Kayaking and Guiding

Sea Kayaking

I have been on various sea kayaking expeditions, including an 80-mile solo sea kayaking trip through Prince William Sound. I have worked as a sea kayaking guide¹ in Alaska for Paddler’s Realm, taking people out to sea eagles, whales, and calving glaciers in the Alaska wilderness. I have also spent hundreds of days kayak surfing and rock gardening on the rugged Oregon coast. In the summer of 2015, I assisted in the administration and execution of a 10-day canoe meditation retreat through the canyons of Utah, run by Johann Robbins / Impermanent Sangha Retreats.

Guiding work

• Sea kayak wilderness guide, Paddler’s Realm, Whittier, Alaska, 2017-2019, 2021
• Assistant, 10-day canoe meditation retreat through canyons of Southern Utah, 2015

Certifications

• Wilderness First Responder²
• BCU Foundation Safety and Rescue Certification
• BCU 3 Star Sea Certification
• BCU Coastal Navigation and Tidal Planning

Training

• AIARE Level 1 and Mountain Medicine Course, Silverton Colorado, 2016
• BCU Sea Leader / 4 star Training with Ginni Callahan in Baja
• BCU Sea Paddler Training with Ginni Callahan in Baja
• IWLS 12-day Sea Kayaking Leadership and Guide training class
• EMT Basic, Houston, 2005³

Kayaking coaches, mentors, and friends include Ginni Callahan of Sea Kayak Baja Mexico, Bill Vonnegut of Pacific Coastal Kayaking, Ryan Collins of Paddler’s Realm, and Scott Dahlquist of Next Level Kayak.

80-mile Solo Sea Kayaking in Prince William Sound

Here is my route. I was dropped off by Ryan Collins of Paddler’s Realm in Icy Bay near Nassau Fjord. Over the next 8 days I paddled back 80-miles to Whittier and Passage Canal. The weather was merciful and the paddling was easy. Only a couple crossings of a few miles that I needed to time with tides and weather. My stove broke on the third day, but fortunately I had some prepackaged and canned foods I could eat.

1. Guiding people in the Alaskan wilderness is an incredible opportunity to develop leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills. When the weather’s great, it’s easy. But the weather is often not great. And then one has to be able to take care of people, motivate them, and keep their spirits up when it’s 40-degrees Fahrenheit with 15 knots of wind. ↩︎
2. Certification has lapsed ↩︎
3. Certification has lapsed ↩︎