LIFE-STYLE | TRAVEL | AERIAL
Photographer/Videographer specializing in Life Style, Travel, and Aerial Imagery. FAA 107 Certified for sUAS flight operations throughout the US. Fully insured. Videography work is limited to Aerial productions.
Based in Maine (May-December) and SWFL (Jan - April). Available for travel year round.
Another successful gathering of paddlers and coaches down in Stonington CT. This event, hosted by Greg Paquin of Kayak Waveology, has become the go-to premier rough water paddling event on the East Coast. For the 3rd year in a row I have attempted to capture the event to the best of my abilities. Lots of images left to edit, and as with the AW1 review, I hope to get them all done by Monday. In the meantime, a few teaser images to get things going....
This was one of the last posts I made on my Inside Passage trip. It is fun to look back as I begin a new year of adventure travel and a path of simple living. Enjoy!
I have been off the water now for about a week. The first several days of my exit were spent in the suburbs of Seattle. Warm, friendly, woods, water, fall, winds, chill, water, all things that come to mind when I think of those few days. They were nice and slow, giving me an opportunity to begin some level of readjustment from life on the water, alone with nature for 147 days. See, even the suburbs of Seattle carried a sense of warmth that permeates that entire area. A certain level of slowness and peacefulness with nature. People willing to help a perfect stranger get done what was needed.
I left Seattle 3 days ago via air for the busy city of Chicago, wow, what an adjustment. People, cars, noise, more people, TSA, lines, waiting for things versus waiting for nothing, new friends, anxiety, anticipation, all sending the senses into overload. Re-uniting with family is beautiful but bound by small mine fields. Expectations flowing both ways; change occurring both ways; a constant dance all amidst an environment not conducive to peace. Breathing is interpreted as sighs; Silence for issues; The list goes on... It is all good but perhaps requires a 24K topo map of it's own
People are busy, rushing by. Cars go fast, coffee shops are loud. Dog parks replace the wild. Trees are in concrete boxes, flowers in pots. Cement replaces sand and trains replace the shrieks of the Ravens. Where are the birds and the otters and the seals and the whales and the gulls and the .....
Challenging to say the least, finding center is difficult. The wild allows you to sit, it encourages your silence. You are rewarded for being one with the moment in the bliss that surrounds you. I do believe that these things can exist in the city, but it requires work and effort. In the wild, it just arrives if you are open to it. The simplicity of the paddle, the serenity of the water, the stillness of the air and the ebb of tides. All serve to reinforce the openness and one-ness that exists amongst all of us.
There are those that say it still arrives in the city if you are just open to it. I believe this, but the challenge is great. You spend so much time in the wild and you come back to the chaos and you can see why people are so stressed, you can breath in the negative energy. Why smiles on the street are returned with down turned heads or an ever so slight recognition.
Beautiful time with my amazing daughter. I am so proud of her and her accomplishments. She is an amazing woman, I am so proud of her it brings tears to my eyes. I will spend a few more days here, searching for center, relishing time with her, then on to other family and new challenges. Lake Michigan tomorrow with friends, and then on to warm southerly waters for a bit.
The water calls, I hear my paddles vibrating. My boat soon to arrive, I look forward to time on the water.
Peace & Love,
G-
I am up at the Canal Conference on the scenic shores of Lake Onatario where I will give a presentation on the the amazing Spare Seat expedition and the iconic waters that Richard and I paddled through. I am looking forward to sharing images, words and a bit of video so that those in attendance can get a feel for just how amazing this trip was. Hopefully this will lead to a return trip in 2013.
After finishing up tomorrow I head out for points unknown, just me, the Mukluk, my camera, and a packraft, hoping to find some beautiful and pristine locations to explore along the way. No route, no time frame, just a meandering 5 day journey to clear the mind and free the soul. Pics, and stories coming as they unfold.
Peace -
Yesterday was a nice sunny day, temps in the low 60's, water temps in the mid 40's and a stiff wind from the South. Playing in the chilly waters of the Flood I was able to work on my rolling and bracing with my skinny stick. While I spend a good deal of my time paddling with a traditional Euro blade, there is just something so organic and so natural about using a Greenland paddle. I don't know why, but I feel much more connected to the water when I use this blade than anything else.
I don't mean connected in the technical sense, but more of a spiritual connection to the water. The smooth surface of the carbon fiber paddle just feels so good in the hands and it works its way through the water in an effortless fashion. Hi angle, low angle, ... it doesn't matter, it just works. Using the blade for rolling means I can really focus on my body technique, working the roll with my legs and my hips and not the paddle. The extra extension allows me a few more seconds to use technique over power. The same is true with bracing; the long paddle allows you to use the floatation of your PFD to take the impact, then using hips and legs to drive the boat back up saving much wear and tear on your shoulders.
I paddle with both types of blades and I love both types of blades, but there is definitely something very special about the Greenland style of kayaking.
A perfect roll with my Northern Light blade. Oops, I left my glasses on.
The team arrived in Niagara today in preparation for the 500 mile spare seat expedition from Niagara Falls to the Statue of Liberty. The route will be down the Eerie Canal, making a turn at the Hudson, and then into NYC. Our goal is to explore the area, meet the people and communities that make up this historic waterway and see who gets in the spare seat each and every day.
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It doesn't take anything for you to win a great little Reed Chillcheater beanie other than head over to www.facebook.com/thespareseat and write a note about what adventure means to you. We will pick a winner and put one of these great little fleece hats in the mail. I wore mine today and absolutely love it, just like I love all of the Reed kit.
Sunset on the bay - Camera captures a single imageIt was not a big effort, in fact if anything, it was a very simple paddle that I had in mind. The sun was beginning to dip and I knew I had about an hour before sunset. The winds had been strong from the south all day whipping up the bay in white capped frenzy. Now, calm was setting in, with the wind still pushing, just not as forcefully as before.
I grabbed my drysuit, put on my thermals, grabbed my bag of gear and a single Northern Light Greenland paddle and headed out to catch the last of the light. The NDK slipped effortlessly into the water, always one of my favorite parts of any paddle, the time when you slip the spray skirt on and embrace the beauty and elegance of a kayak floating on the water.
The tide rips were still going off, creating a bit of beam side slop as I headed to the island and my favorite nest of bald eagles. I approached and as always was greeted with their beautiful sounding voices. Floating silently, I let the current pull me around the point, a place right on the water that always hosts one of the adults or juveniles. As I rounded the corner, there she was, taking flight at my approach, gracefully arcing up and around my drifting kayak. Slowly she circled and came back, only to take up residence in the high safety of her nest.
Off to the other side of the bay now, heading into the slop, the wind still pushing the tide rip trying to force me in a different direction. The sun was getting lower and the low clouds were creating a visual feast for my eyes. I cleared the rip, and calm surrounded the boat. Quick, now grab the camera and try and shoot a couple of images before I drift back into the slop. The shutter releases only to see the message that no space was left on my card. Were it not for the rip, I would have floated and deleted some old images on the card, something I had been meaning to do for days, but obviously had not done. Oh well, sometimes we don't get to shoot, instead we get to record the scene in silence using our finely tuned multi-mega pixel eyes and brain.
Dark is setting and now I get the ride from the rip but slop from the wind, nothing big, just enough to make it challenging. I work my way back to the dock, less than an hour from when I left. I feel rejuvenated from being on the water, being one with sport. Micro adventures are just that, small forays out into the world of adventure. Some are bigger than others, but all are easily done right in our own back yard.
Tonight I was rewarded with a dance on the water, a beautiful sunset for my spirit, and the grace of Eagles flying over my head.
The last three years have seen me paddle my NDK explorer more than 7,000 miles around North America. During my travels I have carried both a Werner Cyprus paddle and a carbon fiber Greenland paddle (GP) the entire time. For multiple reasons I have found this to be a very efficient combination for long distance coastal touring.
The sole issue with my setup has been in the flexibility of travelling with an 86” carbon fiber paddle, especially in these days of heightened security. For some time now I have been searching for an alternative that would meet my performance requirements on the water, and also allow me the ability to break the paddle down and more easily ship or transport it. Last month I stumbled upon a reference to the Northern Light Paddles 3 piece Greenland paddle and I knew I had to try one.
The Northern Light paddle represents a very innovative concept to me. Not content to just split the paddle in half, they have created a flexible, modular solution that not only meets my travelling requirements and my on-water performance requirements but also has the added ability to become a storm paddle when needed. I contacted Northern Light Paddles and after a brief discussion about my requirements and sizing needs, they promptly sent me a paddle for this review, although without the storm insert.
;)
The paddle arrived carefully boxed and bubble wrapped to protect the precious blade. This was my first chance to view life with a Greenland Paddle that could actually be shipped in a modern day Federal Express box. Wow, no searching for a long 90 plus inch shipping tube and then having to pay exorbitant prices for oversize shipping containers. Already, without even looking at the paddle, I was excited.
The contents of the box revealed three pieces of paddle, an allen key, and two sets of screws. The paddle fits together by inserting one end of the loom into the matching end of the blade. The fit was snug and reassuring, and once repeated on the other side I had a fully assembled Greenland paddle. ;)
Anyone who has thought about a multi-piece Greenland paddle has definitely considered what affect the joints would have on the overall rigidity of the blade. After all, you have over 86 inches of paddle that will be subjected to major stress forces as it is put through its paces. After assembling the paddle, it was clear to me that this was not going to be an issue.
The joints of the loom are rectangular and made of a non-slip type coating. Once the paddle is joined, there is no rotational flex at all. I would have to wait for water time to see if there were any paddling induced flex but I must say, at this point, I was anxious to get out on the water.
;)
The paddle looks beautiful, with an excellent carbon fiber layup and a nice feel. Some carbon fiber blades can be a bit slippery to my touch, but not the Northern Light paddle. It was smooth, but not so smooth that there was any concern about it becoming to slippery once on the water. I immediately notice that the tips were sized perfectly for my smallish hands, something that was/is an issue with my existing blade. I also felt the loom was a way better fit for my hands and that the transition from the connection points to the blade were in no way an issue when holding the paddle.
The weight of the paddle was also something that I was a bit worried about. Not knowing what type of paddle connector was used to join the blade and the loom, I did not know how heavy the paddle would be. My existing GP is fairly light, and I knew that having a multi-piece paddle was going to come with some weight penalty, but would it be too much? I was prepared to accept this penalty, as long as it was minor. Since the paddle I received was a demo unit, I won’t list actual weights (even though I did measure everything on a digital scale), but let me say the difference in weights was within a very acceptable range to me and if anything, I was surprised by how small the actual numbers were.;)
Now it was time to get on the water and really check this paddle out.
;)
I have been hanging out in the Canadian Maritimes for the past month or so and thought this would be the perfect location to really test out the paddle. Up here, there is flat calm water; rapid 5-8 knot tidal constrictions from the 20 foot plus tides; and beautiful ocean coastal touring with swell and rocks gardens. The only thing you won’t find is surf, so I will leave that element to others.
My first day out was calm, but with a big tidal stream in which to play. The narrows create a current upwards of 7 knots on a big ebb and that is exactly what I had on the first day out. To start, I took the boat back into the calmer bay so that I could get a feel for how the blade handled. I was immediately in love with the feel of the loom and the blade tips. Not only was the texture of the blade perfect to my touch, but once again, the size fit my hands perfectly. ;)
Some of you may have already seen the brief video I posted about the Northern Light paddle, but if not, in it I mention the somewhat concave groove (although it is not actually a groove) that runs along a portion of the blade, starting at the loom and running some 17-18 inches towards the tips. My guess is that this is a structural element of the mold, but the effect is a very pleasing feel to the paddle as you move your hands along the blade. I was instantly in love!
Keeping in mind that my demo blade did not have the foam insert, I was unsure of how this would affect sculling and rolling or the actual paddle stroke. I obviously can’t compare the blade I received with one that does have the foam core, but to my feel, it had no negative impact at all. The blade is a joy to scull and roll with. Compared to my other GP that does have foam core in it, the Northern Light paddle may have been ever so slightly less bouyant, but this was never an issue for me.
;)
The paddle enters the water easily and the pull is reassuring. The bight of the blade is a good compromise between a larger blade and a smaller one. I tend to use both a low stroke and a high stroke, varying my style based on conditions and physical fatigue. This blade was up to both styles, but like all Greenland paddles, it rewards a perfect stroke with a silky smooth feel as quickly as it penalizes a bad stroke with flutter and cavitation. I think that is one of the beauties of a Greenland paddle, you know where you stand at all times with your stroke. I was in heaven and ready for more, so off to the tidal flow to see how it handled under stress.
Today was one of the larger ebbs, so as I mentioned the tide was really ripping, easily in the 7 knot range. With this type of current, it is all about your ferry angle and the power stroke required to cross from one side of the narrows to the other. This would be a perfect opportunity to see if the blade had any loss of rigidity or if there was any sign of flex while under such stress. I felt no flex at the joints or any lack of rigidity as I put the paddle under a great deal of torsional stress. The Northern Light paddle performed flawlessly under these conditions.
;)
My second day out with the paddle was more about handling a typical coastal touring day. I loaded up the NDK and headed out for a 15 mile round trip paddle. Conditions were good with only a slight breeze to deal with. I was very anxious to see if my initial impressions were going to be validated on the second day out. The paddle once again felt wonderful in my hands and performed exactly as before. As I mentioned previously, I found that slight groove to be a very comfortable feature of the paddle, adding an ever so slight indentation for my fingers to grip.
Going back to the weight of the blade, I found that over the duration of a 14 mile trip I felt no additional fatigue. The difference in weights is so small that it really is a non-issue to me. It was clear that this paddle was absolutely going to meet my requirements for coastal touring. I was quite stoked!
The best way to sum things up is the email I sent to Northern Light telling them that I wanted one! This paddle met all of my requirements and was a complete joy to paddle. The fit and finish is top notch, and the carbon fiber layup beautiful to both look at and feel. My existing carbon fiber paddle has been a work horse and has never let me down. However the inability to effectively ship it around has been a huge issue for me logistically.
There is no doubt that a single piece paddle should be lighter and have less flex than a similar multi-piece blade. However, if you wish to travel with your GP, then you have to be willing to make some compromises. My feeling after paddling with the Northern Light paddle for the past several weeks is that it does an excellent job at minimizing any perceived penalties from a multi-piece blade, and if anything, makes you absolutely forget that this comes in three pieces.
I hope to acquire one soon and will follow up with a long term report and an addendum detailing the other unique feature of the Northern Light GP, specifically the ability to use an alternative loom section which transforms the blade into a storm paddle. I will have a running set of images up shortly showcasing the paddle and the environment it is used in.
A Northern Light paddle will definitely be joining me on my next set of long distance trips.
More details on the 3 piece paddle can be found at: www.northernlightpaddles.com
Follow my journey at: www.wabisabiyourlife.com
This is one of my favorite images from my trip up the Inside Passage. I had worked my way to the National Park that was teeming with black and brown bears feeding on the salmon making their run upstream. I watched this Brown Bear as he patiently stalked his prey. For long periods of time he sat in the middle of the streem, paw hunched over a rock, watching the fish swim by. I guess years of practice had taught him that patience was a virtue, and he was willing to wait for the perfect salmon to swim by.
This image shows what happens when you stare at a bear long enough. Here he glances up and stares right into my eyes.
Complete bikepacking setup - MaineWow, it has been a great week of rest and EATING... Desperately trying to put on a few pounds, I have eaten everything in sight for an entire week. Luckily I am beginning to slow back down and go back to a more moderate intake of food. I am so behind in my writing and images, but hopefully I will be able to catch up over the next week.
Plans continue to evolve for my adventure based workshops this fall and winter. If you are interested in learning more about these workshops please drop me a note and I will add you to the email list.
This past week I finally got back out on the water for a quick paddle and some light rolling. I am looking forward to continuing my exploration of the Bay of Fundy and the Canadian Maritimes. As always, if you are interested in exploring these areas by bike or kayak just drop me a note and I will update you on my schedule. The whales should begin showing up in about a month and the Seals are already showing up, both of which provide for amazing paddling experiences.
I will be hosting several upcoming events this fall and winter. First up will be Go-Lite biking and photography workshop held in Moab, UT in early October. Next up will be a winter bike expedition in Alaska this February, timed to coincide with the Iditarod Invitational bike race. Third will be another Go-Lite biking and photography workshop held in Florida this January. Lastly there will be several smaller one day Go-Lite workshops through the summer and fall. All events have room for up to 6 additional people. Details are forthcoming, but in the meantime if you are interested in any of these please drop me a note and I will add you to the information email list.
I was spending some time this morning pondering the comments under my post 'Why Is It' and the topic of Risk was brought up by Kelly. It got me thinking about this, and how true it is. Why the fear of taking on a risk can keep us from doing that which we so desire. Whether that be an adventure like mine; a relationship decision; business decisions that move companies forward; or the myriad of other decisions we face daily in our lives. I find that there is much to compare when I look at my expedition experiences and these questions.
For me, the fear of risk, of taking a chance, began to overpower my life. It began to make me incapable of deciding on paths to follow and then simply trusting that I would find the way. I spent months planning and thinking of this expedition, but in the end, the simplicity of paddling off of that beach on May 3rd, trusting in myself that I would not get lost, was really all I needed. Each day, new risks were seen and evaluated. Each day, I chose a path, and I trusted. As the days went by, my ability to make these decisions quicker and better grew. While I was undoubtedly learning new skills and creating a new awareness of the environment, I think there was something greater at play here.
What I was really doing and learning, was to just DO. To just TRUST. DOING and TRUSTING allowed me to move forward each day. I became fond of saying to others, I just don't do BACKWARDS any more. Now, realize, I took this to an extreme, often paddling for hours looking for a campsite when I had just passed a perfectly good one. Knowing that I could paddle backwards for simply a couple of minutes and be warm and cozy. Instead, I made it a rule to always move forward, to never go back. In 147 days, it NEVER failed me.
So my lesson, and how it applies to others is this. There is risk in everything we do, in every decision we make. The fear that somehow comes from the thought of risk can be overwhelming, and often it leads us to no action or even worse, moving backwards. Trusting yourself and the outcome of decisions is difficult at first, but then a silent strength begins to take hold. Suddenly you find that you can calmly evaluate things; make a decision; and move forward. Always moving forward, having strong faith that whatever happens is the best possible outcome, is a very powerful tool for all to use.
I came to be fond of this expression, and I shared it with a friend just the other day. It goes something like this:
"Imagine you are faced with a decision, a choice, a path. Follow it to where it leads you, no matter the outcome. Sit and reflect on the thought that You Were Never Not Going To Be Here". Now some will take this as religious, others as spiritual, others as just goofy Glenn has beenn in the wild by himself for to long... But however you see it, spend some time thinking about it. If you can embrace it, then risk suddenly becomes a much easier thing to overcome. For now, you are free to make those decisions, to follow that path, because in the end, You Were Always Going To Be Wherever You Ended Up.
Peace & Love,
G-
I want to take a moment to thank the staff and administrators at the Seacrest Country Day school for allowing me to come by yesterday and speak with their wonderful students. I was so very impressed with the school, their facilities, and especially the students. It was so nice to meet such fine young adults that could articulate their questions and concerns. I hope that my slide show and talk about the Pacific Northwest and South East Alaska can inspire them to get involved and to make a difference. It was a wonderful event and I look forward to staying in touch with them throughout the Atlantic Odyssey and into the future.
If your school or organization is interested in scheduling a presentation and talk, please use the contact link on the navigation bar to get in touch with us. We will be doing presentations all along the Atlantic seaboard as the Atlantic Odyssey moves northward.
I am undoubtedly like many of you in that my mobile device has become a key part of my day to day life, including when I am out in the field. Given that I am surely not alone, I am adding a section dedicated to the mobile applications that I use on a regular basis. I am going to leave off the standard apps, and instead focus on items that provide a great value add to the adventurer.
The new section is located under Kayak Expedition Resources below and to the right. I will update this list with apps that I use and will also begin providing micro reviews of items that are of special interest to me or that really make a difference while out in the field. These reviews will show up in the Gear Journal and then be added to the Mobile Applications list.
If you are an application developer and would like your application added to the list, please contact me directly with details. If you are a reader and have an app that you think should be on the list, please drop me a note with the details so I can check it out.
For now, I will focus on applications that run on the main mobile platforms: IPhone O/S|Android|Maemo. At some point in the future, I also hope to discuss some of the merits of different devices and their applicability to the outdoor world.
I will be out this week for Thanksgiving under the stars in the Gulf of Mexico. I will be doing a little planning for 2010 but also a write up on managing your electronics on long distance trips. Modern day expeditions typically require a multitude of electronic gadgets. A typical trip for me includes:
Most of this gear requires it's own unique charger cord and possibly brick or docking station. For instance both the VHF Radio and the SLR camera batteries must be charged in a unique charging station. If you are using rechargeable batteries for your other gear such as headlamps, spot messenger, etc., then you would have small recharger for that as well. You will also want the ability to recharge your exteranl battery system via A/C when you have access to it. While solar is nice, the reality is there are many times when it is not available or you have the dreaded 'everything needs to be recharded at once' scenario. When that happens, having your A/C cords available for your battery and for your devices is so very pleasurable.
All of this creates a great tangled mess of cables, chargers, connectors, etc. So, how do you deal with all of this including storing it, keeping it dry, and recharge everything. Check back next week for my detailed summary of what works for me, some pictures, and some of my plans for improving on my system. I will also be testing out an AT&T data card, so I have some hope that I will be able to write a little this week while I am out under the stars.
Happy Thanksgiving
