Alaska – Kayaking
One of the most exciting things we did during our Alaska adventure was kayaking on Prince William Sound! WHAT?? I had never once thought about kayaking in Alaska, but as I was planning our trip I ran across kayaking tours offered by Sound Paddler. I mentioned them to Gene, and he said, “BOOK IT!” So I did!
We took the 8:30 AM tunnel to Whittier, and Sound Paddler greeted us at the shop as soon as we got there. Turns out, we were their first paddlers of 2017! They had all of our equipment ready and waiting for us. They provided rubber boots, waterproof jackets, life vests, pogies (mittens for kayaking), and of course our kayak and paddles. They had two kayaks set up for us, foot rests already adjusted for our heights. They tried us in one but my hips just didn’t fit comfortably in it, so they quickly (and without making me feel bad at all) tried us in the second one they had set up. It was a perfect fit for both Gene AND me. Yay! These were fiberglass, ocean kayaks, much different from our sit-on kayaks we have at home.
I was worried about getting wet and being miserable (the temperature was only 45 degrees), but they fitted us out with skirts that fastened onto the kayaks, keeping us nice and dry from the waist down. Our waterproof jackets kept us dry from the waist up!
Michael was our guide (check out his awesome photography on Instagram at @michael_bowyer). He gave us a thorough safety briefing, and then we hit the water. Michael did a great job answering our questions and telling us interesting information about the area. At one rest stop he guided us on a short hike up the hill to a beautiful waterfall!
Sound Paddler included a picnic lunch as part of our package. Michael set it up for us, and an inquisitive little seal kept an eye on us from the water. Pretty cool! (No picture of said seal, sadly. Ha! #alliteration)
This was a gorgeous paddle!
As we were paddling across the bay, a pod of Dall’s porpoises swam past us! Michael snagged this quick shot. I was too busy gawking! (And my brain was trying to determine if they were orcas!)
We were worn out after paddling 8 miles, but BOY was it worth the effort! What a crazy, wonderful day!
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5 thoughts on “Alaska – Kayaking”
Wow, wow, wow! Was this on your spring bucket list? What a crazy-exciting-unique-frosty experience. Your photos are poster-worthy. Love that you had a seal-chaperoned picnic. Way to make memories for a life time, my friend.
Yes, it’s on the list! Thanks for the kind words!
So glad you and Gene had such a great day. Your photos really show the trip. Summer has arrived with some warm sun and the leaves coming back. Come back and see the lush green.
Perry – SOUND PADDLER
We miss Alaska! Temps here in Savannah are already soaring. We’re already making a To Do list for our next trip to Alaska! Hopefully we can do that in a few years. We wish Sound Paddler a fun, safe, highly successful season! You guys are great!