This is a ten-day trip in SE Alaska with eight days on the water. Basically it is part of our Exposed Coast Training Expedition minus some of the most advanced outer coast and rock garden paddling. You'll still get to camp at some of the most beautiful wildness beaches in all of Alaska, take a mid-trip soak at a natural mineral hot spring, and not see another group of kayakers for days at a time, but you do not need to have mastered the Eskimo roll to participate on the Semi-Exposed Coast Training Expedition. We start and end in Sitka, Alaska and paddle a loop through and around an archipelago of islands south of Sitka Sound along the west coast of Baranof Island. These trips are made possible by our Special Use Permit for the Tongass National Forest lands, Gore-Tex dry suits (Which you may rent from us if you don’t have your own.), the Kayak Academy’s very own premium rudder-free sea kayaks which we’ll provide for your use (or if you prefer we’ll ship your kayak from Seattle at our expense if it meets our standards), and our staff of highly skilled, experienced instructors (George Gronseth: founder of the Kayak Academy; Barb Sherrill: founder of Klub Kayak, ACA Open Water Sea Kayak instructor and veteran of six Alaskan Outer Coast Expeditions plus one to Glacier Bay; and Robert Cline: ACA, BCU (4 star plus), and Kayak Academy trained, veteran of four Alaskan expeditions (four Exposed Coast Trainings with the Kayak Academy and one to Prince William Sound). Robert is also our Russian language expert for deciphering the meanings of place names we visit in Russian-America (AKA Alaska). The kayaks are barged up ahead of time so you won't have to make do with a klunky, cranky, rental kayak of questionably seaworthiness. All our kayaks have retractable skegs, front and rear bulkheads, adjustable backrests, and most have day hatches and either Kayak Sport or VCP brand rubber hatches covers.
The cost is only $2950, which includes: permit fees, transportation within Sitka, lodging in Sitka the night before and after the paddling days, one night's lodging on a float house cabin with a sauna and shower on the last night before returning to town, use of the Kayak Academy's one-person rudder-free kayaks, full neoprene spray skirts, carbon graphite composite paddles, spare paddle, paddle float, bilge pump, signal flares, and bear-repellent pepper spray, fuel and camp stoves. We will also give you your own US government navigation chart, tide tables, a waterproof logbook, and the Kayak Academy’s new 50 page “Sea Kayak Trip Planning and Leadership Guide” and our 30 page guide to expedition planning. In addition to enough memories to last a lifetime, we'll also send you a free commemorative video DVD or your trip to share with family, friends, co-workers, kayak clubs, etc. The cost of this course is comparable to that of guided tours in Alaska, which offer none of the training materials let alone the kayak instruction by George Gronseth, or use of one-person kayaks seaworthy enough for trips along exposed ocean coasts. A $100.00 discount is available for early payment/reservation (before January 1), and $100.00 discount available for using your own kayak if it is approved by the Kayak Academy and you wrap it with per our instructions and deliver it to us or to the barge company (we'll even pay the cost of shipping it to and from Sitka and Seattle). Further discounts available if you help wrap and transport our kayaks to the barge company.
We will all share in the cost, planning, and cooking of the food (that's part of the learning), and you will need to provide your transportation to and from Sitka. Sitka can be reached by scheduled jet service on Alaska Air (Boeing 737s) NW Air, Delta, and other major airlines or by the Alaska State Ferry (which leaves from Bellingham, Washington and takes about five days to reach Sitka - camping is allowed on the ferry and is a lot of fun if you have the time). As compared to other NW sea kayak destinations, a two hour flight from Seattle to Sitka beats the heck out of waiting in line at the boarder, fighting the traffic in Vancouver, and driving a day or two to reach some busy paddling destination in BC, Canada ... especially when you consider that you'll be paddling in Alaska!
We have a dvd sampling of previous Training Expeditions which we’ll send you free so you can see what a beautiful, fun, exciting trip this is.
We recommend spending at least one extra day after the trip to enjoy Sitka and take a self-guided tour of the exhibit of Aleut and other Eskimo kayaks at the Sheldon Jackson Museum and a walking tour of the Tlingit Totem Poles in the outdoor historical park. You could easily find enough to do to spend an extra week there or visit some other part of SE Alaska on your way home. Skip the driving and fighting over crowded campgrounds in B.C. and experience real wilderness sea kayaking just a few hours from Seattle -- by air. Sitka can be reached by scheduled jet service on Alaska Air (Boeing 737s) and other major airlines, or by the Alaska State Ferry (which leaves from Bellingham, WA and takes about five days to reach Sitka - camping is allowed on the ferry).
Prior trip experience alone is not enough to qualify for this training expedition. As a minimum you'll need to take our 5-Day Training Camp or Leadership Training and Trip Experience course or if you have a BCU four or five star you may be able to qualify for equivalency for this Expedition. Call us to find out if you are qualified.
Course dates for the Semi-Exposed Coast Training Expedition are the same as for the Exposed Coast Training Expedition. We combine both groups of students for all but the most advanced parts of the course. Please also see the course description for the Exposed Coast Training Expedition.
Course fee: $2950.00 Discounts available for early sign-ups etc.
Call us to sign up or E-Mail us for more information:
Phone/Voice mail (206) 527-1825
For schedule of prerequisite courses see: Course Schedule
© George Gronseth 2003, all rights reserved.