rick stoehrer

huh...i don't know that i'd be so hard on myself in regards to the nav....you got back. mission accomplished. lots of cuts will fill in, disappear, appear, move...depends on storms, how sandy it is and the age of your charts i'd guess. look down to Monomoy and even in PI sound - we've seen plenty of changes in short spans. for the current and tide differences you experienced...huh, that sounds like something! i'd suppose that all just follows the changing countours of the sandy shallow areas you were paddling and any differences you experienced vs the expectation had something to do with the depth and channels where you were vs the predictions made for the deeper water where the boats navigate. that's all made for them and not for little ole us. sounds like a blast - i think i'd have spent all my time under the water and not on top though - the snorkeling and diving in the caribbean is fantastic! you get a chance to do any night dives or anything like that? anyone tell you about the dog food in a baggie routine? you bring it with and feed the little reef fish with it...soon enough you'll be in a ball of little fish nibbling out of your hands...it's very cool.

Wish i could be there but we're emptying out the little that remains in the house and signing next week on the new one...little busy. I'll make the on water classes and try to make the next classroom session.

here's a link to a place with lots of little blood suckers...you HAVE to get this mask for your trip Warren. And a video camera. This trip was longer than a week or so and it sure doesn't look like they had qualms about fresh caribou... ...http://vimeo.com/ondemand/kitturiaq/63477747

Doug....you should speak with Peter...I've expressed my opinion to him on pm.

Peter and I are messaging....I forgot we had that option and have already recommended that this thread after the bod post be deleted.

Was this ever a thread discussion or was this discussed with the membership prior to announcement?

Had the bear boo-boo'd them away a few minutes earlier; had those wolves still been hungry, even mildly peckish, do you think it'd still be one of your fondest wildlife memories? Look, as long as nothing with claws and fangs is hungry or otherwise pissed off, I'm all for being buddies. It's just if THEY decide to maybe chow down on "pinky" that I'd like a host of options. Options that are afforded me by my big ole brain...and thumbs....all of which allows me to have the means to overcome claws and fangs with things like...guns. or better yet, distance...vast distances even better. That tundra buggy in Churchill? Anyone else think that's a flat tire and an engine failure away from being ursine takeout? Nature red in tooth and claw...I would prefer that to NOT be part of my personal In Memoriam.

..safer with a wolf pack. Yeah, sure...the wolves will protect me from the bear - that'd be my first thought. Just deeee-lightful.

dang bears.... (note - clip IS NOT FROM GRIZZLYMAN - SAFE TO WATCH/HEAR) Grizzly Man like results are unlikely....Treadwell as portrayed in that documentary was by all appearances a bit of a loon. Warren, if you see a bear refrain from calling him/her anything along the lines of "bearsy-wearsy" or anything like that - that fella did that and it just didn't work out. FWIW, I've seen that documentary and it brings to mind that there are things you can't "unsee" or "unhear".

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

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

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.

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.

slot open in haverhill pool tomorrow - i think $26 is what it cost me...lemmeknow.

ed - yup, those pilgrims are nice. we'll see how greg fixes this one up and go from there. as always; whatever she wants.

i did see that boat over there in the classifieds section and should janis' boat prove beyond repair (seems to me it's in a tricky spot to fix but then again all my repair work is pretty rudimentary, looks like gerry cheevers face mask and is aimed solely at just getting home, not looking pretty - you've seen betty, right?) i'll take a look at it more closely....the pics sure are pretty. if it comes down to it i might see what she thinks of a pilgrim lv.

Thanks guys. That's very nice of you...I will have to look and see what the next session is we're going to and I might take you up on one of those.

...her name is Janis but yup, she rocked it on Saturday....and then when we got home, dropped her elite LV from the top of the very tall caddy resulting in some pretty bad damage to the boat....I'm gonna have to find her another little boat to borrow for future pool sessions until we can get her beloved LV explorer fixed....none of my boats will fit her.

Jason - No biggie...I've since got email from Deb (oh, THAT Deb) and we're all set. The membership thing can get switched on whenever....thanks for the help.

Bob - Don't know if your plans are set and you're good on gear, etc but the gent from Iceland I know got back to me and recommended the following companies - http://www.seakayakreykjavik.is/tours/http://www.adventures.is/Iceland/SeaKayaking/http://www.ferdakompaniid.com/I will forward you the locals email as soon as my PM ability goes live.

Jason - Yuppers - you were in the trash! I tried a few times, it kept getting stuck at the PP level. I didn't take any screen shots to send anyone and rather than screw around with that any longer mailed Doug a check for the membership....do you think you or whoever takes care of the site can confirm with Doug that he's received it and activate my membership so that the lady whose pool sessions I agreed to by can pm me her address so that I can pay her? That way she won't have to put her address in the public domain. Thanks Jason

Deb - I was unable to re-join the club with the website thru paypal (there seems to be a transaction for a membership from 2008 that keeps coming up? I don't know...called Jason but have not heard back from him.) I've mailed Doug the $ for the cost of membership but so far I am NOT listed as a member - someone will no doubt get that sorted out soon - point being that you can either post your address here and I'll mail you the cost of the sessions or you can come to the pool and I'll give you the $ or you can wait til someone is kind enough to change my status to member and then PM me your address to mail the loot. Just let me know. Thanks!

while ashore camping i might tie off the tunnel after i've put the skirt back on the boat - it keeps critters, rain, etc from getting in there and in some alternate world reality where my boat isn't above the high tide line or tied off, it'll let anyone finds it know to NOT look for a paddler..it's just a boat adrift. for driving i don't use a cockpit cover. i throw my stinky shoes down where they normally belong and they've never gone AWOL. if it's raining and i'm worried about water getting in there while driving i'd do the same skirt/tied off tunnel thing - don't see the point in much else. to each his own.

I used a Lawson hammock on a couple of different long trips to the FLA keys....was concerned about finding any dry ground in some of the boonies on which to put a tent up....had varying success with that hammock. Do recall having to take one day off for the back pain inflicted - day in a hot tub with strange women and proffered amateur pharmacology...long time ago, hazy memory. More recently I've used regular camping hammocks and have had even less success...those light weight camping jobbers are definitely designed for less stout folks than yours truly and have all failed disastrously at one point or another. I HAVE used a Hennessy...they're pretty slick but, unlike the Lawson, could not be staked out and used on the ground in a pinch. IMPORTANT safety note...DO NOT put hammock up over pointed sticks, rocks and other such things that if / when the hammock fails and you plummet to earth will cause sucking chest wounds, various and sundry other trauma. Bad, most likely fatal juju while out in the back of beyond. Peanuts like you might not have to worry about things breaking under your weight...things like eggshells, china, the surface tension of water but the rest of us weigh more and these things are a concern.

I'll take one each date