3X3

In complete contrast to  my trip to Alaska last year—where all of my best moments were spent in small boats looking over the water toward the land—in Oregon, all of my best moments were on land looking toward water. (Or in the hot tub, looking toward water.  Truly, I have never experienced anything as refreshing as piling into a [...]

Read Full Post »

Member of the Club

I joined the Chicago Kayak Club today.  (I took a class with them last year and had a blast.)  More training and kayaking adventures coming soon.  Woo hoo!

Read Full Post »

Lessons learned from a first trip to Alaska

(And I would sail 500 miles, and I would sail 500 more . . .) We left Denali by train, taking a scenic railroad car with a glass top to Fairbanks, our last Alaskan stop.  It was just a place to sleep for us:  We were on an early morning flight back to Seattle and [...]

Read Full Post »

Of Kittiwakes and Kayaks

I have no actual photographic proof that I kayaked on Prince Williams Sound—unless you count this t-shirt: I grabbed a disposable camera to bring on the excursion, but unfortunately, in my haste, I picked one with no shots left.  Ah, film cameras.  I’m out of the habit. So I’ll have to rely on other people’s [...]

Read Full Post »

Can you get there from here? Part II: Whittier

  In June this year, I took an Introduction to Sea Kayaking lesson from Chicago Kayak in the calm, delightful, and little-known Skokie Lagoons.  It was fabulous.  I learned about equipment, practiced a few strokes, and survived an overpowered hip snap that unexpectedly turned into a 360 degree roll, a wet exit, and a T [...]

Read Full Post »

Big animals behind wire

From the SeaLife Center, we drove north up the Seward Highway, up the Kenai Peninsula, through the beautiful Chugach National Forest and Chugach Mountains, toward our evening’s destination:  Alyeska (or do you say Girdwood?).  I believe it was the only truly BRIGHT, sunny day of the whole trip, from beginning to end. We passed Sheep Mountain (Sheep [...]

Read Full Post »

Juneau: After the Twisted Fish

After my rafting trip on Mendenhall Lake and River, Mom and I reconnoitered and spent the afternoon on dry land in Juneau. (Well—they tell me it was dry land.  I could feel the earth moving under my feet after so much time on the Pacific Ocean.  And it rained hard enough to soak through the [...]

Read Full Post »