Chug along Chug along...

Well, I'm officially set up at the Homestead. I've got my HUGE 8x10 canvas tent in the back. Spring has sprung. Finally. Pollen is finally starting to cover everything I own. My tent is slowly starting to be covered up by my beloved alder branches. I've also encountered my other favorite plant that I had heard so much about, Devil's Club. Ow. Can't properly bend one of my fingers thanks to that damn plant. Note to self, look before you grab a branch for support. Here's a picture of my casa, I call it the Red Light District. Pretty badass, no big deal. This was pre-set up. It all looks really different right now, a lot of green around. Funny how things can change so quickly.
Time sure does fly when you are having fun, as lame as that sounds. We've been kinda slow this week, but we've always got things to do and/or work on. I've shadowed 5 trips so far and have gotten to hang and learn the office with Shelley a bit too. Shadowing, like it sounds, is just going out with a lead guide and following the group. We are part of the group, assistants really, barfing out knowledge on our surroundings and providing quality humor, oh and safety of course. I've already met people from all walks of life and all areas of the world.

My office.

My first day, I took an older Australian couple around Duck Flats, our shortest and closest to town day trip. They were troopers, there was a pretty strong head wind on our way back and their rutter broke, luckily the husband knew generally how to paddle. :) I got my first tip from a young couple on their honeymoon from Big Timber, Montana. We took them to Gold Creek, another of our shorter paddles, but one of my favorites. We get to paddle past the Homestead, point out our houses and get followed around by seals. Once we paddle to Gold Creek, we get to get out and hike around. It is so majestic. SO old, covered in moss, and then there is the waterfall… Oooh wee! Love it.

Josh, a returning guide, lead us out to Shoup Glacier the other day with a brother and sister visiting from Spain. (Quick bio on Josh: Kindergarten teacher in Fairbanks, AK. Super rad with a rockin' girlfriend who got to come out with us, she's a commercial fisher just north of Homer, AK.) Shoup Glacier was the trip that Camp High Harbour took me on when I first got initiated into the world of Pangaea and sea kayaking. It's an awesome spot. You get to paddle a lot and get to go right up to the face of the glacier.

Shoup Glacier

A picture the Spaniards took of me

I even got invited to come visit them in Spain if I ever get the chance. Um, yes please. Do they have sea kayaking there? I should learn some Spanish first… The next day I had off to go and edumacate myself. A group of us hopped onto the local Stan Stephens cruise. He's the man if you want to learn about the area. Plus he's quite the whale finder. As soon as we pulled out of the harbor there was a humpback feeding right next to us. We took a lot of notes and a lot of pictures. Here are some facts:

- In 1964, the largest earthquake reported in N. America took place right outside of Valdez, AK. A 9.2 on the richter scale, causing the whole town to be moved to it's current location.

- Sea otters keep their hands and feet out of the water and cruise around on their backs. They have the most dense hair of any animal however, 250,000-300,000 follicles per square inch.

- The Exxon Valdez oil spill dumped about 11 million gallons of oil on March 24, 1989 when they hit Bligh Reef. The oil travelled 470 miles in 56 days throughout the Sound.

-The Columbia Glacier calves (ice dropping off the face) about 10-13 million tons of ice a day. Can you imagine the size of this thing??? There is about 10 mile long ice field in front of the glacier face itself. The only way access is available to get up to the face is if the tides pull the ice out and off the terminal moraine, which is holding it all in. This happens once every few years.

- The terminus of the Alaska Pipeline is located in Valdez. The pipeline is 800 miles long and travels through 3 different mountain regions. Construction started in 1974 and it has 11 pump stations and 18 holding tanks holding 510,000 barrels of oil per tank equaling 9 million barrels of oil. When the oil is no longer available, contract states that the site must be removed completely. Thankfully. :)

Enough already, I know.

We've got a solid crew this year. A hell of a good time. Only missing one member of the crew now. Can't wait to see what's to come. I know it's good times. :) I'm incredibly lucky. If you don't do what you love, you're not loving what you do.

Chacarron.