Excitement fills my heart as I read that I Have secured a permit to run a non commercial trip on the Grand Canyon for August 2013. I pay my $400 deposit and that is that, it is official. 16 months from now, all going to plan, myself and 15 others will be kitting up rafts and kayaks to embark on an epic river adventure of a lifetime down the Grandest Canyon on dry land. 
As a child in New Zealand I read of the journey along the Colorado river; 3 years ago I finally stood on the south rim of the Grand Canyon and dreamed of being on that river Below traveling the massive and stunning landscape. Now, after years of wanting waiting I just entered into the lottery when it felt right and two days later I have the permit. woo hoo! Starting this summer I must get back into some rafting and paddle more white water in Prep. As the trip logistics progress I will publish insights and prep adventures, and then give the great insight into our personal journey down the canyon in 2013. .J 
Coiba Island Jan 29th: A Bizarre Coast
Weather: Sunny and Hot with a Light Sea Breeze Swell: 1-2 foot Distance: 15KNM Dinner: Egg, Fish, Tomato Pita wraps with Fresh made on the Fire raisin Cinnamon Bread. I awake to a golden light creating the western point of our little cove we camp onto glow, macaws croak in the canopy accompanied by the rough bark of a Tiger Heron. We arrived at this camp last night after an Epic Day of paddling yesterday, Up in the dark to break camp we were on the water at first light. It was magical to paddle in the cool air and watch the sun come up over time, backlighting the jungle canopy of the undulating Islandscape into a multi shaded image of steamy trees, with surging wave beat cliffs. This island is truly a gem. 
Allie was determined today, she had that look of someone who meant business, our pace was solid in the cool morning, and remained so once the sun was directly on us and the morning heat began. Rounding the first big headland we were met by slightly messy heaving seas as the swell refracted of the cliffs; the TRAK handled it well even though fully loaded. Turning the corner South around the headland we were presented with a bizarre stark coastline of gentle cliffs curving high up to forest crested heights, large beautiful beaches were still found with surf churning and just off the coast were scattered little weird shaped islands. Like something out of a Doctor Zeus book the islands were twisted and weather beaten to bizarre shapes, one had a great sea arch we paddled through with the heaving seas.
Attempting to get the most out of the day we passed up a great looking beach at 10 am in order to push on for another hour passing our next head land 40 mins later we discovered a coast of just cliffs; pocket beaches with no shade existed for as far as the eye could see. This presented a choice; Do we push on or do we go back to the last good beach with shade. This was Allie’s choice, she was hot, feeling nauseous and was telling me she was dry retching, Despite all this she quickly chose to go on. “ I am determined to push myself and snot stay within my comfort zone” she stated to me. On the chart we could see a river coming out to some flat land about an hour and a half paddle, we were going for it. 
1pm we round a bend a there are beaches, we come through the surf onto a great little patch of crescent sand; Allie miss-times and wave and ends up swimming, thank goodness for the seasock in the TRAK, I wade out lift the nose empty the boat and drag it in. hardly a drop of water got inside the interior of the boat after a full swamping in small surf. The beach has wonderful shade and at the far end a great stony creek with a big pool to swim in and cool off. We eat a pineapple and some fish for lunch, I refill our drinking water from the creek (treating it off course). Three hours later we look at leaving, Allie watches the surf break amongst the rocks to look for a pattern. “ Holy!” she barks. “ could there be a crocodile swimming in the surf?” she asked me with an incredulous look. I was thinking yes, though probably not; “it is probably a big fish, there were a bunch in the surf when we paddled in!” though we both looked for awhile but nothing showed. 
Lunching out through the surf Allie got in the surge Zone first and As I came out to meet her and wait for a break in the waves, Allie came paddling over to me with nervous excitement. “ I WAS RIGHT!” she exclaimed with a smile “ There is a F@#*ing Croc in the surf, it came right up and looked at me!”, I was excited by this I love Crocs. “Look there it is!” looking out at the small breaking waves there was the unmistakable dark outline of a crocodile amongst the surge, its long tooth filled mouth attached to a head held slightly above the water in turn followed by a slender scaly back with an elegant spiked tail trailing behind about 2 meters in total length. It swam around a distance off checking us out and then disappeared as a gap in the waves appeared and we paddled out. “ Well, now that is a different issue to be dealing with when breaking out through the surf” I stated and we both chuckled. We were now aiming for another beach about an hour and a half further down, now with some good distance covered today we would find a place to spend two nights and relax a bit. Allie had finally unlocked her distance paddler and realized the rewards of pushing yourself out weigh the discomfort of it all (today was the longest time Allie had ever spent in a kayak and it was in turn the longest distance she had paddled to date). 
7 scarlet Macaws feed on the beach while next to them a small crocodile slowly slid in to the surf, just behind the breaking waves to gringos in yellow folding kayaks watched. “Were not camping there” Allie laughed. The beach didn’t look two inviting despite the crocs and even with the bright red Parrots. This stretch obviously got the snot kicked out of it in the winter storms as the trees looked raggedy struggling to hold onto the beach that remained though there was fresh water here. We chose to paddle around the small headland and found a little cove protected from the surf and easy paddle to the river and Crocs for our day off tomorrow, and the Macaws still flew about us on this side as well. That night we made a delicious cinnamon raisin bread on the fire and enjoyed the stars, there were a few biting insects (hardly any are on this island) and the Terrestrial hermit crabs were as busy as ever cleaning up the beach and trying to leave whatever food we left un attended and we fell asleep to the rustle and clink of their movements about our tent an kitchen as they cleaned up our scraps.
Jan 28th Big Fish are Biting.
Sunny and Hot Distance: 4 KNM Camp at Hermosa Point beach (Playa Blanco) 
On the water earlier today, though still not early enough. The Surf was slamming the beach, though the waves only a foot and a half high. We lunched of the beach with the sea socks in the TRAK’s, due to the fact we were launching through dumping surf and there was no time to get skirts on, you had to just go and get out the back. We got some distance covered though still not much, Allie is struggling with energy and the heat so is not getting more than 1.5 KNM out of her arms. We came across an awesome beach at 10 am, big, loaded with various types of forest; Mangroves, Coco nut palm groves, coastal Littoral forest, all backed by the primary growth rainforest. We decided it was to cool a beach to pass up and headed in. Coming through light surf was fun, the striking contrast of aqua water meeting the reddish water of the surf zone (caused by red sand being stirred up), meeting the contrast of the Yellow TRAK’s, Blue skies and Green Forest was quite visual over loading. I struggled to capture that image on Camera and failed miserably. Tucking into the shade of the overgrown beach edge, the day was already super hot. I found some coconuts; climbed a Palm for two big green ones (very sweet water), buried a sharpened stick as a spike, and opened a 5 up. We drank the water of three, ate the flesh and saved the rest for cooking later. Deciding the beach was two awesome to move on, we set up camp amongst the leafy understory of the coastal forest. Scarlet Macaws flew over head, the striking size and color of the pair keep you watching even after they were well gone, hoping they would return. Hopefully Allie will get some rest and we will start super early in the morning while it is still dark, get a bunch of distance done in the cool of early morning, and this way hopefully start covering the 10knm a day we need in order to complete the circumnavigation in the time we have credited of 10 days (we only have 8 left).
That afternoon after a good siesta in the shade of the broad leafed sea grape bushes, we went to the river at the far end of the beach. Here 40 foot mangrove trees stood and the waters teamed with fish, hopefully I was going to get dinner this time. I put the flesh of yesterdays little fish on a hook and dashed it amongst the large fish, they all ignored it except a small fish who gave it a go. The short fight before he let it go again, spooked all the fish and they never again even looked at the bait. GRRRRRRRRR! This is so frustrating what fish ignores bait on a hook, Especially those that are never really fished? I gave up for a while ad bathed in the river quickly and apprehensively, always not sure about Crocs, they never are a problem though and we have yet to see one. I took my bait and headed to the estuary mouth were the tide was now coming in. I caste my line into the out flowing current and let it sit and swoosh around with the waves. Eventually something nibbled, then a pause, the line went tight and the something ran with the bait. I struck and started pulling….. the line went lose. OH…. Grr! I cast the line again, I waited.. .. A nibble, ….. I waited…….a Pull…… I waited……. The pull turns to a movement and I STRIKE. The line cause taught in my hand and a good size fish start running. The line pulls a little through my hand. “Oh Crap, it isn’t a shark is it?…. I don’t want a shark! Next minute I see the back of the fish in the muddy water amongst the waves it was a 
large Snapper. “WOOOO HOOO!” my heart raced with jubilation I was nervous I would lose my prize and I ran him along the beach clear of some fallen trees in the small river mouth, the next rushing wave that came in, I ran up the beach dragging my prize onto the shore. “Woooooo HOOOOO!” so happy, he was a biggy, two meals worth at least. I beat it over the head with a rock and ran off with it in my fist to show Allie what was for dinner. The Macaws flew back across the beach, shining brilliantly in the golden light of the setting sun, while the tall mangroves created a glowing reflection across the flat river estuary, what a magic place 
That night the waves broke, sparkling in the moonlight, upon the beach while the stars shone brightly above our heads. we dined on fried fish with Rice cooked in Coconut water with chunks of Coconut. It was delicious. Tomorrow morning we will be up an hour before the sun (6.45 sunrise here) in an effort to get big distances done before 11am and the intense heat of the day. 
Jan 27th: A Boat In the Night
Weather: Sunny Hot light wind from the SW/ Distance: 6 NM Dinner: Rice and Beans, chocolate Cake 
A fire of smoldering embers glows beneath the starlit sky as small waves break upon the pebble beach I lay on. Awaiting the chocolate cake cooking inside a Dutch oven buried on in the hot coals before me, my heart suddenly stops, I hold my breath. Alison, who is with me. Starts to talk, I stop her with my hand and state, there is a boat approaching the shore. It is dark, the boat has no running lights on it is coming closer, my heart beats faster as I think back to the Park Chef Ranger, Santiago Roja’s, and how he stated that what we wish to do is Peligro (dangerous) due to drug runners from Columbia. Now with a small boat just behind the shore break on this deserted beach of Isla De Coiba, Panama; I am wondering just how dangerous this is. 
Our day had started good, a beautiful early wake up to a stunning flat calm see gently lapping on the shore near our tent. Allie had to paddle back to the ANAM station (30 mins away) to get her pack towel she left there yesterday when we left. On her return we ate breakfast, then headed on our merry way with the first full day beginning our circumnavigation of Coiba island. Still not entirely sure we had permission or not, but Allie had come back and they had their second chance to stop us, and now were on our way. 
The day got hot fast, the water was clear, fish swam below us the color of rainbows while the occasional turtle came to the surface to breath. The folding boats paced along fully laden with 12 days of food and 15 liters of water per boat. It is a joy to be out on the seas independent and free to explore. Finding and river chocked with mangroves we tucked up it for a while to see what we could find; mud flats with crabs busily feeding, tall mangrove roots twisted and black leading to bright green leaves back by towering rainforest. At lunch time we found a shaded sandy beach to hide out the heat of the day under overhanging trees, then again at 3pm we were on our way, counter clockwise around Isla De Coiba. 
Afternoon sea breeze was blowing, the seas were a touch choppier, I tried my luck fishing using hermit crabs as bait, got some hits though hooked no fish. Allie was slowing, she is hot, has a sun burnt face and is far from accustomed to the heat of the tropics, finding a good beach we choose to pull in, not sure if pushing on will yield any other options before dark. The coast is far rockier now and the sea becoming more exposed. Coming through small dumping surf onto a black pebble beach, we find a great camp site, with a fresh water creek stocked with large fish. Allie sets up camp I go to work attempting for a fresh fish dinner. Hermit crabs on a hook, I eventually land a small fish, super excited that this one will be the bait for the bigger ones, I am soon really frustrated and disappointed when the big fish swim up to the bait look at it though never take it. Given up before dark I resort to cooking a pot of beans and rice for us. A fresh water wash is a must and after sitting down to our simple yet tasty meal, I then Attempt to bake chocolate cake in our Dutch oven on the fire we had prepped early, lazily in the dying embers we gaze at the stars while the smell of cooking chocolate cake wafts in the air along with the smoke. We began to here a small motor drone away in the distance and after some time we were now faced with some mysterious boat. A bright light comes on and shines onto the beach briefly, it goes out, we hear some talking, the boat turns and the starts to motor slowly. I begin to think logically that “who in their right mind would try and run drugs down the coast in 20 foot boat and 60hp motor?”, from what I know the drug boats are kitted out simply, though are bigger and have real nice fast 250HP motors and by motors I mean there are at least three. The boat disappears of into the distance and Allie and I both agree that they were probably some Fishing poachers in the Marine park, or they were cops looking for the two crazy gringos paddling the island ( it would be much easier to find us in the day though). They cake turned out well, though a touch burnt, we had our share and went to bed. What adventures will the next day bring?? 
Jan 26th: Permission?
Weather: Sunny Hot light wind Distance: 6 NM Dinner: Tuna Pasta Story 
Sitting in the Shade at the ANAM station I pack all the food for the 12day expedition into the tapered stern dry bags; Allison fills the water containers, two 6 liter dromedary bags and four 6 liter wine bladders. We are a bit nervous as despite a previous phone conversation were we were told we would be allowed to do the circumnavigation, over the last three days at the ranger Station with some clients from Fluid Adventures, the head ranger had kind of changed his tune. He had not yet said “no” though he was also seeming to be concerned about safety; in my opinion now he had seen one of the party was a girl, he wasn’t so keen to let us go. We had let the subject slide as we needed to focus on providing for the clients we were guiding for the last three days ( in exchange for a small wage that paid for most of our food for the expedition, free transport to Coiba and our park permit paid for, we had agreed to guide 3 clients for three days on Coiba prior to our personal trip, good deal done). Now however we were preparing to leave and were also preparing to be told no and then paddle back to the mainland and explore the coast. 
We set the boats by the water, no one gave us any attention, we loaded the boats; 18 liters of water in each, equal share of food, pots, cooker, small cooler, kitchen bag, etc. Some 
rangers came over smiled and marvelled at the boats, then with our small knowledge of Spanish let us know how cool they thought our trip was. Getting in our boats to leave we pushed out into the calm bay in the golden evening light, no one came to stop us. It was 4pm there was 2 and a half hours or so till the sun set, we weren’t going far, just 2 nautical miles around the next headland, and looking back as we paddled off towards the western edge of Coiba island, I expected someone to wave us back with a stern look, no one appeared. We were on our way, and we still weren’t shore if we had permission or not to be doing what we were about to do, though that just made it all so much more exciting. That night we camped at Playa Machete in a nice little clearing in the coastal littoral forest, we cooked up pasta as the high tide lapped at the low hanging tree branches; a beautiful orange sky greeted us to our first wilderness camp spot on the island. A possum came sniffing around on dark, though continued on his way without hassle, the night was alive with insects, frogs and bats flying about. I was so excited at finally being underway on a kayak journey I had dreamed about doing since I first brought some clients here to this very camp site two years ago, I couldn’t wait to see what we would see. I had no expectations really, just knowledge that this trip will be amazing and that not many other people had done what we were about to attempt. This is something special and we are also doing it in Folding kayaks! 
TRAK Files Episode 3 is Out!
Episode 3 is out, this episode has been a bit of a cursed episode, finally
released almost a month and a half behind schedule, due to unforeseen technical
issues of filming editing and producing the series while in the road traveling
in Central America. In February my computer unexpectedly stopped working after
a slight incident with a bag man in Panama dropping my bag (containing my
laptop) I had tried hard to protect. I was unable to do repairs on the computer
in Panama as in 5 days I was to fly out to Belize, I decided to fix it in
Belize and lost a week of good editing time. on arrival in Belize the computer
worked again, and I began editing again in-between guiding client groups out on
the islands, then the computer stopped working again, this time we found the
issue was the video card that had been shaken lose in travels. It finally
seemed I could get the Episode finished however I then had issues with the
final render, and after pulling out every graphic and change in the area where
the render froze, I found the image that caused the issue and the episode got
done.
Also in the past month and a bit, I had my SLR camera stolen along with all
my memory cards containing all the footage from Panama (only to find again,
along with bags, passports another computer and more stuff stolen from our
tent; scattered along the beach in the night with the high tide threatening to
engulf it). I then lost my Main GoPro Camera with LCD back pack and flat lens
in the surf while filming. It has been a challenging project to release episode
3 of the TRAK files amongst the ongoing adventures, filming and guiding. I hope
you enjoy!
Santa Catalina Video
A bit of a vid about our adventures prior to heading out to paddle Isla Coiba.
Published in White Sea Magazine
Here is a Piece Marty Perry, of White Sea Magazine and the Hurricane Riders, did on the NZ expedition in 2011 and some other stuff on me, as well as some of my pics used for illustration.
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Jan 25th Return to Coiba!
We are on Coiba Island, with some great guests, we will be exploring a very small part of the island with them while we are here, though it will be a good taste. we have the TRAK’s here in their bags, though will set them up and send the Bag’s back to Santa Catalina when our guests leave on the 27th.
I am eager to get underway, and things seem to be going sour as far as our permission to continue afterwards. I am a bit worried that the Rangers will renege the permission; is it because Allie is a girl? is it because they want money? we will see. for now we enjoy the sights by kayak and snorkel with our guests.
For me it is so cool to be back here on Coiba with the plans and the means to circumnavigate this island that captured my imagination 2 years ago.
We plan to paddle around the island in a counter clockwise direction, the circumference of the island is roughly 66 NM, then we have a 32 nm distance to travel back to Santa Catalina, via an island chain then the main land coast. it will be hot and awesome.
Here are some pics of the area:
Jan 23rd Shopping and the Rush to Produce Episode 2
Allie and I speak English to each other, “we need at least 10 days on Coiba!” “yes I Agree!” “Just tell him that we are experienced kayak expeditioners and have a locator beacon and a VHF radio”.
Allie turns too Yann and discusses the issues in French (Yann’s native tongue and Allie is fluent), he then picks up the phone and calls the number on a piece of paper. In fluent Spanish Yann request Senore Santiago Rojo the Jefe Grande of the ANAM Coiba. It is our third call that day in a French, English, Spanish communication train that has been us trying to confirm permission to circumnavigate Coiba Island by Sea Kayak. The first call found Senore Rojo, not in the central ANAM base in Santiago town (funnily enough also the first name of the man we were trying to track down) , so we had to call isla Coiba. That last call found Senore Rojo not at the main office and we would need to call back, though it sounded positive from his underlings there that it should be ok.
Yann now made the call and Senore Santiago Rojo came to the phone, a fray of quick Spanish conversation began, during the course of it, the tones in yann’s voice and the little Spanish we could understand, made Allie and I both feel we were losing. However at the end of the conversation, Yann thanked Senore Santiago hangs up and exclaims in French, Spanish and English “tout va bien”,” Todo es Bien” and finally “it is all good!” wonderful, it appears we are all good to go.
That was two days ago, yesterday we were shopping for our food supplies in Santiago town, we hitched a ride into town with Mike McKenzie of Fluid Adventures as he was purchasing the food for the trip with his clients we will be guiding. He also took our supplies back for us, as we remained at a hotel here to use fast internet to allow me to get the final edits of the second Episode of TRAK Files through for work. I had worked on it all night and I am still working on final edits right now.
9pm
I am sitting and waiting for the final good version to upload to the server before Allie and I can leave back to Santa Catalina. The first upload was full of errors and now we have missed the last bus back to Santa Catalina. However we found a taxi who would drive us for $50 now we can leave here when the video uploads again, the taxi and driver wait for us outside ( other drivers tried to charge us $70). It is a close push for time and it has been very unfortunate that internet in Santa Catalina has not been fast enough to allow me to upload regularly from there, however that is filming editing and producing on the road while adventuring in Panama. Let’s hope this cut is good enough as tomorrow we leave for over 2 weeks to Isla Coiba.
12am
We have just got back to Santa Catalina, the upload went through just before 10pm, we hoped in the taxi and dark safe ride of 2 hours has us back at our tent. In 6 hours we must be up again, pack up our tent and gear load on the launcha with the clients and head out to Coiba; we are soon on our way, for now a short sleep waits.
J