By Calvin Croll
We landed back on Orcas Island 87 days after starting to paddle in Haines, Alaska. The last leg in the Strait was fairly uneventful: the wind was low, the weather was fair and warm, and we made good progress each day. We did start to notice just how tired we were, though. It turns out using the same muscles for 87 days can take a toll on them! Luckily, we did not have any pushy days to finish out the trip. We saw many sea lions and watched beautiful sunsets and sunrises most of the days. It seemed like a dream… what had we just done to get here?
Sea lions following along behind Calvin’s boat.
In total we paddled 1136 nautical miles (1307 miles, 2104 kilometers). But what does that mean? Since getting back folks have been curious to ask us about the trip; “How was it?” they ask. How was it… that is hard to say looking at the entirety of the expedition. We experienced constant change in our surroundings: the seas, the topography, the forest… all changing over days, weeks, and months. We also kept seeing and feeling the changes in ourselves, both physically and in how we were thinking and feeling about the journey. I am still sorting out what this experience was and what I will carry forward with me. I do know that I am very glad we took the time to make this journey.
Morning light looking across the Strait of Juan de Fuca, view of the Olympic peninsula in Washington.
On day 71, I was sitting on a rock eating lunch. As I sat munching, I realized that this was just the latest of many lunches I had eaten sitting on a shore in wild places, a small boat of one sort or another nearby. My twenties and early thirties were spent leading wilderness trips of all kinds in different corners of the country. I coached kayak classes in the San Juans in my mid thirties. More recently I have been working outdoors installing solar arrays, often eating with a view of the water, and all my vacation time is spent paddling one place or another. It would be hard to count the number of days I have spent eating my lunch on a rock, or beach, or small patch of grass under the trees, but it certainly reaches into the thousands.
I like that. Not because I particularly enjoy eating lunch outside (sometimes it is less-than ideal in the rain) but because it means I have spent most, if not all, of my day outside. It means I have been living under the sky, aware of the warmth of the sun-soaked earth and coolness of the wind off the water. Aware of the length of the day, if it is getting longer or shorter. Aware that beauty is all around us. Aware that I am a small part of this world, and my problems aren’t really all that much when I step back and take a look again. I don’t fully understand why I continue to make the choice to eat lunch outside, but I do know that it helps to keep me grounded in a more peaceful place. It seems like a good choice to me; I think I’ll keep it up.
Harbor seal enjoying the sunshine.
A few words of thanks for everyone who helped us along the way:
Thanks to Sam, for getting this adventure started by driving us all the way to Bellingham and then bringing our car back to the island. We couldn’t have gotten to Alaska without your help!
To Joe Oesterling of SEAK Expeditions in Haines. Thanks for picking us, our boats, and all our gear up from the ferry landing and letting us crash behind your place for the night. It got us off to a good start.
Sam Webster dropping us off at the ferry in Bellingham. Thanks again for driving all day Sam!
To the harbormaster in Juneau for locking up our boats while we were in town. To Reyn for all the inside info on Wrangell. To Robin at the Cow Bay Marina in Prince Rupert: you were the most kayak friendly place we stopped. To the wonderful folks at the North Coast Backbacker’s Hostel in Port Hardy… the kayak cart made things so much easier! To JF and Justine for letting us stay at your place in Ucluelet: it was the best resupply stop of the trip! And of course to Shawna and Leon for lending us some kit and giving great advice.
To Werner paddles and Sea Kayaking UK (Nigel Dennis Designs) for help with the paddles and Calvin’s boat. They performed beautifully for the entire expedition.
A big thanks to our employers, Orcas Food Co-op and Rainshadow Solar. We are amazed that you not only let us disappear for the entire summer, but you encouraged us to do this trip.
Thanks to everyone who came down to North Beach to welcome us back to Orcas. It was such a warm and wonderful way to come home. I wish I could have sat with each of you for an hour to catch up! After everyone had gone, we sat on the beach, staring at Sucia and finishing the last of the champagne, simply amazed at how lucky we are to know so many amazing people. You are why Orcas feels like home.
We made it! Just after landing on Orcas Island.
Lastly, thank you all of you reading this. We loved getting the words of encouragement as we went. We were also motivated to write and take more photos knowing that there were people interested in what we were sharing. Because of that, we have a much better record to look back at and try to learn all the lessons from this journey. Thanks for following our adventure this summer.
