In 2004, John Peaveler kayaked from Skagway, Alaska to Seattle, Washington in a Seaward Kayaks Quest X3.  John won a contest through Outside Magazine and Buick who put $10,000 toward the adventure.  John had never been kayaking before, so he simply learned as he went along.  He had planned to be done in six weeks, but it ended up taking nearly twice that.  Weather in the passage is unpredictable, and there were some necessary and unnecessary delays.  John’s advice on the Inside Passage is to go north; the further north you go the quieter the waterways get and the steeper the mountains are.  His journals are included below.

For pictures from John Peaveler's Alaska Expedition, please click here.

June 2^nd.  Day one in Skagway. The city is much as I imagined it, with the exception of the coast line. From the bush plane I saw many fresh water sources and very few good camp sites; I will need a minimum of four to get to Juneau. Upon arrival, I retrieved my kayak from Alaska Marine Lines and found it, much to my satisfaction, pristinely wrapped as I had packaged it one and a half weeks ago in Denver. I have decided to delay the rest of my preparations until tomorrow. Tonight it’s time for some of that great Alaskan Beer.

June 4^th.  I’m a little upset I’m stuck waiting for the trail food, VHF, and camera. I am anxious to begin the journey by the 6^th.  It’s a little old-fashioned, but I’d like to commemorate the allied landings at Normandy. I can’t believe how long it has taken to get the gear I need for this trip. It seems like I’ll have everything I need, but it would have been nice to see it all in front of me before I left for Alaska.

June 6^th.  I have begun. It is unbelievable the number and vastness of thoughts that have gone through my head on this first day. I imagine I will think myself to total boredom before the end. This feat will be much harder to accomplish than I had thought. I've surprised myself with my ability to control this dart-like boat. It is as much like a canoe as I had hoped, but my skill with entry and exit is lacking. I look forward to the day when I can sit with a dry butt.--Bald Eagles kept watch over me throughout the day, as though questioning my patriotism. I didn't even know there were a thousand sea lions in the world until I saw that many in less than an hour's time. They poke their heads up and bid me a hasty farewell. I came upon their colony and watched hundreds of them barking and splashing and playing. That is until they saw me, at which point they began roaring rather like lions. Otters have always been my favorite and I managed to sneak up on a family doing whatever it is they do. I saved the best for last. I was so very tired and starting to feel sorry for myself, when in the distance, a great big humpback whale surfaced, blew several times, threw his tail in the air, and left. I'm still tired and sore as hell. Somehow, in all of my research and studying, I failed to investigate what real benefits would come from this journey. I didn't even know there were humpback whales here. I just wish I had a camera.  It seems a bit odd being out here under the sponsorship of a magazine and not having a camera, but it’s a free trip and I’m but a poor soldier.

June 7^th.  This journey is going to take longer than I had hoped. I came across a head wind and couldn’t make any progress. I stopped for a while but was not content to make no progress so early in the journey.  Rather than sit and wait, I got back in and made what progress I could. Yesterday’s 29 miles was supposed to be a prelude to today's events. I will most likely paddle until dark.--I awoke this morning half an hour late and immediately recognized the blow of humpback whales. There were three of them, and they bade me hello.

July 8^th.  I took a spill just now. I cannot express how thankful I am to be warm, dry in my tent, and able to write this. Fortunately, I did not lose anything. Most especially my life. I was relatively near shore trying to finalize the donning of my rain jacket when my lapse in attention put me upside down. I can’t roll the boat, so I made a wet exit. Surprise, lack of experience, and pretty rough three-foot chopping seas all played a hand. I managed to inflate my paddle float and set up the SRS [Self Rescue System], but breakers kept filling the boat (I am also missing an SRS strap, without which making an outrigger is nearly impossible. The strap is in the mail). I thought she might sink, but the Seaward boats are well made and can withstand a full cockpit. If I hadn’t been so close to the shore, things might not have ended so well. With the added weight of water in the cockpit, I could hardly move the boat, so I grabbed my throw bag and managed to tow the boat via the rescue stroke. The water was cold, damn cold, and I was wearing shorts, a t-shirt, and a rain jacket. I was in the water for about twenty minutes. I had a hard time putting on dry clothes because I couldn't get my fingers to work properly. All is recovered, and I am safe for now.