Resume

My name is Daniel, I'm an Expedition Paddler, a certified BCU 3* Sea Kayaker and a 4* Sea Leader Aspirant. I hope to obtain my BCU 5* in multiple disciplines and would like to pursue a career in coaching, at the BCU Level 5. In answer to the obvious question, "Am I really that dedicated?". I am.

Two years ago I chose to make a career as a paddler and picked up my first paddle. Since then I've logged over 1500 hours of on-water time, much of it solo, and much of it open-water. I taught myself to roll, have instructed, and been a pool chaperone, and have undertaken numerous multiday solo expeditions.

Last summer I spent two months with Ginni Callahan working on her farm and gaining experience helping her on a few courses. During her LoCo Event I undertook, and completed all my certifications and required courses needed to qualify and take my four star assesment with Karl Anderson and John Wallum.

I am comfortable paddling both traditional and modern styles, and have built myself two Skin-on-frame kayaks this winter. A slim Baidarka, and a very slim Greenland play-boat.

Currently I am paddling my way down the entire coast of Washington from Canada in my Baidarka. As of this letter am waiting out the weather in Queets, about 30 miles south of Kalalloch WA. I chose this expediton as a way of evaluating and building my skills, meeting other paddlers, and making a name for myself in the world of sea-kayaking. I'm not looking for fame and fortune, I'm looking for work, and a way to do the one thing I love most, and that is paddle, professionally.

Birthright

BIRTHRIGHT from Sean Mullens on Vimeo.

Little Man

little man

accept

conform

no.

mother nature

father sea

the truth is in the child's eyes

drink the earth's nectar

your body is soil.

dream...

~d

Chowder

The day is fuzzy. Thick like clam-chowder - shades of grey. Two-tone grey gulls pass over a grey fish-plant, siting on grey pilings, in a grey bay, reflecting the grey sky. The breakwater cuts the horizon, smudged and blurred. The only colour in the entire scene is the drizzle of sepia rust on fish-boat hulls. A black crow perches on the edge of a grey dumpster. The blue-water tug 'Crowley' comes home through the mist - Waadah Island a shadow behind it. Miniature wind-waves form on the puddles outside as a sudden gust tears through. The crows turn in unison to the wind, their ruffled feathers flattening, their heads bowed. Even my own mind is thick like clam-chowder... I squint in the brightness of the overcast. The fog floats in, and I stare out the window... nothing to write...



~d

Nope Not Today

Gave it a try today. Weather wasn't good with the incoming front and tomorrow's storm.



20 knot winds in my face, three to five foot short period wind waves on top of a three to four foot swell in my face, fog in my face. It all beat me back from the south. Cape Elizabeth would have been inpassable with it's shallows reaching far out. No protected landings for the next twenty or so miles. Not a place to wait out a storm and upcoming 3-4 meter swell for the better part of a week.



I got out a mile or so, and then made the call, pretty easy to make actually - no place for me out here today.

Wild Salmon One Government Zero

I'm pretty damned proud of my people today. Let's hope the government got the message this time.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vf1M-WGvfCg

The Long Sandy

Crossed the river bar into Queets yesterday, bused into Quinalt to print off weather reports and plan next leg. Tenative plans to land at Grenville Bay and later at Copalis River/Beach. Not many options for protected landings and launches on the next few stretches. Especially worrisome are the stretches from fifteen miles north of Pt.Brown, Grays Harbour to Cape Disapointment.









Tenative stops/emergency pull-outs at inside of Pt.Chehalis, Grays Harbour; Tokeland/Toke Point, Willapa Bay; possibly North Head or Benson Beach, Cape Disappointment. This means I'll be doing really long days along exposed, surf pounded shorelines... if anyone knows of or could recommend more pull-outs it would be appreciated. Options when the brown hits the spinning are always nice to have.



Weather - looks like big seas May 20th through the 23rd so I'll most likely stay off the water. May try to get tomorrow on the water and a short day on Wednesday to take advantage of the last of the smaller seas. A series of fronts coming through will make for windy conditions Wednesday and Thursday... after that a calm? I hope so.



For the techies here are the sources I'm currently using - A LOT.

Buncha numbers from a buoy

&

A buncha blah blah blah from the NOAA Weather guys