22 April 2010
Happy Earth Day! Today marks the beginning of the North American Odyssey. Dave, John, Clayton, and I are launching our kayaks in the Pacific Ocean just north of Seattle near a town called Bellingham. A full year of planning and preparation has led up to this day.
We left for the Seattle area on Sunday. The drive from Minnesota took about two and a half days. We towed a trailer loaded with all of our gear, food, and kayaks. We enjoyed traveling through North Dakota, Montana, Idaho, and Washington. We are excited to make the transition from driving to paddling.
When we arrived on Tuesday, we camped in Larrabee State Park. We were so excited to be in the Pacific Northwest! We hiked out to the beach. The forest was full of large, moss-covered trees. The air was damp and foggy. We had to step out of the way of several slugs on the trail.
Everyone had a big smile as we walked down the shore, studying the islands that we will soon be paddling through. We found crab shells and seashells washed up on the beach. Dave spotted a purple sea star.
We spent most of Wednesday packing and sorting through our equipment. In the evening we drove to the ExOfficio store in downtown Seattle. They threw a party for us and we gave a presentation about the trip. It was a fun evening.
Today, we are loading our boats and heading out! Our plan is to paddle about 15 miles into the San Juan Islands. We look forward to posting updates, photos, and videos about our travels. We are also eager to hear from you—voting on important decisions, posting information, and sending us emails. Thank you for following the adventure. We would also like to send out a big THANK YOU to all of the sponsors, foundations, volunteers, and people who make this adventure possible.
Stay tuned for the first update from the trail on Monday!
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