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Expedition in Alaska


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Prince William Sound – Alaska

An opportunity exists for two paddlers with a minimum of BCU 3 Star or equivalent skills to join a team of five on a 13 day expedition to cross Prince William Sound from Valdez to Whittier, Alaska. The expedition will begin on July 7 and end on July 19, 2014. It is important that you have kayak camping skills as well as an interest in exploration. This adventure promises to be incredible on so many levels, particularly if you seek to develop or expand your kayak expedition skills.

Although the expedition is not a guided trip, we will have access to a highly skilled local kayak coach by the name of Ryan Collins who will provide escort services. Since portions of the journey will take us to wilderness environments where we will no longer be at the top of the food chain, Ryan’s knowledge will be essential for our safety.

It is important to note, the team will arrive in Alaska in advance of the trip so we can meet and discuss the dynamics and logistics of the journey to dial everything in. I have located an excellent flight from Boston to Anchorage via Seattle. Additional logistics are very manageable.

Paddling in Alaska is not for everyone, especially since it may require airfare, kayak rental, gear shipment as well as assembling quality gear that will serve you well in a potentially very wet environment. Prince William Sound is the northern most reach of the temperate rain forest. For me, all this enhances my desire for adventure in places around the world where the vista is grand, people are scarce and wildlife is abundant.

For additional information concerning the expedition, access the links below,
http://www.paddlersrealm.com/pb/wp_efbbfff1/wp_efbbfff1.html
http://www.paddlersrealm.com/pb/wp_4a74b56b/wp_4a74b56b.html

If you have an interest in joining the team, you will need to contact Ryan. (paddlersrealm at yahoo dot com)
If I can help answer any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. (wjosh51 at yahoo dot com)

Live your Dreams!
Warren

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I want to take an opportunity to highlight this trip and stress how one opening remains for a paddler to join the team. The trip is a definite go since we have four members, but could add in one more. We have Beth, a critical care physician practicing in Alaska, David Mercer and I as well as Ryan who has extensive local knowledge and will be providing a watchful eye over our trip planning and execution.

What makes this trip special for me is the ability to plan all aspects from scratch. Ryan has giving Beth, David and I free rein to coordinate our effort and design a trip which will balance our desire for safety, comfort and fun. Our efforts are beginning now, so you should not delay if your goal is to join in on the planning phase.

During my trip in the San Juan Islands last year, Matt Nelson reminded me of an important observation he has made. He has found that paddlers derive maximum benefit from a trip when they invest maximum effort to prepare. Our preparations are beginning now. Don’t delay.

Warren

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Warren -

It certainly sounds as if you're deep in the throes of prep heaven.

When you say that fella is providing escort services, what does that mean? Is he PADDLING the trip with you? You boys are planning it all out and then he's along for the ride as it were?

Last we spoke I mentioned 2 big concerns - skeeters and bears.

You are bringing netting and bug spray (a deterrent) but you were not going to bring any deterrent against any of the giant voracious fauna as you felt it violated your leave no trace ethos and you were simply going to avoid anyplace YOU SAW spoor (which I think is less important than what the BEAR SEES)...have you further discussed your views of a pure avoidance strategy with the local?

I would be very concerned that large hungry bears along the coast might embrace a less stringent prohibition on bear/human interaction than your "leave no trace" philosophy may have a more "leave no trace...of you" outlook.

You Warren, bring gear and tools that prepare you for contingencies you hope to avoid and despite your tireless prep, conditions change...and you most likely have gear or tools to deal with those variable conditions, right? Well...bears are variable and guns are just tools. Like all of the tools on your trip I would most especially be familiar with this one, have it handy and hope to not use it.

Although, I tend to see bears as less Yogi, Smokey and Teddy Ruxpin and more giant, shaggy faster than Usain Bolt mobile wood chippers from "The Edge" and "Grizzlyman". Respect. I respect them from thousands of miles away and that's plenty close enough for me.

Skeeters and bears...have a plan..and a backup and another and I'd still bring a large caliber tool just in case.

Have fun planning.

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Rick,

All good counsel. Thank you. David and I have on our list of issue to discuss with Ryan the topic of bears and our safety. Rob did remind me that I do not need to be able to out run a bear, I just need to out run Beth and David. And yes, Ryan will be paddling with us.

In a way, I am tending toward camping on islands in PWS since I understand the brown bears do not like to swim. I guess they sink!

I will add that I sense Alaska will beckon me to return year after year and I will need to always feel I have a process that works for me to remain safe in skeeter and bear territory.

Warren

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Ryan is the local guide and so will have experiences that you and your mates couldn't prepare for and have contingencies to mitigate....I think it's a great idea to have him along. you and the gang prep and plan and he's there to pick up anything that falls though cracks you couldn't have anticipated.

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Rick,

Yes, Ryan will be a valuable resource both in the planning and execution. And I hear he runs really slow when chased by a bear.

Warren

Just hope that you don't run into more than one Bear with that plan. (One on each side of the group would be bad.).

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I'm enjoying the National Geographic reality show called "Survival Alaska". In last Sunday's episode the competing groups had to traverse bear country. while they were fishing a shallow stream for salmon, they were unknowingly competing with local bears for the same food. One participant was on the opposite shore from his companions when a large bear saw him couching to adjust his foot-ware. The bear sensing a meal started across the stream toward him and then broke into a run. The potential meal stood up and raised his arms to the sky and that gave the bear pause and it slowly retreated. I don't know if this would work each and every time but in the absence of a large caliber weapon, make yourself big!

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Gene,

Good comments! Thank you!

If you seek additional information regarding bear safety in Alaska, you might read the following two articles.

Pogson, T. 2009. Bear Conservation and Safety: a primer for sea paddlers adventuring in Alaska. Ocean Paddler Magazine 14:40-43

T. Pogson & D. Lampman. 2012. To hang or not to hang – a guide to bear conservation and safety when paddling in the north. Additional Digital Content Ocean Paddler Magazine 31: 62-67.

Warren

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My most memorable bear experience was in southeast Alaska over the course of two nights. The first night waking around midnight to the sounds of footsteps right outside my tent, hearing something snuffling around my tent, realizing it wasn't human but a bear, and then noticing it was so close I could smell it. Of course I had not closed up my tent fly that night either, not that it would make much of a difference. The next night was a repeat of the first, but there was a cub in tow making strange little whining and cooing noises as he\she followed mom around. Both nights a little bear call from me sent them scurrying. It took another half hour for my pulse to return to normal though. Another morning after I had slept out solo under a tarp (and waking up to the sound of a wolf howling) I headed to the water's edge to take my LNT morning pee, to discover bear tracks going right past my tarp. Had walked past at some point without stopping to check out our camp. The black bears use the beaches like highways, makes for easy traveling. Also the prime spots for camping, on a nice rocky beach by a fresh water source, are where the salmon are often located, which attracts the bears. So as you paddle along during the day, assuming you're near land, you're likely to see bears traveling along the beach, or forging under rocks for small shellfish, or hanging out by streams where there are salmon.

My three summers up there I only saw black bear, lots of them though. I talked to a ranger who said in a few places the grizzly come down, but it was mostly black bear. So it might be good to do a little reading up and research on the black bear. Examine their scat and you'll see the remains of mostly berries and small crustaceans; never fiberglass, Gore-Tex, carbon fiber or costly electronics. So I'm fairly certain they don't make a habit of eating sea kayakers. But leave home without a few cans of bear spray I would not. Going out to take a poop? Grab a buddy, some bear spray, your shovel (you did pack a small shovel right) some nice round smooth beach rocks (you are LNT right, you're not leaving toilet paper in your cathole?) and start making lots of noise as soon as you start heading into that rain forest. Stopping to scout out a potential campsite, fill up a water bottle in a nice looking stream, take a break for lunch? Start making the bear calls. Get everyone on the same page regarding bear calls. Often "bear!" means there's bear in proximity, get everyone together and scare him\her off. We used the Spanish for bear "Oso!" Flows from the lips and is easy to yell. They're everywhere up there, but can be scared off easily with some noise. Also no food or toothpaste in the tent, although there are differing opinions on this. Done with dinner for the night? Make a pile consisting of your stove, then food bags, topped by your pots so they make noise if disturbed. To hang or not hang is something you'll have to decide for yourself. Headed to bed for the night? Make sure each tent has it's own can of bear spray. A lot more LNT to have to mace a curious bear, than to have the forest service out hunting for a man eater. Guns aren't my thing, I'm not trained to use them, and wouldn't feel justified having one along unless having to deal with polar bears, cougars or pirates.

If I'm correct bears in Alaska are hunted by the locals a few times a year, so they know to stay away from humans. But I've also heard they associate a gun shot as a dinner bell, as something has been killed and therefore gutted, leaving a nice pile of free dinner. Other than that they don't necessarily associate people with food, as they might in more populated or well traveled areas, where they have learned to open coolers and or cars for food. Not to say they aren't curious and won't come to check things out, but can be scared off pretty quickly. One instructor I worked with told me a story of how the natives back in the day called the black bears "bashful." As a common response for dealing with a curious bear, was to lift your clothes up over your head, exposing oneself but also making you look bigger. Hence the bears were considered bashful and would run away. Not sure if they're aware of shrinkage though.

The mosquitos (if around) required a head net and an oversized wind breaker covering hands, I never even bothered with repellent, but everyone is different. An umbrella also seems to keep them at bay and works great for going to pee, don't need to put on your rain gear.

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Interesting stories. A SMSKN friend took some impressive pictures of grizzlies from his kayak. Or should I say pictures of impressive grizzlies. Anyway, suggests they wander down to the shore on occasion and they are not bashful like black bears, but I don't believe they hunt humans as polar bears do.

Once had a ranger at a remote location give me the following black bear advice. "If they won't go away when you yell at them, just wack their nose with a skillet." Say what?

Although carrying adequate firearms is one approach, not a good idea unless you comfortable with what you carry and have practiced enough to be able to hit the target. Otherwise a firearm provides a false sense of security and that could make for a bad day with a mad bear.

Ed Lawson

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Any tool you don't know how to use is next to useless - mentioned that right up top.

SO have bear spray, make a racket and keep your food and your kitchen away from where you're sleeping...know how to do all of that and be comfortable with the tools you're bringing.

I am not PRO shooting bears...I am PRO not feeding the bears. Anyone.

A 12 gauge shotgun though is simple as hell and with slugs and from real short range that'd do more than make a bear angry.

Study on just that topic....

http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/pubs/gtr152.pdf

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The subject of guns keeps coming up with mixed feelings from various people. One questions I have is how someone traveling from New England to Alaska would bring a gun or obtain a gun for the two week trip? I am not sure either is possible, and if so, probably not practical. I would think that it is best to leave the specifics of dealing with such a local hazard to the locals who know how to deal with it? After all, isn't that what they are being paid to do?

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How or why would anyone have mixed feelings about guns...it's like saying you're ambivalent about hammers or that you really just don't like power tools. I don't understand why there would be kerfuffle.

I don't know what the logistics for getting a registered weapon to Alaska are either but I'm guessing since a lot of folk head there and place farther afield to hunt that it really isn't too tough to parse out if you're interested.

And if I am Ryan the local...I probably don't want you armed.

Whatever...Have fun

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All good info! Since I am drawn to paddle in wilderness areas, it just makes sense to understand both the land and water based risks and have a plan. One plan might be to find a way to lower the risks. With that approach in mind, I am leaning toward camping on islands in PWS.

John, did you camp on many of the islands in PWS when you were there? I know black bears can swim, but the salmon will be running in July and I hope they would prefer to eat salmon in streams along the mainland over sunning themselves on an island beach. Of the proposed 12 nights of the trip, chances are only 4 will be tenting on the mainland. Those nights will be in several Alaska State Marine Parks, such as Shoup Bay and Sawmill Bay. By the way, take a look at those locations via Google Earth. Amazing! And they have bear boxes for your food!

I suspect our team will find a way to enjoy Prince William Sound while practicing safe behaviors in bear territory. I would like to think we can all coexist peacefully. But if not, anyone need a bear skin cap?

Warren

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Warren,

I've camped on some of the larger islands; Culross, Esther, Knight, Evan, Elrington. I've also been lucky enough to paddle out of southeast Alaska, starting from Petersburg and paddling around Kuiu Island. Lots of bears in both locations, but probably more in the southeast. Was really lucky to get out to Coronation Island off the southern tip of Kuiu Island, which is the island where we heard wolves, and I saw bear prints right next to my tarp. Always lots of wildlife, humpbacks, sea otters, sea lions, the occasional orca, and of course the bears. Not sure sticking to islands will mitigate that. Camping was either nice big storm beaches, tighter beaches near streams, or off in meadows that could be a little marshy. If you don't have one already, a good tarp goes a long way to keeping you dry and happy, probably at least 10x12. Good rain gear is a must.

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So... it sounds as though you are going to go to the bear's home, go into his/her living room, set up camp and then shoot the bear if it is uncomfortable with you being in his/her home, is that accurate?

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I seem to remember a slight dust-up not too long ago regarding the NSPN Forum Etiquette regarding posts that are intended to be inflammatory. I fear that this post could head us in that direction again.

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I seem to remember a slight dust-up not too long ago regarding the NSPN Forum Etiquette regarding posts that are intended to be inflammatory. I fear that this post could head us in that direction again.

If you're referring to Katherine's tongue in cheek post about Alaska bears, then I would say you need a sense of humor. Her post breaths a breath of fresh air into a forum that is frankly sometimes too officious and stuffy. We need to lighten up more, isn't this sport supposed to be fun? And if her post was deadly serious, which it very well might be; what's wrong with her expressing a dissenting opinion about a subject that is bound to cause controversy?

Edited by GCosloy
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