I have been fortunate to have a number of moments of awesome wonder in my life. Moments where time slows or stands still and there is a sense of appreciation and connectedness to the broader web of life. This usually occurs when, alone in nature, I have the opportunity to quiet my mind and appreciate my surroundings.
It was a bit of a surprise to have that sense occur when guiding. Usually guiding requires you to be fully engaged with clients, weather, safety, food prep, and route finding etc. It was a pleasant surprise to feel that connectedness when sitting in a double kayak, surrounded by two other doubles, a single, a number of curious harbor seals and one sea otter.
The sea otter was circling our group, swimming through the bergy bits and seals. It seemed very comfortable with the seals and us and at one point attempted to haul out on a small iceberg. This was new behavior to me. I found myself mentally cheering the otter on and was disappointed when he or she was unsuccessful. Even the seals seemed to be watching the show. I have no idea what they thought about a sea otter imitating their behavior.
Our group was in the midst of a five-day paddle in Northwestern Fjord. This was a special trip as Mark and Joan were on their third trip to Northwestern and their fifth trip with Sunny Cove. They had invited good friends Al and Kim to join them. I knew we would be celebrating summer solstice during the trip but was privileged to be part of another celebration. Al was celebrating his second year of good health after having a bone marrow transplant. Sunny Cove guide Danny opted to join the trip to become familiar with Northwestern and lend a helping hand. As the youngest member of the trip he took the teasing well and managed to keep up with the older folks.
Perhaps it was the make up of the group or the knowledge that I was “guiding “a very experienced group of adventurers who had bonded that allowed me to relax and truly appreciate the moment in a collective setting. Perhaps it was the magic of Northwestern Fjord. Our trip would continue to be filled with good moments. From Kats wonderful meals to stories shared in the cozy comfort of the serenity shelter this trip again confirmed how lucky I am to have a company like Sunny Cove and live in this incredible place.
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