Be Careful What You Wish For....or you just might get swallowed by humpback whales! (part 2)

It's hard to see but thats me surrounded by whale mouths

One day my friends and I took to our kayaks and headed out to chase our humpbacks around the cove for a while. Since we had been guiding for a while at this point, we knew how to read whale signs and track which direction the pod was headed. We would watch from a safe distance of 30 feet away with out a care in the world….until the whales changed direction underwater and headed straight for us!

Suddenly a loud, low-pitched creaking, moaning noise surround me. I barely had time to yell that I think the whales might be right below me before my kayak was completely surrounded by a huge ring of bubbles! There is a three second window before the whales lunge which gave me very little time to get the heck out of dodge. As I began to paddle as I’ve never paddled before, seagulls began to grab fish that were jumping all around my kayak.

As with all near death experiences, my thoughts were pretty simple. I obviously don’t wanna die yet but if I had to choose way, this was a pretty epic way to go down.  Second, I remember barely hoping they might grab my friend Becky too since she was close by and lets get real, no one wants to die alone.

I couldn’t clear the feeding circle, the ring was too big and my shaky arms weren’t gonna get me out in time. What seemed like grey hills started to appear on either side of me and the screams of my friends were silenced by the crash of whale mouths ascending 8 feet out of the water on all sides. Their throats expand to allow the intake of a huge amount  of water and fish as they disappear which is definitely enough space to fit a Casey. After clearing the chompers all I had to do was dodge a few 6 foot long flippers and powerful tales and I was home free!! As the whales descended, my friends and I who were totally hyped up on adrenaline totally freaked out!!

I finally got my whale encounter and to make matters even better, Jake’s kayak was perfectly set up about 10 feet away and we was able to capture it all on his camera! The only thing that beats that is the fact that a few weeks later I ended up with a picure on the front page of the Ketchikan news as the girl who nearly became whale bait! !

So the moral of the story is…be very specific on what you pray for or God might have a little fun fulfilling your dreams. Looking back, I wouldn’t have it any other way. J

My day of fame in the Ketchikan news!! 

Be Careful What You Wish For...or you might be swallowed by humpback whales! (part 1)

Whale's lunging :-)

So I have been jinxed since the day I got here! I have the absolute worst luck when it comes to spotting whales. My friends and I will be hangin on the boat dock, I’ll leave for 2 minutes and three whales will pass by. My dear friends thought this was just hilarious and while everyone kept teased me, I started prayin for the coolest whale encounter ever! Not only was I asking to see whales up close, but I was also hoping to get a cool picture with them, like me smiling with a whale tale in the background!

The last two weeks of my time in Alaska a phenomenon happened. A huge pod of 7 whales decided to chill right in our tiny cove and feed. Whales feeding is nothing short of majestic! To sum it up they surround a school of fish, blow bubbles out of their spouts to create a ring of bubbles which traps the fish, and begin to surface to force the fish to the surface. This all happens below the surface, all you can see from the top is flocks of seagulls soaring just above the water lookin for the huge school of fish to start jumpin out of the water, the birds get about 5 seconds to grab the fish before a gigantic ring of bubbles appears at the surface. 

Seconds later the whales do something called a lunge which is where they leap out of the water, mouths open wide, in perfect synchronization! It sounds like thunder and looks like something out of Jurassic park as these 7 huge animals begin their feeding frenzy!

This was constant, live entertainment for us for 2 ½ weeks!! I’d fall asleep to whales singing within 20 feet of my yurt. I’d be watching whales pass by as I brushed my teeth every morning. You could see them from the zipline trees and every single kayak tour was epic!! But we needed a closer look… (to be continued tomorrow)

Sunsets, Kayaks, and Genuine Friendship

Although all these times represent some of the best parts of my summer, I think the past time that I really cherished the most were those rare, clear, beautiful evenings where we’d grab a beer and set off in our kayaks. We’d cruise to the middle of our little cove, link our kayaks together and just enjoy each other’s company as we rocked back and forth watching whales spouting along that golden horizon.

The girls paddling into the sunset

I wish I could of just paused some of those priceless moments where all I could think about was my glorious God and his epic creation and my friends so dear to me I’d trust them with my life. Sometimes I’d just sit there kinda quiet and take in the strawberry tinted ridge lines laden with the greenest trees I’d ever seen. I know it sounds selfish but it was times like those where I felt like I was God’s favorite.

How is it possible for Him to love me so much that he’d give me these amazing people and this incredibly view even if it’s just for a moment in time? My God is so so good to me, sometimes all I want to do is get on my face and thank Him profusely for a few hours but for now that sweet memory and a thankful heart will do!

A Typical, Not So Typical Day Off in Alaska!

We work hard and long all day and we play just as hard on our 1 (sometimes 2) days off that we get a week. Things operate a little different out here in Alaska, rather than taking a day off to relax, we band together and hunt for the most extreme epic adventures we can possibly find/afford.

A few examples…..

Went deep sea Salmon fishing with one of the best captains/friends we met this summer!! Most of us were total rookies and yet we all still caught at least 3 salmon each along with a few Hallibut and Cod. We learned how to work down riggers and spent all day exploring the islands and coasts around our island. Felt great to get off our little island for a while!!

We had exactly 24 hours to complete one of the most extreme hikes on the island. We packed all our camping gear and set off to conquer Deer mountain, camped on a ridgeline, and traversed 7 peaks, and hiked 14 miles! We dominated the most sketchy decent I have ever done while hiking which consisted of a steep drop off we had to conquer by means of a rickety metal ladder.

We stepped off the ladder of death and onto a 2 foot wide ledge which led us to a steep wall of rock. The only way to descend further was by metal cables scattered along it and jammed into crevices. Although they looked deadly, they seemed to be jammed in far enough for us to alternate repelling down and Tarzan swinging from cable to cable.

After getting though the tough parts all we had to do was pick our way further down the mountain side with nothing but broken wood with tetnus infested nails sticking out everywhere to hold onto. This was followed by a forest of Devil’s Club (a very spikey and poisonous bush) to get through using moves from the Matrix. We finally made our way back to the highway and hitch-hiked back to our car! Awesome awesome time!!

One of the best perks of being an outdoor guide is that we can get on any other tours that are offered on the island! One especially rainy day we all went “adventure carting” which is a combination of go-carting and four wheeling. We drove our little caravan down 14 miles of muddy off road trails in the backwoods of the rainforest. Pretty sure we were the loudest, rowdiest, and muddiest bunch that company has ever had!

Made a sick friend with a killer God story who lives on what we call “the Wild West” of southeast Alaska (aka Prince of Whales Island). My bro was hanging on our island just to be back in somewhat civilization for a while. He started a really intense outdoor laser-tag company so that the teens on his island would have something to do. He happened to bring all his gear (which consisted of 6 types of guns!) to our island and was kind enough to set up a night of hardcore laser tagging for me and my friends!!

 And of course the only way to see the Misty Fjords, which is one of the most breath taking places of our islands is by float plane! Got to take a 2 hr tour and land in the middle of the mountain range in the middle of a lake!

I believe I'm learning how to live life to the fullest!

A Feast Every Night!!

Thanksgiving in August! I helped pick the huckleberries

So usually the diet of an adventure guide consist of lots of Raman noodles, tuna fish, and canned soup. Most guides know that it’s part of the lifestyle you just kinda power through. This menu however, was not to be the meal plan out here at Southeast Exposure once we all came to realize that my roommate is a professional chef when she’s not adventuring!!!! It turned out that dear sweet Becky Tucker really enjoys cooking for people and so plans were quickly made to start a dinner club J All we had to do was throw in $30 from our tips and help cook here and there which I have been wanting to learn how to do!

I can’t explain how big of a difference this made for our summer. Here in the rainiest city in the USA, there is nothing quite like coming back from a long day of workin hard in the rain knowing a good home cooked dinner is waitin for us! From pizza to thai food to a thanksgiving feast, Becky always had a theme with at least 3 different dishes going on. The only thing most dishes had in common was the main ingredient of bacon grease. 

The “guide kitchen” is one of our favorite places where we all get to sit at a huge table, hang together, (use electricity!!!) and make fun of all the crazy tourists we had to deal with that day. These are the times that really bonded us together. No matter how gnarly a day was, we all looked forward to gathering around that dirty table, laughing and carrying on with the sound of the coast guard radio blasting in the background!  It all made for some good good summer nights!

The Hunter Haven

This is me and my closest church friends, Bonnie and Dave are on the left

As much as I love my life here, I am starting to sense a longing for some soul fellowship. After being surrounded by missionaries and nomadic Jesus freaks during my time in New Zealand, I’m starting to really feel the contrast of being on a remote island without any outside friends or church family.

I walked along the dock one evening praying and singing which has become a tradition I really look forward to, and asked God where to go, knowing that he wanted this for me as much as I do. The next Saturday night I set off walking to a big red church located up the hill from my yurt. Wanting to make sure this was the right place for me, I asked God send me a sign, I asked Him to let me feel welcomed here within the first 10 minutes.

I walked through the large cedar doors and was immediately greeted by the firm handshake and warm smile of the pastor himself! His wife Bonnie joined us and within minutes (less than 10 I might add *wink*) we were laughing and getting to know each other as I tried to explain how the heck I got from Florida to their little church in the forest.

Before long I felt comfortable enough with them to be very honest in what I needed. I humbly asked them if they would consider adopting me for the summer, I am a big fan of mentorship and love making friends with a local family whenever I travel.

I wouldn’t trade my epic lifestyle for anything however; the longer I’m away from home the more difficult it gets to be so far away from my church and family. Bonnie and Dave Hunter were to become my heaven sent haven during this challenging and rewarding Alaskan season of life.

Rather than just meeting up for tea every week or so, the Hunters went above and beyond my humble request and invited me into their home whenever I needed them. Over the months these 2 genuinely became my Alaskan mom and dad. I spent many late nights drinkin tea and either crying with them during some dark times or laughing with them during the good times. 

I'm telling you all this to encourage you to reach out for help when you need it. I needed to have a family, that I could really depend on for guidance and prayer and God gave that to me. Sometimes I wonder how many cool blessing we don't get simlpy cuz we don't ask. Ask God for what you need and you might be surprised how he replies in very creative and exciting ways!

Alaskan Sea Kayaking...Is My JOB!!!!!

Guiding a tour around the Tatoosh Islands

After I finished training for ziplining, me and my fellow rooky guides took to the Alaskan sea, looking like a bunch of seals in our full body wetsuits to practice kayak rescues. With whales spouting in the distance, we took turns falling out of our kayaks into the FREEZING waters and learned how to climb back in in case of a capsize.

I’m proud to say that I can officially get back into my kayak faster than everyone else, simply because my Floridian self has the biggest motivation to get out of that Arctic water!

Pushing kayaks off the shoreline

Our duties are divided between guiding kayak or zip line tours. To add to the variety, we offer either a 2 hr kayak tour around 2 nearby islands right from our boat dock or a scenic ½ hr boat ride to paddle around the remote Tatoosh islands. 

Kayakers coming back from our Eagle Island Tour

Both of these tours allow the possibility of seeing stunning wild life such as bald eagles, harbor seals, sea lions, and humpback whales!! No matter how many times I paddle these routes, the wild life never gets old even though I’m surrounded by it everyday.

A Pod of Humpback Whales!!

It's not uncommon to paddle in complete rain and wind for the entire day due to the weather pattern of our Island but early on we all learned to put on our rain gear with a smile everyday and eventually got pretty used to it. We work really hard all day long, and usually come home sopping wet. There's nothing quite like getting all showered and warm and hangin on the dock or porch together watchin the sun go down after another epic Alaskan day.

Sunset from our boat dock

Day in the Life of a Zipline Guide!

It never got old!

After training for a grand total of 1 and ½ days Becky and I awoke to pounding on our yurt door and were informed that we were desperately needed on the zip line course. We climbed the 50 ft tower geared up with a harness, helmet, lanyard with clips, and a trolley ready to zip through the trees. For being complete rookies we handled ourselves with amazing style and confidence.

As a kid I used to love climbing trees, which is a past time I haven’t quite grown out of. The fact that I get to play in a rainforest canopy for a living blows my mind ever day! Our zipline course consists of 7 different zip-lines and an obstacle course complete with a swinging log and tons of other fun stuff to play on. My job is to clip people up to the ziplines and send them to a receiving guide who catches them on a tree house-like platform on the other side of the cable.

Explaining to people how not to fall out of trees during the safety talk

This is certainly no job for the faint of heart! Everyday brings a new battle scar as we are constantly body-checked and slammed into trees by some guests who have perhaps enjoyed the cruise ship buffet a little too much.

 All of our clients are from cruise ships that stop in our port for a few short hours. Their only job is to work up an appetite while enjoying their choice of a variety of different excursions, and then enjoy their everlasting buffet as they sail off to their next destination.

There isn’t quite a way to describe the feeling of adrenaline mixed with some healthy fear that I acquire as I brace myself at the edge of a platform situated 60 ft in the air, arm outstretched, trying to smile at the giant guy zooming at me, knowing its my job to stop him in his tracks.

Early on I learned to trade my expression of terror for an “eye of the tiger” appearance so as not to let the lovely tourists in on the fact that they are inches from clobbering me. I wish I was able to wake up everyday loving my job like I did doing this!

Preparing to catch someone!

Home Sweet Yurt!

After spending my first few days in town, I’m headed out 15 miles into the wilderness where I will be living and working. I’m in the middle of a temperate rainforest surrounded by the greenest trees I’ve ever seen! My new room mate Becky, a girl with wild red hair and a personality to match it, offered to show me to our new home. We walked past the boat dock which desplayed a variety of colorful kayaks and one of the most breathtaking views I have ever seen, and along a small trail through the forest to our yurt.

 A yurt is a round and domed canvas tent/hut with a giant skylight at the top that originated in the mountains of Mongolia. They are quite popular in Alaska and are useful for pioneering new areas as a temporary home.

I crossed the rickety log bridge and dropped my bags by our small propane fireplace, which will serve as our light and heat source since we don’t have electricity. It’s a humble yet charming set up with 2 beds, a small table and couch. We are perched right in the middle of the trees with a beautiful ocean view.

With nothing but canvas separating us from nature, Becky and I are lulled to sleep every night by the sound of the surf on the jagged rocks, the rain hitting our thin roof and an occasional whale spouting and singing nearby. This is shaping up to be a summer I will never forget!!

Nothing like my bandanas and tribal jewlery to make me feel right at home!