Wavelength Kayaking Magazine: Jan. 2009

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WaveLength

Your complete kayaking resource

MAGAZINE

PM41687515

January 2009FREE at select outletsor by subscription

Volume 19, Issue 1

Patagonia

Plus: BoralDsign Epsilon review The state of orcas Introducing biyaking

Warm water:

Kayakjourneycharts newfrontiers

Join us for a paddlein sunny Belize

Page 24

Our 2009kayak giveaway:someone faces a verytough choice.


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2 WAVELENGTH MAGAZINE JANUARY 2009
http://www.deepcoveoutdoors.com/kayakshop/http://www.westerncanoekayak.com/


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JANUARY 2009 WAVELENGTH MAGAZINE 3

The only real diference is Da Vinci never intended the Mona Lisa to get wet.Designed by artist, assembled by sculptors, paddled by YOU.Visit our website to see our 6 new models or 2009, inlcuding the Infnityand Isle.

A Work ofArtMade forLifeA Work ofArtMade forLife
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MAGAZINE

January 2009 Volume 19, Number 1PM No. 41687515

Editor John Kimantas [email protected]

Copy Editing Darrell Bellaart

Advertising sales Frank [email protected]

Writing not otherwise credited is by WL staf.

Cover Photo: Patagoniacopyright Cristian Donoso

SAFE PADDLING is an individual responsibility. We

recommend that inexperienced paddlers seek expert

instruction and advice about local conditions, have all the

required gear and know how to use it. The publishers o this

magazine and its contributors are not responsible or howthe inormation in these pages is used by others.

WAVELENGTHis an independent magazine available reeat hundreds of print distribution sites (paddling shops,outdoor stores, tness clubs, marinas, events, etc.), andglobally on the web. Also available by subscription.

Articles, photos, events, news are all welcome.

Download back issues and articles online atwww.wavelengthmagazine.com

WaveLength

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2008. Copyright is retained on all material (text, photos and graphics) in this magazine.

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except with the permission of Wild Coast Publishing.

Some elements in maps in this magazine are reproduced withthe permission o Natural Resources Canada 2008, courtesyo the Atlas o Canada. Also, our thanks to Geobase or some

elements that may appear on Wavelength maps.

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Spring 2009 Feb. 1 March 15

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Winter 2009 Oct. 1 Nov. 1

Wha an awul all or doom and gloom.I'm a aihul newspaper reader, bu I'm no your regular news junkie. My eye ends

o scan or he hings o paricular imporance o me, which is a airly narrow band oineres. hings like he alk o ankers being allowed along B.C.'s Inside Passage, salmonsocks a risk, killer w hales sarvi ng o deah, logging o ancienrees alongside Cahedral Grove, mining o he Caace ange inClayoquo Sound he ypes o hings ha are going o aec uswell ino he uure, well beyond he laes schemes by poliiciansryi ng o ix all he hings hey've been unable o ix in he pas.

Bu lo and behold he regular news was suddenly saring ohave an impac on my daily lie, and on he lives o he peoplearound me. Wih he credi crisis and he sock marke plunge,conidence in jus abou every hing dried up.

his drop in conidence hi he kayak indusry, which logic would seem o indicaewould be recession-proo. Bu no doub kep reailers rom booking advance orders,

creaing uncerainy or manuacurers; our planners worried abou a weak dollar.Doub naurally mean cuing back on markeing; so lo and behold welcome o a leaner

Wavelengh han we've had in a while (noing i will reurn o regular size in he nex issue).he gloom couldn' las hough. A new presiden mean a new oulook or he U.S., and

oddly or he res o he world oo. Gas prices umbled. Despie he naysayers, a brighuure began o emerge.

I wonder how long i will be beore people realize doom and gloom is a sel-ulillingprophecy? Lose conidence in he sock marke and prices plumme. Lose aih in heeconomy by spending less and he economy crumbles. And so i goes.

We here a Wavelengh ound our own way o insulae ourselves. A he heigh o hegloom, my parner Leanne and I snuck ou o he oice early o ake wo shiny new Epsilonsou or a es ride.

Everyhing changes when ou on he waer. Even he air becomes a naural rejuvenaor.Add a resh ocean breeze, exercise and communing wih naure and sensibiliy reurned.Jus a lile more han an hour on he waer and every care in he world seemed o mel away.

his suddenly-remembererd reedom ook me back o 2005 and my longes kayakingrip (92 days along he B.C. coas). I oen wen days, nearing weeks, wihou alking oanoher soul. In he end only our hings really maered: saying warm, saying dry, sayinged and keeping hydraed. Beyond ha everyhing else was simply cluer. he sock marke,

world conlic, even wha day o he week i was hose became disan and ulimaelyunnecessary memories.

I's so easy o ge los in he hings ha are leeing, imporan a he ime bu o lileconsequence in he long run. We ake on cares and pressures ha are ariicial, ha wecreae or ourselves and use o bind ourselves down. Quie oen we end up living a lie based

on alse expecaions o wha we hink we wan.Need a cure? Go kayaking. And he longer he rip he beer.

- John Kimantas

The First Word

World's troubles melt on water

Cares melt away of Newcastle Island, Nanaimo, BC.

by John Kimantas

Leanne

Chetcutiphoto

Cert no. SW-COC-002226
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.wavelengthmagazine.com/http://www.wavelengthmagazine.com/mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.wavelengthmagazine.com/http://www.wavelengthmagazine.com/Advertise.htmlhttp://www.wavelengthmagazine.com/Advertise.htmlhttp://www.wavelengthmagazine.com/Advertise.htmlhttp://www.wavelengthmagazine.com/Advertise.htmlhttp://www.wavelengthmagazine.com/Advertise.htmlhttp://www.wavelengthmagazine.com/Advertise.htmlhttp://www.wavelengthmagazine.com/Advertise.htmlhttp://www.wavelengthmagazine.com/Advertise.htmlhttp://www.wavelengthmagazine.com/Advertise.htmlhttp://www.wavelengthmagazine.com/Advertise.htmlhttp://www.wavelengthmagazine.com/Advertise.htmlhttp://www.wavelengthmagazine.com/Advertise.htmlhttp://www.wavelengthmagazine.com/Advertise.htmlhttp://www.wavelengthmagazine.com/Advertise.htmlhttp://www.wavelengthmagazine.com/Advertise.htmlhttp://www.wavelengthmagazine.com/Advertise.htmlhttp://www.wavelengthmagazine.com/Advertise.htmlhttp://www.wavelengthmagazine.com/Advertise.htmlhttp://www.wavelengthmagazine.com/Advertise.htmlhttp://www.wavelengthmagazine.com/Advertise.htmlhttp://www.wavelengthmagazine.com/Subscribe.htmlhttp://www.wavelengthmagazine.com/Subscribe.htmlhttp://www.wavelengthmagazine.com/Subscribe.htmlhttp://www.wavelengthmagazine.com/Subscribe.htmlhttp://www.wavelengthmagazine.com/Subscribe.htmlhttp://www.wavelengthmagazine.com/Subscribe.htmlhttp://www.wavelengthmagazine.com/Subscribe.htmlhttp://www.wavelengthmagazine.com/Subscribe.htmlhttp://www.gopaddle.org/http://www.wavelengthmagazine.com/mailto:[email protected]://www.wavelengthmagazine.com/Advertise.htmlhttp://www.wavelengthmagazine.com/Subscribe.htmlhttp://www.wavelengthmagazine.com/mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]


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8 Fish and Ships: The Columbia River Water TrailMarine Trailsby Peter Donohue

12 Cover feature: Patagonia The wonders of remote Chileby Paul Jeffrey; photos by Cristian Donoso

20 Into Shallow Waters: BelizeWarm-water paddlingby Lyn Hancock

28 Meet the New Epsilon FamilyReview

by John Kimantas

32 Introducing biyakingOptionsby Bryan Nichols

36 Conquering Vancouver IslandPeople: Sean Morleyby John Kimantas

12

28

36

Contents

6 News

26 New Gear

30 Skillset by Alex Matthews

34 Conservation/ecology How bad can it be: the state

of orcas in the strait

40 Fishing Angles by Dan Armitage

42 Day Trip #4 California caving

at Shell Beach

46 Books and DVDs Tis is the Sea 4 and

Paddling Washington

46 Events

Regular columns:This month's features:
http://www.riotkayak.com/


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Green groups set 2009 priorities

News

Briish Columbias leading environmenal

groups have eamed up o ackle a new seo prioriies or 2009: a-risk species, climaesoluions, coalbed mehane and salmonarming.

Te consorium o 14 environmenalgroups, Prioriies or EnvironmenalLeadership, has picked our issues o championor he year he goal being o advocae or asmall number o high-impac prioriies ha canbe lobbied o become public policy, meaning abeter chance o success.

Member groups are he B.C. SusainableEnergy Associaion, Beter EnvironmenallySound ransporaion (BES), CanadianParks and Wilderness Socieys B.C. Chaper,Dogwood Iniiaive, Ecojusice, Fores Ehics,Georgia Srai All iance, Greenpeace Canada,Living Oceans Sociey, Pembina Insiue,Sierra Club o Canadas B.C. Chaper, SocieyPromoing Environmenal Conservaion(SPEC), Wes Coas Environmenal Law and

he Wilderness Commitee.

B.C.s a-risk species was picked as a prioriybecause B.C. is one o only wo provinces inCanada wihou a sand-alone law o proeca-risk species. Meanwhile, i has moreendangered species han any province orerriory.

Climae soluions championed by he groupinclude ensuring indusrial greenhouse gasemissions are subjec o a carbon price; ha aporion o B.C.s budge surplus should go oimprovemens o local ransi service; and hecreaion o an independenly-managed ossil-uel Innovaion and Legacy Fund o benefcommuniies and low-income ami lies.

Te group is also urging a urn awayrom coalbed mehane, a gas rapped inunderground coal deposis. Prioriies orEnvironmenal Leadership is seeking a10-year moraorium on coalbed mehanedrill ing o resolve impacs o waersheds, ruralcommuniies, wildlie and he environmen.

Oher ossil uel developmen is also being

argeed.Te ourh issue being sough is a $10million al locaion o esablish a Closed SysemAquaculure Innovaion and DevelopmenFund o leverage invesmen rom indusry andaccelerae developmen o closed conainmenechnology or salmon aquaculure. Open penaquaculure has been widely blamed on sea l iceconaminaion o wild salmon socks.

Donoso eyes state of ArcticTis issue's cover-sory ex plorer, Crisian

Donoso, is heading on a 550-mile exploraiono he Palmer A rchipelago and he DancoCoas o sudy wildli e densiy and explorehe eecs o global warming on he A narciccoas in December 2008. Donoso will bejoined by Juan Pablo Orega and oger ovira.Te hope is o inorm he public abou heeec o global warming on he A narcic coas.Visi www.anarcickayak.com.

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News

U.S. epresenaive Jay Inslee recenlyinroduced legislaion ha would begin

he process o giving he Cascadia Marinerail saus as a Naional Scenic or NaionalHisoric rail. Te Washingon Waer railsAssociaion submited a leter o suppor orlegislaion ha would urher proec andelevae he saus o he Cascadia Marine rail.

Puge Sound is a naional reasure bohor is recreaional opporuniies and nauralresources, said Inslee, a residen o BainbridgeIsland, WA, who serves on he House panelwih jurisdicion over he Deparmen o heInerior. Tis designaion would help ensureha generaion aer generaion o Americanscan enjoy he hisory and culure o hesewaerways.

A rail has o go hrough a long approvalprocess beore i becomes a Naional Scenicor Naional Hisoric rail. Inslee saredhe process in Augus when he inroducedlegislaion providing unding or a easibiliysudy. An avid kayaker, Inslee hinks he PugeSound deserves he naional recogniion ha

his designaion would provide, as well as hegreaer proecions ha would resul.

Following a sudy, addiional legislaion willbe required o auhorize he rai l designaion.Finally, he Naional Park Service will creaea managemen plan ha wil l make he raildesignaion a realiy. o be successul i willake a large a moun o communiy suppor andengagemen. Visi www.wwa.org/rails/cm/

Remains reinterred on islandA seshah Firs Naions ceremony a he

Broken Group Islands in lae Ocober was ahappy ending or a case o poor judgmen bykayakers in he 1970s. Bu quesions remain abouhow o bes handle possible uure inrusions inonaive hisory in he naional park.

A child's burial box wih remains, glass

beads and copper ornamens esimaed o beabou 200 years old were replaced in wha is

believed o be he original burial cave romwhich hey were aken by he kayakers.Te bones o wo eenagers were also

re-inerred a he Ocober ceremony.Te kayakers gave he remains o he oyal

B.C. Museum in Vicoria, which reurnedhem o he seshah earlier his year.

Te ceremony was a ricky one, as burialcaves are considered sacred and are no meano be enered. Te enrances were blocked aerhe ceremony.

Te inciden has raised concerns by heband abou how o proec burial caves andoher sacred sies in he naional park.

One idea pu orward is o have seshahmembers ac as park wardens.

Te case highlighs he need or kayakerso be aware o he culural poenial o visiedlocaions on he B.C. coas, o respec hesanciy o culura l areas and o avoid removingobjecs o any ype wih a hisoric culuralsignifcance. Caves should also be avoided.

Cascadia trail nears federal protection
http://www.wwta.org/trails/cmt/http://www.seawardkayaks.com/http://www.wwta.org/trails/cmt/mailto:[email protected]


8/48


Marine Trails by Peter Donohue

The Columbia River Water Trail ofers extremes in some cases the need or care to stay

out o the way o deep-drat ocean reighters, in others paddling through pristine gorges.



9/48


Friends of mine save up heir annualvacaion ime so hey can ake a wo-week-long advenure. Tey had been

considering a kayak rip along he Big SurCoasline o Caliornia, bu were a litle pu

o by poenial risks rom waves and l imiedlanding poins. Bu hen hey heard abou heColumbia iver Waer rail, which goes abou150 miles (240 km) rom Bonneville Dam ohe Pacifc Ocean. And aer a bi more researchand some preparaion, we fnd our inrepidexplorers Brian Lucido and Jane Wagner inhe double, and mysel and my parner SylviaWu in our singles rying o puzzle a ll our gearino our kayaks a he launch ramp jus belowhe dam.

Tis river was made amous when Lewisand Clark raveled down i on he las segmeno heir overland roue o he Pacifc. Teypicked up one o he ribuaries o he river ahe ocky Mounains near Glacier NaionalPark, ollowing i down an increasinglylarge river much larger. No surprise, ashe Columbia is he waershed or mos oWashingon, Oregon, and Idaho (and pieces ooher surrounding regions).

We launched rom he river on he Sundayo Labor Day weekend and sared our way

downsream amongs he surgeon fshermanand barge ra c. Our frs day was easy, bohbecause we only covered around 10 miles (16km), bu also because he curren was ow ing a3-4 knos. We had srong currens, someimes

up o 5 knos, or he frs hi rd o our rip.Many o he islands along he river are openor camping. For our frs nigh we sayed onSkamania Island. Being Labor Day weekend,many o he prime camping spos were alreadyin use, bu we sill ound a nice spo wih a viewo Mulnomah Falls in Oregon.

Our second nigh was an upgrade. Aerpaddling abou 13 miles (20 km), we sayedon eed Island, wh ich had pi oiles, picnicables and a fre ring (prety high class, or reecamping). Also, being he Monday o LaborDay, he crowds sared disappearing. Wego o he sie early, and hen did some exrakayaking. Sylvias kayak is a Chaham, and wewere direcly across rom Chaham Island, so arip here was a naural.

Unorunaely, I ound my ron hachooded no wih waer bu wih por. I earliersalvaged a Mylar bag rom a box o wine.oo useul o discard, we couldn use i orwaer, as i held ono he wine avor. And i weranserred more wine ino i, he wine would

likely go bad (he bag no being serile). So Ihough we had a winner o an idea o using io hold por. Tis worked fne unil we oundou he hard way he valve could open whenpressed ino a igh space (like a packed hach).

Even o his day, my ron hach smells like por.Te nex day we paddled 14 miles (22 km)o Governmen Island, wih a view o PorlandAirpor. Te campsie was semi-developed,as ree campsies go, hanks o a fre ring andpi oile bu no picnic able. Pleny o nearbyblackberry bushes provided a garn ish or ouroameal breakas.

Pas here he rip morphed ino a new phase.Beween Porland and Longview he riverbecame more indusrial, w ih our frs gli mpseo deep-dra ships.

For our ourh day we headed o AlderCreek Kayak and Canoe (which can be hardo fnd rom he waer) so we could confrmha hey would handle our reurn shutle. Wehen paddled alongside he area's many houseboas. We had o wai o cross he Willameteiver, as many ugs and deep dra ships werepassing. We realized we were ou a bi lae inhe day when we saw he kie surers playingin he wind. No islands were in he area, so wecamped on shore on he Oregon side. Our oal

Columbia River



10/48


Marine Trails

disance or he day was abou 18miles (29 km).

Te nex day we made a siderip o Scappoose Bay Kayaks. Wehad heard abou his awesome

ho dog place nex door, buunorunaely i was closed or heseason (a big ledown). Te olks aScappoose Bay Kayaks were niceenough o allow us o use heirshowers, and gave us los o goodinormaion or he remainder o he rip. Onheir advice, we sayed a he island o o SainHelens. Once again, high-class ree camping.A bonus was his island was basically one bigblackberry pach wih campsies mowed ou,so we overdosed on hose scrumpious litleberries. Our oal his day: abou 16 miles (26km)

Day six was 15 miles (25 km) down o hesouhern ip o Cotonwood Island, wherewe camped wih a view o a decommissionednuclear power plan across he river. We hada wonderul resh salmon dinner, despieour lack o fshing gear. Brian, who we hadnicknamed MacGyver because he was

consanly sprucingup campsieswih ables andchairs made ouo driwood,

used his skills oge a fshermansruck ou o somesand during ourlunch sop. A roadconsrucion crew

couldn do i wih brue orce, soBrian solved i wih driwood.In appreciaion, he fshermanoered us up a whole resh-caughsalmon. I was more han wecould possibly ea, and we didnhave any ice, so we happily setledor a meal-sized flle.

Day seven was a shor day only 12 miles(20 km). We poked along, sopping in heown o anier o ge some supplies (hough iurns ou here isn a grocery sore here, so wedid our bes a a convenience sore). We alsoound he LS Washenaw Couny, a miliarylanding cra ha was h ighly decoraed in heVienam War, which is now sored in a sidechannel. We ended our day a he wes end oLong Island, where we once again ae los oblackberries.

Here he personaliy o he r iver changedagain. We le behind much o he indusrialarea and were geting back o bald eagles yingabove us and oher signs o naure. We alsoound ha ide was becoming more o a acor.By saring our rip on Labor Day weekend, we

saved a vacaion day and avoided he summercrowds. Unorunaely, we didn acor ides in.I we had scheduled based around he ide, wecould have had an ebb ide or he whole rip.ides are abou an hour laer every day, bu iyou move downsream abou 20 miles eachday, he ide will be an hour earl ier osetingeach oher o give you high ide a he sameadverse ime each day. Oh, well.

Te nex day was anoher 12 miles (20 km)down o a small island o o Wallace Island.

A highligh was seeing a beauiul bald eaglea waer level while going hrough BradburySlough.

We sared our ninh day wih he goalo reaching Skamokawa Kayak Cener ormore local advice and some resh ood rom

Above: waiting out tanker tra c.

Top: Fresh sh, a just reward or a helping hand.


11/48


Columbia River

he local grocery. Aer he mid-day break, weheaded o a beach campsie ha Skamokawarecommended, oaling jus over 18 miles (29km).

Te frs nine days were all under mosly

sunny skies, wih jus a l itle bi o drizzle oneday. Bu ha nigh he og announced iselin a big way. We were camping on he beacha Jim Crow Poin, wih he shipping channelless han a quarer mile away. A abou 2 a.m.,we heard one very loud og horn. Te og hadsetled in, and a passing reigher sared hisog horn blass jus oshore rom our campsie.Ta was a rude awakening.

From ha poin on, i el like we werealways paddling in og. Tankully i was onlywo more days, as my solar batery chargerwasn able o ge much juice in he og orecharge my GPS bateries. Te blackberrybushes also prety much disappeared oamealjus wasn he same aer ha.

Te nex day was a 20-miler (32 kms) o heDeep iver area. We had made he decision aSkamokawa o sick o he Washingon side,which pleased me. I we wen on he Oregonside, we would have sopped a Asoria, alitle shor o he ocean. Insead we were now

headed o Cape Disappoinmen and heoceans edge.

Only on our las day o paddling did wefnally ener sal waer, jus beore he AsoriaBridge. We sopped a he own o Chinook

or lunch as we waied or he ide o urn. Wehen headed ou o Bird Islands o see i wecould fnd a campsie (camping is allowed onhe larger one). Huge ocks o sea birds suchas cormorans live on hese islands. We didnfnd anyhing ha looked good or a campsie,so paddled on o Cape Disappoinmen SaePark, where we checked in o he bike and hike-in campsie.

Unorunaely, his campsie was a hal-milerom our boas a he ramp. Brian ried oMacGuyver a ranspor soluion, bu in heend, one o he parks rangers was nice enougho ranspor our boas o he campsie on aabed ruck.

Peer lives in San Francisco and over he passix years has paddled many places along hewes coas beween Baja and he San Juans. opay or his kayaking and bicycling, Peer owns aconsuling company ocused on helping Japanesecompanies do business in America .

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12/48


Cover Feature by Paul Jeffrey

Five-month expedition reveals

wonders o remote Chile


The Lautaro Glacier and Lake Greve.

Watched in Trinidad Channel.


13/48


Patagonia

Chilean explorer Cristian Donoso has completed an

ambitious expedition to one o the most inhospitable and

least known places on earth, the labyrinth o ords and

islands o western Patagonia . The journey, which lastedfve months, took Donoso and his companions through

stormy waters and across ice-clad ridges. The expedition

has provided a unique window into the region that will

help the world appreciate the wonders o Patagonia and

encourage them to support protection o one o the earths

natural treasures.


The last day o navigation beore

mounting Campos de Hielo,

entering the Exmouth Fjord in ront

o the Brggen Glacier.

Cristian Donoso.


14/48


HE DAUNINGlabyrinh o rocky islands, sinewy channelsand icy ords o wesern Paagonia has long made his isolaedregion o souhern Chile one o he leas-explored areas on

earh. Nesled beween massive glaciers ha hug he slopes o seepAndean peaks and drenching sorms ha blow ou o he souhern

Pacifc, he harsh environmen provides litle o welcome hose whovenure near. Ye lawyer Crisian Donoso has embraced Paagonia sconsiderable challenges. In he process he has given he ciizens o Chileand he wider world a glimpse o he regions rugged majesy and aunique chance o learn abou he imminen hreas i aces.

An associae laureae o he 2006 olex Awards, 32-year-old Donosoplanned and led a 155-day, 1,200-mile (2,0 00-km) odyssey hroughhe region. Te expediion had hree separae sages beween January17, 2007 and February 24, 2008. Donoso underook he iniial sage

o 47 days alone, carrying ou he frs navigaion and exploraion oa large lake ormed h rough climae change. Four oher advenurersaccompanied him on one or boh o he remaining wo sages. Teyused sea kayaks o navigae he regions narrow ords and wild sur, henurned hem ino sleds ha hey dragged up and over glaciers.

Te oher paricipans in he expediion were Juan Pablo Orega,a managemen engineer, kayaker and climber; Mario Seplveda, aclimbing guide and champion cross-counry skier; Ana Bar ley, amarine biologis, climber and kayaker; and oger ovira, a Caalonianspeleologis and kayaker.

Te rans-Paagonia Exped iion, which proved even more di culhan Donoso, a veeran explorer o he region, had oreseen, is providingscieniss and hisorians wih a reasure rove o new inormaion abouPaagonia .

Cover Feature

A waterall separates the Lamero Fjord rom the lake to the south. The

crossing required carrying gear or 200 yards to the Brazo Lastarria in

the Seno de Barros Luco. This was a historic strategic bypass used by

Puerto Edn inhabitants to avoid the open sea.



15/48


Mos o he journey was across waer, andin Paagonia he waer is seldom calm. Donosolos coun o how many imes he capsized ashe eam batled waves, wind and ides. A s heexpediion neared is end in February, heavy

sur and a drasic change in he wind prevenedhe eam rom landing on he rocky coaslineo Forelius Archipelago. Te ex plorers hado spend he moonless nigh on heir kayaks,clipping he boas ogeher wih carabiners,sreching a en over heir bodies and holdingon o each ohers paddles or sabiliy. Whensrong winds pushed hem oo ar ou o sea,hey paddled back in he dark, using whisles

o ollow he kayaker in ron o hem, unableo deec he crisscrossing waves unil heycrashed over he kayaks.

Donoso, who has been climbing Chile smounains since he was a boy, and in 2002crossed 300 miles (500 km) o Paagoniasolo in a kayak, says he expediion producedseveral righening momens, somehing heconsiders normal i n such harsh condiions.

Fear helps when youve go o be highlyaler and concenrae or long periods o imein a scenario ull o dangers. Bu ear haapproaches panic is our wors enemy when weconron dangers, says Donoso, who learnedo conron some o his own ears whenparachuing wih he Chilean A rmys SpecialForces.

Advenurers oen ge ino problems whenhey lose paience, he says, saying he kayakersdiscussed he issue during a relaively calmmomen he nigh hey were orced o remain

a sea.We alked abou similar siuaions ha

expediions had conroned, especially inhe mounains. We recalled accidens haoccurred during descens a nigh or in hemiddle o sorms, when ex plorers succumbed

o impaience and exposed hemselves ogreaer danger by rying quickly o ge ou o adangerous or a sressul siuaion.

Anoher sressul n igh came las Ocoberas Donoso and his eam descended o Greve

Lake rom he high glaciers o he SouhernIce Fields. Tey survived over a week o heavysnows ha repeaedly buried heir ens andrapped hem in one spo or our days. Onceacross he ice plaeau, hey had o lower heully-loaded kayaks each weighing over 200pounds (100 kg) down a snow-covered2,00 0-oo (600m) cli. Te eam had o dohis in sages, car ving ou plaorms in hesnow o anchor heir ropes as hey descended.

Donoso had spen monhs preparing orhe expediion by sudyi ng saellie phooso he region, ploting roues and possiblecampsies. So he was aware in advance osome paricularly challenging sreches o herip. Oher di cul ies ook him by surprise,such as a 6-mile (10-km) srech o jungleha he eam had o cross as hey poragedhe kayaks and supplies overland rom LakeGreve o anoher lake ormed a he oo o heGuacolda Glacier. Donoso says he vegeaionwas denser han he Amazon rai nores.Te eam was already ired aer almos amonh o demanding work, and his srecho he expediion was he mos challenging

psychologically.In order o make i hrough ha par, we

had o say cheerul, deermined and wellorganized as we worked ogeher, demandinghe mos we could rom our bodies, he says.

Patagonia

The karst at the north o the Seno de Barros Luco.

"In order to make it through

that part, we had to stay

cheerful, determined and

well organized as we workedtogether.


16/48



17/48


In November, near he end o he expediions second sage, Donosoled he eam ino a series o caves on Madre de Dios Island, a imesdescending hrough underground waeralls. Besides carr ying ou aniniial mapping o he previously unexplored caves, he eam ook sampleso a salagmie ha wil l be sudied using radioisoope echnology a he

Universiy o rier in Germany.Donoso, who cal ls salagmies climaic archives, believes ha hesample is likely o yield imporan clues abou he hisory o he regionsclimae, as well as i nsighs ino he naure o global climae change, aphenomenon he eam members documened as hey kayaked hroughlakes ormed in recen years by he rapid shrinking o several glaciers.

Te explorers careul ly documened he regions auna, recording apreviously unknown eeding acic by a species o oad hey ound ridinghe waves on Lake Presidene ios, uil izing he sur o rap and eed onmosquioes. Te explorers also ound a colony o Magellan ic penguinsin he ores o Surania Island, no he usual nesing place or a speciesknown o setle on he coasli ne; he birds smaller-han-normal sizeand improved walking skil ls may indicae he discovery o a new varieyor sub-species. And Donosos eam encounered several Souh AndeanHuemules he deer ha appears on Chile s coa o arms and careullyrecorded heir observaions abou his endangered species.

Donoso also documened several races o he indigenous people Chonos and Kaweskars who ravelled he region, oen in canoes,or more han our mil lennia beore Columbus arrived in he wesernhemisphere. Scholars o he regions hisory a re already exam iningDonosos repors on he remnans o idal fsh ponds buil o rocks by heancien nomads along he oceans edge.

Donoso hopes ha he expediion, which sared rom he village oPuero Edn , home o he las remaining Kaweskar communiy, willhelp Chileans beter appreciae and proec he indigenous groups ew

surviving members.Te expediion also discovered relics ha may shed ligh on he 1741

sinking o he English rigae Wager on he norh coas o he GuayanecoPeninsula. Te ships ae was popularized a he i me by he journal oone o he ships crew, John Byron, who survived wih help rom wo

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18/48


Cover Feature

Let: Exploring karst at the

north o the Island o Madre de

Dios. Above: But snow was in

abundance during the 1,300-

meter crossing o the Brggen

Glacier (also known as Pio XI) and

the Capitn plateau on the way to

Lake Greve. Below: sur launching.Right: bordering Lake Greve.

indigenous groups who spiried Byron and hreeoher surv ivors hrough he reacherous waers in

heir canoes. Te sh ips sinki ng encouraged Spaino increase exploraion in he area, acceleraingwha Donoso dubbed he encouner o woworlds in he remoe reaches o Paagonia.

Donoso spen monhs gahering fnancial andmaerial suppor or he expediion. In Saniago,where he shares a law pracice wih a parner whocovers or him while he is exploring he wild,Donoso persuaded several companies o providehe expediion w ih is essenial componens,including kayaks, ens, clohi ng, communicaionsgear, dehydraed ood and oher equipmen needed

o surv ive in he harsh environmen. Te fnancialsuppor rom Donosos olex Award was used opurchase wo high-defniion video ca meras andoher audio-visual equipmen, as well as o coverinsurance and cusoms duies. Donoso said hesuppor rom olex was undamenal in openingdoors o oher sponsors.

Porable solar panels successully rechargedheir radios and saellie phones during he eeingmomens o sun, allowing he eam o updae heirwebsie almos da ily. Te explorers also used abackup wind generaor. Te only disappoinmen

was he marine housings or he video and sillA gigantic iceberg arrives near the campground at Lake Greve.


19/48


cameras, which Donoso had o reinorceconsanly wih silicon, wire and ape o keephe salwaer ou.

DONOSO is now ediing over 80hours o high-defniion video sho during heexpediion; he wil l produce a documenary o bebroadcas on Chilean elevision laer his year.Te video will show some o he explorers accomplishmens, includinghe Paagonian peaks hey were he frs ex plorers o climb. Bu is mainobjecive is o provide he general public wih knowledge o he remoesreches o Paagonia while here is s ill i me o save he rugged region.

In order o proec his erriory, weve go o know whas here,says Donoso, who repors ha mos Chileans have litle knowledge ohe region. Our expediion has ocused public atenion on his erriory,no in a neural manner, bu rom a perspecive ha pus in sharp reliewha he region an undamaged ragmen o our world means or hepresen and uure o humaniy.

Paagonia aces a number o hreas, including new hydroelecricprojecs, mining and he massive logging o an endangered species ocypress. Ye Donoso is mos concerned abou he immediae impaco indusrial-scale fshing. Salmon arming in souhern Chile hasbeen hard hi by a virus k nown as inecious salmon anaemia, orcingproducers o venure ino more remoe areas o Paagonia in search ounconaminaed waers.

We have demonsraed ha here is sill a ronier beween he worldhas subjec o our annihi laion and he world ha is sill ree rom his,

he says. Is possible o inegrae ha oher worldwih ours, conserv ing i as i is and approachingi in non-invasive ways, as in a grea park hageneraions o come can have an opporuniy oexperience as we have done.

Trough he dieren media weve used, ourexpediion has brough back he surprise andascinaion we el in hese spaces. By ocusing

public atenion on he ormidable naural scenery o wesern Paagonia ,we are also ocusing public atenion on he orces ha seek o desroy i.

For more inormaion and phoos o he e xpediion, please visiwww.incogniopaagonia.com/

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by Lyn HancockWarm-water paddling

Into

Shallow watersEVERYONE has dieren reasons or loving Lighhouse ee, hemos remoe o Belizes hree coral aolls.Blame i on he many naural wonders.Jacques Couseau and scuba divers love i or he Blue Hole, acircular hole in he middle o he aoll, 1,000 ee w ide and 400 eedeep. Is image rom he air, a dazzling sapphire seino a shimmering emerald sea, defnes Belize.

Snorkellers love he ree or is shelered shallowlagoon, litered wih pach rees, guted wihcanyons and edged by walls and dropos. Teyrelish is clear war m waer and is excepionalmarine lie so abundan ha many sies on he reeare labeled Te Aquarium or Te Zoo.

Anglers love i or he ease in which hey canhaul in a muliude o fsh like barracuda, ar pon,grouper and snapper.

Birders love i or is easy viewing o rookeriesull o magnifcen rigae birds, which inae heirred hroa pouches ino big balloons o atracmaes in breeding season; and a unique colony ored-ooed boobies ha are whie, no dull brown like elsewhere.

Phoographers love i or he cusomary ropical images o whiesandy beaches, urquoise waers ull o coloru l corals and fsh, muli-

coloured sunses (and sunrises), and waving coconu palms. Teirbonus is he abundan and oleran wildlie no only he boobies,rigaes, ospreys, grackles and pelicans bu he iguanas, urles and

ubiquious hermi crabs. Opporuniies are endless rom dramaiclighhouses and arisic shipwrecks o un, phoogenic muliculuralpeople.

Soon aer arriving I ound mysel looking a a long, curv ingpeninsula o wh iesand beach, narrow enough o skip across rom sea

o sea in less han a mi nue. A one end, hal a dozen airywall ens wih adjacen hammocks peeped rom a groveo slaning coconu rees o ace he lagoon, jus sepsaway rom he ens. A he oher end, a dense canopyo glossy ziricoe rees hid who knows wha reasures. Aew weeks laer, I discovered ha reasure a breedingsancuary or magni fcen rigaes and booby birds andan old, rusy bu romanic-looking lighhouse opped bya nes o ospreys.

Kayakers love Lighhouse ee because everyhingis provided, wih he bonus o a Belizean sa ull o un.Teres even yoga beore breakas. Some have called iheir avorie place on Earh.

Each day we had he opion o paddling o a dierenlocaion inside he proeced lagoon, someimes o

pach rees close o camp, oher imes o undersea clis a he edge ohe aoll. We ied he kayaks ogeher in a line and snorkeled ree or wedried over he ree pul ling our kayaks behind us. Always a moorboa

accompanied us in case anyone ired or venured oo ar rom he group.One day we hoised sails on our double kayaks and paddled wes fve

miles across he lagoon o Long Caye. Sailing a kayak was new o mos

Lighthouse Ree, Belize:



21/48


o us so we vied o parner wih Don, a veeranyachsman rom San Francisco who had sailedsolo wice around he world. Well, almos solo.Had his yach no slid ono he back o a bluewhale o Arica and he hough i pruden o

land in Cape own or repairs, he would havesucceeded in his goal o do i wihou conacwih anoher person.

Ironically, Don was he one who capsizedhis kayak on he way over o Long Caye, noonce bu wice! We looked on in disbelie.

Kayaks have no keel, he said wih anembarrassed grin. Teyre sensiive, ippy. Iguess I was oo cocky.

Anoher day we paddled o a picuresqueshipwreck wihin sigh o camp hen coninuednorh or six more miles. We wached hewaves crashing on he ouside o he ree, whichhad claimed fve ships. We were glad o bepaddling he lagoon side.

ime or lunch, called Dick, our leader, abiologis who bides his ime beween Oregonand Belize. ie your kayaks in a line and Ill seup ables.

I wasn he only one who circled heeaureless horizon wih our eyes andwondered how he could do ha. We didnrealize he waer was so shallow ill we d roppedoverboard, our ee ouched botom and wewalked on op o he ree o he eas. I was

uncanny o be sanding a a card able eainglunch in he middle o an ocean wih no landin sigh.

Aer lunch we had no need o don oursnorkels o explore he ree. We jus ben overo sudy he rees colorul creaures.

LIGHTHOUSE REEF has is ups anddowns. I didn need a helicoper o ake apicure o he osprey nes on op o he old

lighhouse. I jus needed Jaime, a cheer y youngKiw i ravelling he world as an oudoor guide.Jaime was araid o nohing, eiher up or down.Carrying my camera and elephoo lens on hisback, he clambered up he new seel lighhousewhich was much aller han he old one andhappily clicked dozens o shos or me o uywhie chicks in he nes and an adul ospreyying in o eed hem. Te old lighhouse arbelow was an ar isic backdrop or his images.

Nex day he was down. Fiy ee down.I raded my underwaer camera or hisearlessness. While I rod waer a he op,Jaime dived down f y ee, ound and ollowed

a massive urle skimming he sandy seabotom, maneuvered himsel ino he bescamera posiion, ook ime o ake shos romseveral dieren angles, hen rose calmly backo he surace o ake his frs breah. Amazing!

You don have o climb ino he sky orswim o he dephs o he ocean o have anadvenure on his island. I ound my mosmemorable advenure on he ground.

Let page: red-ooted boobies, shallow

paddling and surveying a wreck.

Above: preparing or a sailing trip. Top:

the camp set among the palms at

Lighthouse Ree.

Belize
http://www.bajakayakadventures.com/


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In he early mornings beore kayaking, I would sroll he naurerail o he v iewing plaorm overlooking he rookery on Hal MoonCaye. Is mos amous inhabians are is red-ooed boobies. Tey area moley lo wih heir whie clownish aces, blue beaks and brigh redee. Abou 4,000 o hem nes a he wesern end o he island in heorange-owering ziricoe rees. Living alongside and sharing he samerees are he magnifcen rigae birds, all black excep in he maingseason when hey inae heir hroa pouches ino massive red balloonsha overpower he res o heir bodies.

Tere is ensionbeween he boobies

and he r igaes. Frigaeseed by orcing headul boobies o dropheir caches as hey yin o eed heir young.Te boobys deence iso ou-maneuver hebigger rigae in he air.

Someimes hey slan heir bodies agains he sun o dazzle and blindheir pursuers.

Is no so easy when he booby is a chick and helpless in he nes.A sudden screaming and a rush o wings in he baske o branches

above my head and I looked up o see a gang o black rigaes swoopingdown, one aer he oher, o atack a vulnerable booby chick, all alone inhe nes, valianly jabbing he air wih is slender beak. M iraculously, heuy whie chick remained inac. Perhaps he rigaes were oo big oroo clumsy o move ino posiion or a successul kill. Unable o help andwih my paddle maes waiing, I had o leave.

Ta aernoon, Edna and Diana, my pals rom B.C., ound he chickin a huddle on he ground, amazingly sil l alive. Tey ook i o Sylvesre,he Audubon warden. Sylvesre sees hese batles on a daily basis so hewas relucan o ake i in. We have no ime o look aer hem. I had wodie in my house yeserday. You should leave hem on he ground or heiguanas and hermi crabs.

Back in B.C. I have a hisory o raising orphaned animals such as

Warm-water paddling

A Proud on water Current Designs dealer

1824 STORE STREET VICTORIA, BC. PH 250.381.4233 TOLL FREE 1 800 909 4233

WWW.OCEANRIVER.COM

getting you out there since 1981

Ocean Rivers Russell Henry

We know our stuff

Above: lunch in

shallow water. Below

right: an osprey nest

on an old lighthouse.

Next page: up close

with a massive turtle

thanks to guide Jaime's

enviable lung capacity.
http://www.oceanriver.com/http://www.oceanriver.com/http://www.oceanriver.com/http://www.oceanriver.com/http://www.oceanriver.com/http://www.oceanriver.com/http://www.oceanriver.com/


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January 2009 Wavelength Magazine 23

eagles, seals, bears, cougars, apes andraccoons, so I did a deal wih Sylvesre ocare or his one. He called i Lyn. I spenhe res o my ime on Lighhouse Ree beore and aer kayaking assemblingmaerials or a plaorm nes, keepingi clean, scrounging and cuting up fshand eeding i o he chick, much o heamusemen o he ew Belizeans on heisland.

Keeping busy is never a problem onLighhouse Ree.

Documents

Wavelength Kayaking Magazine: Jan. 2009