft strung to a sister raft, would be a week behind schedule because the tugboat pulling them from Seattle to Anchorage just didn't have the mustard to keep pace through those seas. it set the mental stage for the trip, I think we all expected that we could be in some large seas beyond Homer.

our boats were delayed a week due to weather. we all pushed back our return dates as far as we could in July. Matt and Djuna went up on schedule to visit. I stayed back in Seattle a few more days to catch a special birthday and make more lists. with luck and thanks to very timely bagels to the shippers, we got our boats right before the Memorial Day weekend, just before doors closed for 3 days. we had our "unwrapping ceremony" immediately after - (gentle sigh) NO DAMAGE!! I remember sitting on Point Possession days later all talking "we could have gotten our boats only today!".

that first supply in Anchorage was all sorts of emotions. we kept spending money which seemed to never end. we had to go through meal estimations, bagging them, then adding more food. we left optimistically with cabbage and cauliflower, a bit of fruit and even a bag of chips. I bet our boats were the heaviest of the the whole trip that first day. the Anchorage prep was fun, but still arduous preparations that we were all ready to put behind us. eventually we fully packed our boats with all our kit. everything fit, remarkably.

the trip was easily cut into 3 leg - Portage to Homer, a resupply, Homer to Seward, another resupply, then Seward into Whittier. some 450nm (or around there, we weren't really tallying the total mileage). we planned roughly 10 days for each leg, and factored food according based on risk of having to sit bad weather out.

we thanked Steve and Noel so many times but still not enough. a good base each resupply is truly essential. one that comes with a warm shower, amazing meals, endless support and great knowledge sharing is optimal. in future resupplies in Homer and Seward we had thoughts of making it quick "get back on the water" stop. it never worked, it really can't. take the time, enjoy a shower, move on at a healthy pace.

we launched on May 24, 2008.

because of the delay, the tides were on the half moon in the Turnagain Arm, I'm not quite sure if that was too our advantage or not. we still paddled 28nm that first day. we still had to carry our boats up steep beaches to stay higher than the 25'+ tidal change. we still had dreams of giant bears. our boats barely had the word "organization" anywhere near them.

the Turnagain Arm is fabled and unique. the Turnagain arm was beautiful, magic, scary and celebratory all in one. its bottom is a silt mud that Matt could explain the geology of better. each year someone gets off their 4-wheeler as the tide is out, gets stuck up to their ankles in the silt, and even with the help of the fire department is stuck, sinks, and suffocates. we heard these stories, and the last thing we wanted was to get into this situation.

we put on the water on the slack before the ebb, so the water was high. but as we drove to the put in (and after driving back to look at the lines again), we could see how there were channels of mud. once on the water this mud was hard to distinguish between wet mud and water. it was slightly unnerving, and looking back was definitely some of the most dangerous paddling on the trip. we cruised that first day. we had a lot of energy and excitement, in addition to a full belly of sourdough pancakes that I've never seen eaten so completely.

toward the end of the ebb we slowly started running out of water. Matt stood on between Djuna's and my boat a couple times to get the extra 3' of perspective to help pick our lines. at the shallowest point we had a half a blade of water, once we had to walk. thankfully the sand was more firm there and we continued to our first night's site. it wasn't known then, but that was once of our favorite sites, for many emotional reasons.

the first and last pictures in this blog entry are from the plane as I flew in. the first ones are looking at Prince William Sound - check out all that snow! the very last picture here is the most western spine of the Chugach Mountains looking south. it's amazing how quickly they end into the flatlands of the Kenai Peninsula.

in this last picture, to the right, or west, is the eastern side of Chickaloon Bay, which is where we'll continue the writing on after we all chime in about this first special day.

Full Circle

2008-07-02T13:32:00.000-07:00

Wow...we've been back home on Orcas for 3 nights now and it feels complete...like home.

I confess I feel an empty place inside where Alaska was; seeing my parents, revisiting childhood places, feeling so small and awed by the scale of my surroundings while falling in love with it all. It's amounted to a quiet, introspective few days, with a surprising element of sadness, and i've been thankful to have time in my life to not rush past it all. I miss our trio of friendship, banter, and work and laughs, realizing that it was a home we created daily on our adventure and gracefully fit it into any geographic location we happened to be.

Tonight, a friend has organized a little party; I'm excited to re-connect with friends and catch up on what everyone has been doing. Summer has just hit with hot temps and full, flowery foilage, and I smile thinking back to our first night on the Kenai trip, bundled in long underwear, puff jacket and pants, inside my sleeping bag, safe and warm...excited about the adventure of each new day.

To anyone out there who may be more interested in informative, technical type of information relating to the trip, it will happen. Thanks for reading!

what we're planning to write about now

2008-06-29T22:36:00.000-07:00

It's summer here in Seattle, finally, the weekend was hot. I'm in a city, but I miss the water. I miss the ocean specifically, I miss camping and falling asleep to surf, I miss loving familiar meals like sticky morning oats, I miss rolling out of a sleeping bag into my dry suit bibs, I miss freezing my hands putting away the tent poles, I miss reading and writing at great lengths, I miss the vanish of 36 hrs while I was doing nothing on a beach, I miss nappy hair, I miss skinned knuckles from stuffing hatches, I miss our lunches where we'd alway be excited for the next half day of paddling... I knew I would miss these things.

Djuna really hit on it in her "reflection" post. There's so much that could be said about the experience, so many angles we could write about, promote, raise awareness on, give advice and opinions on... it's a little bit daunting to be back and know what to say. I've taken a week here to adjust and give it short space, to soak in and celebrate the incredible achievement we just completed.

In the past week I've looked through all the photos (and have made pizzas and ate salads). With every bite, I've thought about the trip - what I walked away with, what I should share. I've thought about what others would be interested in hearing. The one thing that continues to strike me is the participation, support, and general interest in this expedition. I'm continually amazed by people's enthusiasm as we share what we did. I buy into it and then I get amazed all over again! The enthusiasm has us enthused.

As we get back in the swing, I know the three of us will continue to process and write and share. We'll share pictures and write stories around the mechanics, like planning, logistics, foods, gear prep, boat packing, beach picking, weather reports, common obstacles, group dynamics, etc.

We want to share what we experienced, not as people that know how to do it exactly, but as people who want to offer help for you to dream of a trip, set a goal, and take the initial commitment of shipping a boat to a foreign land with you soon to follow.

It's all very achievable with some flexibility... and a lot of respect for mother ocean.

Completion and Reflection

2008-06-25T22:47:00.000-07:00

We paddled into Whittier at 1:00 pm on Sunday June 22nd. Steve and Noel (Matt's wonderful parents) awaited us onshore and before we knew it we were on the road to Anchorage driving along Turnagain Arm.
There is so much to write about our trip...and the time will come for that as well. What I am feeling strongest now is the need to slow down and reflect on what we have done, where have traveled. Life moves so fast, it's easy to slip back into the routine, without realizing the insights of our adventure. When we live in the outdoors we live simple lives- long hours are spent just moving through the water and watching and listening. Our clothes, food, shelter- it's all basic and time stretches out into long days. When I turn on a faucet or open a refrigerator, I am reminded of how little we need and how much beauty exists on the edge of the sea.

Our own six salty hands! Whittier

2008-06-25T22:45:00.000-07:00

Pancakes were our morning feast on days off- Point Nowell in Prince William Sound.

2008-06-25T22:43:00.000-07:00

Cape Resurrection- More birds than I have ever seen at once, this place was lively.

2008-06-25T22:40:00.000-07:00

Eldorado Narrows- Our first stop out of Seward... We napped in the sunshine and Matt and Djuna jumped in the sea.

2008-06-25T22:38:00.000-07:00

Chance cove- This was a lonely spot where we slept in the mossy rocks.

2008-06-25T22:22:00.000-07:00

Nuka Passage- We spent a sunny day here watching the water... and bears!

2008-06-25T22:19:00.000-07:00

Chugach Bay- We saw whales, bears, mountain goats... so lovely!

2008-06-25T21:58:00.000-07:00

WE MADE IT!

2008-06-22T18:35:00.000-07:00

at about 1300 today we landed in Whittier, to the warm welcome of Steve and Noel. we were soaked, as was all our gear! so now back at their house in Anchorage, now trying to dry gear and get things a bit organized. next, a shower...

thanks for all the support! it worked!
much more soon...
matt, djuna, mathew.

day 29 - whittier around the bend

2008-06-21T23:16:00.000-07:00

tonight's signal came in at 7:36 pm alaska time and shows them at the mouth of cochrane bay, about 15 miles from Whittier, the take out.

an incredible journey. a plan put into motion. they've covered nearly 500 miles in 1 month, and as the blog says, with their own two hands. many hands await their return to cheer and hug these strong and courageous paddlers.

thank you for keeping them in your thoughts and sending so much positive energy their way.

bienvenidos amigos

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day 28 summer solstice, padders remain still

2008-06-20T21:13:00.000-07:00

"may you awaken to the mystery of being here and enter the quiet immensity of your own presence. may you have joy and peace in the temple of your senses. may the nourishment of the earth be yours, may the clarity of light be yours, may the fluency of the ocean be yours, may the protection of the ancestors be yours" - john o'donohue

------------------------------------------------------------------------

here are some photos i recieved a few days ago from our 3 friends... these were shot in the first section of the trip between portage bay and homer.

enjoy this long, gorgeous day. enjoy this moment, and one another. celebrate, for you have many reasons to.

day 27 - eshamy bay

2008-06-19T23:58:00.000-07:00

paddlers are rockin'! just outside of eshamy bay when the SPOT signal came in tonight. all signs say they'll be to whittier by sunday. WOW!

tomorrow is solstice, the longest day of light! live it up and enjoy amigos.

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day 26 SPOT signal 4:16pm

2008-06-18T20:31:00.000-07:00

the paddlers reached the end of bainbridge passage today at this rate it looks like
they may have 4-5 days more of their trip. amazing!!!

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day 25 - auk bay

2008-06-17T22:45:00.000-07:00

truly truly incredible progress as the team now enters yet another breathtaking area on the final stretch of this journey.

a note from matt's mom...
Hi, all

The paddlers are at Auk Bay in Bainbridge Passage. That means they're in Prince William Sound, so going should be good. Steve thinks that they could be in Whittier as soon as Sunday.

We'll be standing by for pickup services then, and wishing them a safe trip.

Love, Noël

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day 24 - whidbey bay 4:28 pm

2008-06-16T20:24:00.000-07:00

a note from matt's mom (matt's parents were able to join the crew in seward and see them off).

Hi, all

Tonight's SPOT is at Whidbey Bay, on the Gulf of Alaska coast on the way to
Port Bainbridge. They're about 30 miles from the entrance to Prince William
Sound. They made 28 miles today. Once they enter PWS they will be on a
less exposed shore with lots of places to land when they need/want to.

Again, I'm sad that we're not with them. Tomorrow they should get into even
more beautiful country. Once while we were going through Bainbridge Passage
a porpoise was swimming along with us on the bow and was so close I could
almost touch it. I tried hanging my arm over the side, but it was just
about 6 inches too short. We've seen lots of wildlife along the
passage--porpoise, whales, bear (once Steve and Matt saw a black bear
swimming across!).

We'll get our turn in August, I hope.

Wishing them calm seas, light winds, currents in their direction, and
another great traveling day.

Love, Noël

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day 23 eldarado narrows

2008-06-15T21:45:00.000-07:00

here's the trio making their way out of seward this morning.

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resupplied in seward

2008-06-14T22:06:00.000-07:00

hola all! we are in Seward. got here late friday afternoon, spent the eve and day resupplying and visiting with Matt's Mom and Dad. Steve and Noel have made this journey comforting, and fattening. ;) they are special.

tomorrow early we leave for our final leg to Whittier, about 120nm. our initial forecast is very favorable with N winds in the mornings and SW in the afternoon. we have a great shot to be into Prince William Sound in 3 days. from there we're less exposed and will have the most flexible planning of the entire trip - minimal currents, seclusion from strong weather.

it's been bittersweet realizing we are in reaching distance of our goal from a start that seems so long long ago.

thanks for the new donations.
best.
matt, djuna, mathew.

day 21 seward!!! 6:26 pm ADKT

2008-06-13T21:34:00.000-07:00

so incredible - the paddlers made it to seward in 10 days. looks like they are near (or in) the ferry terminal.

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day 20 porcupine cove - incredible progress!!!

2008-06-12T19:33:00.000-07:00

SPOT signal in at 5:08pm Alaska time

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day 19 - granite island (5:30pm ADKT)

2008-06-11T18:57:00.000-07:00

they are making incredible progress. the weather looks to be in their favor. 3 rock stars!

here are some NOAA satellite images of where they are camped tonight, along with the map link to google from SPOT.

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day 18 at 4:43pm ADKT

2008-06-10T19:29:00.000-07:00

continued movement....

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day 17 - same place at 4:38 pm ADKT

2008-06-09T18:31:00.000-07:00

the paddlers remain in the same place as yesterday per the SPOT signal.

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day 16

2008-06-08T20:11:00.000-07:00

SPOT signal in at 3:37 Alaska time

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touglaalek bay - day 15

2008-06-07T19:55:00.000-07:00

SPOT signal at 3:49 pm ADKT

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chugach bay - day 14 at 1:20pm ADKT

2008-06-06T14:17:00.000-07:00

amazing...you guys are amazing!

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port chatham area - day 13

2008-06-05T20:13:00.000-07:00

SPOT signal 6:51 pm ADKT

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seldovia - day 12

2008-06-04T18:44:00.000-07:00

beautiful area...SPOT signal came in 5:03 p.m. ADKT

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the crossing - day 11 peterson bay

2008-06-03T22:13:00.000-07:00

SPOT says the paddlers are safe at camp at 8:39 pm alaska time (ADKT). today they crossed kachemak bay...thinking of them and how good it must've felt to be back on the water after the well-deserved respite in homer.

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impressions

2008-06-03T12:42:00.001-07:00

We are too pressed for time to give an accurate, chronological account of our trip so far, and that could get tedious for others as well, so here are some mental snapshots out of my memory...

Saying goodbye to my mom and dad, wondering if they truly believed that we knew what we were getting into. Chocolate-brown water, churned by current, pulled into the steepest standing wave train I've ever seen. Continually checking depth with paddles as we "paddled by brail" in Turnagain Arm. The collage of sound created by the shore and the elements, are boats being disturbed by bear? are there people out there conversing in a different language? has the tide gone out a mile from camp? Bivvying for 6 hours on a bluff, unable to sleep because the scene above my eyes was too beautiful, and my mind is empty. Paddling among giant glacial erratics (boulders left by a melting glacier) with eddies behind each one--a bizzare moonscape flooded with water. Accepting a change in current (which seemed early to us) and letting go of the goal for a while--a healthy check-in to remain flexible, and take it as an opportunity. The deep resonating rumble of offshore oil-drilling rigs on day 4/5, one of many ugly sides of our addiction to oil vibrating me to my core. Watching the transition of the water color from brown to clear jade green, and with it, the abundance of wildlife and diversity. Thoughts of deep gratitude for all the people who have made this adventure possible for us, who have helped us along the way, and who we'll meet in the coming days. It's certainly not just our own two hands...

leaving Homer, headed for Seward

2008-06-03T11:45:00.000-07:00

wish we had more time to write, there's so many incredible things we saw in the Cook Inlet, but today we're headed to the other side of Kachemak Bay to begin our outer coast journey to Seward AK. all 3 of us are really excited for the outer coast which will be the section least traveled by others. we're expecting to see an increase in wildlife, ocean swell, potential storm weather, great campsites, big mosquitos and much more marine life. we would expect to be in Seward 10-15 days, total weather dependent. we SPOT update every night when we set up camp, so the same map update would mean we're sitting, happily. :)

the Cook Inlet portion was fantastic though. overall we had exceptional weather which gave us great daily mileage of about 23 miles per day (mpd). we're expecting 15-20 mpd in the next leg. as Djuna described all the paddling was totally tidal dependent, which meant we paddled when the tide was going out. this forced us to be in tune with the moon, the marine life, the bird feeding times as the beaches were exposed on the big ebbs, the fisherman who went out at slack, the wind which was more so in the afternoons, and the sun which was in your face in the afternoons as well. we got 2 night legs in usually on the water from 3a-9a. we all loved this serene time on the water. this section turned out to be great prep for us physically, finding all the right places for things in our boats, and for our team communications and strategy on water. it was very valuable, beautiful and we're so glad we paddled the Cook Inlet and Turnagain Arm waters.

there's so much more to share, write, etc.. for now here's a picture from yesterday when we met the Cook Inlet Keeper crew who we are raising funds for.

Living on the ebb

2008-06-02T14:19:00.000-07:00

Coming around Bluff Point we began to see the Chugach mountains again- the range that in a sense we have been paddling around the whole trip. We also began to see loons, seals, sea otters, and other sea birds everywhere as we entered the rich waters of Kachemak Bay. We soon could see the Homer Spit, Sadie Peak, and China Poot peak across the bay. It felt wonderful to return to a place that Matt and I both love and became familiar with six years ago when we lived and worked in this area.

Scott and Susan were a welcomed sight when they returned home from work to find us at their place on Kachemak Bay road. We worked for them as kayak guides seven years ago and lived on their land on the other side of the bay. It was because of their trust in us and inspiration that we first kayaked. Now we return to share adventure stories. Last night we drank three bottles of good wine, ate a delicious meal of fresh greens and pasta and felt like it was just yesterday that we last saw each other.

It seems like we have been gone for ages, when it has only been one week. I think the highlight for me has been living by the ebb tides. We could only travel on the ebb because of the strength of the currents, so we sometimes would get off the water for just six hours, eat, nap on the beach and get back in the boats for the next ebb. Even if the next ebb started at 2:00 am. Sleeping on the beach without a tent makes me feel even more connected to this place and so mobile, agile.

day 8 - HOMER at 10:29 pm ADKT

2008-05-31T23:42:00.000-07:00

wow...wow! one week and here you are...AMAZING.

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and later the same day 9:07 pm ADKT

2008-05-30T23:38:00.000-07:00

in for the night...

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day 7 at 7:49 am

2008-05-30T09:05:00.000-07:00

moving on....

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day 6 at 7:35 pm ADKT

2008-05-29T20:57:00.000-07:00

smiles for the team...more miles done, more to go.

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day 5 at 8:01 pm ADKT

2008-05-28T21:35:00.000-07:00

yay...a signal from our kayakers. they've gone roughly 100 miles since the portage put-in. keep in mind that measurement is based on the scale on my map and my fingers! they've gone past nikiski, one of the planned stops. roughly 75 more miles to homer, their first re-fuel stop.
wishing you a peaceful night paddlers under the sunlit alaska sky.

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day 4 at 12:01pm ADKT

2008-05-27T13:11:00.000-07:00

they are making such progress...incredible.

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day 2 9:04 pm ADKT

2008-05-25T23:45:00.000-07:00

second signal from SPOT (zoomed in view)

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day 2 at 6:01 pm AKDT

2008-05-25T23:29:00.000-07:00

looks like a good day was being had...the first of 2 SPOT signals tonight.

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day 1 done 7:17 pm AKDT

2008-05-24T23:14:00.000-07:00

SPOT signal received...the kayakers arrived to their first destination for the night. looks like they made it a bit further than anticipated. here's hoping you had a fantastic first day. sleep well!!!

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roll away

2008-05-24T14:15:00.000-07:00

and they're off!

here are the kayakers as they depart, roughly 10:30 am on a rainy morning from portage creek at the head of turnagain arm. steve and noel report that they were excited and in good spirits as they stopped walking and began floating.

this photo shows them about one hour later as they catch the ebb tide carrying them west down the turnagain arm.

mateo, matt and djuna -- enjoy this day, the beginning of such freedom, such peace. breathe it in. paddle strong. the water will be transformative. lap it up and crawl inside. as you sleep outside, feel the embrace of the earth. the land of the midnight sun. the sacred dimension is present, and you are entering it naturally. for now you will feel connected to everything, to the small fly buzzing, the tall trees in their rocky home, to the moon and stars wheeling overhead at night. swapping stories with the waves, the marine life, the sky.

your friends left a comment quoting robert hunter (hola fellow heads) and it is worth repeating....

may the four winds blow you safely home.

and we're off!

2008-05-24T00:09:00.000-07:00

after several busy days in anchorage - car coordinations, bathroom sharing, phone sharing, computer sharing, several cups of coffee, 5 runs to Fred Meyers, 2 runs to another grocery, calls and drives for camera batteries, gear stores, mountaineering stores... after hours going through and consolidating food for 10 days, after hours of decisions of what to leave home, what to bring as redundancies, what medical kit we each bring, what we bring as a team, what boat repair we double and triple up on, down to how many socks to bring......... it all fit in the boat, quite easily to all our surprises. then we stickered the boats for the journey as our reward.

and we're off! tomorrow we're driving to the mouth of the Placer River near Portage AK and putting in around 10a. we'll share a bfast with Steve and Noel, and then catch the ebb with a 30' tidal exchange and ride ourselves hopefully past Hope AK for our first night. just getting this first night behind us is a milestone in itself.

countless thanks to AK folks, weather and attitude. now we sleep in a warm house for the final night in many weeks. wahoo for no more houses (though we're grateful for those to date)!!

some pics of the last couple days..

Feliz Cumpleanos Paco Wendell

bagels for boats

2008-05-22T18:11:00.000-07:00

WE GOT OUR BOATS!

Today we took a trip down to Northland Services to say "hi" to Megan and the crew of Northland Services. Matt had the bright idea to pick up some bagels and cream cheese on the way for everyone at the Northland office since we had been calling Megan almost daily and figured that would continue until we got our boats. She was very nice and said there was a chance we could get boats by 5:00 pm tomorrow.

We left and ran some errands. We returned to Noel and Steve's a couple of hours later to a message that our boats were ready to be picked up!

When we went back down to Northland to get the boats the scene was pretty impressive. Entire shipping containers (sometimes three stacked) filled with cargo were being forklifted high above our heads not looking altogether stable. We grabbed our boats and got out there.

Unwrapping them in them the front yard of Noel and Steve we were psyched to find them all intact. Yeah!

anchorage light

2008-05-21T23:55:00.001-07:00

yes, we are all here now at Matt's parents. it's good to be together. we are lucky to have such a nice place to prepare all our kit and logistics. and Noel is fattening us all up, her meals are excellent, as is the coffee. ;)

the basement looks like an unwrapped christmas morning as we unpack and again discuss all we'll bring. it looks like we'll have plenty of room to carry quite a surplus of safety gear and extra things that will make the trip comfortable, and warm.

tomorrow we make a final gear run and the first big food shop. then we continue to wait until we can dry pack our boats, which are sitting quietly in a port in anchorage. we could get them as early as friday or as soon as tuesday.

the weather is very favorable here. the seas are calm with only 15 knot wind gusts. everything is trending in the right direction.

off to bed for a big sleep. I am in Alaska, but it's weird, it's still light....

the team unites

2008-05-21T13:11:00.000-07:00

after an early morning flight from seattle, all paddlers are now together in anchorage (huge grins and hugs) eagerly awaiting the arrival of their boats.

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08:30

2008-05-20T22:23:00.000-07:00

hey alaska! see you in the morning.... :)

"Nature Bats Last"

2008-05-18T19:47:00.000-07:00

Today with Noel and Steve we hiked along the north side of Turnagain Arm. The tide was low, just beginning to flood. We were able to see where there was still deep water. It was also blowing good out of the East, as it usually does there. The mountains are spectacular, rising out of the water. We could also see the head of Chickaloon Bay and Burnt Island on the east side of the entrance to the bay. Chickaloon is a very shallow bay, filled with mud at low tide. The crossing of the bay is about 10 miles, and of course will require a higher or medium tide range to make.
The whole journey through Turnagain Arm is somewhat tricky because of the huge tidal range and all the mud, which in places when the water begins to flood in becomes quicksand. However, if we are conservative and be sure to get off the water before the tide gets too low, we should be okay. That east wind is also nice, pushing us to the west towards Point Possession.

Noel and Steve had picked up a copy of Exploring Alaska's Kenai Fjords by David Wm. Miller. It was recommended by Jon Walpole, and is a great resource of information about the Port Bainbridge to Port Dick section (Gulf of Alaska) of the coastline. As we wait here in Anchorage, anticipating our departure the preface to this book gives a useful reminder:
"Flexible trip planning is essential. An isolated seacoast like the Kenai Fjords presents a host of logistic and weather related issues. Rigid time scheduling may be impossible to follow safely."
When we were sailing our engineless sailboat we were so often faced with this reality- we had no ultimate control over our schedule and could never say for sure where we would be that evening. The same holds true for any adventure in nature and one must adopt this mindset for safety and sanity.

Last night Dave Johnston came over. He was one of three people to summit Denali in the wintertime
(read -148: the First Winter Ascent of Mount McKinley). As we told him about waiting for our boats to arrive and our need for flexibility in planning this trip he remarked:
"Nature bats last."

A View of Turnagain Arm

2008-05-18T19:41:00.001-07:00

North to the Future

2008-05-18T09:01:00.000-07:00

Matt writing here--i waited too long to respond to the blog invite, but that will get sorted soon. Shawna and Leon (our employers and good friends who own BodyBoatBlade) threw a little going away party for us on the 14th, and it was great to be able to explain a bit more about our trip to people who were interested. It was also sweet to feel the support and enthusiasm of our friends who are excited about us doing this adventure. Djuna and i left our little cabin in the woods on Friday (the 16th) in beautiful weather. Sad to leave, but so excited and fortunate, it doesn't matter. We've got some good friends, Sati and Dave, who are staying there while we're away, and we hope they enjoy it as much as we do. Amalia, who has been a friend of Djuna's since childhood, dropped us off at the airport after a nice visit with her, her extremely cute daughter Lilian, and her husband, Chris. Thanks again, you guys! As we flew North, we could see Port Townsend, the San Juans, Texada and Lasqueti islands, Sechelt Inlet (home to Skookumchuck rapids)--all places that hold some place in our hearts and memories. We couldn't see much for a few hours after that, so sleep became the best option. As we flew on, the cloud cover cleared and suddenly we were looking down at the Copper River Delta in the eastern part of Prince William Sound. Long black sand beaches and bars were visible with big surf breaking, and the mountains and glaciers were glowing orange and pink with alpenglow (10:00 pm). As we flew west, the snow depth increased till it was down to sea level at the west side of Prince William Sound. We were on the wrong side of the plane to look down over Turnagain Arm, but were able to catch a glimpse of Chickaloon Bay and Pt. Posession right before we landed. It was so exciting to feel awed by the sheer scale of the mountains, glaciers, and beauty--quite an arrival. My mom and dad picked us up at the airport, and we have had a great visit with them so far; they are very thoughtful, generous folks and a lot of fun to hang out with! Mathew arrives on Wed. am, and i'm looking forward to the 3 of us being together and preparing to get on the water.

Changing Plans- "Welcome to Alaska in so many ways"

2008-05-14T17:50:00.000-07:00

Today at work I received a call from Matt. There has been a storm raging in the Gulf of Alaska for the past week or so. Winds up to 60 knots and seas to 26 feet. Burly.
We knew all this, and wondered how this might effect the tug and barge carrying our kayaks up to Anchorage. It turns out the barge is delayed one week, so the soonest it may arrive is next Wednesday. We then called the shipper and found out that the barge could take up to four days to unload! A new twist.
So... we have changed our tickets and fly back on July 8th instead of the 1st.
It's hard to have plans change so quickly, but also the first of many great lessons we will learn on this trip. The weather is ALWAYS in charge. Plans are just that, plans and there are so many variables out of our control... I just had a great conversation with Tom Pogson in Homer- he has been, and was today very helpful. Among other things he said was:
"Welcome to Alaska in so many ways!"

The plusses:
Mathew gets to be with Bridget for her birthday!
Matt and I get to spend more time with Noel and Steve.
The weather should be better since it is later in the season.
Yoga classes in Anchorage!
Many more I haven't thought of yet!

We are at Body Boat Blade right now where many of our friends on the island are gathering for a send-off party for our trip. We miss you Mathew, and all others who aren't here!

donations!

2008-05-12T22:31:00.000-07:00

We received our first donations!! very generous ones. It's so great to be actively working for a cause. Lots of people are able to, but it's a first for me in a serious manner. It's exciting. Thank you.

On Friday we fly to Anchorage, and about a week out from being on the water. We all talked after a few tries this weekend. The general consensus is we're ready to go, and ready to leave the rest of the organizing. ;) But really, we feel really good where we are at. And with a little free time, it's given way to some nervous anxiousness.

In a week we'll put putting in the water near Portage, AK.

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The weather report is still looking cold. There's been consistent gale force winds the last 2 weeks. Sun is surely coming, preceded by some 49/40 Olympic coast rainy weather. I think it's safe to expect a cold first week.

I looked closer at the early charts this weekend, and it's not unrealistic to be in Homer with 6-8 days, if we wanted. So if it rains, we can make more miles with more time on the water.

Good advice from Dan - bring more rope and biners than you think. I'm trying to find my old climbing gear bag now. :)

Thanks again for all the gives - financial, support from friends, partners, parents, community - it makes it so much more doable.

t minus 1 week

2008-05-09T15:34:00.000-07:00

wow. nervous. dreams of bears. excited for countless days on the sea.
swell. wow. cooking. camping. unknown.
unknown weather. unknown beaches.
endless directions this trip will take on a daily basis.

lists are not growing, no time. lists are dwindling, 'bout time.
will be on a plane in 1 week where lists are no more lists. :)

the energy around this cause is so accelerating.
everyone I talk to is excited, some at work are in awe.
they come forward with their network of contacts
even if nothing comes from their resources
it's great that more awareness is out there

comments on the site, comments in my mail.
we are fortunate, lucky, active, honored.

pride. scared. living life.
no worries necessary.

SanJuan Surf

2008-05-08T09:42:00.000-07:00

Surfing in the San Juans

2008-05-07T09:42:00.000-07:00

Monday Matt and I went to our favorite surf spot in the San Juans with our friend Collin. It was a birthday surf session as Sunday the 4th of May was my 30th!
The race was big with a perfect westerly swell creating green and breaking waves, mostly around 3 feet.
As the current strengthened the race was intimidating at times. The waves came from all
angles, slapping me in the face and shooting me out in different directions. I would be happily surfing and suddenly find myself blasting into the eddy.
A few times I sat out ahead of the race, letting my boat slip back into the waves and was struck by the beauty of our home and the privilege of playing in our dynamic waters.
I also thought about fear. In a place where the sound of the water and the energy of the waves evoke fear, sitting, watching and breathing centers me. Then I can recognize if there is a real danger present or just a lot of moving water which gets my adrenalin up.
As we embark on our trip, fear of the unknown surfaces.
In Sanskrit, the sacred language in which the Yoga Sutras were written, Abhinidvesa is the word for fear. Fear clouds our perception and we fail to see reality. Even the wisest person suffers from fear because it is instinctual- fear of death. The practice of Yoga helps to overcome all types of fear, through techniques for relaxing the body, controlling the breath and quieting the mind, perception clears.

Thoughts on Firsts May 3

2008-05-07T09:40:00.000-07:00

Ahhh…finally getting this whole blog thing figured out! Just made some last tweaks to the skooks video, and thought I’d write up a short post. Had an interesting email exchange with a friend and fellow coach (he is also a college professor), Jonathan Walpole, about the issue of claiming to be “the first” to achieve a goal related to outdoor pursuits. He feels that to claim such a thing is pretty silly, as a lot of the routes attempted in more modern times by people using modern equipment, have most likely been done for one reason or another by indigenous peoples of the area, with far simpler “equipment.” Also, as many outdoor adventurers are not interested in fame or money (motivated by the experience of living and traveling in remote parts of the planet, and often moving via human-power), lots of routes have been successfully traveled, but not announced to the public. I am in total agreement and added that: to make the achievement of the goal (unless survival depends on it) the focus for, let’s say, a kayak expedition, can certainly create a dangerous attitude regarding risk assessment, concern for other group members, and detract from truly appreciating the area which we’re fortunate enough to be experiencing. It was an interesting exchange and I appreciated what he had to say about it all. I should also add that Jon is an incredible resource of information and experience, and that for anyone contemplating a kayak journey, Jon has probably researched (if not paddled) the route and would have valuable input.

Our conversation was an interesting opportunity for me to examine my goals for the trip and to once again, consider everyone else’s. Also a reminder of how careful one must be when presenting themselves, rather personally, to the public. We probably all are guilty of judging others (and their motivations) at times without really knowing them. Add to that the medium of the written word with its absence of facial expressions, tone of voice, etc., and I think it becomes easy to be misunderstood. It’s kind of a new concept for me to realize that once something has been posted on a blog, there is the potential for lots of people—many who don’t know you--to make their own interpretation of who you are and what you are about—and this can work both ways! Anyway, all interesting food for thought.

It was unexpectedly emotional to wrap up our boats for shipping last weekend and see them departing on our adventure weeks before we will!! Kind of symbolic, too, as that’s what will probably happen throughout our whole adventure—but usually by only 7 feet!

-10 days to go testing our signal

2008-05-06T21:48:00.000-07:00

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three

2008-05-05T22:50:00.000-07:00

there's been a lot of thought around 3
matt and djuna born this trip sometime ago
they were 2, simply put
they asked me to join as a third
to me it's significant.

a 1 person trip is a different purpose of a trip altogether
2 is an intimate trip with more risk than 1
3 provides much aid, but not so hard to move the group
4 now is that group, different agendas come about
5 continues the path to many in a group,
eventually that group splits back to 3.

3 is a magic number
3 provides a tie break in decisions
3 allows 2 to go in the woods protected from bears
3 breaks up camp duties a little easier
3 is a prime number
3 resonates with the universe well
3 boats allows more special foods to be brought
3 sets pace while 2 and 1 talk
3 can navigate while 2 helps 1 if injured
3 makes boat carrying a sure lot easier
3 is easier on the mind than 2
3 can make a triangle, where 2's only a line
3 lines are in a peace symbol

notes from Nikki - Homer AK

2008-05-01T11:08:00.000-07:00

it's definitely feeling like a late spring
last saturday had snow and roads were icey, but melted by afternoon
they are forecasted for light snow again tonight
the lake is thawed and shorebird migration is next weekend.

should be pretty nice, hoping it'll be nice, by early June
but it has been late, people were skiing in Alyeska last weekend
Alyeska is south of Anchorage
it was some of the best spring skiing they've had!

no real trends in daily weather
they were affected by bad storms from the Mongolian desert
and some fires in Russia caused some haze
the weather service has 30-day forecast out of Anchorage

she thought we'd be fine but would need some warm clothes
no snow on beaches but does melt off if so.

they are ready for some warm weather
right now the grass is just starting to grow in town
there are no flowers
hopefully by June!!

I told her we'd try to stop in when there.

Nikki - a volunteer at Homer AK Chamber of Commerce

the boats are wrapped and in a container to Alaska!

2008-04-29T13:46:00.000-07:00

Here at Enzo's

2008-04-27T10:15:00.000-07:00

As we get closer to departure, all the small details are falling into place. We set aside this weekend as a trip planning and prep session, as well as a time for Matt and I to connect with Bridget and Ryder so they would know a bit more about the couple their loved Mathew would be spending six weeks paddling with. Mathew, Bridget, and Ryder came up on Friday and showed up at Scott and Amy’s cabin at dusk. When we came by the cabin, Ryder was totally excited to be on Orcas and was launching his little foam rockets around the place.

As the night went on, I witnessed Bridget’s constant patience and attentive parenting of Ryder. I also saw yet another aspect of Mathew- his caring for Bridget and Ryder and attention to both of their needs.

We all met up again for coffee and trail mix on our porch Saturday morning. We made more lists, including a layout of the day, and gear-to-be-purchased list. Ryder seemed to like our place even though we don’t have trains or toys.

Matt installed foot bars in my boat and Mathew’s, we did some last gel coat repairs, went through kit and took photos.

I can’t believe we will soon leave this island our present lives and routines, to live out of these three slender and beautiful boats.

Photo taken from the beach on Waldron Island on our epic Round San Juan County trip 3/22-24/08. This what 30knots of wind does in the San Juan waters.

orcas planning weekend

2008-04-23T21:05:00.000-07:00

Hey Guys!! Very excited about the weekend, seeing you all, being on island again, planning our trip, hanging out with B and Ryder. The forecast looks amazing too, finally some warm temps!

So here's a list of some of the things to discuss -

food review on complex carbs, meal options, spice kit
chart work updates
radio transmitter registered messages and email list.
medical kit and look at other things needed there
parkas and sunscreen!
building chart cases
safety kit - personal and group
extraneous gear - tarps, ropes, gun, water filter spare
our strategy for raising awareness - yahoo groups, lisa johnson emails out
sea kayaker article - i have some thoughts on a cool follow up for the trip, for awareness
shop gear - paddle, spray deck, ibex
cameras - 4GB cards, extra batteries, charger compatibility
radio - look at my m88, charger compatibility
update my boat hydration system
bug repellent
build foot brace for Djuna and Mathew's boats
books we can bring, share, read
WKC presentation slots. other symposium openings
blog review at the shop or library
SKOOKS video tweak
photoshop on the mac

Wow, big list, plenty of time. So we'll run into Friday night at Scott's or if you guys run late, we'll see you around 9:30am Saturday.

Have a great day!

seattlesupplies

2008-04-20T20:10:00.000-07:00

hey djuna, matt - picked up supplies this weekend for chart cases. I ended up getting 3 yards of 12mil vinyl, only $6.50 per yard. we might be able to get over 6 cases out of it, big ole role! that marine supply store is amazing, would be perfect to kit out a van! also picked up the angle aluminum, hand knobs and carriage bolts (zinc though) for the foot braces.

read through the Lonely Planet tonight, Alaska with a section on the Kenai. talked about the entire west coast having razor clams. we need to tie a shovel to someone's back deck. can't wait to eat some of that goodness. still thinking about food ideas, options, changes...

back to personal lists and gear, made the hard decision today to leave the uggs home!

took my brother, his girlfriend and B to Lake Union on Saturday, a bit of snow but got a few miles in, they all seemed to love it, and raced after passing boat wakes - they all felt surf a wee bit!

snowing in the pacific northwest

2008-04-19T10:57:00.000-07:00

it's April 19th. it's still snowing.
not concerned so much about the weather here
a late spring here...late spring in the Kenai.
late snow melt, late foliage, late berries, late salmon runs.
sure hope some warm weather comes soon.
otherwise we'll have snow on the beaches!

Homer, AK		High / Low (°F)	Precip. %
Today Apr 19	Cloudy	44°/33°	20 %
Sun Apr 20	Rain / Snow Showers	45°/34°	40 %
Mon Apr 21	Rain / Snow Showers	44°/35°	60 %
Tue Apr 22	Showers	47°/35°	60 %
Wed Apr 23	Sunny	48°/36°	10 %
Thu Apr 24	Few Showers	48°/36°	30 %
Fri Apr 25	Mostly Sunny	46°/36°	20 %
Sat Apr 26	Partly Cloudy	46°/36°	20 %
Sun Apr 27	Partly Cloudy	45°/36°	20 %
Mon Apr 28	Rain / Snow Showers	47°/35°	60 %

a pending date

2008-04-17T16:01:00.000-07:00

Countdown!

This is the calendar I used before launching off to Central America last winter. It was fortuitous to find it when I was organizing for this trip. It reminded me to let the lists grow, keep prioritizing them, but be aware that they don't really get "completed".

Less than 1 month officially. Still much to do. ;)

hola amigos - a new post!

2008-04-15T22:57:00.001-07:00

getting off the ground. right now using as a message board.
lots of changes can be made to the site, even the blog name.
all relatively easy, we can talk on orcas.

b and i are spinning moby right now, she's making jewlery.

i got the angle aluminum today for explorer and wicked little 'kap lv.
matt, i only got 1" zinc 10/24 carridge bolts, if you can find stainless.
will get chart case material next week.
got my icon m88 radio. trying to figure out what channel is weather. :)
also got new bladder tubing for on-water hydration, should be set there.
i'm ending with 10L dromedary for the group, and guessing the 6L will be day use.

i'm sorted with most other gear nicely.
still am on the fence totally on footwear- i want the uggs! say there's room?
got a great rubber sealine 30L for front of foot pegs.
i'm pysched for extra storage and to have a little weight there.

am thinking about beans, lentils, complex carbs, fats a lot.
who's getting wicked olive oil. is gee worth the space?
and also thinking on-water food options, trailmix blends still seem best.
djuna, thanks for that article from your PDX friend,
super helpful and also makes a ton of sense for what you feel on the water.
he recommends a daily multivitamin due to lack of fruits/veggies.

those are things top of my mind.
scotty and i are running middle middle tonight!!
it's running fast and ice cold!
looking forward to dynamic water.

on island 4/25.
gran sonrisa.
ciao.

practicing google course following

2008-04-15T15:34:00.000-07:00

this map is out of gmaps.

Here's where they slept on May 27th

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ourowntwohands - alaska bound

2008-04-10T14:36:00.000-07:00

man alaska is BIG.

and FAR AWAY too.

and it's looking not overly warm.
could be snow on the ground when we start.

I pulled this from an Alaskan Almanac

we're going around that Kenai
the Neopolitian looking weird Italy.
6-7 weeks, 400-500 miles

we're shipping boat april 28th
flying to anchorage may 16th
fixing, packing, buying, visiting...

launching CCW may20th
that's the plan as of now
depends on a lot of things really
the fascinating thing about this trip
it's just a plan put into motion.