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Intermediate and Advanced packrafting courses, Tasmania

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Last year I did an intermediate packrafting course see: Learning the art of Packrafting on the Mersey River, Tasmania . I was very impressed with it and decided that there is still much to learn, so I enrolled for both the intermediate and advanced courses with Paddle Tasmania . Again I we were privileged to have Mark Oates, Dan Hall and a new instructor Richard Guy to lead our courses. These people are at the top of the field and were well skilled in teaching their skills to us.
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Learning the ropes: Swiftwater Rescue Technician Unit 1 (SRT-1) course.

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I decided to do the Swiftwater Rescue Technician Unit 1 (SRT-1) course as I felt that this kind of knowledge and its practical application is important. Packrafting is a lot of fun, but when things go awry knowing how to implement a proper rescue could save a life.
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Kiteboarding. LAT 12° 7’ S LONG 96° 54’ E at the Cocos (Keeling) Islands

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Imagine an island with warm clear seas, coconut palms, white sands. Then place a kite or two on it.
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Kiteboarding in Squamish before heading home.

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I quote" Kiteboarding in Squamish  has earned our community the rightful  reputation as a world class kiting destination. This is due to our unique weather conditions which provide a consistent wind flow in the summer months"
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I spend my last two days in Canada with the Chief

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My holiday is coming to an end. I left Squamish prematurely due to weather, so it was fitting that I returned to finish my trip here. Walking will be my focus as the scenery here deserves more intimate attention that cannot be provided simply from a car window.
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Kettle Valley Rail Trail.

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From bcrailtrails.com we have: The Kettle Valley Rail (KVR) Trail and the Columbia & Western Rail Trail is the longest rail trail network in British Columbia extending from Hope to Castlegar. Once a comprehensive railroad system, the decommissioned tracks are now home to an extensive recreational trail providing almost 650 km (400 mi) of connected pathways throughout the region.
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Goodbye Idaho, hello Canada. Welcome to Misadventure.

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My next phase of my adventure holiday is cycling a walking.Today I head back to Canada to ride some of the Kettle Valley Rail Trail.
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Location: Penticton, BC, Canada
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Idaho: The Canyon and some sobering concerns with our environment.

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Yesterday was exciting on the Canyon run and today we repeated that.  We learn about old and current disrespect of rivers
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Idaho: "Pack" rafting on the Deadwood river.

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Today are are doing an actual pack haul along with the rafting. We will hike a couple of hours to get the most out of the Deadwood river (the name sounds sinister !). This was a fun packed adventure day.
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Location: Deadwood River, Idaho 83637, USA
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Idaho 2019 Packraft Roundup. Day 1 on the Cabargo River

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The 12 days succeeding my Tatshenshini trip were kept free as I was uncertain of how I would feel after it. It turns out I felt great and still in the mood for some more packrafting. The Idaho Packrafting roundup was on and I was able to attend.
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Location: Deadwood River, Idaho 83637, USA
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The story ends and memories linger.

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What a journey. I am glad that I was able to participate in this adventure. This experience is what I live for- adventure and that immersion in what nature has been providing us since our world began: a life. The packraft was a great variation to the trip and I am thankful I could bring it along, I am not one to sit down for long periods, the packraft provides me with the action and excitement I need.
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And now for dessert.

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I thought yesterday was something, today we headed into Alsek lake. Loaded with ice bergs,  glaciers thundering away as they collapse into the see. If yesterday was the main course, today was the dessert.
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Eyegasms

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In "The Complete Guide to the Tatshenshini" there is a discussion about eyegasms and SOS - scenic overdose syndrome.  The skies are a bit hazy from the wildfires but I do get it. Hopefully my photographs on this post reflect that statement.
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Clear waters soon become murk.

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Today we see the spectacle of clear waters running down Melt Creek converging into the silt laden Tatshenshini river. The additional water pumps up the volume.
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Mummy, please save me.

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Let's get down to it straight away. This day had our hearts bleeding as watched a mother moose trying to keep her youngsters alive in the dangerous waters of the Tatshenshini river.
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Hot weather and thirsty work.

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I had images of freezing cold nights, blizzards and all that is associated with a glaciated northern region. Did I expect and was I ready for hot summery weather ?  No.
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Baptised.

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I start the day well.  Donning my dry suit I forgot to zip it closed. This was an easy omissione, as the zip is on the back of the suit. As I often do, I did a test immersion, and of course the dry suit was now a wet suit much to the amusement of my fellow adventurers.
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The roiling waters, prudence prevails.

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Before we set off on the river I had a chat with the guides Maxime and Bethany. They explained that the water was quite high and our first day is through a narrow demanding section of class 4 rapids. With only two guides in big rafts, support will be limited and most unlikely as far as my person if things go awry.
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Wild water:packrafting on the UNESCO listed Tatshenshini river.

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There is something special about a UNESCO. They have nailed their world heritage listings. The Tatshenshini - Alsek watershed is truly a marvel (refer to link): These parks comprise an impressive complex of glaciers and high peaks on both sides of the border between Canada (Yukon Territory and British Columbia) and the United States (Alaska). The spectacular natural landscapes ....
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The Canadian Packraft Rendez-vous

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The Canadian Packraft Rendez-vous was the catalyst for my trip to Canada. I started packrafting in April 2018, did a wildwater course in October in Tasmania and was keen to go places. This event crossed my path at here I am.
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Location: Mt Robson, Fraser-Fort George H, BC V0E, Canada
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Stunning drive on the Icefields Parkway

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Without any doubt Canada's   Icefields Parkway is a spectacular drive. It runs up a river valley and is decorated with the high mountains of the Rockies and lake scenes. This region is rightly a member of the UNESCO natural World heritage list.
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Canada's Serengeti: Elk Island National Park

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Edmonton proudly hosts Elk Island national park. This is special in that it is a refuge home to  bison and elk as well as many birds. Before heading off to Mt Robson for some packrafting I made a special effort to visit this park.
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Location: 206 Antler Point, Sherwood Park, AB T8B 1H2, Canada
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Lake Bennett to catch a train..

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The best time to leave a party is when you have had a good time. We've had a good time and exited the Chilkoot trail via Lake Bennett and the historical train with cheerful mindset.
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Bare Loon - it's over so soon !

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About 14km from Happy camp over gently undulating terrain Bare Loon is a short walk. Our last camp: I am not sad, it's been a great memorable few days.
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It's a fair hoof into Canada. Smiles all round at Happy Camp.

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Happy Camp is only 12 km from Sheep camp, however there is about a 700m elevation change to deal with. Our feet are challenged with a boulder strewn ascent through the pass.
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Sheep camp, our last night in Alaska.

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"Sheep Camp is the last campground before Chilkoot Pass, making it the ideal staging area for the hike over Chilkoot Pass."
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Chilkoot Trail - Finnegan's Point

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After a long day travel we, elected to have a short 8km warm up hike as our start of the Chilkoot trail to Finnegan's Point .
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Whitehorse, Yukon territory.

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In Whitehorse, I meet with friends from travels in Peru. I am here to walk the Chilkoot trail which an historic goldmining trail which allowed access from Alaska to the Canadian gold fields.
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Location: Whitehorse, YT, Canada
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Stanley Park, a pleasant way to bide time.

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I spend the day going for a long walk to Stanley Park in Vancouver via the harbour.
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Canada - hello Vancouver.

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After a long haul flight from Melbourne I arrive in Canada. Party on, it's festival time in Vancouver. A Car Free Day festival in Main Street, which was lined with stalls, music and other festive activities.
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Zanzibar: slavery, spices and kiteboarding heaven.

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Zanzibar evokes visions of white sandy beaches that run for kilometres, exotic spices and food to go with it. Those visions are easily rendered into reality, but there is also lingering memories of a sad era of human slavery in the not too distant past.
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Location: Paje, Tanzania
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