The San Juans, Seattle, and Other Places

Glacier National Park

Royal Basin, the Olympic Pennisula

Our 2009 visit to Washington now draws to a close, and I sit in our blessedly cool hotel room (its 98 outside) in Missoula, Montana, and contemplate our adventures over the last year. WOW! What a year it has been! We've done things we've never done before, seen things we'll never see again, and reconnected with the things that are really important. WE are so blessed to be able be able to enjoy this country....

Nikki hangs in there as a Navy wife, with Michaels deployment coming to an end VERY soon. She's learned the nuances of home care and maintenance, doggie dissassters, and all the other things that come with being in charge and on your own, while hubby honorably defends our country so that the rest of us can take advantage of what it has to offer.

Pete and I spent much of our time in Washington hanging out and filling in, but we did have many wonderful adventures.....

Renee and Nikki finish the Chuckanut 10k in Bellingham

Nikki and I ran/walked the Seattle Rock and Roll Marathon/Half Marathon on June 27th, in wonderful and fun downtown Tukwilla to Seattle. On the 11th of July we participated in the Chuckanut 10k.. Who would have thunk? The training was long and sometimes incredibly hard and boring, but the race days are so much fun! We'd both like to continue to improve and participate, and Nikki has geared up to participate in the Marine Corp Marathon in Washington DC in October, Renee has decided just to train for a year or so and see what happens.

Pete paddles past Speiden Islands Northern Tip

We paddled the Wasp Islands, Jones Island, Speiden Island, and Stuart Island in the San Juan Islands for a few days.... we put to use our navigational and paddling skills as we braved currents , ferries, and rain in the most beautiful paddling in the nation. We again, did not find any Orca that we could get close to, but we had many encounters with other wildlife, including a mother harbor seal , that woke us up at 4 in the morning for a fishing lesson with her pup, right outside our tent door in Reed Harbor. We paddled much in slack tides, as the currents were against us for most of the trip, and some of the short crossing were dreadfully long.... but this is the best!

We close this trip with the trip to Glacier National Park, where the crowds were bad, but the park is AWESOME. We plan to come back here someday, but not until a September, so the weather won't be so hot and the crowds will be smaller. We didn't find any Grizzly, but plenty of Mountain Goat, Massive, open skies and mountain views like never before....

Thanks to those of you that listened, and shared with our adventure. We'll be home in Minnesota for a year or so.... give or take a winter break or two... miss you all, and so glad to be on our way home!

A Mountain Destination for Flat Water Paddlers

GRAND TETON NATIONAL PARK

We decided to make a short side trip to Yellowstone National Park while driving to Washington, as Pete had never been there. Although we enjoyed the wildlife viewing in the park, the size of Yellowstone Lake, and the multitudes of people drove us out. A desire for simple lodging landed us in Grand Teton....

I hadn't been there in almost thirty years, and I had forgotten the wild beauty of this one, nor had I ever considered paddling the many lakes, streams and rivers contained within. Our one day diversion, turned in to three, as we took advantage of some recommendations of the park ranger. We paddled Jenny lake (above) at the base of Grand Teton and Mt. Moran, the Snake River at the Oxbow overlook, and Jackson Lake from our campsite. The lakes and rivers were all at 7000' plus altitude, which shortened our paddling energy, but we took advantage of many eddies and currents, and had a playful, pleasant experience. Many close wildlife encounters and much cold water later we left quite satisfied with our visit... and hungering for more!





Yellow Bellied Marmot and Pete finds a Moose







I would highly recommend this park as a paddling destination... but plan to spend at least a week, and give yourself a couple of days to tour Yellowstone too. Be sure to visit Jackson Lodge for the view and the food. Bring your non paddling friends, hiking boots, a fly rod and a dry suit. You can't beat this one!

A Short Visit Turns Awesome Adventure-Mt. St. Helens

Sunday, April 26, 2009, Nikki and I, and 22 others from Navy Outdoor Recreation, left base camp at 6 a.m. Sunburn, blisters, shin splints and the mountain took its toll on some of us, and thirteen hours more or less later, 11 of us had accomplished 8300 vertical feet, 12 miles and lots of smiles. This was absolutely the hardest physical challenge I have ever undertaken, and one of the most rewarding and beautiful places I have ever been. Mt. St. Helens is still an active volcano, and we were rewarded with beautiful weather, steam spewing vents, and excellent views of Adams, Rainier, and Hood. The warm weather and the steep slopes made for a very difficult climb in rather soft snow, and most of us had stripped down to shirtsleeves very early in the climb. The steepest parts of the slope made for excellent glissading, and we all had a very good time. Comraderie got some of us to the top... me being the oldest and last climber to summit....thank goodness for the encouragement of others! We toasted our success with Pomegranate Margaritas, complete with an volcanic ash garnish, at the summit, and are nursing our weary legs with pizza and beer as I write.

Monkeys, Hogs and Spaceships

Our vacation draws to a close as we depart for the northland tomorrow morning, alas, I miss home and all that goes with it. We capped off our trip last night, by a twelve hour marathon to/from and on the beach in Titusville, viewing the space shuttle "Discovery" launch. We've found all and more than we expected, enjoyed every minute, every place, and everyone. Over 50 alligators on a lake in central Florida... one larger than my boat, dozens of Rhesus Monkeys and a few wild boar on the shore of the Silver River, the feeling of windowshading in the surf at St. Augustine, oh yeah, and golfing. (go figure!) We're already planning the rest of the year, and look forward to more family time and more paddling, spending much of this coming summer in Washington state again. Updates to follow when the adventure starts again!

Alligators, Manatee and Warm Sandy Beaches

No zoom lens required!

Greetings to All! We are now three weeks in to our winter sabatical, and enjoying our vacation. Although the weather and water have been a bit chilly, especially at night, we have managed to paddle quite a bit. We've re visited some of our favorite places, surfing and capturing the the St. Joseph pennisula point, viewing alligators at the Wakulla river and manatee at Three Sisters. We were joined at St. Joes by Dave Hamilton, and Steve Supenzia and Tracy Colson at Three sisters and Lake Panasofkee. We've explored many new areas, many at Cedar Key. It is quite beautiful here.... the wildlife viewing is unbeatable. Our second visit to Three Sisters gave us the highlight of the trip so far, over one hundred manatee in the spring which is not much bigger than two or three backyard swimming pools. You are not supposed to touch the manatee, but at this proximity and quantity, it was very difficult not to. Some of them are so acclimated to humans, they nuzzle and shove you, roll over for a belly scratch, and look you straight in the eye.... from about 6 inches. This fellow above even kissed me on the lips!

The Cenote at ChitChenitz'a. I managed to do a little cliff diving in the water. This was as far as I got, as I wasn't able to convince myself to jump from the top ledge! The trailings in the left picture are the roots from the plants growing at the top of the cave entrance.

Jewell, Renee and Katie at the temple.

We had a wonderful Mayan guide take us through the ruins. Up until a few years ago, local Mayans were still living in the park. Our guide, Rafaello, grew up on the compound, and now makes his living as a guide and archaeologist. Only 10 to 15% of the ruins have been uncovered, so there is still a lot of work to do.

Mexico.

Ruins of the Scorpion Shrine

After a rather hectic stay at home (construction, construction, construction) Renee took a short break to visit Cancun with friends, Jewell, Cherie, Lynn and Katie, and Cheries niece Tracy. The trip was marred by poor weather and the crazy Mexican road system, but we enjoyed ourselves none the less. They call Cancun the cement city, but given the opportunity, you should visit. We visited Mayan ruins, underground caves and swam with the dolphins (in a commercial venture) on Isla Mujeres. The Mayan culture is fascinating, the area is beautiful, and if you like to shop, this is your destination. The shrine above was adjacent our hotel.

Traditional Arctic Kayak Symposium 2008

Our last Pacific Sunset... from the mouth of Little River at Van Damme State Park, Mendicino, CA.

Our first arch in the rock gardens... you can't even see daylight!

Our view from Russian Gulch.... Count the swells!

Cheri and Maligiaq

The Rock Gardens at the Mendicino Headlands

We had a wonderful time paddling the BIGGEST water we've ever encountered! This gathering is a small group of dedicated traditional paddlers and boat builders. We are very excited to have attended, met and paddled with some of the gurus of American Greenland... including John Petersen (event organizer )and Wolfgang Brink, boat builders, Cheri Perry, Turner Wilson, Dubside, Helen Wilson (Greenland 2008, see http://greenlandorbust.org ) Awesome tour guides Jeff and Skip, and Maligiaq Padilla... Kayak Man 7 times in the last ten years. What an awesome group, and a beautiful setting! "Possibly the only blue water traditional event in the country", Pete braved the swells of 18-20 feet on the second day and experienced a particular formation called Emerald City, where the boomers were in excess of 50 feet. Renee opted for rolling demos and instruction, not wanting to miss the chance to watch Maligiaq in action. The water was cold, the people were warm, and the experience was splendid.

The West Coast Sea Kayak Symposium and Deception Pass

UNDER THE BRIDGE AT DECEPTION PASS
The WCSKS was quite an event! Pete and I volunteered on Thursday.... which involved unloading HUNDREDs of boats as the vendors came in. They all rode the same ferries, so it was all or none at the same time! 1800 participants later, we all went home with new skills, new friends and a multitude of new aches and pains. We found a wandering Minnesotan many of you know, Liza Gould, on the beach at WCSKS. She graciously volunteered to escort us through Deception pass, then managed to shred her finger lighting a flare in class. Liza, we hope you heal fast! Liza passed us off to a wonderful, sweet local paddler, Tom Banks. We met at Bowman bay, and with a marginal weather forcast, set out and added Deception Pass to our captures. What a Place. Its beautiful, and with a slack tide, easy to navigate. Our entrance around the point involved rebound waves at 3-4 feet, and our exit through Canoe Pass gave us waves at 5 feet or better, so big in fact, that the boys put on their helmuts and went back to surf. I elected to portage back to Bowman bay, and Pete and Tom spent another hour surfing and playing off the point. It's 8 o'clock am and Pete is still sleeping!

WASHINGTON BOUND----AGAIN!

This has been a whirlwind of adventure! Our drive back to Minnesota was only slightly marred by a brief delay in Spokane, when we ran the Prius out of gas---go figure. Fireworks and friends in Gillette were both spectacular, and we wasted an entire day at Devils Tower, Mt. Rushmore and Crazy Horse. We don't have pictures yet, due to a camera malfunction, but will post them as soon as we do.

After our brief stay at home, we were blessed by a wonderful, educational, and most of all fun stay in Michigan at Training Camp..... Even with a double ear infection for Renee, we both upped the skills, ate splendidly, and spent a way too short time with new and old friends. We had a short break before the Akeley Traditional Paddlers Gathering, where Pete successfully did his first forward recovery rolls. We are so blessed to have people around us that care so much. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Jo, a beautiful spirit, thank you for sharing your life and your passion with us, and for starting this wonderful event. Mentors many.... Cheri, Turner, Dan, Will, Nancy, Alex, What would we learn and experience without you! Please come visit us again!

We leave for Washington State again late on Friday night.... just in the nick of time for the West Coast Sea Kayak Symposium and TAKS. My son-in-law, Michael, has been deployed on the USS Eisenhower, and we plan to spend as much time as possible on Whidbey Island with Nikki until he returns. We also have plans to visit most of Renee's family in Oregon and California over the next month.... just luck I guess, that they all live at great paddling destinations! We'll again miss all of our freinds and family in Minnesota... but plan on the annual Oktoberfest Party.... we WILL be back!

We Don't Always Have Dirt on our Toes

Just a little post here before we begin our trip east.... Pete and I clean up rather well, if the occassion requires! This is Prowler Ball 2008. We may or may not agree with the current climate of politics in our country, but we support the men and women that help us maintain the freedom to undertake life as we make it, and an adventure such as ours. Thank you to all of our U.S. Military services, and GO NAVY! And Air Force! (Thats Pete talking)

Aug 8-The Paddling Comes to a Close

It’s been an adventure, and a lot of fun… seals and starfish and eagles. Water warm, water cold. Mountains tall. We hiked at Mt. Rainier in snowfields, rolled with Dubside and spent four days paddling and training on the cold water of the sound. It’s been an adventure and we’re pretty tired, but we’ll do it again, and again, and again if we ever can. We’ve experienced the beauty of glaciers, the comfort of mentorship, and the challenge of eddies, currents and tides. Our education and experiences didn't stop at the boats and boots. We've a new appreciation and respect for this planet and this country, and encourage all to really take a good look. We can’t thank Dubside and Body, Boat, Blade enough for their skill, professionalism and patience in taking two mediocre paddlers and pushing them to a new level of education, confidence and skill. A path has been set….. Now we’ll be off early next week to Gillette for fireworks, and then east for a while, home and to training camp and the gathering. WE REALLY MISS OUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY! Can’t wait to see you all.

7/13-7/26 WOW! Two weeks in Oak Harbor have gone by so fast! We’ve been exploring and visiting with Nikki, Renee’s daughter. Puget Sound is beautiful, and just as I remember, very BIG. We’ve paddled the sound in the gentle areas of Penn Cove (famous for it’s mussel farms) and an overnight that involved capturing Burrows and Allen Islands, and the east shore of Burrows bay. Pete longingly stares at Deception Pass whenever we cross over the bridge, with his goal to be able to paddle it before we are done here in October. Our off the sound time has been spent paddling and rolling the calm warm water of Cranberry Lake, hiking the trails of Ft. Ebey and Ft. Casey, and chasing Nikki, as she participates in the local Ragnar relay race from Blaine, WA to Oak Harbor We’ve been really busy, but we’re loving it! We are cramming as much in as possible before we turn east again for Training camp and Akeley…. Happy trails to all. Renee

7/4/08 Home for the Holiday! It was great to visit and see all! Despite our short stay at home, we got to visit with some of you (and wish we could have done more). But it’s hop to, hop to, we had to get on the road again. We arrived in Oak Harbor on July 12th, safe and weary. We again enjoyed an overnight at Theodore Roosevelt National Park in ND but Montana was a long hot drive, and we rewarded ourselves with a brief stay at Lake Benewah, just south of Coeur d’Alene Idaho. We had a short but enjoyable paddle, but found the lake have been recently treated with 24D to treat the milfoil (No rolling for us here!).

6/16-7/3 Somers Point, NJ, and I really cant believe we’re in Jersey. It's quite beautiful here, and our back yard is the intra coastal waterway. Paddling in Ocean City has been a lot of fun, and very educational. Despite a wall of humanity on the beaches, very stinky jet skis and HUGE yachts, we’ve managed to find a niche and good time. The surf has treated us well and we were able to paddle a regatta/ecotour in Cape May. We made new buddies from the Coast Guard, (where else--in the beer tent) (No no no, they didn’t have to rescue us!) We’ve been studying our ABC’s of the Surf Zone, and with the practice we have gotten much more comfortable with surf in the 2 to 4 foot range. We’ve both had some great rides and a few tumbles. (Now I know what that low brace is all about!) The people on the Jersey Shore are great, the food is awesome, but it’s very crowded, especially over the 4th.

6/14 We enjoyed our paddle on Chincoteque and Assateaque Islands, home of the Wild Horses of Chincoteague. The paddling out there is beautiful, warm and friendly but shallow. Low tide will have you scraping with your paddle. The horses are approachable from the water, more so than by land. Chincoteague, the city, is a quaint little tourist town, with oodles of shopping and seafood. We happened to fall in to their 2nd Saturday celebration, and many of the stores had live entertainment, wine tasting, and snacks. We found a vineyard in the area that does kayak tours to an island where they provide wine and cheese. We didn't get to take advantage of that.... but we may return. Highly recommended as a kayak destination, just stay in Chincoteague at an Inn or hotel, and if you camp, stay on Assateaue on the Atlantic side. The bay side camp ground makes Minnesota mosquitoes seem wimpy and on the endangered species list.

Our Friend "Boomer"

Boomer attempted to raid our campsite during dinner. Note the outhouse in the picture. Pete was heading for the privy area to dispose of some chicken broth when he spotted this "tiny" critter. As Pete hollered for bear spray, rocks, sticks, ANYTHING, Renee hollered for the camera, and Karen guarded our dinner. The ranger estimates Boomer to be about 300-350 pounds. I dunno, but he was able to take a bag of garbage off the outhouse roof without using his feet. That's over 6 feet tall! Unfortunately for Boomer, he is entirely too acclimated to people, and that is never good for a bear. I have heard that the NPS is trying new tactics to change the bears behavior... sure hope they work.

6/11 The mountains of North Carolina are beautiful, big, and very HOT right now. Pete and Karen completed their journey in Hot Springs, NC on the 9th, 29 DAYS, 273 miles, (and many pounds lost) after their start. I joined them for the last 2 1/2 days, in record heat. After 26 days on the trail, Pete and Karen were blessed with the presence of their first bear at camp, but it’s day two for me! I know I’ve always been a critter magnet…. But what the hey? Karen returned home to the TC by train from Charlottesville, and Pete and Renee are now on the road to the east coast.

6/02 They've almost made it through the Smokies. I talked to Pete last night, from the top of a mountain just a few miles shy of Clingmans dome. Three more days, and they'll pass out of the park and into NC. I am now finally, the owner of the pink boat. It's actually quite beautiful, and wonderful to paddle. Florida is very hot and muggy.... I have spent most of the day crusted with salt water in an attempt to stay cool. Okay. So I really just wanted tip over the boat.

5/30 Fontana Dam, NC. They have progressed 162.5 miles up the trail to date, and seem to be very well. Most of the hike is at altitudes above 5000 feet. They're both well ready for that challenge. Some days have been easier that others, and they recently did another 14 mile day, because they met a "very interesting and scary" character at their planned stop, so they continued an additional 5 miles in order to avoid staying there. At this point the trail consists of a lot of P.U.D.s (pointless ups and downs). There are a lot of trees, and not much visibility here; they haven't encountered much wildlife, although there is plenty of scat and other evidence.. Pete reports of being challenged by a grouse as their wildest encounter, and startling a wild boar that leaped off a small cliff and tumbled down the hill. They have encountered a few days of rain, but for the most part it has at least been warm. Pete says it's a rain forest up there, and it's always wet. I say welcome to the south. Renee is finally on the road, but tonight I’m holed up in a hotel in Illinois, waiting out thunderstorms. I still hope to be in Tampa by late Sunday