This is my first official blog post, so please bear with me. The Tsunami Rangers ocean adventure kayak team is venturing back to beautiful Big Sur and plans to spend a few days exploring its many rock gardens and caves. I will give a full report when I return in late August.
We first explored Big Sur, located a few miles south of Monterey, California, and a few miles north of San Simeon, in the late 1980s. Our first trip, with Tsunami Rangers captain Jim Kakuk and lieutenant Alan Hillesheim, started at Mill Creek and ended at Willow Creek. Later, lieutenant Glenn Gilchrist accompanied Jim and me on a trip from Rocky Point through Pfeiffer Big Sur. After that, lieutenant Dough Schwarz and our good friend Joanne Turner joined us on an excursion from Gorda south toward San Simeon.
We filmed our award-winning video, ADVENTURES OF THE TSUNAMI RANGERS, near Rocky Point with commander Michael Powers. That led to the WAVE WARRIORS film in the same area done by lieutenant commander Gordon Brown and his filmmaking family for National Geographic Explorer.
Since then, we’ve spent a lot of on-water time at Garrapata, at the north end of Big Sur, but have not had a big exploration adventure in Big Sur in ten years. So, it’s time to return. Stand by.
Sea kayaker explores a waterfall tumbling into the Pacific Ocean along the Big Sur coast.
A Big Sur sea cave ripe for exploration by the Tsunami Rangers' sea kayaks.
{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
Eric, I’m looking forward to hearing about your exploits — and seeing the pics as proof.
John Soares recently posted..Hiking to Horse Camp on Mount Shasta
John, Stand by for a complete report with photos.
Eric
Eric, the caves and waterfalls above look amazing. The images in the TR photo gallery all seem to be taken with a steady hand in the heat of the battle – Michael Powers work ?
Tess
Tess Dodd recently posted..Shark ID
Good points all around. Truly appreaicetd.
Yes, Tess, Big Sur is amazing. We didn’t explore caves on this trip, but there is a place in central Big Sur (the coast is about 100km long) where there is a series of linking caves in granite which we call Pirate’s Labyrinth. We featured it in our first video, The Adventures of the Tsunami Rangers, which I may re-release on DVD.
Michael Powers, who turned 70 last month, takes many of our great photos (as you saw in the books), but Jim Kakuk and others also get good ones. I took the sunset shot and Jim Kakuk took both the waterfall and cave shots.
BTW, I found the shark essay and photos very compelling on your site, funtessea. I’ll be visiting it often.
Eric,
I look forward to following your Blog posts.
Peter
Welcome aboard, Peter! Please feel free to put in your two cents on any topic. This week’s blog will be on sea caves, so stay tuned.
Regards,
Eric
Hi Eric,
I’m not looking to have anything posted here, but I happened upon the website and your blog. It looks like you’ve found your way back after dealing with issues related to AVR surgery and returned in fine form.
You may not remember exchanging a few e-mails with me concerning your article about dealing with the tribulations of valve replacement surgery in Sea Kayaker Magazine. I’m afraid I was the guy in Colorado who was trying to give you some “tough love”.
Anyway, congrats on the website. You’ve got some enjoyable content here.
Life’s short… ride hard… and pedal fast!
-Philip Bonds (Tinman)
Welcome aboard, Philip! I definitely remember you from a few years ago. Your tough-love comments did not go unheeded, as I’m back in the kayak saddle and have returned to jujitsu. Of course, I’m smarter. I don’t get into terrible kayaking situations or paddle too hard. And in jujitsu, I deliver punishment, but I whine and go “ooh, bad heart” when they start to return the favor.