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Sea Kayak Trips Bulletin Board
Just Get Out There!
Posted By: mike allen
Date: Wednesday, 27 October 1999, at 4:05 p.m.
I never thought I'd be posting on the trip board for a while yet, but I had to go to a small island off the n/e coast of vancouver is. for some business last week. I just (!) so happened to take along my old ww beater in case I had some free time.
I was there for 3 days and 4 nts but as usual I just wasn't able to get out during the day however after abt 8:30 every night I was free. And was I ever. (My trepidation was high as my companion had the most ridiculous yak I have seen so far - a 9' long by about 4' wide flat bottomed squashed pancake of a kayak made by Aqua-terrable - and this description is flowery in comparison to the sophistication of design!) But on one night:
I'd been out the night before, bought charts, and checked out most of the journey. It looked like a good night to go all the way round. And it was almost a full moon. And the sky was cloudless. And the water was calm.
So we two drifted and paddled slowly for 4 hours in the night, with the gentle sounds of water lapping on the shore. Splashes in the distance by some unknown seals or seamonsters as we slowly glided over the silvery liquid mercury while over head the black sky was pierced by the stars so sharp that they hurt as you looked at them.
And in the utter tranquillity of the night with only 3 tiny lights 10 miles away in the distance I noticed that there was a slight mist over the whole northern quadrant from the horizon to 45 deg. up. And then it moved. And it shimmered. And danced.
So there we were - two speechless solitary souls - paddling in calm cold molten metal - in the darkness but with the moon softly holding us in her grasp - with the northern lights displaying her wonder for us for the whole circumnavigation.
My paltry words do not even come close. But the experience was the same for both of us, so it doesn't matter what boat you have, or maybe even if you have one - just get out there. Because it's sometimes just waiting for you.
-mick
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