Expedition planning: Johnstone Straits

 T minus two days to go until we take off to disappear 'into the bush' of the most remote Canadian wilderness
with just our cameras, kayak,
and paddling companion,
Sound Rower's President Steve Bennett... 

 To help ensure our comfort and survival we have been busy
with many trip preparations:

~Making lists,

charting maps,

shopping,

dehydrating fruit,

packing/ piling gear and re-checking those lists and marine forecasts!

Pulling out our paddling trip journal,

I look back and reflect on the incredible memories

 from our last journey to Johnstone...

and linger on this WHALE sightings page!

As an ultra marathon paddling, racing & nature photography team, we spend most of our free time sea kayaking thousands of miles a year around the San Juan islands-

Which like the Broughton Archipelago is also home to resident Orca whale pods, but Man's impact in our islands has been taking a much more silencing, Endangering toll...

And so we must journey far northward to be amongst wildlife still abundant as our yesteryear....

From the sounds of near constant whale blows to

 beach rocks rolling around under bear feet,

 ~You just never know what will be waiting for you
around the next corner
when paddling Johnstone Straits...

 but you better be ready!!

 ~        ~        ~

*Additional strategic planning has been necessary
on this years paddling expedition due
 to my rehabilitating a recent, paddling-induced, spinal injury.

In the past six months I've required two spinal surgeries
to remove pieces of bulging L5 disk which blew out
while we were on a big training paddle last year -

In gnarly, messy 3~5 foot waves,
fighting a brutal 20mph+ headwind,
I didn't notice my foot pedals become uneven
as Mother Nature continued to beat us up
for the last 30 miles of (what unexpectedly turned into)
an ultra-storm paddle...

The damaged lumbar disk severely pinched nerves
and  increasingly compromised my sanity
until surgery became the only option. 

In order to be able to return to the water
this year while still in healing mode
yet without causing re-injury-
many modifications have been required...

I've replaced my paddle to a smaller wing size, switched out
my plastic seat to a more foregiving back band,
added layers of gel & foam
padding in my cockpit,
and made bombproof adjustments to my foot braces.

While I am still unable to bear much weight-
cannot yet dream of paddling a single kayak,
or even rotate my body enough to
make a 'proper' forward stroke...

~I remain eternally grateful for Jim's endless 'sherpa boy'
support which allows us to continue
living, laughing and loving
an adventurous lifestyle
in spite of Gimpy restrictions...

And to Steve as well- for helping make this trip possible for me
through carrying my boat & gear with Jim! :)