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And the journey begins....... I will try to return alive! Warren

Josko, No Electric fence in the kit. Are you taking one to Labrador? Nice survivor photo! Warren

Two of the paddling buddies based in Anchorage just completed a 6 day journey in and around Harriman Fiord. It was a warm up trip to prepare for our PWS crossing in a couple weeks. They packed bear spray, but did not need to use it. They saw bear scat and moved to another camp site, but no bear sightings. Conditions on PWS so far appear to be superb, but will need my 15 degree synthetic bag. Seems the glaciers really can cool down the nights. Also, packing a bandana to wrap around the eyes since lots of daylight. Will be packing my head net as well, since one area had no see ems. The count down is on...... Warren

Pru, Thank you for another outstanding trip report! During the journey I kept reflecting back on how many times we have paddled those waters and helped other NSPN paddlers discover the beauty of Muscongus Bay. This was a first time for Cathy, David and Andy and I suspect they will want to return often. In fact, Rob, Andy and I were sizing up a set of tent platforms on one of the islands and thinking how that site might serve us well for a nice December or March trip. An additional thank you goes out to Cathy, Pru, Andy and Rob for their outstanding support to David and me as we worked through our check-off list of prep activities. Although David I now feel ready for our Alaska trip, I suspect Jason would say Andy and Rob should have simulated a bear attack during the middle of the night! Missed opportunity guys?! Warren

Peter, Wow! Thank you for a great trip report and pictures that brought back great memories. I would hope every paddler could tour and camp in the San Juan Islands. They are really special. And the camp sites are unbelievable!! You are correct, Body Boat Blade is a super outfitter and they have expert knowledge. I love the motto on the door to their shop, “Be Safe, Have Fun, Learn”. That is what it is all about! As you say, it is all about tidal currents, learning how to maintain a range and staying out of the shipping channels. If you time your journey to the phases of the moon, you can go from an L3 to an L4+ level trip. It is, however, best to have knowledge of the tidal flows and go with the flow. I like the “Captn. Jacks Tide and Current Almanac, 2014 Puget Sound Edition” as the best reference source to plan your journey. (See link below) http://www.amazon.com/Captn-Jacks-Current-Almanac-Edition/dp/187825877X/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1402404213&sr=8-1-fkmr1&keywords=captain+jack+puget+sound Warren

Let me jump on the "Love My Meridian" bandwagon as well. I might add that I won the Eternal Dry Suit (delamination) Sweepstakes last month! Even though I liked my all red suit, for a small fee I was allowed to upgrade to a custom all black suit. Now how cool is that! Warren

Lorrie, I have been away for a few weeks and only now am I able to write. Please accept my belated words of congratulations on achieving your goal to complete the BCU 5 Star training. As I write these words I am reflecting back on a pool session we both attended several years ago. I was just beginning my journey. You had an excellent roll and I was not yet rolling. I remember setting a goal for myself that day that I too would roll my boat. It took me a long time to learn how to roll and I can not say I roll very well, but that is not the point. Lorrie, it does not matter how many stars you have after your name. What is important is the inspiration you create for others like me. Continue providing inspiration for that is your greatest achievement. Warren

The new format and location seemed to work really well. I was very impressed by a number of the attendees. I suspect they will be great new members to NSPN. By the way, linking the pool session to free membership in NSPN was brilliant! Warren

Pru, Once again you captured perfectly the feelings and experiences of another very special journey. As you stated, “It really doesn’t get any better than this”! Perhaps the best part of the weekend was our superb paddling buddies. Even though Mother Nature decided to deliver a nice Alaskan style paddling adventure, Andy and Jeff were very happy and their happiness was contagious. Interestingly, when I returned I e-mailed one of the Alaska paddling buddies based in Anchorage and detailed our weather conditions. She commented that our conditions were colder and windier than hers on Prince William Sound. I could sense Mother Nature having a big smile on her face. Now, on to the next great adventure….. Warren

Hey Jason, Over the last few days I have been emailing one of Alaska expedition buddies who is based in Anchorage. She tells me some of the people who visit Alaska have bear-a-noia. Perhaps some of our NSPN buddies suffer from this affliction? But not us?! Warren

NSPN Community, As I and three other paddling buddies prepare for a three day kayak camping trip this weekend, I am reminded of the great joy of anticipation I feel each time I prepare to camp. I know NSPN has seen a number of new members over the last twelve months and some may seek to camp on MITA islands off the coast of Maine for their first time. For those that are new to our community, as well as those who might consider camping for the first time, some of the ideas expressed in this thread might be helpful. Last year at this time, a number of us were preparing to loosen the rust on our island camping skills and we had great fun contributing to this thread. It is my great hope to contribute in some way to helping those ocean paddlers who seek to "Get Out and Stay Out" by camping on islands off the coast of Maine. In fact, one of the paddling buddies this weekend will be island kayak camping for his first time. I envision great joy as we see the morning sunrise while holding hot cups of Maxwell House coffee! If you see yourself being in a picture like the one I have painted here, make sure you identify yourself. Perhaps our paths will cross this year. Warren

Deb, I applaud your efforts to separate fact from fiction regarding bears. Thank you for posting the book titles. I believe it is a wise approach to learn more about how to stay safe when in bear territory by reading the books you highlight. By the way, I did not realize bears eat babies!!! OMG!!! Warren

Jason, I think their greatest omission was failing to pack a bear bell! Warren

Pru, Thank you for a wonderful trip report and great pictures. Cathy, Thank you for your work in planning the trip and your superb skills in making certain we were safe and having fun on the water. All Paddling Bunnies, Thank you for your efforts in assuring group safety and helping to making the day a great annual treat! Warren

Over the weekend, Pru showed me an article in the May/June issue of Sierra Magazine entitled "Lost in Time". It takes place in brown bear territory of Alaska. I think you might enjoy the article, I know I did!! Warren http://content.sierraclub.org/new/sierra/2014-3-may-june/feature/lost-time

Jason, Thank you for the insightful article from Garrett's of Texas. I also found their motto, "When Penetration is Vital" to be fascinating! Keep em coming! Josko, No luck finding a good hair spray for porcupines, may I suggest a heavy duty hair net! Now there is a photo op! Warren

Suz, You are correct, Sean Littlefield was outstanding. That belief was driven home when one of our esteemed colleagues, who happens to be an physician with a background in emergency medicine, stated to me, "Sean is excellent'! We really got our money's worth with this training! Warren

Pru, Thank you for the great trip report. Also, I would like to send out a BIG THANK YOU to Suz and Werner for opening up their home which served as the perfect location for our learning. An additional thank you goes out to Sean, our SOLO instructor, even though he was prone to napping as captured in the photo below. Warren

Jonathan, Thank you for a great trip report. Although I drive by Great Bay on my way to work each day, I have never paddled those waters. Knowing there could be a bald eagle sighting, makes me want to recreate your journey. Warren

Dave, Welcome to NSPN. I particularly enjoyed reading your post and your interest in ocean island camping. Kayak camping is very much a passion of mine! I do hope you will consider attending the April 24 workshop on Kayak Camping as well as the May 10 workshop on New to Kayaking. At the May 10 workshop please visit the Camper's Corner to see and hear about ocean island camping. Dave, please be certain to seek me out at each workshop and introduce yourself. Also, take a moment to visit my profile on the member's section of this website. The member's profile serves as an excellent way to help us to introduce ourselves to each other and to find like minded paddlers. Warren

Peter, Kate and Suz, Thank you very much for organizing this workshop. I have always made a point of attending in previous years and plan to again this year. You all do a great job! As you might imagine, the next morning, April 25, a few buddies and I will be heading out for a three day kayak camping trip. After all you can never kayak camp too much and I am always searching for new ideas on photography skills, camping recipes and gear. I do not have a lot of new gear or suggestions, but perhaps I can bring along my Bear Bell for “show and tell” time during the workshop. It is usually a real crowd pleaser! Warren

Hi Mforti, The trip plan is very much a group effort between David, Beth, Michael and me with Ryan, the local expert, providing a reality check on our efforts. Early on Ryan empowered us to work together on drafting a plan. I like how we do not have any experience paddling together as a team, so the plan needed to adjust for that unknown particularly as it applied to our abilities to handle the “big three” of wind, weather and conditions. We then needed to layer in the next concerns regarding length of crossings, location and condition of emergency take outs, etc. The main take-away for me has been a greater understanding of Prince William Sound and the opportunities to flex the plan to include greater exploration, rock garden work, etc. On the question of my camera, I am planning to take my Panasonic Lumix which I adjusted to increase photo capacity on the memory card and I will have a second battery. I am not a great photographer, so that should be AOK for me. I do like the sleeping bag and I actually have four of them in different degree ratings. I always get a good night sleep and they are easy to pack. Just in case the discussions on the Alaskan bears starts to peter out, we should not forget the Alaskan wolf packs. Now since my camera does not have a telephoto lens, I need to find a way to attract the wolves for a nice photo op. Maybe if I put out a raw sirloin steak or two that might attract them. If they get too close I can ring the dinner bell, oops, I mean the bear bell. What do you think? Warren

Ed, Thank you for posting the very informative Bear Spray link above, I found it to be excellent. I particularly liked the sections detailed below. "In Alaska, bear spray was highly effective in dealing with all 3 species of North American bears, although more data on polar bear responses is needed." "Importantly, latent bear spray residues have been found to attract brown bears rather than repel them (Smith 1998), which was evident in 7 instances in Alaska where persons applied bear spray to objects with the intention of repelling bears. Unfortunately, bears were attracted to, and subsequently destroyed, the property that had been coated with bear spray, similar to observations reported by Smith (1998). These observations underscore a need to carefully manage spray residues by not indiscriminately dispersing spray." When David and I arrive in Anchorage, we plan to visit the REI store and load up on Bear Spray. It was comforting to read that Miss Clairol Hair Spray has been found to be as effective as the REI Bear Spray. So now we will have an option in case the Bear Spray has been sold out! Good to know!

Wow! I am facinated about all this discussion concerning bears. Not to worry, David and I both have our Bear Bells to wear while on land. I understand the sound of the bell will scare away a bear! However, it might just act like a dinner bell for the bears. Time will tell. Actually, I am going to Alaska to see bald eagles. Warren

Janice, I, as well, have two Exped SynMats. The UltraLite(without pump) and the DownMat(with internal pump). I like both. The DownMat is for off season camping when the ground is cold. I did buy the long and wide version since I wanted to be certain not to roll off it onto the cold ground. However, it does take up more space in the hatch. For a one or two night camping trip the larger size is not a problem, but on longer journeys it could be a concern. During the summer, I always camp with the UltraLite and it take me no time at all to inflate and deflate. I will admit I do blow air directly into the mat and have been doing so for four years. Maybe there are things growing inside. If so, they seem to be friendly. Warren