Adventure - Kayaking with True North Kayak Tours

Kayaks on the beach

Stats

Difficulty: Easy to Moderate                                                                               Time:  half-day

Summary

Every May, the Homer Chamber of Commerce hosts the Kachemak Bay Shorebird Festival.  The festival celebrates the passage of huge numbers of migratory birds through Kachemak Bay.  It lasts 3 days and is jam-packed with bird-watching, hikes, talks, kayaking, and boat tours.  One of the activities we chose to do was a kayaking trip with True North Kayak.

Opinion

This trip was a lot of fun.  The price is surprisingly reasonable and

you get close up views of the cliffs and coves across the bay.  The guides for the tour are knowledgeable in both kayaking and in the region's history and geology.  If you stick close and listen you a guaranteed to learn a lot.

Advice

Bring a jacket.  Even on the warmest, sunniest day, the wind off the bay can be quite chilly.  They have a secure location to leave extra clothing and other gear you don't want to take onto the water.  We were comfortable with a light waterproof jacket, t-shirts, light cotton pants, baseball caps, and sunglasses.

Knee-high waterproof boots are also recommended, but if you don't have them True North will provide them (you will be getting off the boat in a place with no dock, so you will do some wading).

It would be wise to either bring or borrow one of their waterproof bags to hold your camera when you are not using it.  There is often spray and it is nice to have something to protect your camera or other electronics.

Suitability

This tour is suitable for almost all ages.  They have both one-man and two-man kayaks, so if your child is too young to kayak by itself they can ride in the front of a two-man kayak while you paddle.

Tour Access

Contact True North Kayak for tickets.  They are located on the Homer Spit and can provide specific directions.  There is limited parking on the spit, but with some effort you can usually find a place.  Most parking is free although there are a few lots that charge for parking.  In the summer you can also take the Homer Trolley during the summer.

The Tour

Arriving at the base camp

Our first stop was the True North business office.  They escorted us from there to their boat at the Homer Boat harbor.  After we were settled in, it was a short ride across Kachemak Bay to their base camp on the lee side of Yukon Island.  Depending on the day, that ride can be flat calm or very choppy but they know their business and the trip was quick and uneventful. 

Upon arriving at the base camp, we were met by our guide and started getting ready.  Everyone is provided with life vests, paddles, and pogs.  Pogs are fingerless mittens that Velcro around the paddle to keep you hands dry and warm.  Kachemak Bay water is about 40 degrees Fahrenheit and the spray and drips from paddling can make your hands very cold; especially on a windy day.  We had our own paddles and life jackets and were allowed to use them.  They also offered the use of watertight bags for cameras and other gear you want kept dry.  After handing our gear, they started into a quick but detailed “how-to brief”.  The brief covered getting into the kayak skirt, getting in to the kayak, paddling, and what to do if you fall out.  To date, no one has ever tipped a kayak, so the risk is low.

As a side note, we were in terrible kayaking shape; this description is based on our physical condition.  We were expecting to be a bit sore and tired after the trip, but we did just fine.  We chose to use a two-man kayak so we could talk to each other.  That also doubles our speed and endurance.

Arch

The guides took us out from the base camp.  The route took us into the wind along the shore.  It was a beautiful day especially for May, which is usually cold and dreary.  We kayaked into various coves and along the cliffs.  The geology of the area is fascinating since this is a seismically active area.  There is also a wide variety of seaweed and flowers.  On this day there were few birds, but we did see a cormorant and we scared off a 4-ship of Harlequin Ducks.  In season, they've seen orca and humpback whales, although those are not common.

Cliff face

Our guides were also familiar with much of the history of the area.  The islands in that region were home to several homesteaders over the years.  Some homesteads are now abandoned, others are still going strong, and still others have become lodges.

Fetching the boat

There was a method to their trip planning.  When it was time to turn around, the wind was at our backs and the tide had turned, both made it easier to get back to the base camp.  At this point the wind picked up and the trip back was quite a bit rougher than the way out.  There was a lot more spray and the water washed over the top of the kayak a bit, but it was still not difficult to paddle and there was no danger of tipping.

Ready to load

When we got back to base camp they had us help get the kayaks above the tide line and we packed up for the boat ride back across the bay.  All in all, this was a great way to spend a beautiful, sunny spring day.