1. Go around the Rock
Newfoundland escaped the radar of most expedition kayakers until recently. Wendy Killoran became the first woman to circumnavigate the Rock in 2006, and last summer Greg Stamer planned a “fast and exciting” trip around North America’s easternmost landmass. After paddling the 2,100 kilometres in a rocket-fast 44 days, Stamer reflected, “I’m not sure what was most impressive, the coastline and wildlife…or the hospitality of the Newfoundlanders.” Expect big water crossings, Norway-like fjords and copious amounts of granite—but also sweeping sand beaches and some of the friendliest people on earth.
Get inspired: gregstamer.com
2. Circumnavigate the Sunshine State
“If you want to test yourself against everything Mother Nature has to throw at you, you have found the way.” So begins the description of the Ultimate Florida Challenge, a 1,920-kilometre race around Florida that’s organized by WaterTribe, a speed-crazed small-boat marathon outfit. For mere mortals, it’s pos- sible to sea kayak Florida’s diverse coastline of mangroves, manatees, beaches and paradisiacal islands with far less suffering. The 26-segment, 2,350-kilometre-long Florida Saltwater Paddling Trail runs from Pensacola to Fort Clinch on the Georgia border, and includes the Florida Keys.
Get inspired: floridapaddlingtrails.com
3. Paddle an Inland Ocean
In 2003, Nancy Uschold, co-owner of Marquette, Michigan’s Sea Kayak Specialists, took the summer off to paddle around the lake that sits at her doorstep. Her 1,820-kilometre journey around Lake Superior linked some of her favourite paddling destinations, like the isolated beaches of Ontario’s Pukaskwa National Park and the oxidized cliffs of Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. “I was lucky to have a summer that, though cold, foggy and rainy early on, had very few storms,” Uschold wrote. “I only took one weather day in 10 weeks—unheard of on Lake Superior!”
Get inspired: Superior: Journeys on an Inland Sea, by Gary and Joanie McGuffin. Boston Mills Press, 1995.
4. Explore a Watery Eden
The roots of North American sea kayaking can be traced to the Inside Passage from Alaska’s Glacier Bay to Seattle. Mountainous islands scrape the sky and shield paddlers from Pacific swells but also create tricky currents and gusty winds. Orca whales mark the top of one of the world’s most productive marine food chains and grace the totem poles of a rich First Nation seafaring culture. Since the early 1970s, the 2,000-kilometre route has become a rite of passage for countless paddlers. Most inspiring is Audrey Sutherland, a grandmother who has logged thousands of Inside Passage miles. Her motto: “go simple, go solo, go now.”
Get inspired: Kayaking the Inside Passage, by Robert Miller. Countryman Press, 2005.
This article first appeared in the Spring 2009 issue of Adventure Kayak Magazine.
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