Paddling Planet

Tredje og siste dagen i Rago nasjonalpark. Den skulle ikke stå det minste tilbake for de to foregående dagene. Har du ikke lest del 1 fra dagen før ennå, så kan du finne den HER. Del 2 finner du HER.

Det er som forventet litt grått når jeg våkner, så jeg tar meg god tid til både frokost og pakking. Jeg lander på å gå ned til bilen siden været ikke er så supert, da rekker jeg dessuten hjem til å være med på ASKR. Polarbrød, kokt egg med kaviar og vann ble det en del måltider av på denne turen, det ble også dagens frokost. Men da var det også tomt for egg.

Da jeg kom ned til Storskogvannet ble imidlertid planen lagt drastisk om. Like ved stien lå det ei lita strand, en utmerket plass å sette ut – og lysten til å padle ble sterk. Det var bare å rulle ut packraften og blåse den opp, ingen tvil om det. Nå hadde jeg jo først bært på denne saken, da ville det jo være litt for dumt å gå forbi et så pass stort vann. Dessuten har jeg jo fiskekort for denne dagen også! Det ville jo være direkte sløsing med penger å gå forbi...

Jeg kjente med en gang jeg satte meg i packraften at dette var helt riktig. Det var ikke så mye av Storskogvatnet jeg kunne se i første omgang, men at dette berget skjuler mye gjør det jo bare mer spennende. Flott så langt.

Jeg liker packraften veldig godt, men akkurat dette irriterer meg. Strikken i livet er så stram (uten at jeg har strammet) at borrelåsen rives opp etter ei stund. Ikke det verste som kan skje, men det blir et irritasjonsmoment hver gang man må ordne det.

Men hallo, en fisk! Hurra! Fikk først på en jeg mistet, før denne satt. Ikke store karen, men fisk er fisk! Dette var jo kjempegreier. Første fisk på nystanga, som er så lita og lett at det er artig også å få småfisk. Veldig bra! Fikk ganske bra til å kaste med den også, selv om jeg ikke helt får det hundre prosent til når jeg sitter i packraften.

Fin? Jeg synes det.

Jeg hadde ørlite medvind, og stoppet padlingen her og der for å fiske. Jeg fikk etter hvert noen fisker, både ørret og røye. Øvet litt på justering av brems, kasting og sånt, det er jo ikke så ofte jeg fisker akkurat at jeg er noe verdensmester.

Da jeg fikk en av ørretene tok jeg den løs og la den i dumpa på spruttrekket, mens jeg sikret sluken fra å hekte seg. Når jeg da tok fram kniven, og løftet på fiskeposen som lå oppå, svømte fisken rett og slett ut av spruttrekket, og forsvant ned i vannet igjen! He he he, den hadde ligget der i den lille vanndammen og kommet seg til hektene igjen. Jaja, så gjør jeg ikke den tabben, heretter bløgges de om så mens de sitter på kroken.

Etter hvert dukket det opp en og annen liten strand. Det var i grunnen kjekt, for ellers var det mye stein og berg og lite egnet for å komme i land. Da passer det fint med slike spredt litt rundt. Men jeg hadde en plan om å ta pausen helt inners i vannet, der en slags sti opp til Ragohytta skal starte.

Her inne, nærmere bestemt. Sørkråga, heter det. Her kom det også en elv inn, men den var veldig grunn så jeg fikk ikke padlet så langt opp. Jeg gikk på land og sanket ved, for nå skulle det steikes fisk og lages potetmos til! Første varme måltid på turen.

Jeg kom over et bålsted fra tidligere mens jeg sanket ved, så jeg benyttet meg av det. Ingen grunn til å lage flere. Storkleggen dominerte første og andre dagen, men her var det faktisk mest av regnklegg. Den klarte å sette seg uten at jeg merket det, den er så pass mye lettere. Møkkaskapninger altså.

Ellers er det ikke direkte å anbefale å droppe gassen og bruke stormkjøkkenets kasseroller og stekepanne på bål istedenfor. Upraktisk på bålet er en ting, men belegget tåler vel heller ikke varmen så godt, i tillegg til at tingene stinker etterpå. Prøvde en runde i oppvaskmasking, det førte ikke til annet enn at alt annet som var i maskinen også begynte å stinke. Men men, det var en nødløsning.

Se her ja, har det tenkt å klarne opp kanskje? Jeg var allerede fornøyd med å ha valgt å padle innover, ble enda mer fornøyd nå kan man trygt si.

En plante skilte seg veldig ut her, jeg kan ikke huske å ha sett den før. Det viser seg å være en kongsspir, Pedicularis sceptrum-carolinum. Med de mørke bladene i rosett var den skikkelig kul.

Denne her var jeg ikke imponert over. GSI krydderbøsse som jeg var veldig fornøyd med helt til jeg skulle ta den i bruk. Da ble plastlokket med hull sittende fast i skrulokket. Klarte ikke å få det løs - da ble det vanskelig å få riktig blanding salt/pepper. Men fisken ble god likevel, så ikke noen krise. Bare irriterende når helt nye ting ikke virker som de skal. Jeg hadde i hvert fall salt og pepper med, selv om jeg ikke hadde hatt tro på fisk (og slanket sekken), det fortjener jo nærmest diplom.

Etter pausen fortsatte jeg bortetter vannet, jeg ville padle hele runden.

«Planter trenger jord å vokse i? Hva mener du? Jeg har det da aldeeeles fint på denne steinen her!»
Nuvel. Det spørs hvor lenge det varer. Du snakker om å klore seg fast.

Stadig mindre skyer, nå blir det skikkelig knallvær! Ett og annet sted går det også an å padle imellom med packraften, artig.

Prekestol a la Rago – den må selvfølgelig ha et par furuer også. Synes den var kul, kanskje sove her i hengekøye en gang?

Mye kul stein her, på Sørkråghalsen. Den er 294 meter høy på det høyeste. Antagelig litt bakom akkurat det vi ser her.

Et kadaver! Det var kanskje en grunn til at jeg plutselig så tre ørner i løpet av kort tid, uten å ha sett en eneste ørn de to første dagene... Uff. Jeg tror kanskje dette har vært en elgkalv, ut fra størrelsen og det som så ut til å være et øre. Men jeg har egentlig ikke peiling i det hele tatt.

Men det fikk slutt på tørsten i hvert fall, det tok lang tid før jeg drakk noe som helst etter dette. Selv om jeg vel hadde fylt vannflaska i rennende elv ikke her i vannet, så... Litt ekkelt likevel.

Selveste Mister Rago himself tror jeg, åpenbarte seg i en flott stein.

Videre innover var det også fint. Åpenbarer seg stadig nye utsikter i denne nasjonalparken.

Innerst, i Nordkråga, lå det også i denne bukta utløp av ei elv. Denne var litt større, så jeg kom meg et lengre stykke oppover. I en liten sidebekk fant jeg disse sporene. De ser vel ikke ut til å være så mye mer spennende enn rev - fjellrev hadde jo vært spennende og dette må vel være en ganske liten en, men jeg var jo slett ikke på fjellet.

Det var ganske fint oppover elven, men her ble det så grunt at det ikke var mulig å komme videre med packraften uten å gå ut av den. Så jeg kom hit, men ikke lenger.

Bilde berget av Stein-Evert

Her tok jeg meg tid til å ta bilde med selvutløseren, det kunne funket bra om ikke ett eller annet hadde skjedd sånn at alt ble helt utlyst. Heldigvis tar kameraet også i raw-format, og kompis Stein-Evert kan med å få ut det som er mulig av slike filer. Så selv om det ikke er helt perfekt akkurat, så har jeg i hvert fall et bilde der jeg padler oppover elven. (Dette er litt nedenfor det forrige, jeg kom akkurat rundt neste sving før det ble stopp.)

Det var litt straum der jeg holdt på med selvutløseren og jeg skulle posisjonere meg, så det ble en del styretak og diverse manøvrering. Da fikk jeg åra høyt, vannet fulgte den ned, og en del endte innafor spruttrekket. Til nå hadde det gått fint uten regnbuksa, den lette buksa var kjekk å ha på i varmen. Men nå ble jeg våt, så jeg tok en tur på land for å se hvor ille det var. Der fant jeg disse sporene, antar det er elg som har vært her.

Blendende vakkert spør du meg. Tiden gikk, men det var lite grunn til å stresse nedover mot bilen. Her var det bare å la tiden gå, og nyte turen.

Da jeg kom ned elven igjen var det litt sandbanker bortover, og så padlet jeg videre utover fjorden. Her var det en god del stein, bratt fjell som kom ned, men også litt nes og odder, og sandstrender som denne. En herlig blanding i vilt terreng. Litt usikker, men mulig denne stranda er på Trollneset. Det er i hvert fall ikke så veldig langt unna.

Jeg har aldri vært i noe område med så mange ferske ras som her. Når lauvet enda sitter på må det være kort tid siden - men det har rukket å bli brunt så det var vel ikke i dag heller.

Dette synes jeg var bare aldeles nydelig. Jeg skulle gjerne overnattet på den holmen! Men klokka var bare halv åtte eller noe sånt, og den var ganske liten så det ville nok blitt en kjedelig, lang kveld. Det får bli til en annen gang. Ville blitt et veldig kult teltbilde da.

Jeg fant et kadaver til, men dette var helt renspist. Kun bein lå igjen. Antagelig en elg?

Jeg padlet til der robåtene leies ut, da skulle jeg være i trygg avstand fra fossen. Jeg bestemte meg for å gå ned i kveld, selv om det kanskje ville bli litt sent. Det var så mye folk her i området ved fossen, at det fristet ikke så veldig. Kanskje jeg kunne finne en fin teltplass på vei ned?

Dagens rute sånn cirka. Et godt stykke gjenstår nå, altså.

Som sagt, mye folk. Og mest søppel i hele området der jeg har gått i hvert fall. Hvem svarte legger igjen en haug med brødskiver og dunge hundemat? Hva gjør de det for? Hvor koselig tror de at det er å komme til den teltplassen etterpå? Jaja, idioter har gjerne også føtter, og kommer seg hit.

Jeg måtte gå litt på kryss og tvers for å finne stien, for det var mange stier her. Men fossen ga tydelig lyd fra seg så den var enkel å finne. Ikke riktig så staselig som den til Litlverivatnet, men ganske flott denne også.

Furua er ikke bare finere å se på enn grana i seg selv, jeg synes den har mer dekorative kongler også.

En tordivel av den litt lengre typen. Jeg vet ikke hva som er hva av dem.

Litt tilrettelegging er det i Rago, denne her var ikke helt standard kan man si.

To favoritter tett i tett - blåveis og teiebær. Det var litt for tidlig for å finne noen modne bær av sistnevnte, men det var artig å se planten i nasjonalparken likevel. De som kommer gående her om en stund finner kanskje bær også.

Akkurat nå irriterte jeg meg fullstendig grønn over at det gode kompaktkameraet lå hjemme. Når sola skinte akkurat på fossen ned fra Litlverivatnet men ikke på det området rundt, var det helt magisk. Men det vanntette kompaktkameraet er ikke i nærheten av å fange magien, og å zoome noe inn kunne jeg bare glemme. Dette var direkte trist, det kunne virkelig blitt et flott bilde. Men det visste jeg at det uansett ikke ble med dette kameraet, så jeg gadd ikke finne en god vinkel heller, det ville ikke betale seg.

Ikke egentlig ulendt, men med løs sand kunne det blitt det med slitasjen som er. Så langt er det nok stein og røtter til at man finner greit fotfeste. I hvert fall her – det var noen tilsvarende steder som det ikke var like mye feste å finne.

Hva? Ligger noen i TELT der nede midt i elva? Herlighet så kul teltplass! Men det var jo JEG som hadde med packraft og burde ligget der! Passe misunnelig nå ja. Lurer på hva de har gått slags rute for å komme dit (hvis jeg så riktig, at det var et telt), den vanlige stien går vel ikke innom der akkurat.

Døde furuer er også kule. Sjekk hvordan veden liksom snurrer seg oppover. Voker alle furuer sånn innafor barken tro?

Etter hvert ble det myr, og mer klopping. Her ser det ut til å ha blitt kloppet før slitasjen, eller så har naturen klart å hente seg inn igjen.

Denne her må ha vært en ekte ent! Ja du vet, en sånn i Ringenes Herre, de som så ut som store trær. Dette var da helt likt en ent, bare uten grønt på.

Oi oi, dette var da ei diger kjuke! Er det ei rekordkjuke? Hvor store kan kjuker bli? Det var tre stykker på samme stammen, de var omtrent like store alle tre. Kanskje en stor sort, rett og slett?

Etter solnedgang og nede i skyggen. Her ser vi hvorfor jeg ikke padler packraften nedover elva. Jeg har nå kommet ned de fleste høydemeterne tror jeg. Det er noen stryk, men også noen fosser nedover, jeg har ikke nok peiling på disse packraftene til å bedømme hva som går og ikke, når og hvor gå i land og så videre. Så jeg bare droppa det. Dessuten var det blitt en lang dag nå.

Egentlig synes jeg disse bruene er litt skumle. Når man må gå en og en over - hvor solide er de da liksom? Helt sikkert solide nok, men spørsmålet kommer liksom automatisk når det står, og så ligger tanken der ennå når man går over.

Jo lenger ned jeg kom, jo surere ble jeg. Sliten, sulten, og merkingen var ikke like god overalt. Så når stien deler seg så står man jo der og lurer. Med tung sekk, og uten lyst til å gå noe som helst omvei. Det viste seg hver gang at stiene møttes senere, men det vet man jo ikke når man står der, stien deler seg og man ser ikke merking videre. Her serverte jeg noen grundige gloser jeg ikke skal gjengi her, men da jeg hørte meg selv snakke høyt satte jeg meg rett og slett ned og tok matpause. Det pleier å hjelpe litt på sånt.

Helt på slutten av turen går stien gjennom et skikkelig woodland. Flott samplantning med bregner og tyrihjelm. Nå var jeg straks nede ved bilen. Da gjensto det bare to kilometer asfaltvei til bilen... Uff. Men nå hadde jeg gått så langt, så da var det bare å gå videre, jeg beholdt sekken på.

Til det gjensto 500 meter. Det visste riktignok ikke jeg, men jeg målte da jeg kjørte etter den.

Tre dager i Rago, absolutt en god ide å dra hit. Det vil jeg tro at jeg gjør flere ganger, for dette var virkelig et område etter min smak, definitiv toppkarakter. I ettertid har jeg kommet på at jeg faktisk var flere døgn her uten å se havet, og uten å savne det. Det er virkelig kvalitetsstempel, det har vel aldri skjedd før. Men jeg skal ikke dra hit i verste kleggperioden, hvis det kan unngås. Det spørs vel også om ikke packraften blir liggende hjemme, den er en del ekstra å bære på.

Pos: 56.6189,-159.5578
Loc: behind Illnik Lagoon
Acc: Hilleberg Keron 4 tent
Dist: 40,7 km
Start: 08:00 End: 17:35

The surf didn’t really look inviting yet very early morning 6.30 am, and the tide would be against me offshore as it was high at around 8 am. It was also already blowing headwind offshore around 15 knots. Different inside the lagoon, from high tide on I was calculating a nice drag out to the openings, if I’m not getting stuck…

I just had to carry over to the lagoon, 250 m, a bit of wok, but not too bad. IF…if I had seen and set up camp at the nice cabin at Illnik Lagoon where I now have left my wonderful HUGE glas ball, just a mile south from my campsite before I set up camp on the open beach, my tent and kayak would have been much better sheltered and not sand blasted- and the portage would have been already done with less distance on a wheeltrack and not across the high dune grass…but I would have had less excitement that stormy night and the following day and might have not found my HUGE glass ball!!!

Anyway, I was ready to go at highest tide inside the lagoon, and made all right speed and progress on calm water with headwinds. At a sandbank close to the first entrance, the running out tide wanted to carry me also out, no chance to paddle around the spit to stay inside. So I simply got out, and dragged my kayak against the strong current around the spit to the other side and was soon off the strong current. I paddled along, watching a lonely bear on the inside, almost not noticing the water got more shallow and shallow…

I had to get out occasionally to drag the heavy kayak into deeper water, again and again, got out on sand banks to get a better overview where to go – as long as I had water, I wanted to paddle! If I’d get fully stuck, no big deal, the water will come back in a few hours, just inconvenient to sit high and dry and to wait. Wouldn’t be the first time…but I managed to find the deeper channel leading to the outer sand bank inside. Good gut feeling! I paddled into a deep dead end on purpose as I was thinking there might be the sand bar very narrow.

It was not narrow here, but what I found on checking the bar was the reward for the day and for leaving my HUGE glass ball (temporary, I hope…) behind – 33 new small glass balls!!! The were sitting in a very narrow area of that dead end, some of them still with their mostly rotten netting, one half water-filled, one had huge barnacles on the glass inside the intact netting – I leave that one like it is! That was another easy catch…I made space in my kayak, some of them had to go behind the footrest…these ones I’ll take home!!! Unlike the 66 other ones I left behind in Nelson Lagoon…

I let myself being washed down a bit further south to portage again over the bar where it was easy and narrow. Quite some headwind blowing now, easy 20 knots! But the offshore sea was dead calm on the offshore wind, and I felt the current now being with me and some shelter paddling very close to shore. At some point, it felt even like the wind was pushing. Great easy progress!

I stopped at something which looked like a good size freshwater river, but it was unfortunately only the outflow of a lagoon and yucky water. i could stop in Port Heiden tomorrow to get fresh water, but not sure if I find people close to shore. There might be some reasonable streams coming down which I marked from my offline satellite images. We’ll see…it should be some easy headwinds tomorrow, Tuesday even following…I’m glad I resumed my trip and will likely easily make it to Dillingham – if the weather holds…

It was warm-ish and sunny today, it feels like Alaskan summer…if I’d had more fresh water to spare, I’d have jumped into the sea! But I need a fresh water rinse…so I was running around naked for a while, what a pleasure after being stuck all day in a black dry suit!

Mike and I woke after a muggy and warm night to a soft focus morning at our camp on the Sound of Arisaig.  The midges were also up and about so we didn't hang around sorting out our gear, having a cup of tea and repacking the boats.





The tide was quite high meaning that there wasn't far to move our boats for launching.  The previous night's high water mark was obvious on the stones; we'd parked the boats on the flat patch where our blue bags are in this image.  If there had been any swell at all they'd have gone quite a lot higher!  The steep slope of the beach is clear in this image; if the weather is from the south or south south west this place can make a tricky launching and landing place. 







We headed out onto the Sound of Arisaig and into a gorgeous summer morning.  The sun was burning away the early mist and creating some lovely lighting effects.  Being out early like this I often feel as if I'm gaining something, and it's such a good time for scenic effect and for wildlife encounters.







There wasn't a breath of wind and the only sound was the rhythmic dip of our paddles as we made our way steadily across the Sound.  The view to the east was one of silhouettes........








...and to the west, Mike's boat was lit against the palest of blue in the morning sky; the horizon just becoming visible as the last of the mist burned away.







Our crossing to Glenuig was a little over six kilometres and took just over an hour.  Our plan for an early start was rewarded by an arrival at Glenuig just a couple of minutes before high water on a Spring tide. We landed right outside the Glenuig Inn; from where it's just fifty paces to the door......






...and the second element of our plan - breakfast!  We tucked in to cereal and fruit juice, and ordered coffee and - of course - scrambled eggs on our return from Eigg.

This was a very fine end to our trip, during which we'd kayaked from Glenuig out to Eigg, paddled around the island and climbed to the highest point at An Sgurr before paddling back via the Sound of Arisaig.  We took three days and a few hours to do the 92 kilometre journey (including the climb of An Sgurr), a leisurely pace which very much suited the nature of the trip.

Det mesta av förra veckan tillbringade jag på Stokkøya och årets norska kajakträff, arrangerad av Trondheims Kajakklubb och snävt fokuserad på att rolla grönlandskajaker och i viss mån också att paddla sådana. Det var andra gången för mig – den första var 2011. Mina bilder, om inte annat framgår.

Deltagarna lastar av kajaker och tält på tisdagskvällen

Instruktörer den här gången var Dubside (avancerad roll och repgymnastik), Anders Thygesen och Janni Heegaard (nybörjar och intermediate roll) och jag (paddelteknik och manövrering med grönlandspaddel).

Hosnasand på Stokkøya är en fantastisk plats för en kajakträff – ett Sjøsenter med plats för inomhusaktiviteter, boende för dem som inte vill tälta, en strandbar med med högklassig mat och plats för tält några meter från den härliga sandstranden.

Finväder, men regnskur framåt natten

Onsdagen och torsdagen var vikta för ”kajakakademien” med kurser av olika slag.

Samling för rollkurs. Foto: Wolfgang Born

Fredagen var kajakbyggartävling – liksom förra gången byggdes på ett par kajaker med trälister, handverktyg, tejp och plastfolie, som det senare tävlades i: kort stafett (tre paddlare), ”långdistans” med portage, avatoq-roll, spjutkast och tre valfria rollar med poäng enligt grönländska rollmästerskapen. Utöver tävlingsresultaten delade domarna ut stilpoäng för estetik, originalitet, tradition, samarbete i grupperna etc

Janni, Martin (Hauffman) och jag var lagledare för varsitt lag och resultatet blev en baidarka (Janni) som vann totalt, en östgrönländsk kajak (mitt lag) som kom på andra plats och en västgrönländsk kajak (Martins lag) som kom trea.

Lag Thomasson planerar kajakbygget. Foto: Bernt Marius Johnsen

Vår snygga östgrönländare med och utan kläder

Dramatik vid lyftmomentet i "långloppet". Foto: Bernt Marius Johnsen

Lördagen var vikt åt Norskt Mästerskap i grönlandsroll – en tävling med en del rätt anmärkningsvärda prestationer: bland annat satte Anne Stålegård nytt norskt rekord för damer med imponerande 248 poäng och herrklassen vanns av Jørgen Wessel på 360 poäng (på 15:55 minuter!) med Åsmund Thygesen på andra plats med 333 poäng – mycket höga poäng med tanke på att varken avataq-roll eller walrus pull ingick och att upp-och-ner-paddlingen försvårades av att det på grund av lågvatten var trångt mellan bryggan och ett grundflak med sten och tång. Jørgen satte straightjacket-rollen åt båda hållen på första försöken!

Dubside med segrarna i rolltävlingen: Anne Stålegård och Jörgen Wessel. Foto: Wolfgang Wagenbach

Den nedgående solen lyser röd på fjällen

Utsikt från strandbaren. Foto: Wolfgang Wagenbach

 
En av deltagarna i rolltävlingen sjösätter. Foto: Wolfgang Wagenbach

Nästa Stokkøyaträff blir 7-11 augusti 2019...

I found a HUGE GLASSBALL! And a bear…

Some more excitement after noon on this stormy day…

I basically slept and read trough out the whole afternoon besides some sewing and maintaining gear, lulled by the strong rain and the still blowing around 30 knots wind. I had no worries about my tent, it was basically now sitting in a half meter deep trough of sand, solidly anchored by a sand dune upfront the windy entrance. My kayak was barely visible in the blown sand dune.

At 7.30 pm, it had calmed down a bit and the rain stopped, I got out of my sand igloo for the first time to take pictures from all sides. It wa snot the first time my tent and kayak was sand blasted in a sand storm, but I assume this one was one of the strongest, and this one piled the most sand upfront and around my tent. All good!

I went for a beach walk south, to find at least one more glass ball…and I FOUND ONE MORE GLASS BALL! About 500 m away from my tent south, the first time I found a monster-size glass ball! About half a meter in diameter, maybe 5 kilos heavy, clear green and fully intact! I was jumping for joy and excitement! THE CATCH OF THE TRIP! It must have been blown out the sand in the last days storm, as I doubt it was freshly washed up.

BUT – how will I be able to get this precious piece off the beach? I proudly carried it on my head a few hundred meters further south, as I didn’t want to get rid of it already but also wanted to keep on walking for a bit. I found a wheel track through the dunes towards the lagoon – and also a well-maintained fishermen cabin with a few other working sheds around plus a quad bike and two boats. This place was obviously in use, but unfortunately no one was home! They had a bunch of beach combing artifacts decorated around the cabin, including many different plastic and metal buoys, plus about fifty small glass balls integrated with some handy man work in the veranda rail. Also, a collection of bones, antlers, barrels and other beach trash. But not a HUGE SIZE GLASS BALL!

I decided to carry my HUGE glass ball “home” to the about two kilometer distant tent and kayak, in the hope it might fit in my front hatch…but my hope got shattered when I arrived and tried. It was simply too large! No way I could carry it somewhere else like on the deck or dragging it afloat behind me…I have to leave it behind, too sad…

But if I have to leave it behind, the fisherman cabin might be a place to find people to help me to get it off the beach? I decided to write them a note and to leave my cards with the HUGE glass ball on their veranda just besides the entrance door. I am really hoping people coming there will help me to get it shipped home in some way or another! If they don’t, the glass ball found at least a decent “home” at this well-maintained place…

I had just been walking back to my tent and started to dig out some sand off the windy side with my cook pot, when I saw a huge dark spot in the distance on the beach to the north…and it was moving…my binoculars confirmed at was bear! I was watching him for a while, he walked up and down, but seemed to head into my direction downwind.

Ok…time to pull out my “weapons”…my bear sprays, my bear bangers – and my pot which I had in my hand anyway and which is my first choice noise maker. But I also decided it might be best to simply let him pass if he stays on the water side… could take some nice pictures from the shelter of my tent…but the bear decided not to stay on the water side of the beach, but was strolling up and down and back and forth from the dune to the water side. Eventually, he was trotting relatively fast on the dune side towards my tent, and I decided it was time for pot music and some shouts when he was about hundred meters away. He needed to see where the “noise danger” was coming from…!

It made him jumping up the dunes in fear, and that was it – I hope…! I haven’t seen him since then, and it is dark now anyway. He should be clever to stay away! LOL!

Tomorrow’s forecast says still some headwinds, we’ll see how the sea is looking after today’s really nasty swell running up the beach in huge breakers. I would have the option to haul over to the lagoon, a bit of work, but doable, just in case…but then I am in the risk to run dry during the day and also to have strong currents in there, but it would be high water again in the evening. Not sure yet what to do, I could cover about 25 km in the lagoon…see how tomorrow morning looks offshore!

"Tjena Björn.

Nu är den äntligen sjösatt.

Det tog fem år från start till mål med en lååååång paus i mitten.

Den väger in på 15,3kg.

Nästa projekt får bli en SOF Baidarka som får bli turkajaken eftersom Becksonluckorna är helt odugliga att lasta genom.

Tack för stöd och fina instruktioner."

Beckson Deck Plate under trälucka

Photo: Ellen Taylor

Everyone who messes about in boats or kayaks
on Scotland's west coast knows this infamous stretch of water.

The tide pours through the narrow gap between the islands of Jura and Scarba, and the seabed topography produces what's said to be the world's third largest whirlpool.

The photos of it are fearsome, and one glance at the photo below shows why.

Of course, it is not always like that.

At slack water, when the tide is turning, things go quiet.  [If you find this interesting/useful please click a few ads - thank you]

Or rather, relatively quiet, and only briefly.  That's when people typically kayak through.  Or in our case, swim.  From Jura to Scarba.

Not my photo!

We booked onto an organised trip run by SwimTrek, who've been taking people on this swim for ten years.  We've done two holidays with them and we're confident of their safety procedures.  (Incidentally, I'm told this is one of their few trips where men regularly outnumber women.)


Along the way I picked up a lot of information which I'll share here, but if you're in any doubt, turn to SwimTrek.  Ours was the first trip of the season and had just 5 of the 8 spaces filled, while most other trips this year are already full.  The swim costs £150 which, for the level of safety cover provided, is a bargain.  The dolphins are free.

Photo: Ellen Taylor

Meeting time at Craobh Haven marina was 08:15 on the morning of our swim.  The time changes depending on the state of tide on the day of your swim.  Neil Bowers is the SwimTrek guide who runs most of the Corryvreckan swims.  Based in Newcastle he's a highly experienced swim coach and the kind of quietly confident figure you want making decisions in a place like this.  Photos from other trips.


Because this swim is not about swimming, it's about decision making.  Just two decisions in fact; whether to go and when to go.  Making those decisions requires a considerable depth of knowledge.

Whether to go?

There's two parts to this question, one pertaining to the weather and one depending on the individual. Can you swim fast enough to cover 1500m before the tide turns?  On booking you're asked your 1km open water swim time, and most of us had given about 20min.  That's not taken for granted - it's tested.

This used to happen in the marina, but now happens in a sheltered bay off Jura.  Our boat zig-zagged it's way south west from Croabh Haven, past the islands of Shuna, Lunga and Scarba, carefully managing its course to minimise passenger soaking.  Well, we wouldn't want to get wet, would we?

First sighting of the Gulf - Jura (R) and Scarba

With wetsuits half-way on and our DryRobes keeping us warm, we got our first glimpse of the Gulf of Corryvreckan.

On the crossing, the sea was rough.  Whitecaps churned from the surface.  The wind was forecast to blow 16mph from the SE gusting 22mph.  "We're quite sheltered in the Gulf itself", Neil reassured me, "so we can swim when it's mainly Southerly.  Still, I have no problem calling off the swim if conditions aren't right".

By then we'd been joined by Tony in his RIB which was our second support boat.

Tony

Moored in a bay off Jura's NE coast, just below Kinuachdrachd Farm where we once stayed, we leaped into sparkling clear waters and swam a short 600m to the shore and back.  Curious seals slipped into the water to check us out.  Particularly the young woman who was swimming skins.

Two of the blokes seemed faster.  Liz could keep up with them but promised to swim with me and the skins lady.  Back on the boat for hot tea.  And to wait...

When to go?

There is no substitute for experience, nor fast-track to attain it.  If you're going to attempt to swim this water, then the man you need on your team is the skipper of Farsain Cruises, Duncan Phillips.  Let me explain the extent of his understanding.

Skipper - Duncan Phillips

I know how to calculate tidal streams.  Using the data from the Imray Guide and the Admiralty Pilot, I came up with three different slack water times, depending on whether I calculated from Oban or Dover high water.  These times were; Admiralty 09:56; Imray (Oban) 10:16; Imray (Dover) 10:29.

"Mother nature doesn't read our tide tables", Duncan told our group, "so we have to wait to see what she wants to do".  I had wondered why spring tides had been chosen as the dates for this swim.  It seemed counter-intuitive to select a time when the greatest body of water would be moving through the gap.  Duncan explained that the sea is more predictable at springs, while at neaps the slack water is much less clear.

He'd taken some swimmers through a few weeks earlier (not SwimTrek) on neaps and while the morning group swam 1.5km, the afternoon group clocked 2.7km as they battled the tide, not unlike the GPS track at the end of this post.

Outside of his SwimTrek arrangement, Duncan himself supports groups of up to six swimmers.  If there are more, the cost goes up because he hires Tony and his RIB to provide additional support.  This would be a budget way to swim the Corryvreckan if there are a group of swimmers.

The Magic

Around 10:30 he dropped the boat into gear and started to motor.  Which is when the magic began to happen.  "Fin", someone cried.  We scanned the sea, searching for a distant porpoise or dolphin.  

With whoosh, the sea right beside our boat parted and a large - and I mean huge - dolphin leaped from the ocean, rotated 45degrees in min-air, and crashed back onto the surface, disappearing beneath the waves.  "Ha!  that shook you", it seemed to say, and certainly knew how to make an entrance!


After that close encounter, too quick to capture on camera, up to five bottle-nose including a calf, played around Tony's RIB, tantalisingly too far for my GoPro to get a decent shot.  As we turned into the Gulf, they seemed to part company with us, but not for long.

About to swim. Close to Jura, Scarba distant

At 10:50 I jumped into the water in a sheltered bay and, with he others, swam to touch the rocky headland of the Isle of Jura.  We would swim from Jura to Scarba, rather than the reverse, to give us a bigger target to hit.  Scarba has a mile of cliffs and, when the tide started to carry us, as it surely would, we'd be unlikely to miss the island.  In the opposite direction it would be all too easy to get swept past a headland.

Leaving Jura

(Which incidentally is what happened on early attempts to swim the Pentland Firth to the mainland.  The first successful attempt by Colleen Blair made landfall near Castle May.  It was further to swim than Duncansby Head but she didn't get swept down the east coast.)


Our repeated instructions were not to pick a spot on Scarba to aim for, just to keep swimming towards the island.  The tide would determine where we finished.  Instead, we should swim towards the person in front and in that way stay as a group.  Spreading out linearly is much easier to handle than spreading out sideways.


As requested we kept stopping to regroup.  At no time were we rushed or told to "hurry up".  Quite the opposite.  I had been prepared to ditch my camera, but Neil said he actively encouraged people to stop and take some photos, "provided you don't hang around too long".  Part way across we divided into two groups with one boat covering each.

Photo: Cathy Smith

I was so focused on the swim and the spectacular location I completely missed the magic happening around me.  The dolphins returned.  Their fins were moving around our group.

A sightseeing boat appeared and its passengers probably thought we were swimming with the dolphins, when the opposite was the case - they were swimming with us.

Liz later reported that one had slowed to keep pace with her, just below the surface, and they'd eyed each other through the deep green water.  Yet somehow I didn't see them!  So much for my all-round awareness.


I started swimming at 10:52 and the 1500m crossing took me 27 minutes.  I'm not that fast, so I'm certain I had some assistance from the tide.  Bear in mind, the GPS only registers every minute or so, so the track is jerky.


That track shows me travelling fairly straight, then bearing into the tide for a couple of hundred meters (following Liz), before being taken by it and drifting west.  When I reached and touched the Scarba shore the underwater kelp was already bent over by the flowing tide.  That last little bit of the track shows me swimming lazily back to the boat, and illustrates how fast the tide was starting to build.

Done it

Back on the boat it was smiles, photos and hot drinks.  We headed back to Craobh Haven to shower and change, then swap email addresses.  Two women had stayed on the boat and shot photos of the swim, so eventually I saw the dolphins I'd missed.

[If you find this interesting/useful please click a few ads - thank you]


Now some resources.  First, a screenshot I saw from a GPS track that proves the tide is not always as compliant as it was with us.

Pos: 56.6189,-159.5578
Loc: across Illnik Lagoon
Acc: Hilleberg Keron 4 tent

Survived the storm in my solid HILLEBERG Keron 4 tent! Well, as expected…

Sorry I obviously forgot on yesterday’s entry to delete the copied distance and time, as I stayed put. Like today!

When I climbed into my tent yesterday around 7.30 pm, it was blowing already around 30 knots NE. I went to sleep with no worries, it was just a bit noisy with the tent fly getting some beatings in the wind. But I couldn’t put earplugs in, just in case something popps…not that I was worried about that, or even about bears that night!

I woke two times for a pee, but still no worries, the tent had it’s original sturdy round tunnel shape on all ends, one entrance facing solidly into the wind.

Around 5 am, I woke once more when the beating and wind had increased so much I slowly thought I better get prepared to abandon ship – just in case…just like a few days ago on Tony’s boat, when we were about to leave anchor in rough seas off the airport beach. That morning, I finally donned my dry suit to be prepared to help on deck, in case our single-handed neighbor went overboard while pulling his anchor…or if I had to swim to shore when the good old “Nancy Gayle” would be rolling too much sideways and us off her deck. Though I think this night’s storm was worse! I was estimating now it was blowing and gusting 40-50 knots, if not more…

I am used to pack in the evening my gear away in it’s matching bags, just in case I have to quickly leave for whatever reason or some shit breaks over me like nasty animals or some bad guys…now, I even put all dry bags in my two large gear bags and folded my dry suit on the bottom of one. I donned my warm long underwear and rain gear on top, in case I have to jump out quickly if the main ridge tent line might break, or whatever might happen to the tent. I didn’t put on shoes yet, or folded my sleeping pad and stuffed my sleeping bag into it’s bag, but maybe I should have…maybe this step comes after estimated 60 knots, LOL!

I stuffed important things like a knife and spare tent lines, scarfs against the blowing sand storm, gloves and glasses in my pockets to be prepared to fix what I might need to have to fix. I was just sorry I left my swim goggles in my cockpit bags, those ones are extremely useful in sand storms, and this is why I mostly carry them not only here in the northern end. Not much to swim and see here in those waters, LOL! But in case, I’d have quickly pulled them out of the cockpit.

I had also checked a couple of times on my kayak stuck only under one guy line with access to my day and rear hatch as usual, but not really sitting in the ideal wind sheltered line. But it hasn’t moved a bit, and I am suspecting the sand dune built already upfront the kayak has glued it to the ground. I’m looking forward to great pictures of my sand blasted tent and kayak later!

I stayed in my sleeping bag fully dressed and “armed”, and read a bit on my Kindle, but I was not too worried, as I better be prepared than surprised if the shit hits the fan…LOL… I texted my weather man Karel to ask him for the time of the peak of the storm, he estimated it would be around noon.

Around 6 am at sunrise, I felt the wind was getting slight bit slower, and some light rain replaced the sand storm only. I fell asleep again. Nothing happened to my tent, all was still in perfect shape! God bless the HILLEBERG quality! Their tents are simply the best on the market, and can take a lot of beatings. I am grateful to be sponsored by the HILLEBERG family, our relationship goes as far back to my circumnavigation of New Zealand 2007, and even before their sponsorship I have used myself nothing but their highest quality tents! Best goes best with the best!

At 8 am, I stuck my nose out of the lee entrance, and saw a wonderful rainbow on the southern end – it stayed for a while in some light rain and broken clouds with back to very strong 40+ winds. Now around noon, it is rather raining heavily with winds to 30+ knots. I still did not go outside although I was tempted to do so in the light rain to take the first sand blown tent and kayak pictures. I will have to wait!

When I decided a week ago that Tony should pick me off the beach as he offered to me on texting, I could have also simply just hung in there and stayed put on the beaches like now, my solid expedition equipment surely allows me to do so. But my sore back and the outlook of a few more days like that in a row plus Tony’s estimation it might stay like that now the rest of the season tempted me to be taken off the beach. And the following exciting days and experiences on his boat and back in Port Moller I would not have wanted to miss out! Port Moller and the fishing fleet family will always stay in my heart!

I will send this day’s entry away now already at noon, as people might be worried about if my tent, kayak and myself are still in one piece, sand free (inside) and dry…SURE THEY ARE! The worst is over now…will paddle tomorrow!

I couldn’t believe I saw the two-props Penair plane scheduled from Cold Bay to Anchorage on Saturdays was already flying in these conditions just right now…very close over my tent…did they had the job to check on me? Thanks, if it was so…

Funderar på att köpa en surfski till nästa år!!
Klart det är roligt om den är snabb men man vill inte sitta som på en tvålkopp. Måste testa några olika för att se vad jag kan klara av att paddla…

NK Squall någon som testat den?

Jesper og jeg havde en flok begyndere med på tur. Vi trænede roteknikker tilligeudroning uden finne. Turen gik rundt om Lindholm.
12 km

12 m/k roede en tur til Karrebæksminde. Der igen var pæne bølger uden for molehovederne, men det gik fint med et stort sving ud i dem.
17 km

Paddlade Nelo 520 Surfski på ÖKS KM 2018!

Självlänsen var dock trasig så den var vattenfylld vid starterna. Nästa är ska jag försöka komma lite mer tränad och i egen Surfski!!

 

 

Pos: 56.6189,-159.5578
Loc: across Illnik Lagoon
Acc: Hilleberg Keron 4 tent
Dist: 37,5 km
Start: 10:15 End: 17:20

Lagoon walk

I really decided not to paddle today, despite there were a few calm hours in the morning. But the tide ran against me in the morning, and Illnik Lagoon has only shallow hinterland with nowhere to hide in the strong storm expected tomorrow.

Not that I was camped today in some great shelter, but at lest with some options to hide if necessary. My sturdy Hilleberg Keron 4 Tunnel tent can withstand a lot of beating when erected correctly facing the wind and anchored securely. I trust my large sand pegs, as there are not much rocks around here to add to the anchoring.

Right now it is blowing already around 30 knots, and the tent looks fine, just sandblasted. It might be up to 40 knots tomorrow.

I took the opportunity for a long lagoon walk north up to the first entrance channel. It is a fascinating landscape, like a desert, though not fully bare of greens. I found not a single bear track anywhere, a good sign, but they might be all blown by the wind. The only small bear I spotted across the lagoon digging less in the shore but rather fishing in the water! My binoculars are doing a great job once I am sitting and can hold the glass still with my elbows supported on my knees. The bear has high fishing season, as much as the fleet out there off my beach.

The boats were moving south during the day, none of them went past cape Senavin, and I assume most of them are keen to go back to Port Moller with the evening high tide for shelter from tomorrow’s storm and rough seas.

One helicopter flew by low, and as expected turned a round over the strange “object” of my camp on the beach. Probably hard to identify my large green tent and white kayak as what it is from the air!

I found one single glass ball, two large orange net buoys, one large blue one and one large blue plastic shovel. All of those artifacts I decorated around my tent, no really sure why…it is actually strange why the human eye is rather looking for leftovers from other humans…like I also found a line of four person’s footprints coming from nowhere and ending in nowhere blown by the wind, and some quite fresh looking trash like a huge mayonnaise jar still half full, a gallon of milk still half full, an empty jam jar and paper plates. Did those four people leave this stuff behind??? Fishermen? Fish and Game guys? None of them I can imagine to do so…

Back to my tent, the wind blew already 30 knots, I checked once more the anchoring and thought I am prepared for the next hours of blasting and blowing! Sunday will be ok again to paddle. Still headwind though, but I will go!

Algunas imágenes de este increible itinerario, que hemos realizado a base de pedal y pateo ...


El trazado costero de la Ruta Vicentina es básicamente pedrestre, forzamos las posibilidades ciclables dentro de lo posible.


Saliendo de Sines, hacia el sur por uno de los escasísimos carriles-bici.
 

Ya desde el principio, hermosas vistas... viento fresco y cielos limpios.

 El paraje espectacular


Posibilidades de foto a cada momento. 

Algunas zonas con protección de la vegetación dunar, cerca de las poblaciones y miradores.



















Algunos tramos conectores entre acantilados atraviesan bosques  de pinos con piso arenosos, y otros, túneles de vegetación, especialmente aquellos senderos que van a playas.


¿Te gustan los single tracks?





Cada cabo, un espectáculo.



Como es normal, hubo algún pinchazo..











Algún tramo en el que había que bajarse...


O portear...




 
Muchos tramos arenosos


Aquí las bicis tienen ventaja sobre el footbike, pero a base de esfuerzo se avanza.


Renuncia, y pie a tierra.


 Por Carrapateira, entre playas surferas.
 




En el cabo de San Vicente con niebla.

Todo se acaba.

Buen tute se han llevado...


Nos vemos pronto...!

I love how the wind touches, and reshapes the sand. Sometimes, gale forces create deep and rolling dunes. At other times, a breeze just “whispers” and gently forms a new and infinitely intricate texture…one tiny grain of sand at a time. 


The beach is patient and graceful, accepting of the changes that can occur, moment by moment. The process of aging touches us all, deepening the “wisdom” lines…proof positive of acquired life experience. 


Grace, it’s the very best response, and the one that nurtures the life-enriching attitude of thankfulness. 

I've kayaked it.  I've shot a TV piece about kayaking around it.  So ever since a friend commented on this blog and suggested we swim it, Bowfiddle Rock was scheduled for August.

Except we swam it on the last day of July.

Still, I'm counting it as an August challenge completed.

Access is easy down a reasonably steep slope from the houses above.  The rock is signposted from the centre of Portknockie.

When we arrived a local was cutting his grass, so I asked permission to park on the street in front of his garden.  I later saw that mini-busses from a local outdoor centre parked on the grass just a little further along the road.


We arrived 2 hours after low water, so a lot of the rocky beach was still uncovered.  The sea was so shallow we walked at least half-way to the rock.   As our GPS track shows, we initially went around the rock, and once you're out the 'back' you do feel quite a way from shore.

GPS track

The water quality is exceptional.  Shoals of fish passed underneath and, nearer shore, lots of types of kelp and weed waved in the rising tide.

Further east, the coast is fractured with caves, and collapsed caves that have formed stacks and bays.  All these are home to an assortment of seabirds.

Close your mouth - seabirds overhead!

Frankly, the bays to the east provided more interesting swimming that the big rock itself.  Somewhere amongst them is a very large cave that previously I kayaked into when I was filming Doug Cooper from Glenmore Lodge (see video below).  On this occasion we didn't find it.

However, we did find more than a few lions' mane jellyfish which have thrived in Scotland this summer.  The exceptional water quality made them highly visible, pulsating masses of red and purple.

Seaward view

Heading back to the Bowfiddle itself, we finally went through the arch - out and in.  Along the way we saw a young seabird who didn't look too well.  He was clinging to the rock, low down, close to the rising tide.  There was nothing we could do, and Liz feared he'd be easy prey for the Bonxies lining up nearby.

Bowfiddle Rock in an outstanding piece of rock, although it isn't an outstanding swim.  Still, I'm delighted we did it, because it's always nice to try something away from our much-loved west coast.

That's Functional Threshold Power if you're wondering.  One of the many metrics cyclists like, but one I'd previously ignored.

While training for my Ironman and half-Ironman races, my coach steered me away from FTP tests.  He felt they just tested how good you were becoming at doing an FTP test.

Coach Joe Beer felt the ramp test I regularly performed gave him a better metric from which to advise the power output at which I should ride events of different durations.  He was always spot-on.

It's a measure in average Watts of how hard you can ride for an hour.  In practice, however, most FTP tests last twenty minutes then a formula is used to scale your average power down to an hour.


It's been rather wet recently, so I've found myself back on Zwift, the virtual cycling world.  It has two FTP tests built in, and comes with a set of training programmes.  So I clicked on the FTP Tests (shorter) version and had a go.  189 if you're interested.

Not great, but considering I haven't really trained since my knee injury last September, I'll take it.

Idag blev det fredagsmys på Skälderviken. Tog en tur i förmiddags från ÄSSS och söderut i Skälderviken. Startade rimligt tidigt så inte så mycket folk på stränderna men en och annan badade i alla fall. Eller så var det det här faktumet att många börjat jobb och skola som gjorde det mer otrångt än för ... Läs mer...

Inlägget Varm förmiddag på Skälderviken dök först upp på kajak.nu.

This edition of Pack and Go! or Hell No! is debating the jetboil Jet Gauge.

This product made by Jetboil is a a small battery operated scale for measuring the amount of fuel remaining in a single use fuel canister.

Fuel canisters are by far the most popular fuel type used by backpackers and other outdoors people, but they have some inherent flaws. As I mentioned above they are single use. They can't be refilled, and without a special tool - the crunchit tool, also made by Jetboil - they can't be recycled. But they offer easy use, and great flame control. But, there is no way to a actually know how much fuel is in a partially used canister.

Yes, there are a couple of methods for estimating the remaining fuel, but none of them are particularly accurate. That is where the Jet Gauge comes in.

Screw the canister onto the bottom of the gauge, turn it on, and allow the canister to hang. It can be set to work with any of the three available sizes of canister and despite the fact that it is made by jetboil it will work with any brand of isobutane fuel canister.



Due to the types of courses I teach I end up with a bunch of half used canisters, and no way to know how much fuel is in them. One test of the Jet gauge and I was sold, and at $14.95 I felt that it was a steal. The jetboil jet gauge is inexpensive and fixes a problem in the market.

The Pluses - Easy to use, fills a hole in the gear world. Inexpensive. I can finally figure out how much fuel is left in a canister.

The Minuses - Um.... I don't actually have any. I love this product.

The verdict is definitely a Pack and GO! (but don't really bring it with you, use it to test canisters before your trip.)

UPDATE: I just learned that this is a Backpacker Magazine 2018 editors choice product. So I am not alone in my love of this simple, and usable, piece of gear.

Canister stoves are by far the most popular stoves currently being used by backpackers. Their light weight, low cost and ease of use make them very popular. I wanted to highlight three of the most popular stoves and what differentiates them.

The first is the MSR Pocket Rocket 2. The follow up to what is probably, the most popular stove in history, the original Pocket Rocket. The PR2 is $45 and weighs all of 2.6 ounces. It offers great flame control, and easy use. When it replaced the original Pocket Rocket they made it ever so slightly lighter and changed the design of the pot support arms, which makes the stove pack smaller. So it is smaller and lighter than the original.

It comes in a small plastic case, or can be stored inside any number of pots with a fuel canister. Pots like the GSI minimalist, soloist, etc and the MSR line of small pots. The pot in the video is the GSI Halulite 1.1 liter boiler.

This stove was a great update to a popular stove, with the best thing being the way the pot supports now fold, making the whole stove pack smaller.

The specs listed online show the average boil time for a liter of water is 3 minutes and 30 seconds. But who boils a liter? Lets see how fast it can boil 2 cups of water, which is a much more practical volume.

starting with 72ºF water and a full fuel canister: The first time I used the lid, and at 3 minutes exactly it was a rolling boil. I decided to do it again with the lid off so we could see when it started boiling, and what the time difference between the two was.

The second time the canister still measured 100% full and once again the water was 72ºF:
At an amazing 2 minutes and 9 seconds I had a rolling boil. Seriously fast. This completely negates that first test with the lid on (because it should be faster with the lid on). Of course this is ideal conditions, no wind, a 70º room. But two minutes and nine seconds is really fast. The fuel canister still read as 100% full using my Jetboil Jet gauge.




Tune in two days to see how the Snow Peak Giga Power 2 did in the same test.

Finally, the last backpacking stove I want to talk about is the Jetboil Mighty Mo. This stove is also $49 and weighs the most of the three, 3.3 ounces. it has a similar design to the others and has the same kind of flame control. It also has the piezo lighter like the Giga Power, but has one feature that the other two don't have, a pressure regulator.

The pressure regulator helps with two problems that canister stoves have. The cold and altitude. When fuel canisters get cold it gets difficult for the isobutane (which is a propellent) to push the propane out of the canister. The same thing happens at altitudes above 8000 feet, the decrease in air pressure makes it harder to get fuel out of the canister and the stove can't light or offers an unusable flame. The pressure regulator maintains pressure in the canister making it easier to get fuel out. The short of it is, the stove works better in the cold and at higher altitudes. But this adds a bit of weight which is why this is the heaviest of the three. It also packs the biggest of the three, but honestly, by a couple of tenths of an inch.

For the third test, 72º water again, with a canister that read as 90% full. Lets see how it did:



2 minutes and 3 seconds. For all practical purposes it was the same as the pocket rocket. I started the timer a second late, and I think it was boiling more robustly a moment after I turned off the timer. I guess the next time I do this I will need a digital thermometer to really be exactly sure when it reaches 212º. The other part of this, is the pressure regulator. I need to do this test on a cold day to see if there is a difference, and we will do that this winter. But first I want to do one more test:

At the end of the test the canister read as 80% full. I wanted to do one more, with a full canister. I also used a 230 gram canister as well. Let's see if that makes a difference. 2 minutes and 3 seconds is the time to beat.

...and it was actually 2 minutes and 23 seconds.... slower. Maybe there is a variable I am missing. I actually decided to test the pocket rocket on the larger canister, and I came up with 2 minutes 6 seconds. Very consistent times.

But at the end of the day - a warm 70 degree day - both the pocket rocket and the Mighty Mo are great stoves. Lets check back in December to see how they do in the cold!

But wait, there is a bonus test! Just out of curiosity, because I had everything set up, I decided to test my very old Jetboil, and see how it did. The final number 2 minutes and 52 seconds. Pretty respectable time for a stove that is about ten years old and has a lot of miles on it. It is actually faster than the GigaPower stove.

Okay, a couple of things for clarity, I made sure the pot was cooled down between each test. I made sure the water temperature was the same before each test. To really do this correctly, I should have done each test with a brand new canister. The jetboil is using a different pot than the others so that effects the boiling times.

All of these stoves did a great job, and any of them would be a good choice. I was really hoping for something definitive. Maybe the cold will do that.

Also found a huge patch of water lilies to take a couple of these shots ...

Pos: 56.6189,-159.5578
Loc: across Illnik Lagoon
Acc: Hilleberg Keron 4 tent
Dist: 37,5 km
Start: 10:15 End: 17:20

Back on the trip!

I got up at 3.20 to find the tender “Watchman” waiting for me to leave port direction Cape Senavin. Glad I don’t have to paddle all the way back to the spot where I left the trip myself! Chris dropped me only 14,5 km short of that spot, as they had to do their tender job around the cape. Thanks for giving me the lift, Chris! And thanks for looking after my broken kayak getting shipped to Seattle. Thanks once more to Gary Johnston from Peter Pan Seafoods in Port Moller to give me so generously a place to stay.

I enjoyed the view from the bridge in darkness when Chris was carefully navigating in the wake of another tender through the narrow deep channel leading out of Port Moller into the open sea. He had a strong spotlight to the front waters, as much as the other tender, which gave the whole view over the dark water an eerie appearance.

But I soon hit a couch down in the roomy living space with kitchen and video room, and closed my eyes again until about 8.30 am. Now I notice why most sailors are tending to have bad hearing…I had to block off the loud engine noise with ear plugs for decent rest.

At 9.30 am it was time to finish packing my kayak, and the deckhands wrapped two wide slings around the long hull to lift the whole packed boat with a crane over board. So easy! It was a bit scary to see my baby swinging around high up in the air, I didn’t want to see this one also in two halves! But it landed safe and swift on the water besides the gate in the board, and with low swell I could easily enter the kayak, get my paddle handed and get drifted away form the tender. It was just twice close to drift under an edge in the hull of the tender and to be squeezed in the low rolling of the big ship, but we could keep it off enough and all was good! I had entered and left larger boats with my kayak in harder ways and much larger swells!

I had to cover 14,5 km I had already paddled, but in low wind conditions, the distance was covered in 2,5 hrs. The new section came with some headwind around 10-15 knots, and despite I had the current with me, I made moderate speed on progressing.

The small red and white team of the fish and game guys was parked on a wide beach close to a stream running parallel to the beach, I assume they were busy counting the salmon going up the stream and to decide accordingly how long the fishing opening makes sense to last. I was tempted to land and to look those guys up at work for more information, but for the sake of progress with the now well running 1,5-2 km/h current, I decided to keep going. One small bear running along a previous beach section, not much more to see today. My twisted lower back felt just fine, only a little nerve pain was left due to some good treatment the last days. Nothing compared to the one and only paddling day after the crash landing!

I kept myself entertained with music from my phone and thoughts about the last week. I had learned a lot about the local fishermen community in the Bering Sea! I was part of a big family, and well looked after. Thanks to Tony Parra to teach me the basics of commercial fishing, I was interested in all I could get to know about! I learned basics about driving the boat, navigation, weather, communication, how to set anchor, how to tie knots, about the fishing value and season, how to run the diesel stove and what not…a fishing boat is a small work- and living space in one! I might give a decent deck hand by now, LOL…! But I also saw how much alcohol and smoking pod was involved in this “family”…and how little physical fitness. Tony was quite an exception in this regard! He is a triathlete and sportsman and tries to keep a healthy lifestyle, so different to many of his fellow fishermen.

I decided to land in a low to moderate shore break when the current was turning and the headwind stayed around 12 knots and my speed was accordingly dropping. Not worth the effort any more…

I know tomorrow morning it might also not be worth the effort for a few hours to keep paddling against first 10-15 knots headwind wind and current against me, and the afternoon is already off-limits in headwind. Saturday will be nasty, but it is looking quite nice then after! this is why I decided to start over again…feels good! I will have time to paddle for another two weeks before I will fly home to re-open my x-mas shop!

Buenas singladuras.

Bajo la vigilancia del monstruo de la niebla......!

... Costa da Morte ..... Galicia

La ruta recorre el litoral portugues, con muchos kilometros sobre preciosos acantilados..

For the past 12 years I have been employed by a major outdoor retailer, and a big part of what I do is training new staff. One of my specialties is training staff in backpack fitting. I have trained welll over one hundred people and I estimate that I have done between eight and twelve thousand backpack fittings. I think it is one of the most important things I do. If your backpack isn't comfortable you won't be having a good time in the backcountry.

The first thing you have to understand is that backpacks are a lot like shoes. They may look good on the wall, and they may be your buddies favorite. But until you actually try them on and see how they feel you can't tell if they are right for you. People come in all shapes and sizes, and backpack fitting is about how it feels, and how the backpack carries a load. If it doesn't feel good on your back, and doesn't efficiently transfer the weight of the load onto your hips, it doesn't matter how many awards the backpack has won.

Next, you have to understand that backpacks have two sizes. A volume - expressed in cubic liters - and a size as it relates to its wearer, small, medium or large. The volume size of your pack is going to depend on the size of the gear you are putting in it, and is dictated by what we call the 'big three.' The big three is your sleeping bag, pad and tent. (some people say the big three is backpack, sleep system and tent, but for our purposes the backpack size is going to be determined by the other parts of the equation. So I don't include it in the big three.)

If you're an older back packer, like myself, your brain may prefer to work in cubic inches. You can turn cubic liters to cubic inches by multiplying by 64. a 50 liter pack (multiply 50 by 64) is a 3200 cubic inch pack.

Traditionally, backpackers will buy a backpack and then fill it with gear. The big three and the other gear needed. But I think this is backwards. If the volume of your backpack is going to be determined by the things going into it, why buy the backpack first? You risk having a backpack that is either too large (you will end up carrying more gear than needed, which means more weight than needed) or too small (you won't be able to carry all that is needed.) So what I generally suggest is that people buy their big three first, and then their backpack. The size and weight of the big three will largely be dictated by price. As you spend more money, your gear will weigh less and pack smaller. The depressing phrase we use in the industry is, the more you pay, the less you get.

When I started working in this field - over a decade ago - we regularly sold backpacks that ranged from 65 liters to 85 liters, this was the normal range. We stocked packs as large as 105 liters and could get packs as big as 115 liters. Today, after a decade of advancement in materials and design the bulk of the packs I sell are 45 to 65 liters. We still have packs - a few - that range up to 85 liters but I no longer have immediate access to packs bigger than that. The bulk of the AT thru hikers I fit for packs are buying packs in the 50 to 65 liter range. I also see people who started the AT with larger packs and by the time they get to me they are shopping again but this time for a smaller pack.

So you have a pack in mind you would like to try, in an appropriate volume, but how do you know what size (small, medium or large) you actually need. Well, to use the shoe analogy again, you need to get your torso measured, just like you would get your feet measured before buying shoes (you do get your feet measured, right?!) A torso measurement is best accomplished with a tool designed for the purpose. Because you are measuring from your iliac crest, on the side of your body, to C7, the large bump on the back of your neck.



It is almost impossible to measure yourself and difficult to measure someone else using just a tape measure. Any reputable backpacking store should have a measuring device to use for a torso measurement - they are provided by the backpack manufacturers at no cost. If your retailer doesn't have one, you need to find a new shop to frequent. The torso measurement spans from 16 inches to 21 inches. 16 and 17 are "small" 18 and 19 are "Medium" and 20 and 21 are "large." These measurements are not gender specific. Your torso measurement is also not correlated to height. You can be 6'4" and be a medium (with long legs) or 5'8" and be a large. Most men, about 80% are mediums. 15% precent of men are Larges, with the remainder being smalls. Most women (about 80% as well) are smalls, with 15% being extra small and 5% being medium.

Time to try on a pack in both the size that suits our torso and the volume that will work with our gear. Don't ever try on a pack empty. Let me repeat that. DON'T EVER TRY ON A PACK THAT IS EMPTY! It is a complete waste of time. Every pack feels good empty. To try on a pack the retailer you are visiting should have both pillows and sandbags to load a pack with weight. When I see a person take a pack of the wall, without checking its size, and then putting it on without weight, or making any adjustment to the pack I know immediately the level of knowledge of the person trying on the pack.

To be a knowledgable customer, come into your outfitter and say "I am shopping for a pack in 50 to 65 liter range and I am a medium, measuring 18 inches." If you don't know your size, say "I need a pack, and I need my torso measured."

When I do a pack fitting I generally open the divider between sleeping bag compartment and main compartment and the put two large pillows in the pack (I find it easier to stuff the pack from the top than to put one in the bottom and one in the top.) Then on top of the pillows I put a ten pound sand bag. This should be right behind the shoulder blades of the pack wearer, close to their center of gravity. (incidentally, this is mimicking the way you should pack your backpack for a trip. Heavy stuff right behind your shoulder blades, light stuff - like your sleeping bag at the very bottom) I then close the pack and tighten all the compression straps snugly. Then, before allowing the wearer to put on the pack, I loosen all the straps. This forces you - the wearer - to tighten the straps for themselves instead of just buckling them and going, which prevents them from just assuming they are set correctly. After loosening all the straps I confirm that the wearer knows where their iliac crest is - the top of the hip bone on their side - and I tell them that the iliac crest should be in the middle of the hip belt on the pack. I have them put on the pack, and get the hip belt in the correct location, and t then have them tighten it. We are then going to work our way up the pack tightening straps. Shoulder straps are next, The sternum strap is optional, and I tighten the load lifter straps above the wearers shoulders.

A lot of people want more weight in the pack when they are trying it on. Some pack fitters I know use 15 pounds, I generally use 10. Here is the thing. We are using a sandbag. Dead weight. Yes I can put 30 pounds of sand in your pack so you can see what it feels like, but it isn't going to feel like a real load. Gear just feels different. But 10 pounds is enough weight to that if there is a fit problem, I will be able to see it, and the wearer will be able to feel it. If they still want 30 pounds of dead weight, I will add it after an initial fitting.

Shoulder straps should be snug, but not tight. The sternum strap pulls the shoulder straps towards the center of the body, and it keeps them from rolling off the outside of the shoulders. It is optional, most people like it, but it makes me feel like I can't breath. Load lifter straps are the straps that get people in trouble.

Load Lifters go from the top of the shoulder strap to the top portion of the pack bag itself, usually connecting to the frame. When someone first puts on the pack I make them just snug. There used to be a rule that load lifters had to be at a 45 degree angle, but this is no longer true. With some packs they go straight back, and frequently with the current line of Osprey packs they may angle up at more than 45 degrees. The tighter you pull the load lifters the more it pulls the top of the pack towards your center of gravity - which feels good. The pack feels like it is part of you. But, the tighter those straps are, the more weight is shifted from your hips to the front of your shoulders, which will quickly fatigue your shoulders. This is the strap that you want to be adjusting throughout the day. If the terrain is flat, leave them looser, and allow the weight of the pack to be on your hips. If the terrain is steep, and you are using your hands for balance it is time to tighten them up. When you are walking, if you feel the pack wobble back and forth, they need to be a little tighter.

When someone comes to me and says "this pack hurts me when I wear it" the first thing I check is the load lifters, and 90% of the time they are too tight. Because it feels good when you pull them tighter, people do it all day, until they are completely tight, and their shoulders are exhausted. We want 50 to 60% of the packs weight on our hips.

Once the wearer has the pack on and straps are adjusted I check three things. I physically confirm - by sticking a finger into the space between waist belt and wearer - that their iliac crest is below the top of the waist belt. You have to physically touch the persons hip bone. Another good indicator of waist belt position is the location of the buckle. It should be over, or at least close to the belly button. Next, can I slide my fingers under the the shoulder strap with only a little resistance? Too much resistance means there is too much weight on the wearers shoulders, no resistance means the pack is probably too high. This is almost impossible to do on yourself. Find someone to do it for you. Finally, I check the location of the buckle that tightens the shoulder strap. It should be closer to the waist belt than the arm pit. This is a general indicator of pack size versus wearer size. If it is all the way down at the waist belt (meaning the shoulder strap is as tight as it can get, or close to it) it is an indicator that the pack might be too big. If it is up near the arm pit there is a chance it will rub the wearer while they are walking! - This is an indicator that the pack is too small.

Then you should take a walk in this pack for at least ten minutes. Is anything rubbing? pinching? binding? if it is doing it a little now, how will it feel after ten miles? Perhaps this isn't the pack for you.

Some packs offer adjustability in the back panel itself. I generally only have to adjust this if your size is on the border between medium and large or small and medium. Likewise, some packs have removable shoulder straps and waist belts. You generally only have to swap out sizes if your waist size and torso size is greatly different, or if you have particularly broad shoulders.

I generally discourage people from trying on more than three packs in a day. I find the memories of what was good and what wasn't gets muddy. If you don't have a definitive answer after three packs, take a photo of the tag of the pack that felt the best and come back in a couple of days and try it again, and then continue trying on other packs to compare to your previous best. Keep notes on what you tried, and what felt good and what didn't. Also, when going to try on a pack, dress like you are going hiking. I have had people come in for fittings who are dressed inappropriately, and let's just say it is awkward for everyone.

Here are the bullet points:

• Get measured
• Try on a pack with weight in it
• Check (or have checked) three land marks (hip bone, shoulder, and shoulder strap buckle)

Do everything you can - without sacrificing safety - to keep your pack weight low. We used to use the range of a quarter to a third of your body weight, is an effective load for you to carry. Today, using modern gear this is way to high of a number. In general, for most weekend backpackers, your pack weight should be between 23 to 35 pounds. I did 3 days on the AT last year, and my pack weight was 32 pounds with real food (not much lighter freeze dried) and a heavyish stove - an msr whisperlite.

Finding the right pack fit takes some time, and patience. But I have yet to find someone that can't get a good, comfortable fit out of a backpack. It is about finding something that fits your shape. Let me know if anything needs clarification.

Both of my kayaks and myself get a ride on the tender “Watchman” from Chris Doumit’s Marine Services.
The tender “Bering Hunter” took my broken kayak off Tony’s “Nancy Gayle” when he also dropped Natalie to the tender.

The wreck has made a short round trip via False Pass the last days…

Thanks to Peter Pan Seafood and to Chris Doumit to look after me so well!

We will leave tomorrow morning 4 am back to north of Cape Senavin from where about Tony picked me from the beach, an about 6 hours ride.

My kayak and most gear is already loaded via crane to the “Watchman” – sorry I missed out to take pictures!

I can paddle all day afternoon nicely with the flood tide tomorrow, and maybe half Friday. Saturday is once more a beach day with 40 knots winds, but then after, the weather looks not too bad as far as one can see! See how far I am getting…

Tony has also left Port Moller to drive to Sand point where he will winterize his “Nancy Gayle” before he returns home. Thank so much to you and AC for looking after me so well, Tony!

I arrived back in Port Moller, thaks to Tony Parra and his deckhand AC to get me there safely.

After giving it some thoughts, I will keep on paddling for some other two weeks to reach at least Trident Seafoods in Naknek or even Peter Pan Seafoods in Dillingham. Both companies have been very supportive and helpful to me, and I am very grateful to be able to finish this season in one of their locations with all their storage and help options.

I’m hoping to hitch a ride on a tender back to the spot where I stopped, and then we’ll see how it goes. I will be safe.

The weather is like it is, and I will take one day at a time. As much as I value paddling partners and any shore and water based support, at the end I am only responsible for myself. And my heart and feelings should be secondary to the goal of my trip.

NEVER STOP STARTING – NEVER START STOPPING.

The Summary Report on this year’s cleanup in Southeast Alaska is done and up on the web site. It gives a decent picture of where we went, what we did and what still remains to be done, and if you want to get into the actual data from the debris surveys, the tally sheets are in the Appendix. Have at them!

It is a powerful place and this year’s cleanup effort was an inspiring thing to be a part of. Thanks to all the volunteers, the individual donors and those who made the whole thing possible. There are so many moving parts in a story like this one and it took a lot of support and help to accomplish what we did.

On to 2019!

surf kayaking fun and 'incidents' in my locality

https://vimeo.com/vincentkayak/local-fun or https://youtu.be/uHfht2ogrGs

As you know I am a stickler for the use of PFD's. It is far too easy to die in the water if you aren't wearing one. Even if you are a strong swimmer. The single biggest hurdle to getting people to wear pfd's is fit. To a lesser degree, they need to look cool, but really it is fit. They have to be comfortable when you are wearing them, or you won't wear them. PFD design is something I have been thinking about for a while, I have recently felt like a revolution in PFD design is right around the corner, and this morning I saw the first sneak peak. But first, a little of my personal history with PFD's.

Before I was an outdoor educator I worked in the photography industry (and film production before that.) I lived in New York City's West Village in a tiny apartment up a flight of stairs. I was already a kayaker but obviously couldn't store a seventeen foot touring kayak in my small apartment - it would actually fit in the apartment but there was no way to get it in the door! So what I did was rent kayaks as often as I could. Two or three times a month I journeyed out to Long Island and rented kayaks. Inadvertently this gave me a great background in how different boats paddled. What I did to make this a little more fun, was I bought myself a nice PFD and paddle, that I would travel with.

My first PFD was a Lotus designs Locean. It was side entry, and low profile and had a good pocket arrangement, and I loved it. I wore it long past when I should have retired it.




This idea is brilliant. But I would love to see what a designer like Phil Curry could do with this concept. Their target audience is SUP and Kayak, but for me as an educator it doesn't offer quite enough of a feature package to make it work for my day to day. But I suspect people will jump on this idea and run with it.

Apologies to Mustang for being a little harsh on the design, but those were my honest first thoughts. Want to change my mind? Send me one and I will review it here. An honest review. You could also send me one of those Darth Vader suits.

In our comparison of tiny backpacking stoves, our next option is the Snow Peak GigaPower 2. The follow up to the GigaPower, the new stove is slightly lighter (it weighs 3.2 ounces) compared to the original at 3.75 ounces. Besides that change in weight I can see no difference between GigaPower 1 and 2. They both list the same boil time for one liter of water, 4 minutes 48 seconds, which is significantly slower than the Pocket Rocket. They also say a canister will burn for 1 hour and 25 minutes, which is more than the 60 minutes listed for the Pocket rocket.

Something I particularly like about the GigaPower is that it has four pot support arms instead of three. It is also the shortest of the three stoves making it more stable combined with the slightly better grip on the pot it is supporting.

It offers similar flame control to the other stoves we are comparing and costs $49. But, it offers one feature that the Pocket Rocket 2 doesn't have. A piezo lighter, so to light the stove you open the valve and press a button, which in my book is well worth the $5 higher price.

Lets see how it does in the boil time test. Once again, 72º water, 100% full fuel canister. Same pot, same conditions.


3 minutes and 24 seconds! Significantly slower than the pocket rocket. A minute and 20 seconds slower, you could almost boil another two cups of water with the pocket rocket. Color me surprised. At this point you have to decide whether the time penalty is worth the piezo lighter.

At the end of this test I weighed the canister again, and after no changes for the first two tests it was now reading 90% full after the third test.

*but don't really need

We sell a lot of gear for use in the backcountry, and there is some pretty amazing stuff. Satellite trackers and beacons. Backpacks that feel weightless. Stoves that boil water in seconds, and HD cameras that weigh mere ounces. But the outdoor industry sells a lot of gear that just isn't necessary. I won't put a price on having a quality rain shell, or base layers. A good a pair of foot wear can make or break a trip. But here is a list of things that we put way to high of  a value on, that we can really do with out.

footprints for tents - A foot prints job is to protect the bottom of your tent. If you pitch your tent on something sharp - a rock, a stick - it will put a hole in the foot print instead of your tent. Foot prints don't add waterproofness to your tent. I use a ground cloth (which is a generic rectangle of material, whereas a footprint is designed to fit a specific tent.) from a tent I had 20 years ago. It works fine. Many people use a piece of tyvek or a thin painters drop cloth. A two person tents foot print can cost between $25 and $60. Spend your money elsewhere.

Pack covers - I am by far, in the minority here. Most people use pack covers. A pack cover is like a shower cap for your pack. It covers your pack leaving the support system accessible so you can wear it. The reasoning is that your pack isn't waterproof so this keeps your gear dry. My response, isn't your sleeping bag in something waterproof? Aren't your extra clothes? So what are you protecting? There is nothing else in your pack you need to worry about? The response from the masses, well, the pack itself will absorb moisture and your pack will get wet and heavy. This is nonsense. Your pack is made of nylon, which is really oil. How well do oil and water mix? exactly. Pack covers are so well engrained into the backpacking culture that I think I am the last person who doesn't use one.

Sporks - The argument is that they weigh less, and are more functional. I can't ever remember using the tines on the front of my snow peak spork. I use it more as a spoon. I love my titanium spork. It weighs .6 ounces. It is super light weight. It is super cool. I just went to my kitchen and grabbed a much larger standard kitchen spoon. It is what I grew up calling a table spoon. It weighs 1.2 ounces. I then grabbed a smaller kitchen spoon, what I grew up calling a teaspoon. It weighs .7 ounces. Sorry Snow Peak. You were a waste of ten bucks. Now, a long handled spoon for freeze dried meals is another story all together.

Multiple knives, hatchets and axes - I pack a single folding knife. I actually carry it every day. On very long trips I add a multi tool. You have zero knife needs beyond this. You don't need a hatchet or an axe because you should only be using dead and down wood for camp fires. The rest of this is "I like knives because they are cool." Get over it. Pack a knife that works for you.

1000 lumen flashlights - Ultra bright flashlights are tactical weapons. Not useful in campsite. I use a headlamp which leaves my hands free. My big first aid kit has a small flashlight for checking pupils. See above if you are packing them because they seem cool.

Suture kits, or other med devices you aren't trained for and will never really need - I have been teaching in the outdoors for 17 years. I have been teaching wilderness medicine for 10. You don't need a suture kit. You don't need quick clot (unless you work with a chain saw or other such devices in the back country). Normal people doing backcountry trips need band aids, mole skin and maybe 4x4's.

This one is photography specific. UV filters and Skylight filters on cameras. The reasons we are told we need these, they remove a blue cast from our images. The keep dust and dirt from getting on the lens, and they protect the lens from scratches and impacts. They removed a blue cast from lenses when we shot film. with digital this is no longer an issue. I have been carrying a camera for almost 40 years. I have never broken the front element of a lens. I am hard on gear, and this just doesn't happen. It is just a way to get you to spend more money.

I pride myself on telling people the things they need and the things they don't. The number of people that carry 3 or more knives but don't carry a first aid kit would surprise you. Learn to bring what you need. At the end of your trip make three piles. Gear you used. Gear you didn't use. And Gear you didn't use that still goes on your next trip (this includes First Aid Kits and rainwear.)

If you think you need it... Leave it home.

Bring only things you need.

Now I am sure that things on this list upset people because they like having something I mentioned in the backcountry. That's fine. Just don't live under the illusion that you need it. Call it what it is. You want it, and that's fine. Just don't complain about how much your pack weighs.

I år har vi fått en rejäl laddning med tomater, både i odlingstunneln och på friland. Vi har fryst in en del, hela, hackade och som soppa. Har ätit mängder och tagit med i ge-bort-present. Och i år har jag även gjort marmelad. Eriks mamma gör världens godaste tomatmarmelad. Innan sommaren bad jag om receptet ... Läs mer...

Inlägget Tomatmarmelad dök först upp på kajak.nu.

Figure 1 - EpiPen® Auto-Injector

och ändå få ut mer av livet. av Sarah Knight Ska man alltså skita i allt? och inte bry sig om nåt? Nej! Såklart inte, det handlar om att bry sig om det som man gillar och/eller som ger nåt! En bra, rolig och underhållande bok med ett mycket bra budskap. Jag tycker själv jag ... Läs mer...

Inlägget The Magic of not giving a fuck dök först upp på kajak.nu.

Der var en frisk vind denne søndag, så det var tid at tjekke om lugedækslet med Captain Jack Sparrow kunne forhindre det værste sprøjt fra lugekarmen på min Black Pearl.
Inden jeg kom ud til bølgerne skulle jeg dog lidt igennem. Jeg satte i vandet i Gammelåen - det fortrød jeg hurtigt - den stank. Jeg roede dog videre fik skyllet mig selv og båd af i en gevaldigt regnvejr.
Det varede dog ikke længe, og snart nåede jeg spærringen over åen. Et kloakprojekt har næsten lukket for gennemstrømningen - måske lidt en medvirkende årsag til stanken over åen. Der er dog gravet en kanal og lavet en mulighed for at slippe under kloakrøret.
Vandstanden var bare så lav at jeg måtte ud og bære kajakken rundt i svinget. Man må håbe at kommunen får lavet en noget bedre mulighed for at komme forbi!

Gavnø Slot blev passeret, ligeså Fladstrand. Og så mødte jeg vinden da jeg var kommet gennem Karlsgab. Krappe bølger overskyllede dækket, og jeg blev ikke plasket til i vand. Rart med en succesoplevelse, og kaptajnen pynter på kajakken!

Jeg fortsatte til Karrebæksminde hvor jeg blev mødt af en meget kraftig strøm i kanalen. Broen blev dog passeret og jeg roede ind i lystbådehavnen hvor jeg gik i land for at hilse på Kolbe, der var på Enø for at træne. Han var der ikke.

I kajakken igen og videre. Jeg roede ud gennem lystbådehavnen, og så så pludselig Kolbe og Maria på vej ud mellem molehovederne. Jeg fik indhentet dem, og det viste sig at de havde trænet teknik ved DUI stranden.
Det blev til lidt billeder mellem og ud for molehovederne inden vi roede tilbage. 
I kanalen fortsatte de deres træning med roning på hovedet, at stå op i kajakken, forsøg på synkronhåndrul mm.

Efter Rotteøen sagde vi farvel til hinanden og aftalte at få os en tår kaffe i klubhuset.
Vi nåede tilbage nogenlunde samtidig. En god strøm og rygvind (der desværre havde lagt sig lidt) hjalp til at jeg nåede NKC på 50 minutter.
Jeg snuppede et par rul for enden af kanalen.
Der sejlede en stor oliepøl rundt i kanalen - øv!
Gik i land efter 22 km

On our way along the shore of the Sound of Arisaig towards Loch nan Uamh Mike and I passed a few camping spots which we've used on previous trips.  The overcast weather, warm air and lack of a breeze meant that the midges would be particularly troublesome, so we opted for this pebble beach.  There's some flat ground above the beach for camping, and we knew we could get up onto a rocky spur to get away from the worst of the little devils.

What this image doesn't show very well is that the beach is quite steep; landing or launching here when the weather is from the south can be tricky.  We carried the boats up to a flatter area just above the high water mark, and were able to watch the tide come up then recede during the evening.






I've always loved the pebbles on this particular beach; what appear to be uniform pale grey pebbles at first glance are transformed into rich shades of brown, dark and light grey, bottle green and deep red when they are washed by the water.





Waterworn and tumbled, I wondered what the story of each individual pebble might be - fascinating to imagine the processes that have led to their deposition here.  As many are Lewisian Gneiss, one of the oldest rocks on the planet, that story might be a long tale.

We pitched our tents and carried stoves and food up onto the rocky spur.  On the way up a Meadow Pipit (Anthus pratensis) shot out of a bank near the path. 





On the way back to collect some more stuff, I looked carefully at the place it had emerged, and saw the glitter of a tiny eye looking back at me.  Once again the bird shot out, and a closer look revealed a beautifully concealed nest containing a clutch of young chicks.  We hurried on, and very soon the bird returned to her nest.  When moving to and from the beach we tried to avoid this spot so as not to cause disturbance, but each time were seen carefully away by the little bird.






From our own perch, we looked out across the Sound of Arisaig to the Glenuig shore and beyond to Ardnamurchan which was just visible in the mist.  We had originally intended to spend most of the following day paddling these waters which we know pretty well, but a look at the tide times and the weather forecast caused us to change our plan slightly.  Intending an early start, we turned in soon after supper - I ducked into the tent having raced around to lose a cloud of midges intent on their own supper.

You can’t go on social media without seeing ads from companies like 4Ocean and Ocean Helper and others, something about how buying a bracelet, or wearing a bracelet, is going to clean up the ocean. Some of them, like 4Ocean, are set up as for-profit schemes, and while it seems that they do collect debris, they are also highly interested in the plastic in your wallet. If you send them $20, you’ll get a bracelet and the promise that your money will go to remove a pound of debris. (Prime rib sells for significantly less, just saying.) There will be a large profit, that’s the whole point. The cute diving dog on their video, the incredibly annoying blue logo shirts, hats, boats, and trash bags, even the bracelets themselves, are all distractions.

But at least the urge to grab the cash right up front is pretty straightforward, especially compared to some other players. There are organizations who will “give” you a bracelet if you send in a “donation.” They will not actually use your donation to clean up any beaches, but they will be happy to forward a portion of it to a different organization, and they will then use it for that purpose. Maybe. Responsibilities are vague. The overhead on all of these bracelets look to be about 8 cents each, so there is a lot of financial wiggle room as well… all I’m saying is that the beach might be cleaner, but there is a rotten smell around here somewhere.

Still, the bracelet idea seems like a good one. I figured I’d give it a shot. I just need to sell one – which is good because I only made one – that’s it at the top of the post. The money raised will fund the Ikkatsu Project’s cleaning of wilderness beaches in Washington and Alaska for the whole year of 2019. For a single tax-free gift of $40,000, this beautiful bracelet, made entirely from debris collected on wild Northwest beaches, can be yours. One of a kind! Hand-made in USA! (The social media posts practically write themselves.)

Totally worth a shot.

I can’t say this was the style of “ticket I bought” to go back to Port Moller on Tony’s boat…but it had at least a happy ending with arriving safely.

After the first day on his boat in kind of rough conditions with terrible sea sickness for me, I recovered in the evening around 10 pm, when Tony stopped in halfway calm conditions at a tender to deliver the catch of the day. We were just across the airport of Port Moller, which was the lee side of that evening. The ship takes over the catches of all fishing boats around on the same day for hygienic purposes, freezes the fish instantly, and if in need, delivers fuel, fresh water and takes over the trash.

I was too curious to stay down in the bunk, and found myself pretty all right getting up and taking pictures of the delivery process. After Tony maneuvered his boat to the side of the tender, well-protected with a bunch of colorful fenders, a bunch of good-sized fish appeared out of the storage tanks, Sockey Salmon, Silver Salmon, Chump Salmon, Pink Salmon, …and well sorted, some were manually with a long scoop net picked out of the tanks, the rest got lifted up and over in huge solid bags with the small crane of the tender. It had a built-in scale to get the weight of the fish, and Tony finalized the transfer with getting a delivery paper with the worth of the catch.

We had to stay put and anchored just across the airport of Port Moller. There was no chance to drive into the harbor with that strong 35-40 knots south easterly wind! A bunch of other boats shared in a line with us the same destiny. Some of the rest of the fleet of about 50-60 boats were still further north, some made it further into the bay close to Harbor Point, but basically none was inside the town or even tied up to the docks. So even a larger boat than my kayak can’t always land where they would love to…

The night was rough on anchor along the open coast only in some marginal lee, but as my sea sickness was now gone fully, I rather enjoyed the rough movements of the boat and the cozy bunk. When I got up in the morning, despite it was still rough, I kept for some hours just re-hydrating the fluid I had lost on all last day’s puking, and finally decided I am ready to have at least half of the portion of oatmeal I usually have on paddling days. My appetite was back, and the food stayed. I got my sea legs! The sea sickness did not come back since…

The day stayed rough, we had to stay out on anchor waiting for a change in the wind direction to be able to make it in the channel into the Port Moller Bay. With the change of the strong tides with the same wind direction, we changed from rocking to rolling, which was a much less friendly feeling, almost like as the boards of the boat already touched the water…where is the point of capsize for this relative large boat? There was some constant communication on the radio between the boat owners, to share their different situations and positions among each other and to decide what to do and when. It was still blowing se 40-50 knots, and when the boat was rolling in the troughs, it became already kind of scary for a person not knowing the limits of this floating device. I was able to keep my seasickness at bay, thank goodness! After the half-portion oats around 11.30, I was happy to enjoy for dinner a proper meal of hash browns and freshly autéed salmon á la Tony – delicious! Just what the doctor ordered

All three of us went to bed, but fully dressed to be able to jump up anytime if things turn more shitty during the night. Tony checked frequently the wind speed and direction, the updated forecast and what other technical devices he had to follow up with the current situation. We didn’t get much sleep that night for many reasons, AC got up around 3 am for watch, and pottered round in the wheelhouse, the boat was rocking heavily and pulling on its anchor and the sea splashed high and hard against the bow where our bunks where. It was basically just a narrow layer of fiberglass separating us from drowning…

Around 7 am, Tony got up fully to continue to communicate with the fellow boat owners in the same situation on anchor out there across the open airport beach. They decided to try a breakout down to the Harbor Point on slack high tide, as they needed enough water to drive safely in the channel without too high breakers with wind against tide. He ran the engine up for warming up plus to charge the batteries, as he has to do a couple of times a day – when the idle suddenly stopped working…now the shit becomes real? Are we now sitting out here with no engine power? None of the other boats would be able to take us on tow out here…

But Tony sensed where the engine problem was sitting, found the matching spare parts and tools, crawled down into the engine room and after a while and with AC’s help, the idle was working smoother than ever…thank goodness! I was meanwhile clad in my own dry suit and PFD, ready for anything which might happen on the breakout, with Tony instructing me in a calm voice what I could do IF. We also had to look after a fellow boat owner who was by himself on his boat in these nasty conditions. Basically possible, but pulling the anchor with one person on board only is a tricky game with 40-50 knots wind pulling on it. We went downwind of his boat, in case he went overboard in the procedure…but luckily all was fine, and we could start the slow drive against the wind in steep waves down to Harbor Point and to calmer waters. On our boat, AC had to crawl up to the front deck and to pull the anchor, while Tone stands on the fly bridge to drive initially with better sight off anchor and sets the direction to go.

We jumped up and down high, the steep seas washed over our wheelhouse, but the good old “Nancy Gayle” was doing the job, Tony steering the old lady safely through the rough waters. It was like a stampede of boats into safer waters, our line of maybe 25 offshore anchoring boats started all one after the other around the same time to find ourselves reunited with the other half of the fleet north of Harbor Point in the lee of the southerly wind. The other about 25 boats went in already earlier with a much higher risk as they needed to deliver fish to tenders in time before the precious prey got too old. I was able to shut my eyes on this ride in, safely wedged to my seat with spread legs up to the dashboard. I was opening them again feeling calmer waters and thanking Tony having managed to keep us safe! I have trusted him fully to get us out of the shit, and it seemed like all other boats also had no losses to complain. It could have…the Bering sea is no kiddy playground! I was occasionally wondering the last hours if I wouldn’t have been more safe staying on my campsite and weathering it out there and to make still some few progress towards Port Heiden, but it was the right decision to do to finish the northern section of my trip for this season here in Port Moller and with the help of the whole fishing fleet and the Peter Pan Seafood facilities! Port Heiden is not really a Port, and only a few native families are living there.

We probably will have to stay some more days on anchor before we can think of tying up to the dock and to get my kayak and gear off the boat and to shore. It is still blowing 40+ knots and maybe worse tonight! But I miss nothing here, Tony and AC are most wonderful company, and all three of us have no issues to share this limited but cozy living space. I am used to live in a motor home or tent – though I don’t mind being back to my house occasionally! We played old shanty songs from my favorite German group Santiano, perfectly matching the sea, fishing boat and “pirate” mood and scenery, with all three of us in great spirits. AC fixed the dinner of the evening, again salmon, this time with fried potatoes, corn and glazed carrots for Tony and myself, AC amazingly only loves the salmon skin only…

We tied everything up for another very windy night on anchor, but are looking forward to possibly be able to hit the docks tomorrow – or later, who cares…!

Lors du Brittany festival 2017 la Bretagne nous avait conquis. Nous y sommes donc revenus pour quelques navigations à la journée (région des abers, Carentec, Brignogan, Bréhat). La nature s'est montrée clémente la plupart du temps avec une mer belle et peu de vent, seule la brume nous a demandé une vigilance particulière.










Participants : Micheline et Jean-Jacques Roche, Nadine et Jean-Luc Bousquet , du 23 juillet au 12 Août.

Rago på packraft-tur, en fin morgen på dag 2. Har du ikke lest del 1 fra dagen før ennå, så kan du finne den HER. Jeg har altså lagt meg på et nes i Litlverivatnet etter råd fra en lokal kar, og hadde fin utsikt her også da jeg våknet. Dette ser da ut til å bli en flott dag?

Jeg tok meg god tid om morgenen, det er tross alt ferie. Her ligger remediene mine, det er egentlig ikke så mye en trenger med seg på tur. Da jeg sto opp virket det som at det var mindre insekter. Men det tok bare et blunk så satt det en klegg og beit, så bukse og langermet kom kjapt på i dag også. Kjipt, men jeg foretrekker det framfor alle klegg- og myggbittene.

Jeg hadde egentlig ikke bestemt meg helt for hva jeg skulle gjøre i dag. Padle innover vannet her, padle tilbake til stien og gå til Storskogvannet, eller rett og slett prøve å komme seg oppover en snarvei til stien? Det siste kunne fort bli en omvei, dersom det ikke gikk.

Multeforekomstene her imponerte ikke direkte. Men det var bare kart uansett, så kanskje like greit. Da gikk jeg ikke glipp av det helt store.

Jeg bestemte meg for å padle videre innover vannet, når jeg først hadde bært packraften hele veien opp hit, med plan om å padle ut til stien ved fossen igjen. Ok sted å gå i land her som vi ser, men det var ikke så veldig mange steder rundt vannet på denne siden at det var det, egentlig. Knall vær, det ble kortermet påkledning og den letteste buksa.

Ikke så lett å komme i land her nei. Oppover her (øverst i bildet) er svaet jeg lurte på om kanskje gikk an å komme seg over høyden med.

Det var ikke sånn helt åpenbart, men jeg så ei rute som jeg tror ville gått. Da ville jeg nok kommet opp helt til venstre i dette bildet tror jeg.

Skikkelig klart fjellvann, og fin bunn. Ikke bare brunt grums i ferskvannet sånn som det er hjemme. Dessverre så jeg kun bunnen, ingen fisk.

Prøvde meg på fargerik sluk, men det hjalp ikke. Dessuten ble jeg mest sittende og banne, for på mystisk vis endte den mye opp sånn her og diverse andre idiotiske måter hektet fast. De lokale karene hadde jo anbefalt spinner, men det hadde jeg ikke, dette var vel det nærmeste jeg kom. I ettertid har jeg så klart handlet inn, så neste gang!

Utsikt vestover – det kan vel se ut som at regnet er på vei, oppdaget jeg da jeg var godt på vei innover. Jaja, det så ut til å bevege seg sakte.

Jeg var glad for å ha bestemt meg for å padle videre innover, for her var det fint. Det var riktignok veldig få steder, om noen, jeg ville gått i land, men. Lenger inn var det nok noen steder for der er jo i hvert fall ei hytte.

En filmsnutt av utsikten også rundt det forrige bildet.

Denne fjellveggen var like fin som jeg hadde forestilt meg, mekting når man får den nært. Men dette var nærmeste jeg var da jeg tok bilde.

Jeg lurte på hvor den nærmeste flyplassen lå, for det var nå veldig med fly som passerte i lav høyde, ut fra lydene å bedømme. Jeg syntes det virket unøvendig rett over nasjonalparken. Men jeg så strengt tatt ingen fly...

Regnværet nærmet seg stadig, nå syntes jeg det begynte å bevege seg litt fortere. Jeg bestemte meg for ikke å padle rundt vannet, men snu lenger inn.

Eller vent. Det begynte å demre sakte men sikkert. Jo, det VAR rart med de flyene. Rett og slett fordi det slett ikke var fly – det var torden! Det skjønte jeg etter at noen hadde fyrt av et kamera med en blits - det måtte jo være lyn, for her var ingen med en så stor blits.
Regnet hadde med seg lyn og torden! Så klart! Og der satt jeg i en gummibåt på vannet, med fiskestanga til værs den ene veien, og karbon padleåre i nevene.

Jeg tror aldri en packraft har vært padlet så raskt uten medstraum før. Det var nemlig langt tilbake dit jeg hadde sett et ok sted å gå i land. Kunne muligens gått i land et sted i ura, men da hadde jeg blitt helt værfast der og jeg ante jo ikke hvor lenge dette været skulle vare. Kanskje var det bare starten på noe langvarig. Men jeg hadde jo lest om Monsen og NRK like før jeg dro, og de hadde jo ikke brydd seg nevneverdig om været meteorologene advarte mot. Så jeg talte sekunder imellom lyn og torden, og fant ut at joda, det var enda litt unna, bare å padle videre.

Stort sett har jeg padlet i 3-4 km/t denne saken, men nå ble det 5 og 6, og helt oppe i 7!

Tordenværet hadde også med seg kule skyformasjoner, utrolig fascinerende. Dette var jo et lite monster.

Jeg hadde også lest noen andre artikler om lyn og torden før turen. En av dem var noe om elektrisk hår, så jeg sjekket jevnlig om jeg hadde fått gåsehud. Niks? Da kan jeg padle videre. Litt usikker på hvor pålitelig den testen er, men...

Heldigvis rakk jeg å komme ganske langt før det blåste skikkelig opp – for vinden snudde, og ble etter hvert ganske så sterk. Jeg klarte å komme meg hit, der jeg visste det ville gå greit å komme i land.
Det slo meg at noen kanskje fulgte med været der jeg var, så jeg sendte en OK-melding på Spotn også, at jeg var kommet vel fram. Det er jo null niks dekning her. (Dermed ikke oppdatert værvarsel heller.)

Jeg rakk også nesten å pakke sammen og kle på meg regnhyr før regnet satte inn. Det regnet så det holdt en stund.

Jeg var ment å skulle sette vindsekken opp som tarp mellom noen busker for le, men jeg fant ingenting å feste den i. I ettertid har jeg fått vite at der ER hemper for festing, og når jeg først visste det så klarte jeg å finne dem også... Men her sitter jeg altså under peise åpen himmel, fordi jeg ikke visste å sette opp tarpen jeg faktisk hadde med. Slå den.

Her sitter jeg og tror jeg har kontroll på hvor langt unna lynet er. For jeg tror jo i min villfarelse at ett sekund mellom lyn og torden betyr 1 kilometer unna. Niks. Ifølge Yr.no er det 330 meter... Så når jeg tror det er rundt ei mil unna, så er det litt over tre kilometer... Og det som slo ned "1 kilometer" unna, var bare noen hundre meter ifra. Det er 900 meter over vannet her...

Jeg er i grunnen glad jeg levde i den villfarelsen og ikke ante hvor nært lynet egentlig var.

Men tordenvær er dekorativt, det er det liten tvil om! Men hva skal jeg gjøre nå som været har passert? Jeg hadde jo pakket ned packraften for ikke å risikere at den ble tatt av vinden. Skulle jeg gidde å blåse opp og padle tilbake til stien?

Næh. Jeg fulgte tipset jeg hadde fått dagen før, og satset på at veien jeg hadde sett meg ut ville fungere. Jeg fulgte et sva oppover, det var ganske lett å se hvor det var sleipt og ikke, og det var greit å gå på gress der det var det.

Cruxet på stigninga var steinblokka litt opp her. Da måtte jeg faktisk slenge stavene over, og klatre med bare nevene over. Jeg var glad for den klatreerfaringen jeg har selv om det er lenge siden jeg drev med det, for det var ikke fottak i det hele tatt der. Klatring med drøyt 20 kilos sekk er en utfordring selv om det ikke er lange strekningen.

Det gikk fint å følge svaet oppover. Her ser vi neset som stikker ut, der jeg overnattet natten som var.

Etter hvert som jeg kom oppover, lå det mer og mer stein slengt. Så litt ut som et troll har vært her og slengt lommerusk. Ser helt dust og veldig rotete ut, spør du meg.
Her begynner jeg å ane seier, at det gikk bra å komme seg over. Nå er jeg i hvert fall oppe, så gjelder det å finne stien like over kanten.

Jippi! Noen fordeler skal det være med at det blir slitt, stien var ganske så lett å finne. Må si meg ganske fornøyd med å finne min egen vei utenfor sti, men det var også kjekt at jeg nå kunne følge sti dit jeg skulle.

Plutselig tikket det inn en tekstmelding! Et øyeblikks dekning! Det viste seg å være melding om skysystemet, og beskjed om at det skulle være forbigående, og neste dag skulle være helt fin. Greit med en værmelding – og jeg var glad jeg hadde sendt ok-melding så slapp han å lure. Mens jeg hadde pause der kom denne tåkedotten. Hva betyr det? Skal det bli tåke nå?

Når jeg først hadde funnet stien var det ganske greit å følge den. Jeg sier «ganske», for merkingen var gul og til tider ikke så lett å se – det er nok flere guloransje ting i naturen enn knallrøde. Så når jeg kom til partier det bare var stein så kunne jeg bli i tvil.

Næh, for et søtt vann! Her kunne det vært skøy å telte på holmen, men syntes jeg hadde gått for kort. Da ville den dagen vært litt for tidlig over.

Akkurat da jeg kom til denne ble jeg litt i stuss hvordan jeg skulle komme over uten å bli våt på føttene, men det viste seg å ikke være noe som helst problem. Jeg tok en liten pause når jeg var kommet over.

Den store fossen ved Litlverivatnet var jo imponerende, men dette lille fallet hadde også sin sjarm. Jeg tok lunsjpause her, rett og slett. Kunne tenkt meg overnatting, men det ble litt midt i ingenting, med tanke på dagen etter.

Kleggen hadde vært fraværende en stund, men den dukket opp da jeg satte meg i ro. Det gjorde også denne her, som jeg ikke vet hva er. Men litt kul var den i hvert fall.

Jeg hater virkelig klegg, det har ikke blitt noe svakere hat etter denne turen. Er det forresten lov til å drepe klegg i en nasjonalpark? Alt er fredet, eller? Jeg kom til å lure, så jeg har selvfølgelig slått det opp. Svaret er nei. Pattedyr og fugler med bo og reir, og planter - insekter ikke nevnt. Dessuten er det lov med forsvar av person som angripes av dyr, så da er den utvilsom. Jeg brøt ingen regler. Dessuten var det vel bare ved bilen jeg faktisk klarte å drepe en klegg. En dævlet jeg til 6–7 ganger, likevel fløy den videre – riktignok med en sjanglete kurs. Men den burde vært dau om den var jordisk. Det er noe satans utysker de der.

Det er Rago også, veldig kul. Rett og slett blendende vakkert.

I hvert fall om man ikke ser ned på bakken. Jammen fant jeg en tomboks midt i nasjonalparken. Svensk så jeg får vel ikke pant for den, men jeg tok den med hjem likevel. Her har den ingenting å gjøre! Men generelt synes jeg det var mindre søppel å finne enn fryktet. Jeg fant noen bålsteder som kunne vært mer smart plassert, eggeskall kloss i stien og denne boksen, men ellers var det ikke mye å registrere så langt. Ble litt mer dagen etter, men det kommer vi tilbake til.

Ved elva sto det skilt om at det var ny sti, som jeg fulgte videre. Derfra var merkingen veldig tydelig, selv om jeg fra tid til annen følte at den var laget mer for å gå motsatt vei. Ellers var det flott. I dette området så jeg mye elgbæsj, men ingen elg.

Kult? Disse steinene har tydelig ligget helt i ro en god stund, før de la stien om hit, sikkert. Så har noen kommet og sparket i dem, og vips dukker det opp et lite mønster i steinen.

Første glimt av Storskogvatnet, hit skal jeg forhåpentligvis rekke fram i løpet av dagen. Det går veldig tregt siden sekken er så pass tung og jeg helt utrent på å gå i marka.

Så må man jo dessuten ta seg tid til å nyte så flott natur. Jeg forstår ikke helt de som bare jogger av gårde når det er så fint. Det må man jo suge inn?

Ifølge Miljødirektoratet så har jerv fast tilhold her i parken, den er blant de skumleste dyrene jeg vet. Jeg synes mårdyr generelt er skumle. De virker så seigliva liksom, og snikete.

Mens gaupa opptrer som streifdyr i nasjonalparken, ifølge Miljødirektoratet. Det hadde vært kult med ei streif-gaupe, selv om den kanskje er det aller skumleste dyret jeg vet her til lands. Ikke lenge etter at jeg hadde tenkt «åh, nå hadde det vært kult om ei gaupe streifa forbi», tok jeg pause her. Det var så mange flotte furuer.

Etter at jeg hadde sittet en stund og bare sugd inn hvor fint det var, hørte jeg en pussig lyd. Det hørtes ikke ut som folk, det var som krafsing på trær og kvist som knakk. Hm! Både gaupe og jerv kan jo klatre i trær! Egentlig var det sikkert bare et ekorn eller en elg, som jeg heller ikke fikk se. Men det gir på et vis litt ekstra til turen at man KAN, i teorien, om man er heldigere enn lottovinnere, få se et skikkelig rovdyr. Da gjør fantasien det litt spennende.

Hva er dette slags bæsj? Denne varianten har jeg ikke sett før. Hvem har bæsja? Jeg ville jo at det skulle være bjørn (ikke sett her siden 1940 men de regner med streifdyr kan forekomme), tenkte kanskje det var elgkalv, men det lignet ikke på tidligere elgkalvbæsj jeg har sett. Bjørn var det dog neppe. Akkurat som «jervebæsjen» jeg fant litt tidligere helt sikkert var en hund som hadde lagt fra seg...

Den nye stien var i grunnen veldig fin. Den forrige stien har nok vært rimelig slitt, vi kan faktisk se den ganske tydelig på bildet her helt på andre siden av vannet. Men såvidt jeg skjønner på andre som har vært her, så var det også en del ulendt å gå der. Den nye var veldig grei sånn sett.

Ikke helt til å tro at det lynte og tordnet for ganske kort tid siden. Ble riktig så fin dag igjen etterpå.

Eh – hvordan har dette gått til? Den var snedig.

Litt kronglete med tung sekk innimellom, men syntes ikke foreløpig at Rago var så ulendt som enkelte turrapporter ville ha det til. Men det kan jo ha med den nye stien å gjøre, at jeg rett og slett ikke gikk der det var snakk om. Sånn som dette gikk jo helt greit å passere når man bare har funnet ut hvordan det er best å gjøre det.

Jeg satte teltet opp mens jeg ennå var litt i høyden, for skyggen kom litt tidligere nede ved Storskogvannet. Dessuten hørte jeg at det var en god del folk der nede, det var jeg ikke så interessert i.

Det gikk akkurat å finne feste til pluggene for å få opp teltet. Nå var det så pass mye mygg at jeg gikk ganske snart inn i teltet, men kleggen hadde vært mye mindre plagsom i dag enn dagen før. Jeg gikk faktisk en del kilometer uten vindjakken, bare i kortermet. Fantastisk dag, inkludert tordenværet.

Hele sporet fra dagens tur. Det ble 5,8 kilometer padling og 5,5 kilometer til fots i dag.

Jeg hadde foreløpig ikke noe plan for dagen etter, var åpen for det meste. Jeg kunne gå ned og dra hjem. Jeg kunne gå opp til Ragohytta. Jeg kunne gå ned til Storskogvannet og padle det – enten inn, og gå opp til Ragohytta, eller overnatte innerst, eller ut igjen og overnatte der – eller hva som helst.

Jeg var veldig fornøyd med denne kveldens utsikt også. Men jeg hørte en lyd her som jeg ikke har klart å få oppklart hva var for noe. Ingen av mine fuglevenner som er ganske kunnskapsrike har heller klart å løse den. Det hørtes ut som blanding av rype og and. En slags ryperauting, som var mye dypere i stemmen, med litt "kwæck"-gurgel. Hva i all verden kunne det være? Var det rett og slett ingen fugl? Kan lyden ha sammenheng med den fremmede bæsjen?

Men jeg hørte samme lyd her kvelden etter, så det er i hvert fall noe som holder seg i området. Noe slags hjortedyr jeg ikke er vant med? Storfugl? Jeg har ikke peiling, har så langt ikke klart å finne noe tilsvarende på nett i hvert fall.

Jeg sovnet uten plan for dagen – nå fikk det bli opp til været dagen etter å bestemme.

La mejor forma de disfrutar de la Serra de Irta es dándose un baño en todas las calas que puedas. leer más

Idag tog vi en promenad runt Rössjön. Var sugna på att passa på nu när det fortfarande är extremt lågt vatten på grund av torkan och man därför kan gå där det normalt är sjö. Körde upp och ställde bilen mellan sjöarna. Tog medursvarv. Där det normalt är lite långgrunt är det nu 20m strandremsa ... Läs mer...

Inlägget Bottenpromenad runt Rössjön dök först upp på kajak.nu.

Litlverivannet

Rago nasjonalpark. Jeg hadde i utgangspunktet tenkt meg en tur til Dividalen, men så ble jeg oppmerksom på Rago. Den lille nasjonalparken så ut til å passe min smak mye bedre, beskrives som Norges villeste, urørt natur, og så videre. Her skulle det heller ikke være så mye folk.
Tilfeldig traff jeg på butikken ei dame som nylig hadde vært der, og da ble jeg helt sikker. Jeg fikk bekreftet og avkreftet de tingene jeg hadde vært litt i tvil om, og det ble helt klart - jeg skulle til Rago.

Det var lave tåkeskyer hjemme da jeg kjørte. Verre ble det etter hvert som jeg kjørte sørover, mens jeg så at det var lysning mot Lofoten. Jeg kom seint nedover, for uten varsel var tunnelen stengt grunnet merking, så jeg rakk ikke ferga. Neste ferge viste seg å gå kun lørdager, så det ble enda senere. Skulle jeg heller dratt til Lofoten? Jeg stoppet da jeg kom så pass opp i høyden at det kom dråper på ruta. Revurdering på morgenen.

Jeg hadde pakket to stilongser istedenfor et sett ullundertøy, jeg hadde glemt gassboksen og jeg trengte kart. Så jeg kjørte til Fauske, det er halvtimes kjøring fra Lakshola der man gjerne starter turen til Rago. Her skaffet jeg meg kart og ulltrøye, gassen ble glemt nok en gang... Det gode kompaktkameraet var også glemt hjemme, men det måtte jeg da bare klare meg uten. Det lysnet litt imens, så det var klinkende klart selv om det ennå var skyer - turen skulle gå til Rago som planlagt. Værmeldingen meldte regn på det ene varslet, regn på det andre... Nuvel.

Jeg hadde pakket med meg for alskens mulige turer i tilfelle jeg skulle ombestemme meg, så kajakken ble låst fast til stativ og bilen med en låsewire. Første gang jeg har den i bruk, den fungerte greit. Kajakken var her fremdeles da jeg kom ned.

Jeg parkerte ved den nederste parkeringsplassen, for å gå opp til Litlverivatnet. Det kan se ut som de fleste går motsatt vei om de går runden via Storskogvatnet, men jeg ville ta den største høyden første dagen. Det ville innebære å måtte gå to kilometer etter bilen når jeg kom ned, men det heller det enn i tillegg til høyden første dagen. Det var veldig god sti ganske langt innover. Man kommer ikke til selve nasjonalparken før man nærmer seg Litlverivatnet faktisk.

Det ble litt ompakking ved bilen, så før jeg kom i gang hadde det klarnet nesten helt til blå himmel. Det var blitt veldig varmt. Gassen var glemt, så jeg la gassbrenner igjen for enda litt lettere sekk. Jeg fikk basere meg på bål om jeg skulle varme vann. Jeg kan jo tenne bål, så det burde ikke by på problemer. «Er ikke det litt vel tøft i trynet, tilfelle regn» spurte jeg meg selv, men jeg kom til at jeg er så pass erfaren at det skulle gå greit. Så pass tøff i trynet er jeg nå. Ikke verst.

Jeg hadde fått beskjed om at man kommer ut av dekning omtrent med en gang man begynner å gå, så jeg ble litt paff da telefonen ringte etter at jeg hadde gått litt.
«Hei kor det går»
- Æ e nu på tur opp til Rago nasjonalpark.
«Hæ? Aleina? Du e tøff.»
- Mnjæææ... Det vet æ nu ikkje.
«Du må legge ut pakkelista etterpå»
- Ok.

Ja det var kortversjonen av samtalen, den var noe lengre. Men han ble i hvert fall veldig imponert og nysgjerrig på turen jeg hadde planlagt. Og jeg ble litt i tvil om hva i all verden jeg hadde begitt meg ut på...

Det var mye å se allerede fra start, selv om jeg altså ikke var kommet inn i nasjonalparken ennå. Tordivel synes jeg alltid er kult. Den blå metalliske fargen i tillegg til det svarte er veldig stilig. Og så stikker de ikke, i motsetning til kleggen. Den var det nok av allerede ved bilen.

Jeg gikk det første stykket i en del skog, men hadde ikke gått så veldig langt før det begynte å bli fin utsikt hver gang det åpnet seg litt opp. Dette var lovende, jeg hadde nok valgt rett. Men Djungelolja så ikke ut til å fungere det minste på kleggen.

Da ser jeg bort fra at jeg tydeligvis gikk i den aller verste kleggsesongen, og dette var tydeligvis verdens verste klegghelvete. Har aldri vært borti verre. Så jeg gikk med heldekk, noe som ikke var optimalt i steiksol og oppoverbakker med om lag 20 kilo på ryggen.

Det gikk tregt oppover kan man si. Så det er tommel opp til området, tommel ned til kleggen. Jeg HATER kleggstikk, så det måtte bli heldekk - folk jeg møtte som var på vei ned gikk med shorts, bikini og denslags... Men de nærmest sprang, antar det var deres taktikk mot kleggen. Å springe oppover med den sekken var utelukket.

Humlebille har jeg knapt sett før, men den så jeg nesten hele tiden mens jeg gikk oppover. Det var veldig artig, for den synes jeg er superkul! Så kul at nå var det allerede nesten verdt hele bilturen.

Tyrihjelm, den er ikke vanlig i Vesterålen. Men her vokste den flere steder. Fin plante, men den er giftig så man bør ikke spise på den. Det synes jeg ikke akkurat den innbød til heller.

Litt mer opp i høyden, nå nådde utsikten litt lenger. Fortsatt i heldekkende påkledning. Jeg var veldig glad for at jeg stakk innom en tilfeldig butikk dagen før og fant lys grå bukse med mulighet for lufting i siden. Det hadde blitt enda varmere i noen av de jeg hadde fra før, det er helt sikkert.

Dau trestamme med kule kjuker. Mange av dem. Men nå begynte jeg å bli tørst! Det tok sin tid før jeg kom til første bekken, så nå måtte jeg rasjonere på vannet. Jeg begynte rett og slett å bli litt bekymret.

Omsider en bekk, hurra! Det var i siste liten, nå var jeg blitt veldig tørst altså, selv om jeg hadde drukket over en liter siden start.

Never er fine greier. Jeg plukket litt her og der underveis, for å slippe å plukke på ett enkelt sted i selve nasjonalparken. Noen trær sto jo og bare viftet med neveren på dette viset. Nesten glad jeg hadde glemt gassbrenneren, så jeg hadde grunn til å plukke.

Det var en del klopping oppover, det så ganske nytt ut. Jeg har litt delte følelser når det gjelder klopping, men har kommet til at det er positivt.

Årsaken ser vi her, nemlig hvordan det blir seende ut hvis man ikke klopper. Da blir det bredere og bredere og bredere spor etter folk, etter hvert som det gjørmes til. Sånn er det bare, da er det bedre med klopping.

Når jeg først var kommet litt opp i høyden ble det også lettere å gå. Fin sti. Dette at det skal være så ulendt hadde jeg ennå ikke sett så mye til - men så var jeg jo heller ikke kommet inn i nasjonalparken.

Rød merking fremdeles, som vi ser. Packraften var pakket nederst på sekken, liggeunderlaget på topp - og årene stikkende opp. Det var heller ikke så tett vegetasjon at sistnevnte var et problem, heldigvis.

Nå begynte utsikten virkelig å komme seg. Litt canyonaktig dette her, med elven som slynger seg langt der nede. Jeg vurderte jo å padle packraft ned den, men var litt usikker med tanke på stryk og fosser. Det er jo noen av dem, og da må man komme seg på land før, og ikke minst må det være greit å gå rundt.

Flott videre innover også. Nå begynte jeg virkelig å glede meg til de neste dagene på tur!

Det skulle ikke bli problematisk å få fyr på bålet heller de neste dagene.

Tiden gikk mens jeg somlet meg oppover, og det gikk til slutt opp for meg at jeg burde spise litt. Her kunne jeg i grunnen tenkt meg å sette opp teltet, men jeg syntes det ble drøyt bare etter noen kilometer. Nei, jeg måtte helt fram til Litlverivatnet som planlagt.

Det første møtet med det ulendte. Ei Rago-mil skal være lengre enn andre miler siden det er så ulendt, har jeg lest. Jeg brukte en del tid på å tenke ut hva som var den beste løsningen med så tung sekk på ryggen, men da gikk det også helt greit å komme seg forbi her.

Seriøst vakkert! Sånn skulle det dessuten fortsette. Rago er full av flotte utsikter. Det er første stedet jeg har vært, der jeg ikke har tenkt «Jaja det er nå fint her, men det er nå litt oppskrytt. Det er nå minst like fint hjemme.». Her fikk jeg litt wow-følelse faktisk, noe verken Helgeland, Steigen eller noe sted i utlandet har klart så langt.

Litlverivatnet. Dette er nok det mest fotograferte motivet i nasjonalparken, etter Google å dømme. Det er akkurat like flott som man har sett for seg.

Dessverre er det populært deretter, og det var mye folk her. Flere telt, og mange folk som kom. Jeg traff vel seks personer på vei oppover, men så 15-20 personer her ved vannet. Det var rett og slett for mye folk for min del - så kjekt da å ha en packraft man bare kan putte luft i, og stikke kjapt av!

Men først nøt jeg utsikten her litt bort fra stien.

Mektige fjell. Dimensjonene gikk skikkelig opp for meg først da denne robåten (så du den?) kom langs vannet.

Ved Litlverivatnet er det ei hytte innerst, som man helst kommer til ved hjelp av båt herfra. Den er imidlertid populær og var opptatt nå, så disse to karene måtte nøye seg med båtbua her. Jeg syntes ikke de så ut som turister, så jeg gikk bort og slo av en prat. Ganske riktig var de høvelig lokale. Som svar på om det er fisk å få i vannet fikk jeg smake av fangsten. Utrolig godt! Men de hadde båt og garn, stengene de hadde dorget med hadde ikke gitt dem noe.

De anbefalte et nes litt bortover vannet som leirplass siden jeg ville komme litt unna folk. Der skulle det være greit å komme i land med packraften, og jeg ville bli på riktig side av vannet i tilfelle dårlig vær. Andre siden anbefalte de ikke å telte på, i tilfelle jeg skulle bli værfast.

Jeg funderte litt på det, og fant det best å følge rådet. Jeg fikk jo ikke sjekket oppdatert værmelding her en gang uten dekning.

Jeg passerte noen teltere som så passelig forfjamset ut der jeg kom padlende forbi. De hadde nok fine teltplasser, noen ved kanten bortenfor fossen blant annet. Men altså litt for crowded for meg.

Kan dette være neset det var snakk om kanskje? Jeg setter i hvert fall kursen dit for å sjekke forholdene. (Dette er sånn det ser ut fra packraften når sekken er reipet fast oppå.)

En gammel båt slengt her på land, den var jo litt kul da selv om det er nasjonalpark.

Jeg måtte jo prøve fisket litt også, siden jeg hadde ordnet meg med fiskekort. Det ga selvfølgelig ingen fisk likevel. Men jeg har nå i hvert fall prøvd nystanga, og jeg kom på land med den i god behold faktisk.

Totalt 6,4 kilometer til fots i dag, med padling bort til leiren og litt fisking med packraft har jeg tilbakelagt 9,7 kilometer til lands og til vanns i dag ifølge GPSn.

Det ble en liten bergingsaksjon også, jeg fant denne flytende i vannskorpa. Den ble så klart fisket opp, og hun fikk sitte på sekken min til hun var tørr.

Det var i utgangspunkt fint på neset, dessverre har der vært folk tidligere og det var veldig synlig. Hvorfor man legger igjen en grillrist i en nasjonalpark kan man jo lure på. Bål på svaberget er jeg heller ikke imponert over.

Og hva har de gjort dette for? Saget furugreiner og slengt rundt her? Fjottpeiser.

De har vært så pass lenge også, at det var slitt terreng, så jeg satte teltet opp en litt mer uberørt plass på neset. Synes det ble ganske fint her egentlig. Utsikt sørover. Det eneste var at en av grunnene til å padle videre innover hadde vært å slippe bråket fra fossen i enden av vannet, men fossen i bildet bråket også. Nuvel, jeg fikk en god natts søvn likevel. Ørepropper fikser det utroligste. Men jeg hørte likevel at det ramlet stein ned ett eller annet sted i fjellsiden.

Utsikt vestover der jeg kom fra. Jeg hadde altså thermarest skumunderlag på denne turen, det var jeg spent på. Jeg kjente at det ikke er like bra å ligge på som Expeden, men med moseunderlag funket det greit nok likevel.

Joda. En helt grei utsikt som det siste jeg ser før jeg sovner. Å dra til Rago var ingen dum idé!

Jeg våknet noen ganger i løpet av natten på grunn av varmen, ikke minst om morgenen da sola kom. Men jeg la underlaget ute oppå teltet og la meg rett på bakken som viste seg å være kjølig - da fikk jeg sove litt til.

Fortsettelsen, del 2 finner du nå HER.

Pakkeliste (mesteparten i vanntette pakkposer):
Telt, Tarptent Scarp 1
6 Amok plugger
Batteribank og ledning som ikke passer til noe jeg har med meg
Notatbok/penn
4 ekstra batterier til GPS
Vanntett kamera TG-4
GPS Garmin Oregon 700
MSR packraft Microraft S + oppblåspose + festereimer + åre + vest
Fiskestang + snelle + sluker
Sekk - Gregory Wander 70 liter
Kartmappe + to kart
Førstehjelpsutstyr (slanket utgave)
Toalettsaker (slanket utgave)
Spot gen II
Nalgene vannflaske
Yt flaske
Kasserolle/stekepanne (slanket Trangia)
Real turmat + rett i koppen supper og drikke
4 kokte egg i plastetui + kaviarporsjoner
Polarbrød, ris, potetmos, bixit blåbærkjeks, Sognemorr
Dunsovepose
Thermarest Z-lite liggeunderlag
Tørrfisk (vakumpakket)
Iphone og turtelefon
Regnsett, sokker, truse, ullgenser/-longs
Dopapir
Djungelolje
Reputstyr slanket utgave

I onsdags blev det en riktigt go runda vid Kullaberg. Björn Nehrhoff från Tyskland undrade om vi var sugna på att paddla en sväng tillsammans med honom vid Kullaberg. Det ville vi såklart och det passade finfint med bra väder. Vi träffades och sjösatte i Arild Hamn. Varmt redan klockan 9! Blåste en del från ... Läs mer...

Inlägget Kullaberg i varmt augustiväder dök först upp på kajak.nu.

I juli kom vi äntligen oss för att paddla till Valö igen. Supergött såklart att få se Valö och vyn igen och träffa lite trevligt folk därute. I övrigt fick vi till en manövreringsrunda med ÄSSS i Ängelholm och en varm plask- och badrunda på Skälderviken samt en go kvällspaddling. Mysig utflykt till ostkusten och ... Läs mer...

Inlägget Juli 2018 dök först upp på kajak.nu.

I decided to finish this northern paddling for this season. The weather and outlook is simply too crabby to make reasonable and safe progress, especially now being by myself only. My motivation ran a little bit out of steam after more than five months on the trip, plus, my back is still not in perfect shape from the pounding of the crash landing.

According to the local fishermen, the whole season has been as bad as it could be – the great summer weather happened obviously in Europe! At least on my business no. 1 – my two Janny’s Ice cream Cafés, my reliable employees made some great sales this summer! Thanks to all my ladies, girls and guys to maintain the business when I am away!

After Tony has “rescued” Natalie from the beach, we stayed in contact via satellite text messages. Karel already sent me the weather messages which did not sound nice for Friday and Saturday, and horrible from Sunday to Tuesday and maybe beyond. Tony said the same, all fishing boats were already heading towards Port Moller on Friday, and so planned Tony and AC to do with the “Nancy Gayle”. I had the choice now to weather it out on the beach – five or six days, if not more – or to hitch a ride with Tony back to the only safe Port around – Port Moller. I chose the latter!

Tony chose the calm Friday morning for the same “rescue operation” he had with Natalie yesterday – he was rowing out to my beach camp with his red rubber dinghi to load my gear. I paddled my empty kayak out to his boat, so it was easy to pull out of the water already unloaded. AC received all my gear bags, I climbed over the dinghi on board of the fishing boat, and we mutually pulled and pushed my kayak – this one in one piece – on board.

I was actually dreading the ride back to Port Moller, as I know myself easily getting seas sick – even when I am paddling! But on Tony’s larger boat, it will be probably even worse…and high winds and seas are announced…I tried to take precautions, staying on deck for a long while watching the horizon and enjoying the fresh air, and even was down in the wheelhouse for a long while without having any issue. At some point, Tony decided to set the net, I was still fine and watched them hauling it back in with a bunch of salmon. Interesting to learn how AC as a deck hand and Tony as te captan were operating their business!

But I felt soon my sea sickness kicking in, I puked over board for the first time and felt better for a while. But when the wheelhouse stove stopped working out of the sudden and delivered a yucky diesel smell, I had to continue throwing up…a second, third time..it was time to lay down in the bunk…AC supported me taking my dry suit off and my neoprene boots, and also was looking after me well with providing a container to puke in, towels, water and a lot of loving care. Thanks for that, AC! She also stuck a relief pad behind my ear, which made me a bit drowsy, and I was just laying flat in the bunk and kept on puking, drinking water, puking…until I had only bitter stomach acid coming out…yuck! I felt half dead…but kept on hydrating, which was important.

We had a brief stop in the now very bumpy windy travel back to Port Moller behind a small headland in calmer water, I got up for a few minutes and felt halfway better. But when we continued driving into even bigger chop, I had to lay down again…and as Tony and AC had some pasta pesto dinner, the smell made me again puking…can’t say I felt great..

We reached at around 10pm the lee of Port Moller upfront the airport, and Tony delivered the catch of the day to the tender. They deliver daily for hygienic reasons to get the fish frozen on the tender asap. I was fit enough to watch that procedure, interesting for a professional fishing newbie! The only issue was it was blowing so much out of the wrong direction the only channel leading into Port Moller was no good to go…so most of the fleet had to stay out for the night on anchor. So did we. Tony’s bunk room had basically four sleeping spaces, but was obviously occupied with many gear and bags, so it was not easy to make space for me, but we managed..

I felt fine all night, even enjoyed the movements of the boat in strong wind and high chop. Quite cozy in that bunk…see when we can get into Port Moller! I might have to stay on the boat for a while with AC and Tony, not the worst place to hang out, as both are wonderful, very special people and quite entertaining! Thanks for looking after me and to take so good care of me, Tony and AC!

I might stop now writing my daily blog, as I consider this season on the northern section is over…I might post some sporadic entries and pics later when I am back online in Port Moller. Who knows when that might be…

Da er Vesterålen Padleklubb i gang med torsdagspadlingene igjen. Lavterskeltur! Det er egentlig alle torsdagspadlingene våre, men når vi skriver det i headingen så ser det ut til at flere tør å komme, så da gjør vi det innimellom.

Vi ble totalt seks stykker i dag, det er ikke verst på første etter ferien. Lite vind var det også, selv om det noen steder i området blåste friskt. Det gjør det ikke i le.

Det var for mye vind til en tur til Gjæva i dag, noen hadde jo lurt på om det ble tur i det hele tatt. Men vi tok en tur bort til Risøya, da hadde vi le bortover. Der er det jo også fint, med alle strendene.

Gjengen hadde god kontroll på kajakkene sine, skegjustering og det som var. Ingen på vilstrå eller noe som helst svinn.

Det er nå litt kort å padle bare til stranden her? Jo, vi padler rundt øya i tillegg, om ikke det har blitt ufyselige forhold på andre siden. Men padler vi på lesiden først så er det jo bare å se det an før vi runder.

Det var fine forhold. Litt skvalp, men ikke noe store problemer. Vi kjørte på, og kom oss fint rundt.

Anki kommer nok aldri til å elske den kajakken, men til å ikke være bestekompis med den så gikk det da strålende.

Selv om det gikk byger rundt oss og ennå var noe vind, så var temperaturen fin. Så vi kunne stå en god stund på land og skravle før det begynte å bli kjølig. Veldig uvant, så det var bare å nyte! Slett ikke sikkert det er sånn neste gang. (Plan A, Gjæva, i bakgrunnen. Den var kassert.)

Etter en stund kjente vi at det var på tide å komme oss i retur, det var noen mørke skyer som nærmet seg faretruende også.

Den typen her. Men det hørtes ikke ut for å være tordenvær i hvert fall.

Etter en stund begynte det å regne! Hurra! Endelig fikk jeg bruk for - OG hadde med - sydvesten! Den jeg fikk i Tromsø! Riktig farge og alt.

Det eneste var at jeg ikke egentlig trengte å holde håret tørt, for jeg skulle uansett øve på rulle og sånt når vi kom forbi grunna... Men det var gøy med sydvest likevel. Jeg rullet og det gikk aldeles strålende. Jeg fikk nemlig også til å sculle, begynne med sculling og så videre opp. Som om jeg aldri hadde ikke kunne det, liksom. Men rulle på vrangsiden var ikke lett, for jeg kom ikke ned! Jeg klarte reentry på vrangsiden, men når jeg satt oppreist og skulle gå rundt, så kom jeg ikke ned noen av gangene jeg prøvde. Begriper ikke hvorfor, det gikk helt fint på andre siden. Jaja. Bare å bytte side, så gikk det bra.

Som sagt, det regnet «litt». Etter hvert skikkelig plaskregn rett og slett.

Jeg er ikke storbegeistret for regn på slutten av turer og spesielt ikke når jeg skal ha (tørre) ting fra kajakken til bilen, men det var lite å gjøre med. Det var vel dessuten min feil som brukte tid på rulling og greier. Jaja.

Fint å komme seg på padletur igjen. Artig med to helt nye, og artig med to gamle som har flytta men stakk innom på tur når de er tilbake på ferie. Artig at folk får ting til selv om de ikke er helt kompis med kajakken også. ;)

Takk for turen, Anki, Anja, Trond, Eirik og Hanna. :)

Jacob havde arrangeret begyndertur i NKC med temaet: Brug af finne. Inden turen tegnede og fortalte Jacob om kajakken og den måde fart, vind og finne påvirker kajakken.
Det var en større flok der gik på vandet, og med baglænsroere og en del motorbåde på kanalen, var der lidt "rod". Jeg samlede flokken og fortalte hvordan vi bør forholde os - orientere os, ikke krydse over kanalen lige foran andre, holde os inde i højre side i forhold til roretningen og ellers passe på os selv.

Efter samling ved kanalmundingen og instruktion fra Jacob roede vi i pæn sidevind med og uden finne - alle fandt vist ret hurtigt ud af hvor vigtig den korrekte indstilling af finnen var for ligeudroning. Herefter stod den på modvindsroning.

Flere havde problemer med at dreje kajakkerne op mod vinden, og jeg fortalte et par stykker, at de ikke skulle prøve at rotere kajakken med forlæns og baglæns rotag, men i stedet få noget fart i kajakken så spidsen kunne bide sig fast i vandet ved kun at ro med fejetag i den ene side og gerne kante lidt - og så lige huske at få finnen op. Hele tre ting på en gang - men det hjalp!
En Baffin kajak havde problemer med snoretrækket til finnen, men med hjælp af en schweizerkniv med indbygget skruetrækker fik vi fikset en nødreparation.
Vi holdt en lille pause i læ foran Gavnø inden turen gik hjemover i medvind. Det gik fint, Finnen ned og af sted - medvind er en herlig ting
Jacob, Henrik og jeg nuppede et par rul, da vi nåede tilbage til kanalen.

10 km

Pos: 56.5160,-159.8679
Loc: somewhere close to a river
Acc: Hilleberg Keron 4 tent
Dist: 24,7 km
Start: 09:45 End: 18:15 4hrs break

Tony stayed with his boat all night just across our camp, good to know he was already there. We were packed and ready to go by 8 am, when we saw him already in his small red inflatable dinghi rowing the mere kilometer across to our beach. Seas were calm, wind low, so ideal conditions. The shore dumper was negotiable.

I caught Tony’s bow of his red floating rubber device, he timed it well through the moderate dumper. He was clad in a red diving dry suit, dark sunglasses and a black pirate scarf on his bold head to rescue the “Damsels in Distress”…a pity I didn’t have to get “rescued”… Thanks so much for your help, Tony! We are so grateful to eventually be able to get away from here!

We loaded Natalie’s gear on the rubber dinghi, while I had my kayak loaded with my regular gear to continue solo. I launched my heavy kayak through the dumper with some nice pushing help from Natalie and Tony. He swam a short bit out with my two floating wreck pieces so I could take them on the tow. Both Natalie and Tony then pushed the heavy loaded dinghi through the dumper, and while Natalie had some slight difficulties to climb in, grab the small oars and to push off the shore dumper, Tony acted in the water with fins as the “stern out-boarder”. No space for both of them in there…

Natalie had to rearrange some gear bags to be able to row somehow efficiently, while getting drifted with the current towards the anchoring “Nancy Gayle”, with “pirate” crew member AC waiting on deck for us. I couldn’t help but laugh about this floating combo…me in my spare kayak with my two wreck pieces in tow, Natalie as the pirate bride with waving blonde hair, rowing a bit distressed a with “prey” heavy loaded small inflatable red rubber boat with kind of toy oars out to the pirate ship, the pirate captain in the water pushing his bride and prey to safety. Just a black and white “Jolly Rodger” pirate flag with crossed bones and AC’s single eye cover was missing…LOL!!!

AC and Tony salvaged first the contents of the dingi, then both Natalie and Tony finally entered the ship on some high swell in a slight bit inelegant style, rolling over board to AC’s feet and helpful hands. They hauled up the dinghi and strapped it to the top of a structure on the aft deck. Everything and everyone was safe on board! Now it was me to near the other side of the boat, and Tony and AC were lifting my two wreck pieces up the high board. I released Natalie’s tow belt, and that was my cut to to my rescue team! Thanks so much to Tony and AC to pick Natalie up!

I was by myself again. I just felt one issue…I must ave pulled one side of my lower back muscles on my pounding in the surf on m crash landing…paddling on my left side is painful if I like to rotate and use my left leg…especially on acceleration out from zero…when I am movin, it’s ok, but I can’t say I can pull off speed records today…

But just kind of those were required today, as NE headwinds breezed soon up to 12 and then 15 knots with the change of the tide to ebbing, and I felt soon that ebb tide, headwind and pulled muscles were not a good match with my speed going under 4 km/h. not worth the effort. I stopped in low surf, and decided to have a 4-hrs break around the peak ebb current. I’d be better not wasting my energy, and would best paddle in the evening flood current. Can’t say I fancy two sections of paddling per day…but I urgently wanted to make some progress! I put on my wind breaker overcag to stay warm, and went for a walk in search of glass balls. I was landing at a tiny air stripe, marked by a diagonal in the ground stuck big pole with a long rope and buoy on the lower end. Two red buoys mark the start end end of the air strip. Obviously a combined emergency landing site and flying off stripe for fishermen in distress…

I found my first glass ball just besides the long rope, and three more not far away from the spot. I thought I’s soon need a glass ball tender to dump my “catch”, my backpack won’t be enough like last time with Michal beach combing, but that was it…sometimes strange. I had some fun forming some beach art out of the long rope, I am wondering if the next fish and game plane will recognize the change…today I had three times a low flying red-and-white plane, obviously those guys checking on the fishing boats.

I sat down on my kayak and munched in some super-yummy smoked salmon stripes, beef jerky and Mango crackers…thanks, Tony! I won’t starve with this much being looked after! But my energy and motivation level was a bit low due to my back pain, headwind, counter current and the feeling of paddling solo now again despite the plan was a different one…ok, at 5 pm, I was back in my kayak! No bear helped me with my salmon and beef jerky, I only saw one early while still paddling.

But the next hour didn’t feel much better and only slight it faster with speed around 4 km/h…is this fucking wind not calming down soon? And where is the current helping me? I felt I rather ran out of energy and decided to land. 25 mere kilometer today… I expected a slight it more, but I better go with the flow…at least I four new glass balls…kind of a currency to pay helpful fishermen…???

I landed and camped close to some estuary river, hmmmm, deepest darkest bear territory…but what’s it worth…it was rather later deepest darkest no-seeum territory when I opened the tent for a look outside in darkness! Bugger… no bug spray with me yet, have not needed it nowhere yet…so my odor- and color free wound disinfectant spray had to do a halfway reasonable job…good night…itch, itch, itch…

Mycket bär ger godisremmar! Nu när det är, och har varit, bärsäsong är det perfekt att göra bärremmar! Bärremmar är perfekt utegodis oavsett om man paddlar, vandrar, lufsar, promenerar, skidar osv. Ja, de funkar alldeles utmärkt i soffan oxå. Ja, det sistnämnda har vi hört av en kompis alltså 😉 Plocka bär eller shoppa om ... Läs mer...

Inlägget Bärremmar dök först upp på kajak.nu.

I don’t know what to say that hasn’t been said already. I’m not even sure if there are words that can really describe the depth of what is happening here.

J35, a 20-year-old orca also known as Tahlequah, is a member of the resident population of Salish Sea orcas and gave birth on July 24th to a female calf that survived for less than an hour. When the newborn died, its mother began to carry it as she swam, pushing it to the surface as if to will it to breathe, its grief all too obvious and familiar to anyone who was watching.

And seventeen days later, J35 is still out there, still swimming with her dead calf in a marathon of pain that has been reported around the world. It’s a sad situation and it hurts to watch, yet it is hard to look away.

Still, I can’t help thinking that the real tragedy is what is going on in the background, the fact that there are only 75 orca left in the three sub-pods that call the area home.  Few of those are of breeding age, and all of them are slowly starving to death because of the dearth of salmon, their sole food source. It’s a case of one endangered species that depends on another endangered species for its very existence, not a very viable proposal. The declining salmon stocks are a result of overfishing, pollution and other human activity and combined with vessel noise that makes it more difficult for the whales to track and find the fish that do remain, the picture is a grim one. While we mourn with the grieving mother, everything else we do is combining to eliminate the entire population.

That’s a hard truth. That mother, who is still out there this morning somewhere, still carrying the broken body of its child, is also carrying a message for each of us. Whether we really hear it and what we are prepared to do with it… I guess those are the things we should be considering very carefully right now.

After a year and a half of work I am proud to announce the release of my next book. GO! Planning weekend trips to month long adventures.


Go! gives you a framework to plan adventures from a weekend in length to a month long monster trip. The book uses three trips to illustrate how to use the framework, a weekend hiking on the AT, a week long cycle packing trip on the blue ridge parkway, and a month long kayak trip in Alaska.

The book covers everything from how to come up with ideas for your trips, and what keeps people from doing big trips. To the details of gear needs, food requirements, meal planning, and the physical prep needed to accomplish our goals. It even discusses how to debrief a trip to learn from mistakes and capitalize on successes.

I had the assistance of both a personal trainer and a nutritionist, as well as several consultants in areas outside my scope of experience, like packing a bike for a multiday trip.

Take a journey with me, through these three trips, so you can take a journey on your own. Safely, while pushing your skill set to a new level.

GO! is available now, on Amazon and the iBookstore.

Pos: 56.4055,-160.1148
Loc: Cape Seniavin
Acc: Hilleberg Keron 4 tent

last day weatherbound with broken kayak

The last day of our unwanted asylum here…tomorrow Tony will come with his fishing boat, row or swim out with dry suit, fins and his small inflatable dinghi, and “rescue” Natalie and her gear. I will probably tow out my two handy, still floating wreck pieces…I always wanted a two-pieces kayak LOL. Tony promised to take care of it also. He is thinking about fiber glassing it back together…not sure if he will still think the same if he sees it. The wreck will either be displayed at Port Moller’s boardwalk, or he will be able to reanimate my baby and it will be his…though probably not as an expedition kayak any more.

I will keep on paddling by myself…not really my plan for the final leg on my northern end for this season, but getting another kayak up here would be taking way too long. I’m so sorry for Natalie’s early end of this trip, and am apologizing once more for my crash landing, but the sea had it’s word. One more close inspection of my wreck confirmed once more it was mainly the already previously weakened fore deck which didn’t withstand the heavy shower I got in.

I stripped the last pieces of my wrecked kayak, though keeping all pieces together, in case it will get back alive. We had another long beach walk in lovely windy sunshine, and found four more glass balls, and a HUGE golf ball…well, rather a net buoy. No bears today…just a fox around the tent. I sorted out the surplus food, and we are both overall ready to keep going on our unfortunately now separate journeys…we might do sometimes another leg together!