Friday night update

Keirron and George got in another 32 miles today after 28 yesterday (and they both appreciate a little break from the relentless 20 knot headwind). This puts them just 12 miles out from Nikolski.

As part of their engagement with local sea otter research, Keirron reported three "dancing" otter photographed today. Kayaks have a long and complicated relationship with the northern sea otter; a paddler's stealthy vessel allows us to approach these mammals more closely than a motorised research vessel could do. Keirron and George are well-equipped to photograph rafts of otter, or individuals, in enough detail for the professionals to identify individuals later.

Here's an updated chart with the team's progress:

... and I will try to stick to this Google Earth 'pin' convention:
white pins are guess-timated locations
green pins are based on measurements I have received
yellow pins are original stage or reference markers.

Strong work guys!

Umnak Island

Keirron checked in yesterday saying they'd paddled 20 NM since landing on Umnak, and planned on another 28 miles today. If this plan worked out and the winds allow they may be roughly where I am guessing on the map below.

The weather is still living up to its reputation, blowing 20 knots in their faces and raining sheets yesterday. Today was expected to blow a bit less, but the gear will stay wet - over half a centimetre if rain is in the forecast.

Sunday looks like another windy one. Weather direction has shifted around from SE winds to NE - NNE. There's no more snow in the immediate forecast.

The remaining inhabitated village on Umnak (population 18, 2010 census) is Nikolski, still nearly 40 NM distant.

Below are photos of  Mount Recheshnoi (left) and Mount Vsevidofe from Nikolski (right).

 

Safe travels!

Sat phone updates

Keirron called tonight, 19:20 CEST, 10 hours ahead is 9 am Anchorage time. In the background I could hear - yes, you guessed it - wind.

In the last few days' paddling they have had 35 knot (18 m/s) headwinds to add to the horrendousness, have dug boats out from a foot of overnight snow accumulation, and a couple days decided not to leave the shore at all. But sometimes Alaska is like that. Two days were also beautiful, and account for most of their progress.

They are on Umnak Island. I don't know exactly where they are but will guess anyway, based on time elapsed and ETA to Nikolski.

Stumbled onto these beautiful photographs of Umnak Island (southern half mostly): http://xpda.com/aleutians/umnak/

Taking advantage of the upside of bad weather, Keirron and George have had a bit of time to poke around; I've been doing some myself on Google Earth, comfortably from the kitchen. Fascinating area, lot of military and possibly mining activities on these volcanoes. 

For example ... military? Alien?

And lest we forget these are active volcanoes ... here's the Okmok Caldera, which formed the part of the island they are currently camped on; it last erupted July 2008.

More about their current host:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Okmok

And not surprisingly every one of the ocean aerials without cloud cover seems to have whitecaps (aka white horses). Hm.