Germanys nicest lighthouse
There is one word that best describes Alaska – BIG!
Big mountains, big glaciers, big rivers, big eagles, big bears….
I have been lucky enough to have been invited to Homer, Alaska by my friend Tom Pogson who runs Alaska Kayak School and organizes the Immersion Skills Symposium over Memorial Day weekend. After a couple of easy, and at times spectacular flights to Anchorage and a very pleasant drive down to Homer I arrived to see a stunning view of Homer Spit and the mountains and glaciers of the Kenai Peninsula.
I am staying with the Todd’s whose gorgeous house sits on the bluff 1200ft above Kachemak Bay, overlooking the Kachemak Bay State Park and the Kenai Mountains. They have been amazing hosts and we are all going on a three-and-a-bit day kayak trip along the north side of the Kenai Peninsula starting Thursday.
Today I helped lead a trip across the Bay to Gull Island and into an exquisite inlet where the minus tide had exposed some plumose and christmas anenomes and hundreds of sun stars, sponges and even a large clam that Rob Avery almost turned into sushi.
After sunbathing, yes, sunbathing in Alaska I kid you not – we headed back and saw tufted puffins on our second pass of Gull Island as well as thousands of murre, black legged kittiwakes and, of course, lots of gulls.
The crew did really well on the crossing back and it topped off a really successful symposium for Tom, Ryan and the rest the the AKS team. Well done you guys!
If you are looking for a world-class destination for sea kayaking then look no further than Homer, Alaska. Tom Pogson is one of the best instructors I have ever had the pleasure to work with. He has a deep understanding of what his clients need combined with profound knowledge of both the technical aspects of expedition sea kayaking and all aspects of the Alaskan wilderness.
Joining the team of P&H Paddlers is such a treat! Not only do I get to play with some of the finest sea kayaks on the planet:
I also get access to Pyranha’s whitewater kayaks as well such as the new Karnali which for a sea boater like me is the perfect craft for tackling my first California waterfall, Indian Falls in the Feather River drainage:
California’s rivers are full of snow melt right now and I was lucky enough to add three new rivers to my very short ‘tick’ list during a recent road trip to the Sierras. The perfect antidote for a temporarily land-locked sea paddler!
Anyone living in or travelling to California that wants to demo a P&H sea kayak or any of the Pyranha range feel free to give me a call: 415-816-8746 or emal: sean@riverandocean.com
There’s nothing quite like waking up to a cup of well-brewed coffee while on expedition. For me, it’s not a luxury, but a necessity for jump-starting my morning. As with all my menu choices for sea kayaking trips, I try to strike a balance between ease of preparation, weight savings, minimal clean-up, and taste.
Since I’m a stickler for a good cup ‘o joe, I’ve tried just about every imaginable method for brewing coffee in the backcountry. Here’s a quick run down on how to get the best possible caffeine fix on your next multi-day trip.