Talking Story Archives - Page 100 of 114

Daybreak at the Drunken Fir

Posted by Ken Campbell January 25, 2009 0 Comment 828 views

An early morning, this morning. Gary and I were on the water by 6:30, putting in at Titlow Beach and heading through the Narrows to the Point Defiance Boat House. As the light came up and the wind stiffened, we could see the slides on the cliffs below the point. All along the shoreline, from […]

A happy thought

Posted by Ken Campbell January 23, 2009 0 Comment 890 views

I was thinking about the economy, the demise of American kayak manufacturers and the shrinking polar ice caps this morning. Can you blame me for being a grouch? It’s funny how one thought can lead into another, and another, until the weight of it all turns even the lightest heart into stone. I am, it […]

Clubland

Posted by Ken Campbell January 23, 2009 0 Comment 801 views

I am not a Joiner by nature. I tend to follow the Mark Twain ethic, which means that I’m not overly interested in any organization that would have me as a member. I am a member of two kayaking clubs, Kayak Newfoundland and Labrador and the Matelót but that’s about it. I like people and […]

The great Blue Heron

Posted by Ken Campbell January 20, 2009 0 Comment 923 views

I mentioned the Blue Heron Bakery at the end of the last entry… I thought I should give it another plug. For me, one of the highlights of any trip to the peninsula is the mandatory stop at the Blue Heron. A selection of exquisitely crafted confections along with perfect coffee makes it a pleasure […]

Doesn’t feel like winter

Posted by Ken Campbell January 20, 2009 0 Comment 921 views

Up at dawn once again. I’d like to survey a few more kayaking options, maybe get on the water for a morning paddle, then beat it back to T-town in time to see the boy before his bedtime. I stop at a pull-out on Highway 101, a tourist scenic vista, that overlooks Nehalem Bay and […]

Big rocks, big water

Posted by Ken Campbell January 18, 2009 0 Comment 1030 views

The wind is not dying down. If anything, it’s getting stronger. The inky sky is awash with stars and the quarter moon is almost bright enough to read by. It’s five in the morning and I’m by the side of the road in Nehalem, Oregon. I guess I could have figured it might be breezy… […]

My Oregon Trail

Posted by Ken Campbell January 17, 2009 0 Comment 903 views

I’m heading out this afternoon for the Oregon coast. I have heard so many nice things about the place, I figured that I may as well go and see for myself. Doesn’t everybody kayak the Oregon coast in winter?

Going international

Posted by Ken Campbell January 16, 2009 0 Comment 932 views

If you’re ever of a mind to try a real open-water crossing, this could be the one. If you like strong currents and fickle winds and the possibility of crossing paths with oil tankers and other ocean-going über vessels, you might enjoy a paddle accross the Strait of Juan de Fuca. It’s not that far, […]

This last, fast year

Posted by Ken Campbell January 14, 2009 0 Comment 821 views

I left for Vancouver Island a year ago today. The plan was for a sea kayak circumnavigation in winter, something that had never been done before. It still hasn’t. It hardly seems possible that 12 months have gone by since then.

This day in history

Posted by Ken Campbell January 13, 2009 0 Comment 811 views

On January 13th, 1890, the boys from the Press Party began their first push into the Olympic wilderness. The expedition had been on the go for over a month already, but still hadn’t gotten past the last settler’s house in the Elwha Valley – hardly what you’d call exploring. (No matter how daring and intrepid […]