Crossing Borders

Pictures (Ketchikan to Juneau) - Christine

2009-08-30T22:17:00.000-07:00

Misty weather
Hard work!
The trolley car portage!
Paddling up creek
Bill and Angela
Glorious Alaska
Boys and their toys - Bill, a fellow kayaker, Chris, kindly took us in and let us stay at his amazing place outside of Petersburg!

Petersburg

Le Conte Glacier - the southern most tide water glacier

Angela's first real ice berg
Steve
Joe
Joe and Steve...

4th of July
Ketchikan History

Creek Street in Ketchikan

Coming To An End - Christine

2009-08-17T19:10:00.000-07:00

My paddles are packed away, my boat sits at the top of my friends driveway and I have neat 'little' piles of gear waiting to be transported by car... I paddled one thousand, two hundred and seventy nine Nautical miles from Galiano Island to my final resting point in Glacier Bay (2417 kilometers). I suppose things are now coming to an end.

I have three days of travel, three days on a ferry to journey back down the same coast I just spent three months paddling up. Three days to sleep, reflect and take it all in.

My stories, my thoughts, my emotions and of course my pictures are coming... I just need a little time... three days perhaps...

Journey On

2009-07-31T13:41:00.000-07:00

I leave today for the last leg of my journey.... it seems strange, surreal, like a life that is not my own. My father is here... our things are strewn across the beach and we are making the final preparations. Juneau has been amazing, friends, community and love... kayaking, hiking and good food. I feel full, recharged and ready to take on what lies ahead...

A New Adventure - Angela

2009-07-29T10:03:00.001-07:00

I am running. I am running as light and surefooted as a deer, like a child full of energy and vigor. I hear a whale blow in the distance, but something tells me the sound is not what I think it is. I hear the buzz of a float plane above my head, but something brings me back to reality.

I am running through an urban street. Far away from the whales, the waves and the shore birds. My soul has not caught up with the speed of our modern day transportation. While my mind hears a whale, a construction site is using an air compressor. When I hear a float plane in the skies above, its a semi down gearing on an overpass.

An unexpected turn of events has led me to accept a job offer that whisked me off the ocean sooner than expected. Up to the last moment of my journey, the people and places of the west coast opened their hearts to me. The last two days in Alaska were some of the most magnificent on the trip. Calm waters, exceptionally beautiful fog, clear skies and orcas. Solan, Aleria and Kevin made my last minute preparations and my stay in Juneau incredible. A huge thanks so them, I hope to see you again soon.

Christine. She has been the most amazing travel partner I could have hoped and wished for. Her stamina and optimism is what made days of rain bearable and my own tiredness vanish. Her humor made me laugh through my tears. Her open heart attracted so many amazing people to our journey along the way. Her pink kayak was the talk of the coast and had people expecting us along the way. I will miss the ties that bound us and will have memories that will keep me laughing, crying and reminiscing for years to come.

My role now changes. From posting blogs to reading them. I will follow Christine's journey like so many of you have followed ours. Thank you for all your support, prayers, and thoughts along the way. I am sure we needed every one of them as we paddled and journeyed up the coast.

I say farewell to the coast, to Christine, and venture off on a new adventure full of challenges and rewards!

A New Chapter-Christine

2009-07-25T15:45:00.000-07:00

Sadly my beloved Angela leaves me here in Juneau... ever moving forward, growing and accomplishing new things, she must move on and begin a new chapter in her life... a story she can tell. As for me a new chapter also begins and as always... life works in mysterious ways! My Father, working magic to rearrange his life and schedule is coming to join me for the final leg of my journey into Glacier Bay... I am excited and so looking forward to the opportunity to a), paddle the final leg of my trip, and dream, and b), paddle with my Dad for 3 weeks!

But... life has yet another twist in store for me... while my father works magic to get up here, I have 5 days of wait time... During which I will be paddling with two of the worlds BEST sea kayak guides, dear friends of mine, in their stomping grounds, Glacier Bay National Park! Seems a little backwards I know to be heading into Glacier Bay before I actually paddle there, but one must jump at opportunities when they present themselves! Glacier Bay is a BIG place and we will be getting transported into the far reaches of one of the many arms. I am thrilled to be going along on their trip... it is always a treat to be shown an area by people who know and love it intimately.

Things move fast in the 'City' I barley have time to get this update in... so expect more in the future and don't be confused when SPOT shows up a little farther north a little too early!

Joe and Steve - Christine

2009-07-15T16:57:00.000-07:00

I think I might move to Alaska...

The sun is always shining, the ocean is warm, the scenery is spectacular and the people are kind... So perhaps the first two may be unusual and not long lasting, but the later two are enough to make you want to stay...

Joe and Steve,

We were hanging over the dock, awkwardly balancing on our stomachs, digging through our hatches looking for lunch. A loud and abrupt 'thudd' makes me look up, an older gentlemen jumps out of a silver skiff, looks up at me, big grin, and says 'Oh! sorry for the racket, I am kinda known for that around here'. Grey haired with worn hands and tanned skin, chew in his mouth and working mans clothes... he has fished these seas. I smile and say 'no worries'. By this time his friend has also climbed out of the skiff and the two of them are staring down at us and our kayaks. 'Did you come here in those?' we smile and nod... by now we know the general routine but it is always a treasured experience. They fire off the questions about from where and how long and express awe and admiration in response to our answers.

'Hey you' he yells out to a boat coming into the small public dock at Meyers Chuck, a tiny community that has tried to make a go of isolated life in South East Alaska several times. The start up and fail of industry and ventures have left only the most persistent and stubborn still there. 'Park your boat on the other side of the dock!' He turns and smiles to me... 'I like to pretend I am the Harbor Master... self appointed of course!' I laugh. 'People don't stay in Meyers Chuck long, I'm too loud, a summer is all most of them can handle and that's because I am gone fishing for most of it!' His friend chuckles, but doesn't disagree. He is a bigger man, a little rounder in the middle, shaved head but also grey haired, worn hands and tanned skin. He is from these parts, has lived in the area 67 of his 68 years.

We learnt that the taller, louder gentleman was Steve and his partner was Joe. They go about their business for a while, transferring gear from the skiff to a larger old wooden fishing boat. They are getting ready to head out fishing again. They didn't have much luck out on the west coast so had come back to Meyers Chuck to pick up new gear and were heading out the next day to a new area that had just been opened up for Dog Salmon.

The pair are long time friends, have worked the seas together for years and watching their interactions gives you the sense that there is a bond and a friendship between them that runs deep. They are thoroughly amused with one another, humor is a constant thread throughout their conversations and actions.

'Hey girls, I don't mean to be forward, but if you want to use a stove or anything you are welcome to the one on my boat' Steve yells, he yells everything. We don't need a stove, lunch is cold... 'How about tea?' he hells. We happily accept the offer of tea.

We climb on board his fishing boat, take a tour of the working boat and then spend the next 5 hours absorbing the company of two true Alaskans. Steve is 71 with enough character for the whole town of Meyers Chuck and he knows it. Joe is 68, was born and raised in Wrangell (a short distance by power boat) and the two of them have been fishermen their whole lives. Joe sold his boat a few years back and joined Steve... Steve has had his boat for almost 40 years. Joe was quiet, but witty... stood a little bit more removed from us, but was keenly listening to the conversation, interjecting at timely moments to make us laugh. Steve was fully on and was living in the lime light of our attention, making jokes about himself, the fishing life and the struggles of Alaska... through the facade of dislike for it all it was clear he loved it and it coursed through his blood.

We learned about fishing and trapping, about life in Alaska, the winters, the summers... And I thought for a moment that maybe I could stay there forever. In the little town of Meyers Chuck, isolated and remote, sitting in the sun, drinking tea with two of the most intriguing, content and happy men I have ever met. The secret of life was instilled deep in their souls and for those 5 hours they let us live in the glow of that knowledge.

Finally, realizing the time, we began the process of departing... Like children, Joe and Steve hovered over us and our kayaks, totally in awe and asking questions about our equipment, how it all worked, what we were carrying and what it was like. 'glad to see you wearing those' Steve said when we put on our PFD's (we laughed to ourselves... he could probably count the number of times he has worn one on one hand). Loaded up we pushed off, waving goodbye and feeling full of life. As we paddled out of the bay we could hear Steve yelling again... more self appointed Harbor Master work.

We will never see them again, nor will we hear of or from them but I will never forget Joe and Steve.

This is Alaska

Community-Angela

2009-07-15T15:26:00.000-07:00

I have found a bond that is deeper than blood, runs more true than family, and is more committed than friendship. The Sea. Those on the sea have a bond that is the deepest I have ever experienced. I have been humbled by the gifts that have been given to us, the information shared, and the awe that accompanies those who hear of our journey.

I feel as if I am a celebrity on tour up the coast. When people find out what we are doing, all their guards come down and the giving nature of the human spirit is revealed. We have been given fresh salmon, smoked salmon, canned salmon. We have been envited for tea aboard pleasure crafts, offered storage for our boats in town, given relics of safety for our ocean travels. We have been envited to spend nights in people's houses and shared cups of tea with amazing strangers. These strangers are now people we are deeply connected and indebted to.

The West Coast is beautiful beyond dreams and more stunning than our wildest imaginings. Yet the community of the sea has become the most cherished aspect of our journey. A part of our journey that will last longer than the memory cards in our cameras, impact us more than the breaching whales off our bows, and change us more deeply than the rest of our experiences combined.

Alaska Bound - Christine

2009-07-05T14:35:00.001-07:00

Since the age of about 12 I have known that one day I would paddle to Alaska. 16 years later I finally embarked on that journey, a journey that has evolved over the 16 years as I gained perspective and experience, leading me to my paddling partner, trip plan and destination. At the age of 12 Alaska was likely the farthest conceivable destination and required no quantification as to how far in Alaska I intended to go. It was simply Alaska! For the 12 year old in me... we have spent the past 2 months kayaking to 'Alaska' and on June 29th we crossed the watery line that separates Canada and the US. We spent our first night illegally landed in the US and the next week until reaching Ketchikan where we officially checked in with customs and declared that we were in fact in Alaska.

Our journey through Canada was one of space and freedom. It was a journey of discovery as we saw for the first time our coast... I didn't know such expanse existed, I didn't know there were miles of white sand beaches and I didn't know I could feel so completely alone. Alone, but alive, content and at peace. We had the ultimate privilege of traveling by kayak up the outside coast. A wild and rugged coastline exposed to the open seas and the lashings of the Hecate Strait, a coastline that has claimed the lives of many. The ocean embraced us, the weather smiled on us and we were spared the terror. We drifted up and down the huge swells, bounced amongst the refracting waves and cut through the glassy surface of the early morning calm. We traveled miles of harsh coastline, completely un-landable. We paralleled black jagged rocks, frothing with crashing waves, spray shooting 10's of feet in the air with the shear force and power in which it was slammed against the rocks. We navigated through boomers, rocks that sit just below the waters surface creating huge dumping waves as the swell traveled landward. We felt the force, saw the potential and thanked the surfless beaches that provided refuge. It was more than a dream.

Prince Rupert marked the completion of our journey through Canada, it marked a halfway point and it marked the embarkation of the Alaskan portion of our journey. We are two months in... this is Alaska... and our dream is becoming a reality.

Catch us if you can in Ketchikan-Angela

2009-07-05T14:01:00.000-07:00

July 2nd found us paddling late into the evening, scrambling for a campsite just outside of Ketchikan Alaska. We found a make shift campsite and sat down to watch the lights of ketchikan fade into the night.

The next day dawned bright and early as we paddled past beach front houses, marinas and cruise ships to find the five story pink customs office in town. The officer, as ever intrigued with two females paddling for four months, quickly filled out our paper work, then listened with awe to our stories and wished us luck in the coming months.

Ketchikan-a mix of old and new. Old canaries line one section of the main street, while cruise ships and modern shops adorn the next section. A cruise down "Creek Street" revealed the red light district as it would have been decades ago with splashes of modern art stores, funky bookstores, and heritage homes.

With two to four huge cruise ships in port during the day, the town is filled with interesting questions, a multitude of language and useless shopping. But when the ships leave in the evening, the locals come out of hiding and do it up ketchikan style. We spent an evening in a coffee shop listening to local musicians playing late into the night. Upon hearing that we were sea kayakers on a long journey, they took us in as one of their own and dragged us on stage for music, offered us smoked salmon, and sent us a coast guard representative to tell us tales of the sea! What a night it was with the comfort of a mocha and good company.

July 4 (Independance Day) dawned with excitement and anticipation. The longest parade I have ever seen took place as Christine and I, with childlike enthusiasm, shared a stick of cotton candy! We were given free pie from Maggie, ate free root beer floats as we watched the duck race unfold before our very eyes. Four Thousand rubber duckies were let loose at the top of a small creek. Each duck was worth $10, and the first duck at the bottom of the creek won $2500 with cash prices for the first 35 ducks. Christine and I did not win, but thoroughly enjoyed the ducky race.

We were then dragged to the logger sports competition where we watched six strong logger lads compete for the winning two spots that would ensure their spot in the ESPN Logger Competition. We were soon the loudest fans as we cheered the men up 50 ft trees, over floating logs, sawing through thick stumps, and generally competeing for the highest level of testosterone. Impressive feats to be sure, but I don't think any of them could paddle to Alaska.

Once all traces of light from the Alaskan sun vanished, crowds gathered along the docks and marinas to watch as a very impressive fireworks display ended the celebrations. Christine and I fell into our hostel beds exhausted but happy after an amazing day of friends and fun.

Summary of Learning - Part 2

2009-06-26T03:25:00.000-07:00

After a month at sea, what we look forward to the MOST are a few comments on our blog.... hint hint...
On a 1:80,000 chart 'green' means:

Passable at low tide
Not passable at low tide
Beautiful sandy beach
Jagged scary giant rocks
Shallow but open coastline
Cluttered with thousands of islands

Angela needs a pee buddy
When you can't find a campsite - look around the corner...
Check what time it is before going to bed... 6:45pm might be a little early
Don't be fooled by the 'Kayaker's Mirage' its not a sandy beach, its driftwood (and jagged rocks)
Mini Disc Players float! - and then make sounds as if dieing slowly...
If you think it is raining - first check to see if Angela is paddling near by...
Not everyone thinks it is normal to walk around town in a drysuit
It is hard to hide in a giant yellow suit
You can eat a mars bar a day and still lose weight!
Sometimes the highest point of land still isn't quite high enough...
If you can land the boats... you can call it home
100 ft of line might be a little deep...
When the meat eater calls for help from the vegetarian... you know it is a big fish...

Various Pictures - Christine

2009-06-26T02:20:00.001-07:00

The longest day... paddled until the sun set.

Dragging our boats over the kelp - BIG tidal changes right now!

They go on forever!

The meat eater redeems herself

That fits in our boats?

Our kingdom

Ode to the People We've Met! - Christine

2009-06-26T01:37:00.001-07:00

We cannot carry on without mentioning those that have helped us get this far! We don't see a lot of people and our interactions are limited at best (probably a little strange through the eyes of others!). But some how we have been blessed, it seems there is always an extended hand and a heart of gold awaiting us.

We haven't figured out yet if we just look like a couple of nice girls... or if we come across as needing all the help we can get... but either way... grin. The far stretches of people's generosity has been bestowed upon us.

Two days after all our fresh fruit and veg was gone... just over a week since Port McNeil, we met 'Fred and Connie' (we have been sworn to secrecy and cannot reveal their real names), two lovely caretakers at a remote fishing lodge. We came looking for water and left with apples, oranges, kiwis, orange juice, a coke (for Angela), potatoes, onions.... oh, and water. Feeling like we had just been adopted and completely taken care of we happily trotted back to camp with our loot like five year-olds on Halloween. Later that night we were invited back and we again met open arms... were drawn into a heated house (how strange!), given more juice, and had a wonderful evening chatting together... We of course didn't leave empty handed... they were sure to fill our pockets with chocolates...

A long day out of Bella Bella, fighting the wind a current, but determined to visit our first lighthouse we arrived on Ivory Island at about 7pm... we hadn't had dinner and we would still have to find somewhere to camp but we filled our pockets with snacks and then walked across the island on the old condemned boardwalk to visit the light house keepers. Greeted by Lise and her husband we were immediately offered juice, which turned into the use of a spare building to watch TV (weird!), have showers, and were even given an entire Casserole to eat all ourselves!!! which we did eat... almost all of, ourselves! On their suggestion we camped back where our boats were... sleeping on the condemned boardwalk, full, warm, clean and happy!

A couple of days before Prince Rupert, almost 2 weeks since our last town we paddled into a sleepy little village on a Sunday... seeming deserted our hopes of chocolate and apples were starting to disintegrate... and then we met Vanessa... Sticking out like sore thumbs (as usual we were wondering around in our bright yellow dry suits) Vanessa was smiling before we even approached her to ask if there was any chance of a store. Learning that we were looking for chocolate she said 'come with me, I will feed you'. Perhaps it is the kindergarten teacher in her... but she thought of our ever need and provided! First she gave us chocolate chip cookies... which we promptly ate (it was only 10:30am). Then she opened up the computer lab so we could check email and make phone calls and when we were finished that... she took us home, made us tea, served us FRESH PINEAPPLE!, offered us showers, and then sent us on our way with apples, oranges and chocolate covered raisins! Feeling like we were leaving a long time friend we hugged her goodbye and again... trotted back to our kayaks feeling like five year olds on Halloween.

But the generosity did not end there... on the Docks we met Chad, a fellow sea going lad that has been traveling up the coast from Seattle in an old converted fishing boat. Chad just happened to have too much salmon... which we assured him we could help him with. First he produced a huge fillet that he had just cooked on his grill... we promptly ate it... all... to everyones disbelief... seeing that get devoured he went back and got another huge fillet, raw for us to take for dinner...

It seems like every where we go we meet people that are compelled to help us, be it problem solving, letting us use school computer labs (the school in Bella Bella also let us use their computers!), searching for needed supplies, giving us discounts, offering us lifts, simply providing.

Not surprisingly the key to our eternal love is food and chocolate... Oh, and internet!

THANK YOU!

Various Pictures - Angela

2009-06-26T00:32:00.000-07:00

Thank you to Fred and Connie on Calvert Island for the treat!

West Coast action!

Hmmm, crab feast.

Sunrise somewhere on the northern tip of Vancouver Island

Dilemma - Christine

2009-06-26T00:27:00.000-07:00

I have had this on going dilemma for the past several years. Wanting to advance in the technical world... take the next step in the future of portable music... join the iPod generation... but there is the dilemma of mine... I still had a mini disc player that worked. I know many of you are going... 'a what player?' so I will say it again... a mini disc player.

I was given an iPod once and I even went so far as to return it because I just couldn't justify casting aside a perfectly good piece of equipment on the basis that I just desired something newer and fancier...

So I have been carrying around this mini disc player and all of it's many mini discs for years now. It has been from Africa to Antarctica and the many places in between... It just keeps on working.

My mini disc player and I have watched the progression of iPods... getting bigger yet smaller, changing colour and shape and now we have seen the introduction of the iTouch... talk about desire. My mini disc player almost lost me with that one... I came close to faultering... even had it in my hands... so close, but then practicality set in, I remembered my trusty mini disc player that... still worked.

I solved my dilemma!

In case anyone is wondering... mini disc players float...

Trouble is, an iPod is only desirable when there is music on it... so perhaps I should have taken a little longer to solve my dilemma... say... another 2 and a half months...

At the risk of starting the cycle of my dilemmas all over again... anyone have a mini disc player I can borrow/buy/steal? Mine was so trusty I never got around to transferring data from the mini discs to my computer...

Technology stumps me again!

What God Gave man, Let women now have!-Angela

2009-06-25T23:06:00.000-07:00

As females we do not have the necessary equipment to pee standing up. But as the technologically advanced society that we are, this is changing. Women now have access to the freshette, and the she pee. Another technique that Christine Hawes has perfected is peeing in a jar, while sitting in a sea kayak, on rough seas, in a drysuit (yes, she is a female). What enables her to do this with such ease is her perfect balance, placememnt of the jar, and a front zip on her drysuit and long underwear. It is a marvel to behold as she can pee in her kayak, in under a minuet, with no spills.

I have come to adopt this technique under duress (7 1/2 hours is the longest we have been in our boats without touching land). My technique is slightly different as I do not have a front pee zip, only a butt zip. So, I must lye on the back deck of my kayak to unzip my butt zip and pull down my pants. This is a most precarious position at best. Then I must squat in my kayak, position the jar underneath me and pee. This is not as precarious, but is still not fully controlled. I them must lye back on the back deck of my kayak to pull up my pants and do up my butt zip.

Generally I attempt this in calm waters with the help of my paddling companion. But on one particular day, I had other plans. Feeling confident in my balancing abilities, I began the process of peeing in the jar. I successfully unzipped, peed, and began to do up my zipper. Before I was a 1/4 done zipping, a swell caught me off balance and sploosh, cold water came rushing to greet me, all of me. All of me, in my drysuit, which was still open. As soon as my legs came out of my now upside down boat, I quickly finished zipping my butt zip. But too late, the damage was done and the legs of my drysuit were filled with water up to my waist. I began gasping the seisure like gasps of one suddenly and quickly thrown into cold water unexpectedly. I righted my kayak and began to attempt to get back in. But no matter how hard I tried, the water that filled the legs of my drysuit wouldn't allow me to get back in.

My paddling partner, now aware of the situation, paddled over and assisted me as I got back into my boat. I pumped out the water, emptied my drysuit legs of water (with the balancing aid of Christine) and we continued on our way.

Despite the fact that I laugh every time I recall the story, my ego is still bruised. So I have decided to use christines help EVERY time I have to Pee in a jar, in a dry suit, in a kayak, on the Pacific Ocean.

Soul Musings-Angela

2009-06-25T22:55:00.000-07:00

I am sitting on a moss covered log that spans a tanin colored creek. Gazing out over the west coast of Canada, I marvel at how dreams can become reality. I sit in amazement at our beautiful coast, so rugged and unique.

All night long we listened to the wind howling through the trees and the surf crashing on the beach. We stalled our decision to make a large crossing to the outside coast. After a cup of hot chocolate, we decided to do the crossing. The peaceful beach soon became a flurry of activity as the tent came down, water bladders were filled, boats packed and launched.

A humpack whaled greeted us halfway through the 6 mile crossing. Rhinocerous aucklets, surf scoters, and loons escorted us on the outside of Calvert Island. It was spectacular. Swell after swell crashed into the cliff walls, boomers sent incredible spray into the air and turned the ocean into a wild whitewater arena.

I always feel better in a boat. Freedom is mine, my interaction with the world changes, gravity takes on a new meaning. I breathe a sigh of contemtment and revel in the ease with which my movement propels me through this unique element we call water.

What a marvellous way to live. To have no schedule, no demands. To have a body that is worked into shape and a mind that is juggling tides, current, weather and time. To have the time to watch as the world unfolds. I wish everyone could experience the world in this way. To meld themselves so closely to nature. To feel the cold detachment of a predator's eyes on you, to eat fish from the ocean, to sit next to hundred year old trees and feel the wisdom that is there.

Video Clips-Angela

2009-06-25T19:11:00.000-07:00

Summary of Learning:

2009-05-25T23:50:00.001-07:00

Don't let Angela play with Bear Bangers at 6am
Bear Bangers are really loud!
Bear Bangers are really really loud…
25 Nautical Miles means you are going to hurt the next morning
When you change your destination… remember to re-evaluate your route!
When you and your paddling partner set off in different directions… call a guides meeting!
Try to avoid the rocks... 6 in one day is a bit excessive
When it seems like it is twice as far as you thought... consider re-measuring the distance
When it becomes obvious that you aren't going to make slack tide... give up and lie in the sun
If Angela carries the bananas... plan on making banana bread...
Before heading into 'Civilization' remember to Simmer Down
Chewable vitamins are bad for your teeth
Chocolate before noon is not an addiction
Chocolate before 7am might be an addiction but we don't care
Chocolate chips are part if a healthy breakfast
When the Vegetarian gets that look in her eyes... let her kill the fish...
Massages don't always feel good
It's okay to take the long way around...
If you hear something that sounds like a Sea Lion dying... look for a kayak being dragged up the beach on pool noodles
Remember not to be such a nutter when being video taped... (the rest of the time it is fine to be a nutter)

Various Pictures - Christine

2009-05-25T23:07:00.001-07:00

Rain or shine

Morning tea and weather

Happy to be there

Sorry little fish... but you sure tasted goood!!!

Movie Star

Match made in heaven...

We don't like chocolate.... really...

Home....

Through My Own Eyes... - Christine

2009-05-25T22:03:00.000-07:00

I took the ferry over to Alert Bay today. We have been in Port McNeil now for 4 days… a little longer than we had originally planned and anticipated… It was nice to just pass the time today. To not worry about re-supplying, to not worry about fixing kayaks, to not worry about organizing and preparing… that is all done. It was nice to just let go of it all and relish in the luxury of having 4 months to complete this journey. There is no need to worry about lost days due to uncontrollable events. So I took the ferry over to Alert Bay today and just let the misty coast engulf me in its history. I walked the boardwalks imagining life in the late 18 and early 1900’s. Gazing at the little coastal homes stilted above the water and nestled on the shores edge I imagined life through the 1900’s during the fishing glory days. I walked the streets and enjoyed the town as it is today, not abandoned, not left behind…. Actually it was quite bustling. I visited the First Nations Cultural Center and let myself fall into that world for a couple of hours. It was remarkable and a total treat to experience not only the history on display but also the culture in action as a young woman shared her gift for the songs of her culture… Not a performance… she was simply using the space to practice and share with a fellow musician.

Now I am sitting in the comforts of a friend’s house, back in Port McNeil, preparing to set out again tomorrow and thinking of what words I can leave behind.

We have been gone for about three weeks now. There is a part of me that feels like I have nothing to say... because things are just the way they are supposed to be... which is great. Then there is a part of me that has so much to say, so much to express and this intense desire to somehow convey what it is like to be out here day after day... finally living the dream. Those of you that know me.... can probably guess I'm leaning towards the latter of the two...

I find it intriguing that I started this journey with a story from my childhood because I find myself continually feeling like a little kid again, constantly making links and correlations to being that young little being full of life and imagination. Those of us in the guiding industry, perhaps we never do grow up... we have found our own Never Never Land where we play games of Adventure, Make Believe, and sometimes even House. It feels surreal sometimes to be scavenging through the driftwood strewn beaches looking for the perfect logs to build the perfect 'fort' only now that we are grown ups we call it a 'shelter'. Sometimes when making dinner... I can't help but laugh because it reminds me so much of having Tea Parties and Easy Bake Ovens. When the sun is shining and the air is warm we are quick to strip the layers off, wandering the beach in our underwear like little sun babies. But why not?

Why not live in a world of total bliss and contentment without any inhibitions? The best part is that it isn't even Make Believe! How lucky are we to be living our lives exactly how we want to be, to be able to do only what we want to do in a day... how simple to only have to decide if we should paddle now or later, if we should have one wrap or two for lunch and if we should bake a dessert tonight or just eat more chocolate. Why not release the worries of the world and live today, just for today? Maybe it is selfish... and of course it isn't always that easy... there are many paddle strokes in a day to contemplate the world over... but those stolen childish moments of bliss sure feel good and I have no intentions of stopping them! In fact my intentions are to revel in them, to revel in those moments of bliss and happiness just as much as those moments of sorrow, frustration and sometimes even anger. This is a journey through my own eyes... it is everything that I want it to be... the experience is consuming.

We laugh. We laugh so much that it hurts. We are so deliriously goofy and silly that it makes the world (our world) a wonderfully fabulous place! We have had our moments of frustration and those times when we are a little off but they are so minute that they hardly leave a mark in the sand and they are nothing the first high tide can't wash away. It is no surprise that we travel so well together and that we laugh so freely, but it is a welcome confirmation to know that we were right.

Self-inflicted/provided entertainment is a daily occurrence. We have no shortage of stories to tell and things to laugh about. It is easy to be humble out here. It is easy to be humbled… It is a completely different experience to be out here with only ourselves to be accountable to… with no clients to be concerned about. I have learnt and experienced so much more in these three weeks simply because I had the freedom to try… The freedom to make a mistake (and thankfully the paddling partner to correct me when I am wrong!). We both make our mistakes and we are both better paddlers for it.

We have days where we talk endlessly, every paddle stroke is fueled by words. We have days where we hardly say a word at all, every paddle stroke is fueled by thoughts. Sometimes we experience the sounds around us, sometimes we push play and create our own soundtrack... individually singing along to our chosen mood (what a sound it must be to the outsider!). But whatever the day is…. We are always there… taking it in.

The scenery has been incredible, moving from the familiar setting of the Southern Gulf Islands into more and more remote areas of the coast. Slowly finding that ‘home’ no longer had to be a designated campsite and instead could be just about anywhere our hearts desired. The luxury being that we could paddle as far or as short as we wanted… sometimes resulting in home not revealing itself until 8, 9 or even 10pm. We have found small communities nestled in beautiful bays, turning the corner and finding just want you would imagine for an old coastal village… a horseshoe shaped community with a wooded church in the middle, a multi-functioning general store, wooden character homes and grassy, mossy rolling hills. I have fallen in love many times over with this coast… There is comfort in knowing there is so much space out here… I can’t say it is untouched, the forests tell that story… but there is space and it is beautiful. It feels good to breathe… It feels good to see it through my own eyes…

We are more than ready to expand our lungs again tomorrow… after the fiascos of Port McNeil we have decided that maybe we should avoid towns from now on… Paddling is easier… Oh, and looking at the bottom of your boat is also a bad idea… better to leave some things as ‘what you don’t know’!! All is well that ends well.

VIDEO CLIPS

2009-05-25T06:55:00.000-07:00

Stats

2009-05-24T10:56:00.000-07:00

Stats on Angela: Stats on Christine

Strokes taken in:
One minute: 78 52
An hour: 4,680 3120
A day: 37, 440 24,960 (Average 8 hours a day)
total: 786, 240 524, 160

Food Consumed in one day:
Breakfast:
1 Bowl of Porridge and lots of brown sugar
1 bannana

Snacks:
2 fruit rollups
1 mars bar
1 builder bar
1 bag of sharkies
Various dried fruit

Lunch:
2 wraps with veggies and lentils
1 real apple (SOOO delicious)

Supper:
1 cup quinoa
1 fish
veggies
4 slices of Bannana chocolate chip loaf (plus one of christine’s slices inevitably goes to Angela)

Various Pictures - Angela

2009-05-24T10:31:00.000-07:00

Waiting for the weather gods to call!

Our Vegetarian has proved herself as an excellent hunter! She caught, killed, filleted and ate her own fish! To date, Christine the vegetarian has caught eight fish, Angela the meat eater has caught three. Christine the vegetarian has filleted her fish way better than Angela the meat eater has. Christine the vegetarian has cooked up the fish more flavourful than meat eater Angela. Angela the meat eater is contemplating becoming a vegetarian!

A calm day on the water.

My beautiful mango boat that will not be seen again on this trip!

Two members have given up - Angela

2009-05-23T23:09:00.000-07:00

Already TWO members of our team haven’t been able to cut the rigorous demands of paddling to Alaska. My mango sea kayak has left us, maybe to never be seen again. I experienced some major gel coat issues and leaking bulkheads. So, today I drove back to Horseshoe bay, retracing 20 days of paddle strokes and reliving many memories along the way. I swapped my mango boat for a blue boat of same make and model. A huge thanks to Bob at Deep Cove Kayaks in Vancouver for finding a not so common boat and delivering it to me at Horseshoe Bay.

The second member of the team to leave us is part of one of my teeth. Today while driving back from Nanaimo, I was eating a chewable vitamin, and part of a tooth fell out. So, I am currently on the phone to all the dentist offices in the area trying to figure something out! Turns out none of them are open on Monday or even most of this month! New career goal: Dentist in Port Mcneil.

25 Nautical Miles - Angela

2009-05-23T20:54:00.000-07:00

Day 16:

Christine and I awoke early on Craycroft Island to a windy morning. The marine forecast predicted increasing winds throughout the day. We had decided the night before to get in as much paddling before the winds as we could. We had a quick breakfast, packed our gear, jumped into our boats and began the journey for the day. Holding our breaths hoping the forecast would be wrong, and excited for the day to unfold and hold us in its fascinating grip.

The day did not disappoint. Up to date we had seen seven bears, all amazing encounters but mellow and appropriate. A different side of nature revealed itself to us this day as a great old bear gave chase to a small yearling. They flew effortlessly across a boulder and log strewn bay, lunged up a 20 foot cliff without a thought. The yearling rocket launched himself up a tree and 20 feet out on a limb while the older bear sat at the bottom to wait. We did not have the heart to wait and see what would unfold.

By mid afternoon the predicted winds had not come and the world took on a uniform grey as the winds stopped, the rains slowed, and Johnstone Straight showed us a softer side. We both felt good with muscles warmed up, food in our bellies we decided to keep going as long as we could. With determination in our strokes, we paddled past bay after bay, past watching seals and curious sea lions.

As afternoon turned to evening the waters around us turned silky smooth. As evening soon turned to night, we slowed our strokes and let the mood of the night envelope us as we came upon a beach to call our home for the night. Our respect for bears soon had us calling out “Yo Bear” as we set up a tarp and our bivy sacks for the night. A quick re-hydrated meal would provide our bodies the sustenance required for more paddling after a few hours of sleep. We both fell asleep exhausted but content with our amazing day.

Day 16 has been our longest mileage to date, 25 nautical Miles. This translates to 45 Kilometers. We were on the water for 13 hours with a few hours of waiting out winds, having lunch and various other breaks to bring feeling back to our neglected legs.

D-DAY

2009-05-06T16:58:00.000-07:00

AND THEY'RE OFF!
Aprox. 3:30pm Monday May 4th
2009

Packing our boats for the first time was a bit scary! It took us over two hours and we left a bit of stuff behind. No camp chairs, no boyfriends, no large novels!

Celebrating our departure!

Finally on the water, two very happy girls.

2009-05-04T08:43:00.000-07:00

My beautiful boat arrived just in time, one day before our meeting on Galiano Island. My nature dictates that I am fully prepared days ahead of time, but the delay in my boat has forced me into last minute preparations. Outfitting, changing bungee designs, adding under-deck bags and trying to make it all fit.

Today's news:
Crossing Borders Expedition departure date.
The weather today is calling for south-east gale force winds, 30-45 knots. Hopefully we make it off Galiano today!
The Canadian Navy has lost a torpedo in the area!

We are both excited for push off, when all the worries and concerns of modern day life will be left behind us on the dock, except of course for those floating torpedos.

We are starting a new life today. One dictated by the winds and currents. One where we can sit on a beach, walk through the forests, paddle alongside the whales. Connected like we should be with the natural world around us.

The Speed Machine!
Model: Chatham 18, made by Necky.
Length: 18 ft
Width: 20 "
Color: Mango

Favorite activity: Surfing
Hero: Angela Bueckert
Dream Date: Paddling into the sunset!

Being a Girl!

2009-05-04T07:30:00.001-07:00

The neighborhood I grew up in used to put on these bicycle rodeos for the kids. We would all dress up, decorate our bikes and then ride down the street in a big parade. We would be beaming with pride in our moment of glory. The best costume was always awarded a prize and we coveted winning that title. At age 3 I can’t say I had a firm grasp on the ins and outs of the bicycle rodeo, but I did have an older brother who thoroughly conveyed the excitement of the event. So, when my mom asked me what I wanted to dress-up as I knew it had to be something good. Sure in my decision I announced that I was going to go as Beautiful. My mother tried to explain to me that I couldn’t dress up as Beautiful, I needed to pick someone or something to dress up as, for example, my brother was going as a farmer. I didn’t really know what she was talking about or what the problem was, but I did know I was going to be Beautiful. My parents humored me. They painted my tricycle pink, outfitted it with balloons and streamers and I wore my most beautiful pink dress complete with white tights and black shiny shoes…. I was beautiful and I knew it.

You will never guess who won the prize that year. As it turns out, you can dress up as Beautiful. A little pink can go a long way.

As I grew older and drifted along the sliding scale of what defines you as a girl, I moved away from the pink. I steadily worked towards defining myself as a tomboy, a girl who liked mud, sports and animals just as much as the next guy and especially as much as my brother. I left behind the little girl in the pink dress, the one that was afraid to get dirty, the one that was set on being beautiful. Growing up a girl you just can’t be both, it doesn’t work that way, little girls either run with the boys or they play with their dolls.

I quickly decided that I hated Barbie’s… But I loved GI Joes. GI Joes and She-ra, She-ra was okay because she was tough and my brother had He-man.

I’ve been running with the boys ever since. I ran with them through school, playing sports and proving capable in the outdoors. I ran with them through college and university proving to be a strong and worthy asset for the outdoor industry. I ran with them out in the field, carving out a place for me in the outdoor industry, all the while proving my worth, strengths and capabilities. All that time I was running with the boys trying to make up for being a girl… and then at some point during the race it occurred to me… I am a girl! Why am I playing by the boys’ rules?

I get to play in the mud, I get to like sports and animals just as much as the next guy and then I get to turn around a put on the pink dress. I get to go as Beautiful.

So I find myself back at pink. I didn’t slide back down that scale I worked so hard to climb, quite the contrary. I’ve gone full circle, continuing to progress forward taking with me everything that I was and still am and found again that there is a girl behind the mud and the sports and she thinks pink is pretty beautiful.

Meet Gypsy, my Pink Kayak...

Today is D-Day!!!

19 Days and Counting

2009-04-14T19:35:00.000-07:00

For some reason slipping into the ‘teens’ means something, a mixture of excitement and panic rises and from now on… everyday is counted. Its like the difference between having to get up at 5:59am and 6:00am. For some reason as soon as you slip into the 5am numbers everything changes. You have to go to bed an hour earlier, you have to have all your bags packed the night before and the coffee laid out on the counter. It is time to have our bags packed and all our gear laid out. We are crossing our t’s and dotting our i’s over and over again (can you over cross a t?).

This is it, everything is coming together and it is really happening. We are making it happen. We have been actively planning and preparing for almost a year now. Writing sponsorship proposals, researching, finding and purchasing new equipment… choosing kayaks! Making list after list of things to do, research and prepare. Talking about dates, routes, timing, costs and expectations. There are so many little facets to explore and address it is impossible to express the extent of the logistics that have already gone into our planning process.

For instance, we need 75 different Nautical Charts to take us from Galiano to Glacier Bay. 75 charts that were researched, chosen, purchased, checked and now have to be folded and divided into the different legs of our journey. Or take our food, 4 months translates roughly into 120 days, times that by 3 meals a day, we get 360 meals for two people. Then consider the variety of situations we will find ourselves in… long days needing quick meals, the first week after restocking in a new town, the 2nd and 3rd week after restocking in a new town, rainy days, hot days, off days, town days… throw in a desire for some variety, condiments, snacks and beverages… it gets complicated! But it is all part of the process and… it begins to make it real.

The beauty of it is that I can’t think of a better person to be doing this with. You could say that we are well matched in that we are both over achievers, obsessively organized (in our own ways!) and literally come from the same school of thought when it comes to expedition planning and preparedness. After 6 years of friendship, including countless trips, a few shorter expeditions, 4 years of school, endless projects, 1 year of living together and now 1 year of expedition planning we have come to know, understand and respect each other. We have no secrets, we already know what we love and hate about each other and… we trust each other with our lives.

In the last month we have gotten together three times to plan and organize for our trip. Every time we shock ourselves with our progress (that’s where the over achiever/organized part comes in). This last time we spent the better part of our second day lounging in the sun, content with what we had accomplished and left with nothing else to do.

We are almost there… 19 days and counting

Preparations Galore!

2009-04-13T15:35:00.000-07:00

Trip preparation at this point is a lot of nit-picky gathering of supplies, organizing of food and of course... testing of NEW GEAR!

Our new tent... so spacious! well, spacious for a tent, hope we still feel that way in 4 months!

Love it!

Seam sealing our new sil tarp

The first light of our new stove...

Seems to work!

Sham-WOW!

Good day...

MOVIE: Seam sealing with Angela's help...

MOVIE: Help? I'm not so sure... Our personalities summed up!

Sponsorship

2009-01-31T15:11:00.001-08:00

It would be impossible to undertake such a journey without the support from those around us. In addition to the support of our friends and family we have been fortunate to receive help from several other sources. The following companies are generously assisting our expedition through various means. We want to thank each and every one of them for helping to make this dream a reality.

Mountain Equipment Co-op

Payne Engineering

Icebreaker

Natural West Coast Adventure Gear

OnSight Travel Gear

AlpineAire
Natural High
Richmoor Foods