SPOT signal in at 3:37 Alaska time
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08 June 2008
07 June 2008
06 June 2008
05 June 2008
04 June 2008
03 June 2008
the crossing - day 11 peterson bay
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
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
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.
02 June 2008
Living on the ebb
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.
31 May 2008
30 May 2008
29 May 2008
28 May 2008
day 5 at 8:01 pm ADKT
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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27 May 2008
25 May 2008
day 2 at 6:01 pm AKDT
looks like a good day was being had...the first of 2 SPOT signals tonight.
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24 May 2008
day 1 done 7:17 pm AKDT
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
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!
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
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I began paddling in the waters of Cook Inlet, working as a guide in Kachemak Bay. Since then, my husband Matt and I have moved to Orcas Island Washington and work with Body Boat Blade. We are passionate about paddling in dynamic waters and living adventurous lives. The Kenai is so diverse and wild, it’s a place I love to know exists on this planet.
