LAKS AK Team of One on the Eagle River

Note: For those of you who do not know, LAKS stands for Liquid Adventures Kayaking School, which I like to describe as "the bestest kayak school in the universe".  I miss the LAKS peeps everyday. 

But enough nostalgia for now.

Three weeks after moving to Anchorage, I finally received my kayaks!!! OK, my furniture too, but this is not so important.  I have my priorities. Until then, I was camping in my apartment and quite frankly, I am not sure which I liked best:

 BEFORE THE CONTAINER ARRIVED OR...

... AFTER THE CONTAINER ARRIVED

Anyway, how could I spend so much time unpacking when I could feel my kayaks begging me to get them wet.  Plus the weather was gorgeous and I could only stand the view of the mess of boxes that littered my place for so long.  So I unpacked about 5 boxes... maybe 6, threw my long boat on the roof of my car and drove 20 min to the Eagle River where I hoped to find an attainment spot.

The water level was fairly low and this river is not the Potomac by any mean.  The river bed is completely devoid of rocks so you cannot count on eddies except those you can find on the river's edge.  Basically, the paddle up was a slow grinding death (LAKS peeps know exactly what I am talking about), except I was propelling myself upstream.

At first the water was very shallow and I thought I was going to be forced to give up on my super awesome mission.  But a little persistence (some would call it stubbornness) led me to some deeper water and my efforts were rewarded by some very nice scenery.

I paddled upstream for a couple of miles without seeing a soul.  I very much enjoyed the solitude of the place.  I let the quietude permeate me and even took some time to skip rocks from my boat and allow my surroundings to sink in with both of my hands in the water or burying my fingers in the river bed. I was meeting a new companion and we were getting acquainted.

A little later, I also realize that this place was most likely a favorite watering spot for some furry friends.  I never saw an animal while I was there but I did observe quite a few prints: moose and what looked like a sizable cat.

Rather large cat prints

Moose prints compared to the tip of my paddle.

After about an hour and a half of paddling upstream, and after I felt I had a good feel of "who this river was", at least at this low water level, I turned around and raced down.  At that time, something strange happened.  I felt myself being transported back in time and space, and for a little while, I was back on the Potomac, with my group of Youts and with the LAKS Cheaters, racing to the finish. Except that when I reached the put-in, I was all alone: there was no chatter, no smiley faces, nobody bargaining a milkshake, nobody complaining about their arms hurting or being tired but happy after a good workout.  All I found was more silence and I realized how much I missed the Po and my group of friends.

Still, I was happy to have discovered a new playground in my new state, and pretty close to Anchorage too!  And like everything I have seen so far around here, it was beautiful.  As a matter of fact, I often find myself looking around in awe and telling myself: "You live here now!! This beauty is at your doorstep!"  This certainly keeps me positive and eager to put my arms around this gigantic gorgeous playground Alaska is, and which I hope many of my friends will come visit.  Because there is nothing like sharing a chunk of wilderness with your good buddies.