The Adventure Starts!!! 

27th April 2023

26th April: We got some good news, our kit might arrive today!! This has been playing on all our minds, we are pacing around looking for things to do! 

19th-25th April: We are currently getting hosted by Barb, in a place called Steilacoom. She opened up her heart and her house to us! The people we have met so far has been nothing but amazing! We have met so many people each with a lifetime of stories and experiences for example: Nancy – not only our designated tour guide but a fauna and flora expert! 

We spent the last couple of days very frustrated and deflated due to our kit and kayaks getting held up due to customs with clerical mistakes! This has had a massive knock on effect, not only on the morale but also on our time frame! The saying goes the tide waits for no man! The boys are itching to put a paddle into the water!! 

To break up the waiting game we have offered ourselves up and by ourselves we mean Theo to give a talk at the Local Kiwanis club in town. The Kiwanis club is a global community of clubs, members and partners dedicated to improving the lives of children one community at a time. 

With all the meets and greets we had a chance to meet more of the local community and the knowledge we gained from talking with them in regards to the route, tidal flows and camp sites is priceless!!

We attended Susan Conrad’s inspiring lecture in Seattle, an evening hosted by Andree Hurley, the Executive Director of Washington Water Trails Association. Without Andree’s input and enthusiasm, nothing we achieved so far would be possible!

 Now lets get onto Susan Conrad!! “Life is a daring adventure or it is nothing at all.” That quote sums her up in a nutshell! Spending just a brief moment with her is nothing but awe inspiring! If you don’t follow her, start!!! 
Her favourite aspect of kayaking is long-distance expedition paddling. That’s why in the summer of 2010 she completed a long-time goal of paddling The Inside Passage from Anacortes, Washington, to Juneau, Alaska. This was her second time completing this challenge and she did it solo!!! Yes you read that correct!! Read her books – she will inspire you!! Just like she has us!! 

We have had time to complete a couple of route recces and have seen some of the challenges that are facing us! From fast flowing water, the steep inclines of camp sites, the amount of traffic on the water! This truly is going to be a once in a lifetime experience! 

Tuesday the 18th April: Once again there was a flurry of activity when we woke up coffee was distributed, double checking passports then the slow march of time waiting for the cab to arrive! 

Now the Adventure really started! Everything leading up to this point was nothing but a dream; a goal to aim for! The reality of it all started to weigh heavy on our shoulders! We are really going, this is us crossing the rubicon! The point of no return! 

A massive thank you to British Airways!! We felt like rock stars when we were invited to go have breakfast in the First Class lounge!! Last minute emails were sent, those last minute phone calls telling your family you love them got made! British Airways brought us that bit closer to the start of a once in a lifetime experience!! 

We arrived in Seattle to be met with Union Jacks waving by two amazing woman!! Barb and Nancy!! Hugs were exchanged and photos taken! What an amazing welcome to Seattle! 

Everything is bigger in America; that point was made when Theo went to pick up the hire car! I use the term hire car lightly, when you need a ladder to get into the Ford F250 pick up truck which has the turning circle of a Boeing 747 you have a hire car!! And yes they drive on the wrong side of the road!! 

Monday the 17th April was spent ferrying kit to Heathrow, that night it was all about packing and repacking personal gear! Passport check, wallet check, drysuit check, those internal checklists occupying every waking hour!! We got to sleep just gone midnight and I must admit sleep didn’t come easy! 

The weekend of the 14-16 April was a flurry of activity that passed by in a heartbeat! The entire team spent the weekend doing the last of the kit checks and preparation of the kayaks that entailed removing rudder systems, crafting cradles out of foam and the amount of clingfilm that was used was astronomical! The excitement was palpable and the lists never ending! 

Markus Strydom MC