It's the moments that matter.
One of the amazing things about sea kayaking is that it allows you to slow down. It asks you to be present and to find solace. It makes you forget everything else.
The particular kayaking outing that is captured in this video happened late in the day in early June. We had arrived at Kenai Fjords Wilderness Lodge just before lunch, and had been waiting all day for a chance to get out for a paddle. We'd heard that late-day paddling was often the best here. That the long days seemed to blend seamlessly into evening. And it was true.
It was 8:30 PM when our guides launched our boats from the pebbly beach at Halibut Cove on Fox Island. The water was incredibly flat. We were fortunate; conditions were superb. The light was the same as it had been at noon. Not bright, but definitely not dark either. It was that beautiful soft gray light that extends from the water below past the forested peaks in the distance and on to the sky above. It was gentle and mesmerizing.
Our guides suggested we head south, and we paddled past Sunny Cove and further down towards the southern tip of Fox Island to sneak through majestic arches. Here, where Resurrection Bay opens into the gnarly waters of the Gulf of Alaska, it was all still. Our guides promised that most of the time, seas here were rough—often upwards of 10 feet. They reminded us how fortunate we were at that very moment—to be out so late and in such still seas was precious.
We paddled and we drifted. We watched eagles above and saw whales to our side. A seal accompanied us for a while. Sometimes, we were laughing. A lot of the time, we were silent.
We kept going. It was not getting dark. It was too beautiful to stop.
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