Guide to Sea Kayaking in Southeast Alaska : The Best Day Trips and Tours from Misty Fjords to Glacier Bay [Paperback]

James Howard (Author)

Book Description

Series: Regional Sea Kayaking Series | Publication Date: May 1, 1999

Features full descriptions of 41 trips, including mile-by-mile descriptions, detailed maps, trip difficulty ratings, and tips on the logistics of kayaking this largely uninhabited area.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Discover some of the most exciting kayaking to be found in Southeast Alaska. In this guide you will find full descriptions of 41 trips, each carefully rated so that any kayaker can safely and confidently paddle this spectacular region. In addition, mile-by-mile descriptions, detailed maps, and tips on the logistics of kayaking this largely uninhabited area will help you navigate with ease some of the most breathtaking and wildlife-rich marine habitats on the planet. Whether exploring protected inlets and bays, marveling at the grandeur of glaciers, or navigating the same waters as orcas and humpbacks, this book is a must for sea kayakers of all skill levels.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Globe Pequot; 1st edition (May 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0762704098
• ISBN-13: 978-0762704095
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,363,496 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #87 in Books > Sports & Outdoors > Nature Travel > Adventure > Kayaking
  • #97 in Books > Sports & Outdoors > Outdoor Recreation > Kayaking > Sea Kayaking

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Comprehensive Guide for Independent Kayakers, April 13, 2001

By 

nborson (Gustavus, AK United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Guide to Sea Kayaking in Southeast Alaska : The Best Day Trips and Tours from Misty Fjords to Glacier Bay (Paperback)

This book contains everything that an experienced kayaker needs to know to plan a trip to Alaska's Inside Passage. For those who already know where they want to paddle, the first chapter and apendices still provide great local information and advice on gear, clothing, and techniques that are most appropriate for this area. Anyone who will be paddling in these waters should read these sections of the book not only because they will answer many of the difficult logistical questions but because they will make your trip safer and more enjoyable while helping reduce your impact on the area. For those seeking ideas on where to paddle, the rest of the book offers a wealth of suggested routes without getting so specific that you lose all sense of personal discovery.

As a sea kayak guide based in Gustavus I have paddled most of the northern routes described in Jim Howard's book over the past 20 years and I can report that his descriptions and advice are current and accurate.

Something that really bothers me about some guidebooks I have seen is that they name specific campsites and suggest day-by-day itineraries for a few selected routes; they are like a journal of the author's trip. This approach leads to over-use of a few areas and sites and diminishes the sense of discovery that is one of this wild area's greatest attractions; following one of those guidebooks is more like taking someone else's trip than one's own. Not only that, but many of the best sites along a route are (thankfully) NOT named in those guidebooks, so kayakers can have a better trip by ignoring those authors' detailed suggestions.

Jim Howard took a different approach. His routes cover most of the region and for each he gives a description of the area and an assessment of the difficulty of the trip. He names the hazards and gives helpful logistical advice and a general description of the route. This is just what I look for when visiting a new area. I want to know whether I am getting in over my head and how to get to the area. I don't want to know exactly where someone else paddled and camped and what they saw. Finding my own campsites, wildlife viewing areas, and special places is what sea kayaking in a wild place is all about.

Because Southeast Alaska is a wild place with plenty of hazards far from help, it's wise to have solid sea kayaking skills if you are alone or leading less experienced paddlers here. Therefore, this book doesn't cover basic sea kayaking and navigation. Beginners will need to find this information in one of the many other general sea kayaking books and by going with experienced paddlers.

Jim Howard does an excellent job of giving helpful area-specific information while preserving opportunities for wilderness self-discovery. I can tell he's explored the area thoroughly and talked to lots of local folks. Get this book if you're coming here.

4.0 out of 5 stars Ratings need some clarification, October 28, 2011

By 

Red Cat "red cat" - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Guide to Sea Kayaking in Southeast Alaska : The Best Day Trips and Tours from Misty Fjords to Glacier Bay (Paperback)

We referred to the book on our trip to Alaska last summer. It is a nice bood. I give a 4 because the grading that was given to the trips should have been a bit clarified. Any trips that take you away from the city are at least for intermediate level. We just started kayaking, and did the Glacier Bay. If we went simply by the grading in the book, we might not have done it, but since we were taking our own kayak all the way from the rockies, we really wanted to do G.B. I think the intermediate (or difficult) rating is more for the fact that the trip took several days and requires camping in the back country, and less about the actual kayaking. Yes, you need to have back country experience. We had to search for fresh water, so it helps to know how to read the land; deal with wild life so that helps to; and of course you need to be able to take your kayak up high enough so its still there in the morning, but beyond common sense stuff, I actually didn't think it was an intermediate/difficult level. I just wish it was made more clear in the book. Otherwise, all other information was helpful!