Rob Avery explores a living cave on Coronation Island; the rock formations inside are actively growing. Carnivorous common butterworts (opposite top) are native to southeast Alaska. A rough-skinned newt (opposite bottom) awaits swabbing on Warren Island. On the Maurelle Islands, intertidal fields of edible beach asparagus (below) supplemented the team’s meals.


EXTREME SCIENCE TIP#03 MAKE IT A PARTY


“It’s harder to work with individuals than with groups, for reasons ranging from communication to liability,” says the Forest Service’s Tory Houser. Working with clubs and shops can provide people power and a social component.


but the Outer Islands’ pounding surf, open-water crossings, powerful wind and thick fog demanded a more experienced team. Andis, an advanced American Canoe Association instructor and former Alaska sea kayak guide, sought out skilled ocean paddlers from the broader sea kayak community. He recruited Rob Avery, a Seattle-based BCU five-star paddler and veteran of Alaskan expeditions; Cris Lewis, who hails from California’s Half Moon Bay and cut her teeth in the rock gardens of Cape Mendocino; and Paul Norwood, a 13-year Sitka resident, SCS intern and botanist.


“Nobody but seasoned sea kayakers could go where we went,” notes Avery, “A trip like this requires interpreting the weather and currents, reading the barometer and knowing what the sea will be doing.” Adding a scientific workload to an already challenging expedition took its toll on the group. Wind slowed their pace, and two expedi- tion members fell ill from the daily grind. On top of coping with sea conditions, complex navigation and camping in bear country, there were data sheets to keep track of, plant presses to keep dry and extra batteries to haul around.


50 | ADVENTURE KAYAK


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