After my return from the Great Lakes Sea Kayak Symposium, I had a few days at home with Mark. We explored the local waters of Big Lagoon, Maple Creek, Trinidad, Mendocino and Crescent City before packing the car and driving up the coast to do some classes for the Olympic Peninsula Paddlers in northwest Washington.

Mark at Big Lagoon, California.

Maple Creek, California.

Trinidad, California.

A cave with a waterfall in Mendocino, California.

A tunnel in Mendocino, California.

Crescent City, California.

Clinic organizer, Jo Zuzarte, was a wonderful host, and she made us feel right at home. Throughout the weekend we did four clinics and I did a slideshow presentation. The lake that we worked on was gorgeous, and two days of classes surrounded by steep, stunning mountains was just the medicine the students needed to develop, improve on or expand on their rolling skills.

Happy paddlers in Port Angeles, Washington.

After the classes in Port Angeles we headed to Bellingham to pick up my new kayak, a P&H Cetus MV that I’ll be using for some upcoming trips. We then headed to B.C. and took a ferry to Saturna Island, one of the Gulf Islands. Our friends John and Sandra live there and I hadn’t seen them in a couple of years. Saturna Island was just what we needed, and relaxing with friends, doing Qigong, walking and inhaling a little island air was wonderful. Of course, the best way to see an island is to paddle around it. So that’s what we did. John and Sandra also pulled together a last minute class and we had six eager students working on their rolls in the warm summer air.

A kayak is born.

Checking out the San Juan and Gulf Islands from Saturna Island, B.C.

Paddling around Saturna Island.

We then hopped on another ferry to Victoria, and met up with Michael Jackson of the South Island Sea Kayaking Association. I hadn’t been to Victoria since I was a kid and it was nice to be back. Summer is going strong on Vancouver Island, and it was tons of fun to teach strokes, maneuvers, bracing and beginning, intermediate and advanced rolling.

Mark in coaching mode.

Forward finish norsaq rolls.

Practicing maneuvering strokes.

On our way back down the coast we met up with Mark Peloquin of Bluewater Kayak Works. It was fun catching up with him while he installed a pump into my Cetus MV.

Mark about to install a pump into the Cetus.

Now Mark and I are driving down the coast back to Arcata, where we’ll have one day to unpack, repack and hopefully squeeze in a swim in the river and a hike in the redwoods before driving to Southern California to go to Disneyland before teaching classes in Dana Point on Saturday and visiting with family.

Pictures by Helen Wilson and Mark Tozer.