Saturday, February 28, 2009
Winter Kayak Tours, and an Impromptu Guide Reunion
Another trip is out on the water today with uber-guide Mira. Maybe one of the most compelling reasons to join us on a kayak tour in the cooler months of winter is that it is highly likely that Mira Lutz will be guiding the trip. Mira is not only a great paddler and fantastic naturalist, she is also a terrific mother, a science teacher in the winters, and an urban chicken-rancher. She's the kind of person that feels good to be around whether it is on a kayak tour or just around town. When we started our company up six years ago she was one of the first to join our team, and she's been around ever since. We couldn't be more pleased.
Speaking of great kayak guides, we were visited by five of last summer's crew this week. On Thursday Pete Schmidt, Julia Wentzel, and Monica Blanchard flew into town for a quick winter kayaking "fix". It was a big deal too, Pete and Monica flew in from Colorado and Oregon, and Julia came all the way from New York!! It felt pretty good that they enjoy themselves at AKT enough to coordinate an off-season reunion. Yesterday two more guides, James White, and Tiffan Wannamaker, played hookie from their university to join us for an early morning kayaking session in Deception Pass. As always, it was fun to be around this vibrant group of outdoorsfolk. Anacortes Kayak Tours must be doing something right to have attracted such interesting people, and it will be awesome to have them back again next summer!
Over all we've had a fairly cool, but dry winter, and it hasn't been very windy. What this means for sea kayaking is that there are lots of days to get out and have a good time. If you see a break in the weather, and you'd like to see what the San Juan Islands are like when nobody is around, then come on out. You won't be disappointed!
Speaking of great kayak guides, we were visited by five of last summer's crew this week. On Thursday Pete Schmidt, Julia Wentzel, and Monica Blanchard flew into town for a quick winter kayaking "fix". It was a big deal too, Pete and Monica flew in from Colorado and Oregon, and Julia came all the way from New York!! It felt pretty good that they enjoy themselves at AKT enough to coordinate an off-season reunion. Yesterday two more guides, James White, and Tiffan Wannamaker, played hookie from their university to join us for an early morning kayaking session in Deception Pass. As always, it was fun to be around this vibrant group of outdoorsfolk. Anacortes Kayak Tours must be doing something right to have attracted such interesting people, and it will be awesome to have them back again next summer!
Over all we've had a fairly cool, but dry winter, and it hasn't been very windy. What this means for sea kayaking is that there are lots of days to get out and have a good time. If you see a break in the weather, and you'd like to see what the San Juan Islands are like when nobody is around, then come on out. You won't be disappointed!
Wednesday, February 04, 2009
Surf Kayaking in Tofino
We've been here for five days now and to say that I am impressed would be an understatement. The whole area around Tofino is spectacular! Snow covered mountains rise up behind the densely forested islands of Clayoquot Sound, and the Pacific Ocean crashes against wide sandy beaches and rocky headlands. It is sublime.Our two little boys really seem to enjoy this environment. Despite the cooler winter weather, we have been out every day combing the beaches for "treasures", inspecting tide pools, and flying kites. Our oldest son Taiga has also designated himself as the official "lookout".
What is he looking out for? Well, pirates of course!
According to him they are hiding out and waiting for a chance to get us. Luckily for us he has been very busy devising all sorts of booby traps and trenches to thwart their efforts. (I'm not sure how we would survive this trip without him.)
Its fun to think of future trips out here and how both boys will develop over the years. It won't be long before they will be showing their dad how to really shred up the surf in their own kayaks. Now that's a scary thought!
The surf kayaking has been a ton of fun. Our house is in the perfect spot for us, we are able to walk right out the door, hop in our kayaks, and enter the sea. I have to admit that the learning curve has been pretty steep for me and I've had a fair share of getting clobbered as the waves closed out on top of me. As one of these images shows, the hardest part is often just getting out past the break. Sometimes, if our timing is off, the wave breaks right on us and throws us right over backwards and upside down. Even worse than being a bit unnerving, this also means that we have to roll back over and start again. It's a heck of a workout, to say the least! The payoff comes when we catch that wave and feel the dynamic force of energy that has traveled a thousand miles to reach this beach.
This has been a great experience that I have been fortunate to share with my wife, kids, and with wonderful friends andI think that I've found a new paddlesport activity to keep me busy in the off season!
If you are interested in seeing some of the most amazing sea kayaking film footage then check out Justine Curgenven's website, she has produces 4 great DVDs called "This is the Sea".
If you are interested in learning how to become a better sea kayaker then you can't do better than taking a class with kayak coaches Shawna and Leon at Body Boat Blade. They run kayak lessons on Orcas Island in the San Juan Islands of Washington State.
If you have sea kayaking questions about the San Juan Islands, then please feel free to call us here at Anacortes Kayak Tours!
Labels: kayak tours, San Juan Islands, sea kayaking, Tofino
