ileneinakayak

INSPIRATION FOR A CARIBBEAN WINTER HOLIDAY

Hi there! I’m getting amped up for another tropical season of paddling and adventuring in the Caribbean of Panama. To get you excited I’m here to inspire you with some scenes that will have you feeling a warm sea breeze on your sun-kissed skin. Close your eyes and you’ll hear the soothing sounds of palm fronds shaking in the breeze, and small waves lapping against the shore. Imagine sun-warmed white sand between your toes. Look around and you’ll see colorful hammocks swaying underneath bunches of Coconuts, while kayaks wait to take you on an adventure. Enjoy!

There are still spaces available on an upcoming Yoga/Sea Kayak/SUP/Snorkel Adventure Retreat January 6 – 14, 2018. More info can be found here.

Our beautiful living room on Misdup
Tropical paradise, Guna Yala
Life doesn’t get much better, Guna Yala
Watching Guna fishermen
Nap time
Tropical sunset
Paddle break
Paradise ahead!
I love snorkeling!
Just pulling into shore
Enjoying the crystalline waters
Nice view!
Sunset in paradise
Paddling heaven
Doesn’t get much better than this
Enjoying the afternoon paddle
Suzannah getting her beads on!
Dinner!
Ice cold Balboa, a Panamanian favorite
How did I get so lucky again?
Nemesio, Bidirdup
Loving life in tropical paradise
Walking upriver is quite the adventure
Large and small discoveries await you
I think I’ll take a seat right here

Contact me for more information on how to create the trip-of-a-lifetime in Alaska and Panama. Thanks for checking in! Stay tuned for more on my blog.

PACK YOUR BAGS. PANAMA IS WHERE IT’S AT! (part 1)

Guides

Kayak guides celebrating another season

Hi there! It’s been a while. The end of my 6th season sea kayak guiding in Alaska sadly came to an end a few weeks ago. What an amazing season filled with adventure, wonderful clients, and exciting camping trips. The other kayak guides are all off to start new and exciting chapters of their lives. Whether staying in Valdez to enjoy backcountry skiing and ice climbing, which Valdez is a world class destination, or venturing off to Idaho, California, Utah, New Zealand, or Central and South America, we all share a tight bond formed in Prince William Sound.

 

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Dalton and I topping out in City of Rocks, Idaho

As for me: Since I’ve left Alaska I have been road tripping with a fellow kayak guide through Washington, Idaho and Utah, mostly rock climbing (Leavenworth, WA and City of Rocks, ID) and hotspringing (Idaho is amazing for this!). I am currently in Park City, Utah, recertifying my Wilderness First Responder (medical training). As much as I love sea kayaking, the shoulder season sure is fun, when I get to experience other places and activities!

PANAMA, HERE I COME!

I’m getting excited for the upcoming paddling season in Panama. There is still space on an all-inclusive 9-day sea kayak and yoga retreat. This is a wonderful opportunity for people of all experience levels to escape to warm, tropical sea breezes and to do something healthy and nourishing to welcome 2018! This trip explores both Caribbean and Pacific coasts and also includes touring a scenic area of Panama City, stand-up paddling, snorkeling, and a visit to the famous Panama Canal. Contact me for more information (but hurry, as it’s right around the corner and space is limited!).

Yoga-Kayak

Here are some scenes that await you in Panama!

Life doesn’t get much better, Guna Yala
I love snorkeling!
Visit to the Panama Canal

WANT TO EXPERIENCE MORE OF PANAMA?

I figured that most people who join this trip will travel from pretty far away and will want to extend their stay in Panama, which is an incredible and diverse country that has a variety of unique and beautiful areas with fun activities to check out. I’ve been going to Panama since 2010, and each visit I discover new places that I love, as well as make annual trips to my favorite spots, where I’ve developed close connections with the people there. Here are a few of my favorite discoveries. (It was hard to choose just a few.)

GET YOUR CITY FIX: PANAMA CITY

Most likely you’ll fly into Tocumen International Airport, and it’s worth it to spend a couple of days exploring this modern and colorful city, located right on the Pacific Coast.

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Panama City

Fresh ceviche
Seafood Market
Casco Viejo, Panama City
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Fishing boats at the Mercado del Mariscos

The yoga/sea kayak retreat does include some of the best-to-do in Panama City, including a visit to the famous Panama Canal and museum, as well as an overnight and farewell dinner in Casco Viejo (a charming “Old City” on the waterfront, also where the President resides). More time spent in this area offers visits to historical sites, churches, museums, theaters, beautiful plazas, galleries, and some of the best options to dine on Panamanian cuisine and to shop for traditional crafts from all over Panama. There are many colorful craft markets to enjoy. One of my favorite spots is the Mercado Del Mariscos (Seafood Market), where you can eat as much fresh seafood as you like, while you watch fishing boats bring in the fresh catch-of-the-day, while Pelicans dive all over the place. I like to sample the different kinds of ceviche. This is extremely popular for both tourists and Panamanians.

Craft market in Casco Viejo
View of the Bridge of the Americas

I have spent hours strolling along the Cinta Costera, a long path right along the coast, which is very popular among Panamanians to spend time with their families, as well as a popular biking, jogging, and exercising strip. The Cinta, as it is often referred, will take you all the way to the Amador Causeway, a narrow land-bridge, built with rocks excavated during the construction of the Panama Canal, that connects the continent with four islands next to the Pacific Ocean entrance to the Canal. Here you will find lots of restaurants, shops, and the Biomuseo, the Biodiversity Museum (the colorful building in the bottom left photo).

Cinta Costera

Amador Causeway

 

If you’d like to take in great views of the city, as well as get exercise and see wildlife without leaving the city, head to the Parque Metropolitano, which is an unspoilt tract of tropical rainforest that is home to more than two hundred species of birds and mammals, including Geoffroy’s tamarin monkeys, white-tailed deer, sloths and agoutis.

Beautiful vista in El Parque Metropolitano

HEAD TO THE MOUNTAINS: SANTA FE

If cool mountain air, more solitude, and adventure is your style, head to Santa Fe in the province of Veraguas, about 5 hours from Panama City. I love this small mountain town and make a trip here each year. Some of the activities here are swimming, rafting or tubing down one of the many unspoiled rivers (lots of waterfalls!), horseback riding, hiking through virgin rain forest as far as the Caribbean coast, birding, and visiting organic (coffee, flowers, and produce) farms and orchid gardens.

Santa Fe
Hiking to an organic farm
Fresh oranges anyone?
Guided by a local, friends and I on a waterfall hike outside Santa Fe, Panama

Whenever I’m in Santa Fe I love to stay at Hostal La Qhia, a beautiful mountain retreat, which offers tranquil respite from the bustle of the city. This is a great place to launch local adventures and you will find lots of information (and maps) there about what to do in the area. You can conveniently arrange tours here as well. The above photos are from my last visit (Dec ’16) with my good friends, Jared and Suzannite. We hiked through a beautiful mountainous landscape to an organic farm, where we sampled delicious and fresh food and coffee, as well as hired a local guide to take us to gorgeous waterfalls.

Relaxing in a cool mountain pool
Beautiful Santa Fe
Organic farm outside Santa Fe

We also discovered the most amazing Cambodian food that I’ve ever eaten at Anachoreo Cambodian Restaurant, which also offers lodging. We were so delighted to discover such authentic food so far away from Cambodia, that we ate there two nights in a row!

REMOTE BEACHES, TRADITION, ADVENTURE & CONSERVATION: AZUERO PENINSULA

The Azuero Peninsula, which many Panamanians proudly refer to as the “heartland” of their country, was a new discovery for me, filled with many unexpected and memorable experiences. This area is extremely rich in tradition, folklore, farming, and partying! That’s right, you will find town-wide parties every weekend (probably multiple parties a week if you’re really gung-ho!) with traditional live music and all-night dancing. Not to mention sampling Panama’s Seco Herrerano, something of which they are also very proud of. Seco is a white spirit distilled from sugarcane. We became friends with a family who invited us to a couple of these parties. Talk about dancing all night! My friends and I were also the only non-Panamanians at these parties. . . I’m talkin’ authentic Panamanian partying!

Traditional Panamanian music

Heading south my friends Jeff, Jared, and I took multiple buses down the western coast of the Azuero Peninsula, an area of great beauty (and remoteness in many parts). We stayed at a lovely locally-owned place in the small beach town of Malena called Hostal Iguana Verde. Upon our arrival the hostal owner, Anna, invited us to join her to liberate dozens of newborn sea turtles to Mama Mar (Mother Sea). What an experience! Anna is part of a group of local conservationists who strive to increase the survival rate of these sea turtles. You can easily get involved in a project like this. Visit the Facebook page for Marine Turtle Conservation Panama for info on how to get involved. It feels good to help out such a worthy cause while you’re on vacation! Plus, these sea turtles are ridiculously adorable.

Saludos! At Hostal Iguana Verde
Hostal Iguana Verde in Malena
Anna, releasing newborn turtles
A newborn turtle
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Go little buddy, go!

From Malena it is a short ride to another, more developed beach town called Mariato, which offers a variety of accommodations and activities, especially surfing. Anna told us it was possible to walk along the beach from Mariato back to Malena, so we enjoyed an afternoon sampling food and beer (some of the best fried fish I’ve ever had, and patacones) to fuel up for a gorgeous sunset beach hike.

Jeff feasting on patacones and fried fish
Cooling off in the river
Beach stroll from Mariato to Malena
Sunset beach stroll from Mariato to Malena
River in Mariato

GET REMOTE: CERRO HOYA NATIONAL PARK

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The boys get loaded in with the pigs, Las Flores

Continue farther down the peninsula if you really want to get remote adventure! I had read about an infrequently visited National Park called Cerro Hoya. You’ve got to make sure you catch the sometimes only once-a-day bus to a tiny end-of-the-road town called Las Flores. (There are more populated and accessible routes and towns on the eastern side of the Azuero Peninsula.) Created in 1984, this 80,450-acre national park contains some of the last remaining primary forest on the Azuero Peninsula. Until recently, the park was extremely difficult to reach and only explored by intrepid travelers. We got off the bus and immediately met a friendly pig farmer named Rueben, and his son, Ruebencito, who loaded Jeff and Jared into the back of their truck with the pigs (to my extreme delight and amusement – they made me sit comfortably in the front, the pig-free seating). We were welcomed into their home by Rueben’s wife, Celmira, where we stayed for a few days and enjoyed river walks, traditional food, and becoming part of their family.

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Las Flores, Azuero Peninsula

Jeff and Jared being fed, Las Flores
Resting after a hike, Las Flores
Hiking in Las Flores
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The pig farmer, our guide, and new friend, Rueben

Hiking upriver, Las Flores
We found a waterfall!

It would be hard to write here how to be in touch with Rueben and his wonderful family, who are very interested in tourism and acting as local hosts and guides to those adventurous travelers who wish to get an authentic and off-the-beaten-path experience. Contact me for more information. It was well worth the travel and planning to get to this beautiful and remote part of Panama. Jared and I have a plan to return to Las Flores and buy a few pigs for a giant pig roast for the whole town! You’re invited:)

I know I said I’d only highlight just a few places in Panama, but as I write this I still have more places that I’m itching to write about. I will be continuing my “Panama Is Where It’s At” series. So look forward to more about Panama, as well as Alaska (because Alaska is where it’s at also!).

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Columbia Bay, Prince William Sound, Alaska

I will sign off by saying that of all the places in Panama that I have visited, Guna Yala (San Blas Islands) remains my all-time favorite place. This is where I guide sea kayak tours in the winter and this is where the sea kayak portion of the aforementioned retreat will be held. This is why: It is one of the most spectacular places for sea kayaking. The Guna are my favorite people. It’s as simple as that. Click here for more info on Guna Yala.

Paradise, Guna Yala
Cute Guna boys “tormenting” Jared, Guna Yala

Thank you for reading. I hope you are inspired to join me January 6 – 14, 2018, and that you visit more of the beautiful country of Panama. Stay tuned for more blog posts. You can also follow Ileneinakayak on Instagram and Facebook.

 

 

 

 

TROPICAL PADDLING & YOGA: A MATCH MADE IN PARADISE

MARK YOUR CALENDARS: JANUARY 6 – 14, 2018 CARIBBEAN & PACIFIC OF PANAMA

ALL INCLUSIVE~YOGA~SEA KAYAKING~SUP~SNORKELING~PANAMA CANAL

Yoga in paradise
Enjoying the crystalline waters

Book by Sept. 15th for the Early Bird Special! Contact me.

Perfecto
Dinner!
Relaxation awaits, Guna Yala

I know, I know. . . summer isn’t over yet! Although, here in Valdez, new snow on the mountaintops greeted us yesterday morning. All the more reason I’ve started daydreaming of colorful hammocks beneath swaying Palm Trees, sipping from coconuts, kayaking in flip flops and a bathing suit, and practicing some nourishing yoga!

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Chillin’ out, relaxin’ all cool. . . on the island of Misdup

September is right around the corner, a time when school starts up again and calendars get filled before you know it. That’s why I’m encouraging you to set aside this week to treat yourself to an adventure in Panama. You might enjoy your fall work days more knowing what you’ve got coming up in January. At least it’ll make the shorter days more tolerable:)

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Treat yourself. . . you deserve it

Not a kayaker? No problem. Been meaning to start doing yoga but wouldn’t know downward-facing dog from warrior pose? No worries. Never left your hometown? Think nothing of it! Newbies and those who are more experienced will find that this trip was created with everyone in mind. After all, there was a time when I sat down in a kayak for the very first time (now I’ve been guiding for 6 years) and did my first downward-facing dog. I will be joined by founder of Yoga Currents, long-time yoga instructor and seasoned kayak guide, Leigh Lubin. We’re here to ensure that everyone who joins us has a spectacular and unforgettable time. It’s time to plan your winter holiday in paradise. What could be better than treating yourself to a nourishing, sunny, tropical get-away? Click here for more info and a detailed trip itinerary.

Amazing snorkeling in the Caribbean
Plenty of time for water breaks
SUP in the Pacific

Why yoga and sea kayaking in Panama together? It’s a match made in tropical heaven. . . they’re perfect for each other. A beautiful retreat on the Pacific side offers tranquility and beauty, an ideal setting to sink in and reap the benefits of a yoga practice. Then we’ll travel to the Caribbean coast, where the San Blas Islands (called Guna Yala) offers us the perfect location for sea kayaking and beach yoga, as this tropical archipelago is comprised of hundreds of palm tree-dotted islands.

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Tropical Paradise, Guna Yala

I’ve been practicing yoga on my own (my active lifestyle of moving every 5 months hasn’t quite allowed for much time in a yoga studio) for only a few years. Like many people, it took me a couple of years to begin to scratch the surface of all of the amazing benefits of yoga, from the physical to the sometimes more subtle emotional and mental ones. Yoga isn’t only something that I love because it feels amazing, but I consider it an important part of my life as a professional kayak guide, a job that is extremely physically demanding. And now that I’ve entered my 30’s it’s become even more important to grow my yoga practice (what I mean is, I ain’t gettin’ any younger!). I spend about half of each year sitting in a kayak, paddling for hours and hours, loading and unloading hundreds of pounds of gear into boats on camping trips, carrying these heavy kayaks and gear up and down docks and beaches, and bending over a lot to assist my guests getting in and out of their kayaks. But I absolutely love what I do and I want to be able to go kayaking when I’m a little old lady, like Ernestina (below left), who thoroughly enjoyed her first time in a kayak! Also noteworthy is the group of 11 women ages 55-75 (right photo), who joined me in the Caribbean for a paddling adventure earlier in 2017. You can bet some of those ladies practice yoga!

Ernestina, my “little old lady” hero, tries out kayaking for the first time
Team meeting

Even if a busy day allows for just 10 minutes of stretching, this will have a positive impact on how my body fares as a guide. You’ll be amazed at how good it will make you feel too. It’s important to awaken and enliven the muscles each day, as well as strengthen and lengthen them. I feel stronger and more flexible now than I did as a 20-year old, before I started doing yoga.

I love snorkeling!
How did I get so lucky again?

Here’s what Leigh has to say about the benefits of yoga, as well as some insight into why practicing yoga for four days prior to going kayaking on our trip will revitalize you and leave you feeling like a better and more open version of yourself:

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Tropical sunset, Guna Yala

Yoga can make the difference between feeling fluid, alive, healthy, connected, and having fun or not. On this retreat we’ll create space in the hips so it’s easier to stay upright in your boat. Tap into your support instead of fighting it! We will strengthen the core and stimulate innate energetic pathways that move supportive energy upwards to sustain you from the inside. We’ll learn to internally float over our pelvis, riding our own inner waves and wind, as we increase shoulder mobility and strength. By the time you get to your kayak you’ll feel stable, fluid, grounded, engaged, and playful. We’ll take those feelings to sea.

During the sea kayaking portion, you’ll enjoy playful white sand beach yoga sessions to stay supple and strong throughout the trip. Yoga and sea kayaking are the perfect opportunities to sink in, revitalize, discover, and connect to yourself and the wonders of the sea!

Pre-SUP meditation
“We’d like a table on the water, por favor.”
Tropical fish, here I come!
Downward-Dog break
Underwater magic

We’ll also be eating fresh, healthy food on this trip, as well as doing other fun activities, such as standup paddling, snorkeling, hanging with the Guna (the indigenous group who live on the Caribbean islands who I’ve worked with for the past 4 years and who we’ll be visiting), exploring the scenic Casco Viejo (“Old Town”) on the waterfront in Panama City, and visiting the famous Panama Canal. All of these are included in the trip. See you in Panama!

Join us
Guna Yala paddling

 

AN ODE TO ICE: AN ALASKAN PADDLER’S RESPONSE TO THE MASSIVE ANTARCTIC ICE CALVING

Columbia Bay
Columbia Bay
Face of Meares Glacier
Calving at Meares Glacier

July 12, 2017: I came into the kitchen, still stretching the sleep from my body, to greet my housemate, who announced the news that an iceberg the size of Delaware has broken free from the Larsen C Ice Shelf in Antarctica. “It’s 2,300 square miles,” he told me.  “It was already floating though, so apparently won’t make global sea levels rise.”

The 2,300 square mile iceberg that broke free from the Larsen C Ice Shelf in Antarctica          Photo credit: John Sonntag/NASA

I didn’t have much time to chat or research this massive calving event for myself, as I had a trip to Columbia Glacier that day. (Nor is this blog a scientific report on this massive calving event. Refer to the end of my last blog post for links with more information and a video about it.) However, later that afternoon, as I stood atop a hill overlooking the impressive iceberg-filled bay in front of Columbia Glacier, the largest tidewater glacier in Prince William Sound, my clients and I reflected on how wondrous a thing it is to witness the incredible natural phenomenon of tons of ice floating in the water right in front of our eyes. “I feel lucky to see so many glaciers in Alaska, especially here [Columbia Bay], where we can witness how drastically the landscape has so recently changed from the retreat of this glacier,” a client mused.  “What an amazing experience to get to paddle around all of this ice!”

Columbia Bay
Columbia Bay

The iconic Columbia Glacier, which started a catastrophic retreat in the early 1980’s when it broke free from its’ terminal moraine, (a deposit of land debris -rocks, gravel, sand, clay, boulders- left over from a glacier) is currently about 14 miles further back in the bay from the moraine. For most people that I take sea kayaking in Columbia Bay, they are paddling around icebergs that are grounded on the moraine that were under the glacier in their lifetimes! That always gives them something fascinating to ponder.

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The iconic Columbia Glacier

For most people on this planet, however, their relationship with ice goes no further than what they slip on shuffling to their car in the cold winter months, or what gets plopped into their cocktail glasses at the bar, or lemonade glasses (if they’re under 21, of course). Or maybe they’ve skated across a frozen lake (for all you northerners or Canadians), or sang along to the songs in Frozen (although, I prefer Happy Feet). Or maybe it’s only on a computer screen or spread across the pages of a glossy National Geographic magazine, where they’ve witnessed the myriad blue patterns on icebergs.

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What a beauty! Columbia Bay

I, however, am fortunate enough to return to Columbia Bay, as well as other glaciers in and around Valdez, on a daily basis. This allows me plenty of time to reflect on my own experiences in the wonderful world of ice. And for anyone who has paddled with me, I make it quite evident how much I LOVE ice. On more than a few occasions I have been hurried along by my own clients to stop photographing icebergs so we can continue our paddle:) Visit my “Iceberg Gallery” to get a further glimpse of my love for this beautiful, freezing substance.

Columbia Bay
Columbia Bay
Face of Meares Glacier
Columbia Bay

Ice, beautiful ice, fills my world on most days. As a sea kayak guide in a part of Alaska that is no stranger to glaciers and iceberg-filled lakes and bays, I get to guide hundreds of clients throughout each season on many of their first experiences seeing, hearing, walking on, kayaking next to, touching, and even tasting ice. Oh, what a joy it is to see the pure delight in their faces when they discover how blue ice can appear, or how exciting it is to see a large iceberg split in half, sending lots of smaller pieces of ice crashing into the water. Many a time I have heard proclamations, even from 5-year-olds, of “this is the coolest thing I’ve ever seen in my life!”

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The face of Shoup Glacier

Ice on the moraine at Columbia Glacier
Columbia Bay
Columbia Bay
Columbia Bay

Check out this video from my YouTube Channel of kayaking in Columbia Bay.

 

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Photographing ice on the moraine in Columbia Bay

Just like life, people pretty quickly pick up on the fact that the ice is constantly changing, never appearing the same for more than a brief moment. That’s why I love paddling around so much. It’s a constant reminder that life is in a state of constant change. And that’s a beautiful thing. You can sit and watch an iceberg melt right in front of your eyes, morphing shape, color and size. You can fill your water bottle underneath a waterfall cascading down from an iceberg. You can hear the popping, sizzling, groaning, and hissing as air releases from air pockets in the ice. It’s an experience not to be missed in this lifetime.

Columbia Bay
Columbia Bay
Columbia Bay
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Peering into an ice chasm at the Valdez Glacier

Well, enough about my love for ice. Here’s a wild idea: come to Alaska and allow me the pleasure of paddling with you around ice, so that you may experience for yourself the wonderful world of frozen water! These people certainly loved it. The Sea Otters and Harbor Seals love it too.

Ice cave exploration at the Valdez Glacier
Providing protection from the rain at the Valdez Glacier
Root Glacier, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, Alaska
Nothing like iceberg sunbathing, Columbia Bay
“I must taset the ice”, Columbia Glacier
Shoup Glacier
Columbia Bay, Prince William Sound, Alaska
Sea Otter chilling out, Columbia Bay
Harbor Seal in Columbia Bay

As always, thanks for reading. I’ve just returned from a 3-day Shoup Glacier to Sawmill Bay trip and have a Glacier Island to Columbia Glacier 4-day trip coming up, so stayed tuned for a post about these.

 

A 5-DAY ALASKAN SEA KAYAKING ADVENTURE TO THE FACE OF COLUMBIA GLACIER

Preface: Enjoy this blog about an unforgettable adventure. Stick it out to the end to see my top two all-time favorite icebergs, and find out what finally merited busting out the emergency tequila:)

Photo is so nice, I had to use it twice. Cheers!

For five days in a row I awoke to the sound of two Brits giggling in their tent. That’s right. . . giggling like school children! (I don’t think they’d mind me saying so.) As I lit the stove to boil water for coffee, gazing out over the ice-filled bay in front of Columbia Glacier, I thought giddily to myself, “somewhere along the line I must’ve made a really good decision if this is what I do for my life’s work”!

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Our vessels of choice at our campsite in Columbia Bay

 

Double-bladed adventurers in Columbia Bay

I get to share with wonderful people the most beautiful places in the world using my favorite mode of transportation, sea kayaks. This trip, a five-day kayak and camping expedition starting on the south side of Glacier Island and finishing off with three amazing days exploring the recently-revealed landscape at the face of Columbia Glacier, was one of the best yet! A huge thank you and enthusiastic cheers goes out to my two clients, Rob and Anya, who just happened to squeeze in this kayak adventure amidst their lengthy motorcycle tour starting in Washington. Umm, yea. . . they’re kind of badasses on two wheels. Now they can proudly say they’re badasses with double-bladed paddles.

This is Alaska. . . coastal Alaska, so there’s no shame in saying that we experienced some pretty wet and cold conditions, however this was supplemented with sporadic sightings of what we called the strange yellow orb in the sky. No harm done though, as we equipped and dressed ourselves for the occasion. Anya made some important discoveries that wearing two pairs of wet weather gear is considered a norm. Well, why wouldn’t you wear two pairs of rain pants and two rain jackets? And this is where the impressive amount of giggling came into play. Rob and Anya maintained lively spirits, adventurous attitudes, and senses of humor that would have anyone laughing up a storm in any weather conditions. Yellow orb in the sky or not, the three of us had a blast!

Interestingly, both Rob and Anya were reading accounts of polar expeditions, and even though we might have been in cold and damp conditions, their daily updates of expedition parties having to winter in Polar pack ice, put into perspective how plush we had it. After all, we didn’t have to worry about getting scurvy or having to kill marine mammals to eat. In fact, Anya often commented on my seemingly bottomless “Mary Poppins-esque food bags”, from which I pulled out many a fresh vegetable and Prince William Sound delicacies, such as Sockeye Salmon fillets and Cod. We even ran into such good fortune (literally we ran into my friend’s boat as he was chucking shrimp heads into the water) as to receive the delicious gift of fresh Prawns. Now that was a sweet treat!

Doesn’t get much fresher than this!

I swear, there is a tent under all of those tarps

View from my sleeping bag. . . not bad

Preparing lunch under the strange yellow orb in the sky, Columbia Bay

Mountain Goats, from our kayaks, Columbia Bay

Along with spending time in the kitchen tent stuffing our faces with my delicious homemade meals, and getting warm and dry, we enjoyed many of the things that make a sea kayak expedition in Prince William Sound such a special and unique experience. We delighted in many wildlife sightings, such as a dozen Mountain Goats that we watched from our kayaks in Columbia Bay. We paddled past the Sea Lion haul-out on Glacier Island to enjoy these gregarious creatures, as well as saw lots of Tufted and Horned Puffins flying in and out of the sea caves that they nest in. Unfortunately, I couldn’t snap a photo of the flying birds. And, of course, we saw quite a few Harbor Seals and the adorable Sea Otter.

The grand finale, the show piece, the main exhibit, the pièce de résistance (you get the idea). . . Paddling through ice to land at a very recently-exposed beach (i.e. one year, as the glacier has retreated back up onto land in this area) between two branches of Columbia Glacier to scramble up rocks like Mountain Goats to set foot on the glacier and glimpse a view of the impressively expansive ice field. Run-on sentence? You betcha. Incredible experience that not many people have had nor will have (unless, of course, you book this trip with me)? Absolutely. This was actually my first time exploring this new terrain along with Rob and Anya, which made the excitement level exceptionally high. I’ve been known to get pretty giddy when I’m seeing something for the first time out there.

Standing on Columbia Glacier

That view from the top!

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Recently-exposed landscape at the face of Columbia Glacier

 

Looking back at Columbia Bay from on top of the glacier

Yes, that’s right, we luxuriated in Columbia Glacial Facials.

Gettin’ that baby’s bottom smooth skin

Now, as prefaced, I must share with you my second all-time favorite iceberg that I’ve ever encountered. Want to see my number one? I bet you do. Just look at it. My number one. We happened upon this beautiful piece of ice on the return paddle from the glacier face to camp. Rob and Anya had to pretty much pull me away from this beautiful iceberg.

The only way we could think to celebrate such an exciting day at the face of the largest tidewater glacier in Prince William Sound. . . Bust out the emergency tequila!

CHEERS!

Our fifth and final day, we paddled back down Columbia Bay, enjoying more ice and a waterfall. I will never tire of paddling around ice.

Getting drops on the camera at the waterfall in Heather Bay

The 12′ x 12′ Arctic Oven tent, my home-away-from-home-away-from-home

Well, there you go. How’s that for a memorable trip? After a five-day expedition of any sort most people want to shower, wash clothes, eat, and sleep. Rob and Anya gloriously completed the first three, then were adventurous (and surprisingly awake) enough to cram into the backseat of a car, drive out of town, and assist me in setting up my Arctic Oven, which is a 12′ x 12′ tent with a wood stove in it. Yea, it’s that plush in there. Upon completion of set-up we hauled four lawn chairs into it, cranked the stove, and commenced a giggle-fest about funny American and British terms.  I guess we all say the darndest things. Rob and Anya, you two are always welcome to come party in my vestibule:)

 

 

 

 

Thank you so much for reading. Check out my other blogs about exciting trips in both Alaska and Panama. Stay tuned for the next post. I will be paying homage to the beautiful and mesmerizing ice that I am fortunate enough to see and paddle around day after day. This is my way to commemorate the gigantic iceberg that recently broke free from the Larsen C ice shelf on the Antarctic Peninsula. Read more about this massive iceberg from NPR and NASA. And check out the video from The Guardian.

The massive crack first opened up in the Larsen C ice shelf back in 2014; by the end of last week, a roughly 3-mile sliver of ice was all that connected the iceberg to the shelf.
John Sonntag/NASA

As upset as some people might be from news like this, I grow more motivated and inspired by the opportunities to see ice, to paddle around ice, to photograph ice, and to touch the ice that is in my backyard of Valdez and Prince William Sound, Alaska. I do not take places like Columbia Glacier for granted, and I hope that you too, like Rob and Anya, will make the trip to Alaska to paddle around with me in the splendor of ice.

Columbia Bay
Columbia Bay
Meares Glacier
Columbia Bay

 

ANOTHER AMAZING SEA KAYAK CAMPING TRIP IN PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND, ALASKA

There are lots of waterfalls to see from your kayak

Evan and Katie enjoying the scenery

Greetings! I’ve been busy the past two weeks with lots of paddling (obviously), including two camping trips. This post is about one of them; another sea kayak camping trip with amazing clients, memories and scenery. Thank you to Evan and Katie, who joined me from Fairbanks for a three-day adventure out on Prince William Sound. Experienced backpackers and campers, these two wanted to get more experience in a sea kayak.

We began our trip right from the small boat harbor in Valdez, as Evan and Katie learned how to efficiently pack a sea kayak. We experienced a bit of a headwind for the first couple of hours as we made our way to Shoup Bay. They hung in there and we made it to the Inner Shoup Bay, where a view of Shoup Glacier made our efforts well worth it!

The beautiful Shoup Glacier

We set up camp right in front of the glacier, then hiked up to the face to explore and take a closer look at all the cool features there. Katie had said that all she wanted was to touch the glacier. So, of course, that is what we did! Shoup used to be a tidewater glacier, meaning the face (or terminus) sat in the sea water. The glacier has since retreated onto land again, allowing us the special opportunity to walk around at the face. We found a beautiful cave with a pool of water inside of it, pouring out as a powerful waterfall from underneath the glacier.

Making their way up to touch that glacier!

Exploring the lateral moraine of Shoup Glacier

Although I am missing the photo (I got distracted and forgot), we dined on salmon with a buttery tarragon sauce that I made, with rice and steamed broccoli. There’s no reason not to eat gourmet out there! With a screen tent to keep bugs and inclement weather out, a table and chairs, I feel as if we’re “glamping” out there. Sipping on cocktails and hot drinks from our comfy camp chairs, watching the glacier and snow-capped mountains, I don’t think any of us felt as if we were “roughin’ it” out there! We stayed up as late as we could (not very), laughing and telling our best adventure stories.

Day two we bid farewell to Shoup Glacier and paddled to our next destination, the lovely and serene Sawmill Bay. The coastline from Shoup to Sawmill is one of the prettiest in the port of Valdez, with many cascading waterfalls pouring thousands of feet from the glaciers above. We beat the afternoon winds through the Valdez Narrows and made it into Sawmill Bay earlier than expected, allowing us more time to relax and enjoy a short hike along the clear stream next to our campsite.

There are many waterfalls between Shoup and Sawmill Bays

Our third and final morning, we dined on a special culinary creation of S’mores Pancakes! We were glamping, after all. Katie loves s’mores (in fact, she carried her own stash on the trip), so I enjoyed whipping up this special breakfast that I had never made before. I think I’ll be making those again:) We then explored the rest of Sawmill Bay, enjoying the tranquility of floating in the calm waters, surrounded by mountains and watching wildlife from our boats. We saw lots of Bald Eagles being chased by brave Seagulls, as well as a Hooded Merganser with her following of eight little chicks. And Katie even got to enjoy a few hours of the freedom of solo paddling! It brought me a lot of joy to see her so excited to be in her own boat, able to go wherever she pleased. Perhaps two single kayaks are in the future for Evan and Katie:)

So cheers to another wonderful sea kayak camping trip in Prince William Sound. Thank you for reading and stay tuned for more exciting blogs from ileneinakayak. The next one (in a few days) will be about the other sea kayak camping trip that I most recently returned from; a five-day adventure from Glacier Island all the way up to the face of Columbia Glacier with two hilarious San Franciscan Brits. You won’t want to miss that one! Here’s a sneak peak of Rob and Anya standing on the mighty Columbia Glacier (a place where not many have stood before), looking south into Columbia Bay. They look pretty happy!

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SPACE AVAILABLE ON SEA KAYAK CAMPING TRIP IN PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND, ALASKA: SEE COLUMBIA GLACIER FACE!

JUNE 26TH – 30TH SPACE STILL AVAILABLE ON A 5-DAY SEA KAYAK CAMPING TRIP.  Join me with Anadyr Adventures on this unforgettable adventure as we paddle the rugged coastline of Glacier Island and to the face of Columbia Glacier, the largest tidewater glacier in Prince William Sound, Alaska. Highlights of this new itinerary are what makes this part of Alaska so exceptional and memorable; wildlife, rugged coastline, beautiful beaches with amazing views, sea caves, paddling amongst towering icebergs, remote campsites, and seeing Columbia Glacier up-close.

The face of Columbia Glacier

Iceberg paddling in Columbia Bay

Paddling in Columbia Bay
Columbia Bay
Columbia Bay

Sea Otter in Columbia Bay

Beautiful campsite

Sea Lion, Glacier Island

Puffins on Glacier Island

I will cook delicious and nutritious meals for you, as well as provide all of the camping and paddling equipment that you will need to stay comfortable, warm and dry out there. You’ll feel like you’re “glamping” in the Alaskan wilderness! That’s right. . . we’ll bring along a table and chairs! You won’t be roughin’ it too much.

Cooking up some fresh Salmon

Exploring Columbia Bay
This is glamping!
Another gorgeous view from the tent
Story time on Glacier Island

This trip is just around the corner, so contact me today for prices and more info!

FIRST SEA KAYAK CAMPING TRIP OF THE SEASON IN PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND, ALASKA

Hello everybody! This blog is about the first camping trip of the season that I had the pleasure of guiding for Anadyr Adventures. Enjoy.

What do you do when Alaska throws almost every type of weather at you during a four-day camping trip? Let me tell you. . . You see the beauty in both the driving rain with gusts of wind, and the blue skies dappled with sunshine. You maintain a cheerful attitude, hunker down and discuss the great books you’ve read, eat delicious hot meals, drink a lot of tea, and laugh a lot!

A huge thanks goes out to Siobhan (pictured above, leaping for joy for a much-deserved sunny day in Columbia Bay), who travelled all the way from Melbourne, Australia, to join me on a sea kayak adventure. She was everything that a guide wishes for in a client and paddling partner; helpful, cheerful, funny, adventuresome, and with a “ready to rally” attitude.

Approaching the face of Shoup Glacier

Paddling past the Black-Legged Kittiwake rookery in Shoup Bay

With a less-than-ideal weather forecast for the first day of our trip, we altered the itinerary to include a night at Shoup Glacier, what we called our “bonus glacier”. We endured a bit of rain that day as we paddled to the face of this beautiful blue glacier, then enjoyed a lovely evening as the skies cleared to reveal new snow on the mountaintops.

Beautiful blue face of Shoup Glacier

Clearing skies in Shoup Bay

The previous year a young whale had washed ashore in Shoup Bay, which now offers us a unique opportunity to get up-close-and-personal with the carcass of this massive creature.

Day two we awoke to blue skies, sunshine, and a gorgeous reflection. Shoup Glacier sure does look pretty with these pleasing conditions.

What a gift of a day! We continued on to the magical south side of Glacier Island, where calm seas and light winds allowed us to explore sea caves and enjoy time at the Sea Lion haul-out, where hundreds of these gregarious animals hang out and approach our boat in playful curiosity.

Bald Eagle

We pushed on and made a four-mile crossing from Glacier Island to the south end of Heather Bay, which is right next to Columbia Bay. Tired from an exciting and full day we set up camp and enjoyed the last bit of no precipitation for a little while, as the next day we endured the brunt of a windy rainstorm. Hey, this is coastal Alaska after all!

I don’t have any photo evidence from this wet day, however Siobhan and I still rallied, put on lots of warm clothing, stuffed ourselves with hot food and drinks, and set out into the wind and rain to check out the icebergs in Columbia Bay. We paddled up Heather Bay, seeking shelter in Heather Islands’ protected coves. It took a couple of hours, but we finally managed to land on the moraine, which divides Heather and Columbia Bays. This long stretch of land is the deposit of rock, gravel, and sand left over from when this largest of tidewater glaciers in Prince William Sound (tidewater meaning the face of the glacier is sitting in the ocean) had pushed its’ face (or terminus) to this point in the bay. The glacier has since retreated off of the moraine, leaving a great place for walking, as icebergs often ground themselves in the shallows here.

Lots of ice grounded on the moraine (on a sunny day)

We returned to our camp, dried out, filled up with halibut fish tacos, and endured a bit more rainy weather from inside of our dry tents. It’s a great thing we both had good books! Having experienced all of that rain, we were overjoyed to wake up the last morning to clearing skies, which turned into a glorious sunny day. We had the rest of this beautiful day to return to Columbia Bay and paddle amongst the towering icebergs.

Siobhan is one of the lucky ones to get to see ice in both grey and sunny skies. There is a unique, dramatic blue to the ice with a grey background. And with sunny skies. . . Well, it’s simply magnificent. We must have repeated a hundred times how lucky we felt for this day.

Iceberg reflected in Columbia Bay

What a trip, filled with so many highlights. I look forward to sharing more camping trip experiences with you, as well as lots of other Alaskan adventures. Thanks for reading and stay tuned for more on the blog. Don’t forget to check out all of the wonderful trip opportunities that Ileneinakayak has to offer. Contact me and I’ll help make your Alaska and Panama dreams come true!

Tomorrow I will be preparing for a three-day sea kayaking and camping trip here in Prince William Sound, Alaska. We’ll be paddling in the serene Sawmill Bay and to the beautiful Shoup Glacier. I’m excited to get back out on the water. You can look forward to a blog post about that trip next week. Take care everybody!

Your guide!

ALASKAN SEA KAYAK GUIDES PRE-SEASON TRAINING

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAHappy Memorial Day weekend! I thought I’d share with you some of the pre-season and ongoing training that us kayak guides partake in to keep you safe and knowledgeable out there. The sea kayak season in Valdez, Alaska is picking up as we get excited for June. The other kayak guides have been here for a few weeks already. It’s wonderful to have the anadamily back together again. If you read my last blog you’ll be familiar as to who comprises, and what in tarnation is the anadamily. Spirits are soaring as we settle in to being back amongst the magic of this awe-inspiring corner of Alaska. It can get difficult for a sea kayak guide to be away from icebergs for so many months during the winter, although Palm Trees are not a bad alternative. May has been a month to replenish the lack of Alaska in our lives, as most of the guides were far away during the winter months.

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May is the time to get back into our sea kayaks and paddle in Port Valdez to test the waters, as we do at the start of every season. We don dry suits, which are full-body waterproof suits, and practice rescuing one another. Yes, that’s right, we willingly plunge ourselves into the cold waters of Prince William Sound to ensure that our kayaking skills improve each season. We hope to not have to utilize these rescue skills during the season (and we rarely do), however it’s good to have them at the ready if necessary. You’re in good hands with this well-trained crew!

I challenge you to a duel!
Where’s my kayak?
Rescue practice, cold water

Another annual training session occurs at the Valdez Glacier. We paddle across the Valdez Glacier Lake and practice our crevasse rescue skills on the glacier. The Valdez Glacier is one of Anadyr Adventures’ most popular day tours and includes paddling around this freshwater lake, alongside massive icebergs.

Icebergs on the Valdez Glacier Lake
Ice exploration at the Valdez Glacier

We then take a hike on the glacier to check out all kinds of fascinating ice features, such as crevasses (fissures, or deep clefts, in glacial ice) and moulins (cavities worn in a glacier by surface water falling through a crack in the ice). These are beautiful (and often gorgeous blue) ice features that we get very close to, which makes this tour a favorite of the guides and our guests. It’s a unique opportunity to experience the mysterious and constantly-changing life of a glacier up close.

Checking out cool ice features on the Valdez Glacier
Exploration on the Valdez Glacier

Here we are practicing crevasse rescue on the glacier, another important skill that all Anadyr guides have.

Practicing crevasse rescue on the Valdez Glacier
Practicing crevasse rescue on the Valdez Glacier
Antony with bird on head

You might be surprised with the wildlife found at the face of a glacier

Of course, as naturalist sea kayak guides we spend a great deal of time learning about and discussing the natural history of the area, a topic that one could easily spend an entire lifetime studying. This corner of northeast Prince William Sound offers a myriad of habitats, major historical events, flora and fauna, and great Alaskan personalities. From the rush of gold-mining prospectors to the area in 1898, to the major oil spill of the Exxon-Valdez tanker in 1989, to the catastrophic retreat of the Columbia Glacier in the 1980s, and the intricate ways that the natural world interacts in this northern Boreal forest and glacially-carved landscape, there is always more to learn. In the evenings the guides are often gathered together, sharing the diverse things that we’ve seen while on our day tours and camping trips. This keeps us engaged and excited to share this knowledge with our guests.

Up-close and personal with ice
Black-Legged Kittiwakes on ice
Tidewater abundance
Checking out a whale carcass in Shoup Bay
Taking flight in Columbia Bay
Wild Iris
Sharing the knowledge

A visit to the wonderful Valdez Museum at the start of each season reminds us how much there is to learn and share.

The First Barrel of Oil arrives to Valdez
Checking out a miner’s cabin
Ordering drinks at the bar from Old Town Valdez
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Learning about the 1964 “Good Friday” Earthquake

When we don’t have a trip to go on (and it’s a bit wet outside), we still thirst for knowledge.

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Anadyr guide, Mark, studying up on his natural history

As always, I look forward to taking you out on sea kayaking and glacier hiking adventures in beautiful Valdez, Alaska. Thanks for reading and stay tuned for the next blog, which follows my first camping trip of the season, a four-day kayaking adventure in Prince William Sound, in which we experienced all kinds of Alaskan weather.

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Jumping for joy for sunshine in Columbia Bay

ANADYR ADVENTURES SEA KAYAKING ALASKA, OPEN FOR THE 28TH SEASON

Getting the Family Back Together for the 28th Season: Continuing the Legacy of Anadyr Sea Kayak Guides in Valdez, Alaska

The kayaks are in the water, the flowers are blooming, the hiking trails are snow-free, and the kayak guides are back! For those of you who don’t know, May through September I am senior sea kayak guide for a company based in Valdez, Alaska called Anadyr Adventures. I am honored to be part of the Anadyr family, lovingly called the “anadamily”, which extends far beyond the current nuclear family of Anadyr guides, office staff and managers. A few weeks ago when I was excitedly anticipating the arrival of the other guides to Valdez, I sent them a message asking, “What are you most excited about for the upcoming season?”

Of course, we are all looking forward to the exploratory perks of our employment as sea kayak guides in a state as vast and wild as Alaska. We often comment on having the most beautiful office to go to every day. Yet, what stands out to me more is the mutual feeling of being part of a special family. This season, my sixth, is number three for Bagel, Aidan, Jared, and KC. It’s the second for Mark, Dalton and Denise. Sami is joining the Anadyr team after guiding for a different tour company in Valdez last year.

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Former Kayak Guide & Office Queen

And as far as the extended “anadamily” in the community of Valdez, it’s hard to go anywhere and not run into an anadamily member (former guide, office staff, client, spouse, child, brother-in-law, niece). I happen to live on the same street as a handful of former Anadyr guides, totaling about 20 years of collective guiding. When we speak of their years guiding for Anadyr, I can detect a glimmer in their eyes as they reminisce about Sea Otters, Glacier Island, Valdez Glacier, and camping trips in Prince William Sound.

 

Anadyr Adventures was started in 1989 by Hedy Sarny, the same owner today. . . so that’s a lot of seasons of kayak guides, office staff and managers. Imagine the number of guests who have walked through our doors, been shown how to put a spray skirt on and been handed a paddle to embark on what many describe as a trip-of-a-lifetime. The heart and soul of Anadyr remains the same as it did 28 years ago: a genuine love and admiration for Prince William Sound.

Without further ado I introduce to you the 2017 Anadyr Adventures Sea Kayak Guides:

BAGEL: I am excited for another season in the mighty Chugach mountains where I have found my peace and connection to this Earth and I hope to share that love with all who come out with us this summer. As the creatures of the Sound migrate back for another season, so do the guides, with enough passion and excitement to fill the ocean. I can not wait to show you our home.

SAMI: I am incredibly excited to be a part of the Anadyr team this summer! The mountains, the ocean, and the beautiful town of Valdez. I am looking forward to exploring and adventuring in new and familiar places. And of course, introducing folks to the incredible place we call home.

DALTON: What I’m most excited for is to be back together with all of the wonderful people that we get to live and work with. I can’t wait to see how the glaciers have changed to again be surrounded by wildlife and ice. I’m looking forward to meeting all of the interesting people who come on our trips, and of course camping trips! I’m so excited to sleep out under the stars next to the rolling waves on the beach, and to climb the mountains up to the hanging glaciers that feed the amazing waterfalls. Valdez is such a magical place.

JARED: I’m excited for exploring new camping spots, seeing where the glaciers are at and checking in on the whale carcass.

GOOSE: I’m excited for camping trips, the training trip, seeing all the guides, and spending another summer in the most stunning wilderness.

KC: Looking forward for everyone to reunite. Can’t wait for endless sun, adventures, icebergs, and softball.


DENISE (our office queen): I’m excited to see everyone again and just to be back in Valdez.


MARK: I’m excited to hear the melodious sound of Ilene’s voice.

 

sea-otters

 

ILENE (yours truly): I’m excited for that warm feeling when I run up the stairs to the Anadyr guide’s apartment, swing open the door and am greeted with an enthusiastic “Ileeeene!!”. . . To wake up to the sound of waves rolling into shore from my cozy sleeping bag on the south side of Glacier Island. . . To notice the subtle changes in the ice at Columbia Glacier. . . To feel that contagious joy when someone sees a Sea Otter for the first time.

TASH (honorary Anadamily member): I’m looking forward to seeing you guys {the guides} the most. And the snow nipped mountains, adventures in the icebergs and karaoke.

 

So get ready for another exciting, fun- and adventure-filled summer! Join the growing Anadamily and share your Alaskan experience with us.

Providing protection from the rain at the Valdez Glacier
Ice cave exploration at the Valdez Glacier

Thanks for reading! Stay tuned for the next blog post about all the fun that the other guides and I had while practicing kayak rescue skills in the cold waters of Prince William Sound, and crevasse rescue on the Valdez Glacier. Brrrr. . . Here’s a sneak peak of the good times:

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