but somewhere on the lower armoire we were playing the paddle a thousand
were playing the paddle a thousand
were playing the paddle a thousand kilometers somewhere along the way I
kilometers somewhere along the way I
kilometers somewhere along the way I started to get a really sick feeling in
started to get a really sick feeling in
started to get a really sick feeling in my stomach and I said I think we need to
my stomach and I said I think we need to
my stomach and I said I think we need to take off at our halfway point and that
take off at our halfway point and that
take off at our halfway point and that halfway point was sort of the last spot
halfway point was sort of the last spot
halfway point was sort of the last spot that we could take out before it was
that we could take out before it was
that we could take out before it was like a no turning around situation
like a no turning around situation
like a no turning around situation before we delve deeper into the
before we delve deeper into the
before we delve deeper into the wilderness and the weather was going to
wilderness and the weather was going to
wilderness and the weather was going to be getting more intense than monsoon
be getting more intense than monsoon
be getting more intense than monsoon weather and our Sat phone wasn’t working
weather and our Sat phone wasn’t working
weather and our Sat phone wasn’t working and all the translators that were
and all the translators that were
and all the translators that were supposed to paddle with us had bailed
supposed to paddle with us had bailed
supposed to paddle with us had bailed and there were all of these things these
and there were all of these things these
and there were all of these things these logical reasons but no matter how much I
logical reasons but no matter how much I
logical reasons but no matter how much I loved through it I really just had this
loved through it I really just had this
loved through it I really just had this sick feeling in my gut and so halfway
sick feeling in my gut and so halfway
sick feeling in my gut and so halfway through our objective on the lower amor
through our objective on the lower amor
through our objective on the lower amor we took off in the city of Qom Somoza
we took off in the city of Qom Somoza
we took off in the city of Qom Somoza and we really weren’t sure if we were
and we really weren’t sure if we were
and we really weren’t sure if we were making the right choice the one thing
making the right choice the one thing
making the right choice the one thing about landing in that Beach is well we
about landing in that Beach is well we
about landing in that Beach is well we met this lady who happen to speak
met this lady who happen to speak
met this lady who happen to speak perfect English and she said to us you
perfect English and she said to us you
perfect English and she said to us you know why would you come to a place that
know why would you come to a place that
know why would you come to a place that even God forgot and that’s probably one
even God forgot and that’s probably one
even God forgot and that’s probably one that’s always stuck with me because even
that’s always stuck with me because even
that’s always stuck with me because even though it mean comes from us it’s a
though it mean comes from us it’s a
though it mean comes from us it’s a pretty big city but various Russia you
pretty big city but various Russia you
pretty big city but various Russia you still very very much disconnected from
still very very much disconnected from
still very very much disconnected from the world so we did end up making it to
the world so we did end up making it to
the world so we did end up making it to the ocean though but it ended up being
the ocean though but it ended up being
the ocean though but it ended up being much less romantic than my image my
much less romantic than my image my
much less romantic than my image my image was like paddling into the amor
image was like paddling into the amor
image was like paddling into the amor Delta on a beautiful clear day wind in
Delta on a beautiful clear day wind in
Delta on a beautiful clear day wind in our hair and you know we were just like
our hair and you know we were just like
our hair and you know we were just like total summit moment but we ended up just
total summit moment but we ended up just
total summit moment but we ended up just taking a ferry we were able to find a
taking a ferry we were able to find a
taking a ferry we were able to find a local ferry and it took us a day to get
local ferry and it took us a day to get
local ferry and it took us a day to get downstream and then we hitchhike the
downstream and then we hitchhike the
downstream and then we hitchhike the rest of the way
rest of the way
rest of the way and so we hitchhiked the rest of the way
and so we hitchhiked the rest of the way
and so we hitchhiked the rest of the way and we ended up in this old fishing
and we ended up in this old fishing
and we ended up in this old fishing village that was sort of falling in on
village that was sort of falling in on
village that was sort of falling in on itself and we quickly realized we were
itself and we quickly realized we were
itself and we quickly realized we were the only people that this place mattered
the only people that this place mattered
the only people that this place mattered to and for us it meant something very
to and for us it meant something very
to and for us it meant something very different than it did for everybody else
different than it did for everybody else
different than it did for everybody else it was the end of this really long
it was the end of this really long
it was the end of this really long powerful journey and and the end of a
powerful journey and and the end of a
powerful journey and and the end of a dream that we had wanted to see through
dream that we had wanted to see through
dream that we had wanted to see through and this is the image of us leaving
and this is the image of us leaving
and this is the image of us leaving Russia we flew back to Alaska
Russia we flew back to Alaska
Russia we flew back to Alaska and you can see like it’s a big big
and you can see like it’s a big big
and you can see like it’s a big big river and basically about a week later
river and basically about a week later
river and basically about a week later we find out the greatest flood and 120
we find out the greatest flood and 120
we find out the greatest flood and 120 years actually hit the region when they
years actually hit the region when they
years actually hit the region when they showed the before and after images what
showed the before and after images what
showed the before and after images what we were paddling looked like a creek on
we were paddling looked like a creek on
we were paddling looked like a creek on a map and you know now this thing’s
a map and you know now this thing’s
a map and you know now this thing’s pretty big because there’s no big
pretty big because there’s no big
pretty big because there’s no big mountains really arounds quite flat it
mountains really arounds quite flat it
mountains really arounds quite flat it was like 50 kilometers wide and that’s a
was like 50 kilometers wide and that’s a
was like 50 kilometers wide and that’s a lot of water to be moving around so
lot of water to be moving around so
lot of water to be moving around so thankfully Amber’s intuition was on
thankfully Amber’s intuition was on
thankfully Amber’s intuition was on target so this is a Karen we built for
target so this is a Karen we built for
target so this is a Karen we built for Zack over the onin river and we found a
Zack over the onin river and we found a
Zack over the onin river and we found a lot of little ways to celebrate him as
lot of little ways to celebrate him as
lot of little ways to celebrate him as we went he was such a vibrant vibrant
we went he was such a vibrant vibrant
we went he was such a vibrant vibrant human being and he was always laughing
human being and he was always laughing
human being and he was always laughing and dancing and just in the flow of his
and dancing and just in the flow of his
and dancing and just in the flow of his life and so I think if there’s anything
life and so I think if there’s anything
life and so I think if there’s anything that I’ve learned in his life and in his
that I’ve learned in his life and in his
that I’ve learned in his life and in his passing it’s that no matter how hard
passing it’s that no matter how hard
passing it’s that no matter how hard what we face in our life is no matter
what we face in our life is no matter
what we face in our life is no matter how crazy and difficult things get there
how crazy and difficult things get there
how crazy and difficult things get there is always something for us to celebrate
is always something for us to celebrate
is always something for us to celebrate and I think that’s what we really tried
and I think that’s what we really tried
and I think that’s what we really tried to do in Mongolia and on this trip
”
Be First to Comment