Way Beyond

I don't know what this says about me but I feel most at home when I'm not at home, when I'm not in anybody's home, when I'm in the woods or on a mountain or on a rock or somewhere above treeline. When I'm lakeside or seaside or riverside or creekside. When there's wind and when there's not wind. When the sun is reflecting off the water or beating down upon my red hair. When there are animals and bugs and birds and fish. When there's nothing but stillness. And when there's a trail behind me and more before me. Or even if there isn't. Even if there is nothing to follow but a cairn or a compass or ones best read of the line. I love nature. I don't miss the comforts of showers and mirrors. Mirrors are not comfortable. Showers...I like showers. But I don't miss them. I brush my teeth and that feels clean enough.

Happy Ned

I took five guys on a Beyond Malibu trip last week. Will Mitchell, Ethan Carros, Owen Baughan, Spencer Powell and Coleman Johnson took a chance on a week with me in the woods and water of the Pacific Northwest.

Ethan

Will and Owen

Coleman creeping on the Baby Seal

Super Spencer

We were scheduled for a seventy mile sea kayak. I was given the option to change it to the 103 mile hard core version. I didn't tell them until the end that I took the option. To me there was no option.  They can look in their comfortable mirrors now and see a hard core man looking back at them now. They'll thank me for it someday.

Setting Out

Men at Jurassic

It was quite the adventure. Seeing Malibu for the first time. Coming within paddle reach of baby seals. Seeing I don't know how many of their relatives. Spawning salmon ramming our boats. Bald Eagles swooping so close you could hear the wind cutting through their wings. Yes, quite the adventure. Chatterbox Falls. The pristine Princess Louisa Inlet. Then sunrise over Two Bear.

Ethan eyeing Mt. Albert

Baby Seal

Two Bear

Then there was the night with bioluminescent water. That's right. Swimming in the Pacific Ocean with the stars above us and the water shooting off luminescent stars every time we moved our body. I almost missed it. Almost went to bed. It was midnight and I had twenty-four hours of travel starting at 4am. But there was bioluminescence in the water! I got out of bed. I swam and sang and screamed like...well like I do when I'm happy and so full it's coming out whether I want it to or not. There was no one in miles to hear me...except the boys. I woke them up. Sleep could wait. I couldn't let them miss this. It was too wonderful. Too over the top. An amazing week of God and nature and here was nature and God at their finest. What a show!

Yes, God showed himself to us. He met me personally there on the Jarvis Inlet. Walking on the stony beach of Two Bear, I couldn't write down his words fast enough. I won't forget them. He etched them on my heart.

On the way back "home"

Thank you John Guppy, Matthias Newell, Lee Grindstaff, and Kevin Smith for putting up with us. We couldn't have asked for better guides. Hope to make it back your way again soon. Until then, remember there is no place better to be than here...with Love.

Always and Everywhere.

Rodo.

ned