The Campfire
A quiet place for families and friends to follow the journey from shore.
Complete Expedition Route
Latest Update
These updates are written by our shore support after receiving satellite messages from the expedition.
Day 1 — Leaving behind the habit of rushing and controlling
Today's Journey
The first morning of an expedition is always the busiest. There are a hundred little things to finish before you can finally push away from shore.
I’ve learned that every unnecessary decision steals a little attention…
For the first couple of hours, I kept working harder than I needed to.
The kayak was loaded. The water was calm. But something in me was still rushing.
I noticed it the way you notice you’ve been holding your breath.
What was missing wasn’t more effort.
It was different timing.
Today the lesson came from a loaded kayak.
Tomorrow, the open Pacific will have its own lesson.
Day 2 — The water isn’t your opponent. It never was.
Today's Journey
Calm conditions this Afternoon.
The kind of morning that makes you think paddling is easy.
It is, actually.
That’s the part most people have trouble believing.
There’s a moment, early in a paddle, when everything settles.
The shore disappears behind you. The kayak finds its rhythm.
This morning I was thinking about something I say to almost every student I work with.
Paddling is like walking.
Here’s what surprises people most about that idea.
It doesn’t change when conditions change.
A loaded kayak. A headwind. Open water with a little chop.
You’d think you’d have to work harder.
You don’t.
Years ago I would have fought that headwind.
I don’t want to conquer the elements anymore.
I’m not sure I ever actually did.
What changed is simpler than a technique. It’s a question.
Where can I fit into the rhythm?
Not: how do I push through this?
Just: where does it already want to go?
This is what I’m after every time I’m on the water.
Not performance. Not covering distance.
Just that feeling of moving with something instead of against it.
The Pacific doesn’t care how hard you try.
But it will meet you, if you’re willing to pay attention.
Tomorrow, we go further out.
DAY 3
Today's Journey
No urgency. No agenda.
Just a sandy beach, a loaded kayak, and open water.
A lot of what I teach starts with a simple observation.
When we learned to kayak, most of us were handed a euro paddle.
And we learned to organize our body around it.
Forward. Reach. Pull. Repeat.
It works. Mostly.
But there is a cost. And it doesn’t have to be that way.
Let your body decide what feels easiest.
What feels most stable.
What requires the least effort.
I think you’ll discover something interesting.
The Greenland paddle is most efficient exactly where it’s easiest on your body.
Day 5 — The wave holds you, if you let it
Today's Journey
Today’s Journey
San Joseph Bay.
In Camp
Back on the water.
Surf landing at San Joseph Bay
Here’s what I see most instructors teach for surf landings.
Paddle held high. At 90 degrees to the stern. Ready to brace.
I understand why.
It looks stable. It feels like control.
But here’s what I’ve noticed…
When a wave hits and the paddle is in the air, what comes next is a reaction that has to be fast and accurate.
There’s a different starting point.
Rotate to face the support.
Paddle at 45 degrees from the stern… not 90.
And before the wave arrives — let the water bury the blade.
Let the wave hold the paddle for you.
Something that felt like a threat starts to feel like a partner.
The rotation matters more than most people realize.
Your body is already turned toward the support. Your hips are open. Your spine is free.
At 90 degrees, you’re square. You’re stiff where you need to be relaxed.
Day 6
Paulo had decided the kayaking portion of the trip has finished. The swell is too high and the winds are heavy. Paulo made his way to San Joseph Bay and then got a ride into Port Hardy and then a ride to Coal Harbour where he retrieved his car and drove on logging roads back to his camp. He is resting in camp tonight and will pack up and drive back to Victoria in the morning.