Guide to Sea Kayaking in Southeast Alaska


Book Description

Features full descriptions of 41 trips, including mile-by-mile descriptions, detailed maps, trip difficulty ratings, and tips on the logistics of kayaking this largely uninhabited area.




Alaska River Guide


Book Description

The rich tapestry of Alaska is threaded together by 365,000 miles of waterways, from cascading mountain streams to meandering valley rivers, from the meltwaters of glaciers to broad rivers that empty into the sea. This guide profiles a wide variety of rivers from all over Alaska, concentrating on trips for intermediate boaters, and including a few major expeditions for the experienced river-runner. A section on gear outlines what to take into the backcountry.




The Only Kayak


Book Description

Winner of the 2020 National Outdoor Book Award for Outdoor Classic! In this coming-of-middle-age memoir, Kim Heacox, writing in the tradition of Abbey, McPhee, and Thoreau, discovers an Alaska reborn from beneath a massive glacier, where flowers emerge from boulders, moose swim fjords, and bears cross crevasses with Homeric resolve. In such a place Heacox finds that people are reborn too, and their lives begin anew with incredible journeys, epiphanies, and successes. All in an America free of crass commercialism and overdevelopment. Braided through the larger story are tales of gold prospectors and the cabin they built sixty years ago; John Muir and his intrepid terrier, Stickeen; and a dynamic geology professor who teaches earth science "as if every day were a geological epoch." Nearly two million people come to Alaska every summer, some on large cruise ships, some in single kayaks--all in search of the last great wilderness, the Africa of America. It is exactly the America Heacox finds in this story of paradox, love, and loss.




Alone in the Passage


Book Description

Alone in the Passage: An Explorers Guide to Sea Kayaking the Inside Passage is part kayaking travelogue and part long-distance kayaking how-to guide. Readers will acquire a unique insight into the skills necessary to kayak solo for 1,300 miles along the Northwest Pacific Coast from Washington and through British Columbia to Southeast Alaska. The first half of the book details information that an Inside Passage paddler would need to know before setting off on this incredible journey. Topics such as preparation, nutrition, navigation, physical requirements, communication, weather, wildlife, equipment, camping, tides and currents, dangers, logistics, and paddling techniques are explored in depth. The second half of the book gives a running account of the daily challenges and triumphs experienced by a solo paddler as he kayaks up the Inside Passage completely alone. Daily journal entries are expanded upon giving the reader a feel for what it is like to travel through a remote wilderness for nearly three months.




Islands of the Seals


Book Description




Alaska Adventure Guide


Book Description

The author has worked to answer all your questions about travel and recreation in a state so remote. This guide attempts to target your interests and save you time, money, and effort so that nothing is wasted during your trip. Because Alaska is so big and your options so varied, the guide is organized so you can zero in on the activity or activities that appeal to you most. Thirteen chapters focus solely on adventure travel, each devoted to a single activity. The five regional chapters that follow focus primarily on the basics in a given area of the state: getting around, shopping, lodging, dining, and entertainment. Once you've chosen the adventure of your dreams, you can go to the appropriate regional chapter to get the scoop on the best places in the vicinity to stay, eat, buy gear, rent a car, and learn about local culture and history. Outdoor travelers also are likely independent travelers. A multitude of companies offer exciting-sounding jaunts to scenic places all over the state, but many of these outfits work only with tour providers, such as cruise-ship operators, to obtain large numbers of clients per trip--thus excluding people who wish to travel on their own. In this guide, all our listings are available to independent travelers as well as those in tour groups. The objective is not to provide the most information about destinations or attractions, but, rather, the most useful information. The guide is opinionated, and for good reason. Any destination or outfitter listed here has made the cut by proving itself a wonderful place to visit or a reliable company with which to do business. If, for example, you want to learn more about sea kayaking in Alaska, you will not be supplied with every operation in the business--and believe us, there are many of them competing for your dollars. What you will get is a select assortment of those we consider best, and why. After all, isn't the point of a guidebook to help you make the most informed choices?




Rick Steves Mediterranean Cruise Ports


Book Description

Set sail and dive into Europe's magnificent port cities with Rick Steves Mediterranean Cruise Ports! Inside you'll find: Rick's expert advice on making the most of your time on a cruise and fully experiencing each city, with thorough coverage of 23 ports of call Practical travel strategies including how to choose and book your cruise, adjust to life on board on the ship, and save money Self-guided walks and tours of each port city so you can hit the best sights, sample authentic cuisine, and get to know the culture, even with a short amount of time Essential logistics including step-by-step instructions for arriving at each terminal, getting into town, and finding necessary services like ATMs and pharmacies Rick's reliable tips and candid advice on how to beat the crowds, skip lines, and avoid tourist traps Helpful reference photos throughout and full-color maps of each city Useful tools like mini-phrasebooks, detailed instructions for any visa requirements, hotel and airport recommendations for cruise access cities, and what to do if you miss your ship Full list of coverage: Provence, Marseille, Toulon and the Port of La Seyne-sur-Mer, Cassis, Aix-en-Provence, Nice, Villefrance-sur-Mer, Cap Ferrat, Monaco, Cannes, Antibes, Florence, Pisa, Lucca, the Port of Livorno, Rome, the Port of Civitaveccia, Naples, Sorrento, Capri, Pompeii, Herculaneum, the Amalfi Coast, Venice, Split, Dubrovnik, Athens, the Port of Piraeus, Mykonos, Santorini, Corfu, Olympia and the Port of Katakolo, Crete and the Port of Heraklion, Rhodes, Istanbul, Ephesus, and The Port of Kusadasi Maximize your time and savor every moment in port with Rick's practical tips, thoughtful advice, and reliable expertise. Heading north? Pick up Rick Steves Scandinavian & Northern European Cruise Ports.




Sea Kayaking Safety and Rescue


Book Description

The most comprehensive manual on how to kayak safely in a wide variety of sea environments--from inland waterways to ocean rock gardens, tide rips, surf zones, and the open ocean. Aimed at beginners through experienced kayakers, this book describes how to deal with hazards, not just avoid them, using real-life, extensively tested techniques proven to work. You'll learn fundamental skills for recovery and rescue, and master safe paddling techniques in ocean conditions. Numerous photos accompany step-by-step descriptions of the Eskimo roll, towing methods, self- and partner-rescues, backup strategies, and group dynamics. The second edition has a fresh chapter on fine-tuning your strokes, which will significantly increase kayaking fun and safety.




The Unofficial Guide to Adventure Travel in Alaska


Book Description

From the publishers of The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World "A Tourist's Best Friend!" --Chicago Sun-Times "Indispensable" --The New York Times Four Great Features and Benefits offered ONLY by The Unofficial Guide: * Lodging and dining rated for quality and value * Great ideas for family travel * An insider's guide to the top outfitters for every activity * Complete planning information for escorted tours or travel on your own




The Last Layer of the Ocean


Book Description

There are five layers of the ocean, though most of us alive will only ever see one. The deepest layer of the ocean is called by some the midnight zone. The only light comes from bioluminescence, created by animals themselves. In order to see, the creatures there must create their own light. They must move like solitary suns, encased in their own bubbles of freezing water. This layer is the most completely unexplored zone on the planet. Though it is hostile to humans, it also is fascinating beyond belief. If you had a chance to see it, wouldn't you want to go there? The year Mary is 38, the suicide of a stranger in a nearby reservoir compels her to make a change. She decides to strike out for Alaska and take a chance on love and home. She begins to learn how to travel in a small yellow kayak along the coast, contending with gales, high seas, and bears. She explores the different meanings of home: the perspectives of people who were born in this place and others who chose it, the first peoples who have been here for generations, and the ones who eventually leave. When she marries a man from another island, she is convinced that this time love will stick. She soon learns that navigating marriage is just as difficult as learning the ocean. Divided into sections detailing the main kayaking strokes, this memoir shows how each can be a metaphor for the lives we all pass through and the tools we need to stay afloat.