Oh it’s bitter sweet to say goodbye!
Got on the ferry in Skagway early in the morning, together with Jeff and Jacob. Walking over my kayak as one of the last physical activities on this trip. Onboarding was easy and went super smoothly.
Lynn canal presented itself from its best side and seemed even more grand from the ferry with its mountains and glaciers. Seeing my last wilderness campsite from the ferry felt so weird. It’s such a bag of emotions all crammed into this quick moment.
Well, the ferry ride was entertaining and so fun. Way more fun than expected. Basically just fooling around with old and new friends for 3 days. They even had a bar on board. And food. And showers, and laundry.
I’m quite aware that my bar for fancy is pretty low these days, probably the right mind set to enjoy such a ferry ride. And after a few days in Skagway, where I got used to almost empty produce shelves in the supermarket, the ferry cafeteria calling half-rotten bananas “fresh fruit” didn’t seem too odd to me either…
Heck, camping on the ferry was rad! You can pitch your tent on the solarium deck (beyond the yellow line). Good to bring some strong tape to secure tents on the floor, as it can get windy.
And it was awesome to be exposed to the elements a last time. Rain or shine, BC and Alaska have been such a happy place for me the last 2 months! It’s hard to let go.
After all, I guess the highlight of this ferry ride for me was to finally meet the “Team Forces of Nature”, a group of British Veterans who had also been kayaking the Inside Passage. Their story is pretty amazing and inspiring— check it out: https://www.kayak-insidepassage.com.
(Photo credit Susan Conrad)
Time to say goodbye in Bellingham. Susan, Mark and Andree were waiting on the terminal, helping all the kayakers get off the ferry and their boats either onto cars or the beach. 🙏
For me, to complete my adventure and the loop, I had the pleasure to paddle another 25ish miles from Bellingham to Orcas Island, with a last little overnight stop on Sucia Island.
Oh Sucia Island. What a gem. Almost exactly 2 years ago I had been at the same spot, then with Davina and Willie. Enjoying sunset from that same little bench, gazing West and looking out over the Salish sea and wondering and dreaming of what would be there. Could one just paddle there? I hadn’t heard about the Inside Passage before that moment. And now I know. I’ve seen it, I’ve experienced it. I loved it. It still feels like a dream. And when I close my eyes, I am back in it.
The next day I would paddle the last 4 miles back from Sucia Island to North Beach of Orcas Island.
Well, should I really?
Or maybe just head to Pender Island and start over? Just keep going. Could this dream of paddling the Inside Passage just continue? Like in an endless loop? Could summer just never end? Those long days, where even with my minimal sleep regimen it’s hard to enjoy both sunset and sunrise without sleep deprivation? Would I be able to enjoy a second lap as much as the first one? Or is it time to go home?
Yeah, maybe it is! Davina and Lu made for a lovely welcome on North Beach. It’s like coming home!
