Sea kayaking activities

A Study in Brown – Waste in the Wilderness

Editor’s Note: With apologies to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (A Study in Scarlet) and gratitude to my son Nick Wantz who came up with our title we bring you a discussion of poop in the wilderness. As more and more people adventure farther afield the subject of how to handle the growing quantity of human waste that ends up in wild places is a hot topic. This is the Tsunami Rangers’ take on waste in the wilderness.

Lt. JG Nancy: Coincidentally, just before I started putting this post together, I read Tim Cahill’s book Pecked to Death by Ducks. Apart from being another of Cahill’s brilliant, witty, and hilarious travel books, this particular one contains a chapter aptly titled “The Throne of Terror”. Here’s Cahill: “Around home, bad bowels are an embarrassment best kept hidden… But oh, develop the most minor irregularities on a trip, and everyone gets to hear about your symptoms. In nauseous detail. The more remote the campsite – the greater the perceived distance from home – the more clinical these descriptions become. This is Cahill’s first law of bowel babble.” (p. 22.)

It’s true. Last year the Baja expedition was the furthest afield I’ve traveled with the Rangers and boy, did we talk about poop. We talked about poop before the retreat and after the retreat. During the retreat we literally drove a couple of our team mates away from the Batwing because some of us couldn’t leave the topic alone. And so, under the Batwing, a blog post was born.

It’s always fun to start with a story, so here’s Captain Deb “Tortuga” Volturno with her contribution:

Capt. Deb: Human waste in the wilderness is always a consideration, and it’s always worth having an action plan for the speciﬁc environment we’re in. There are diﬀerent methods of handling human waste in diﬀerent environments. Kayaking in Baja demands a human waste action plan that is suitable for the uniquely fragile desert environment. Poop that’s simply buried on land doesn’t decompose since the ground biome doesn’t host what it takes for decomposition. Burying poop in the intertidal zone is an acceptable solution in little use areas, but often that zone is not easily accessible except at the pristine beach where we’re camped – yuck! So hiking or paddling around the corner in the rocks is required to be able to bury human waste in the intertidal zone. That can be challenging in some places. Arguably the best way to deal with poop in parts of Baja is to have a system to carry it out – and there are many reliable, sanitary systems available.

Capt. Deb indicates an ideal fling vista

My all time favorite way of dealing with my own poop is the ‘Fling with a View’ method. Remote coastlines in Baja oﬀer excellent opportunities for this method. (Only recommended in remote areas!) Especially along the isolated coastlines in the Sea of Cortez, we tend to camp in sublime, protected coves with hills, bluﬀs, or headlands that wrap around the cove. That oﬀers favorable topography for the above mentioned poop process method.

In Baja, my preferred morning walk is up from camp to a high point overlooking the sea, and obviously away from the camping cove. Coﬀee in hand! The view will be predictably stunning, and especially so with the ﬁrst light of the day on the Sea of Cortez! With my vista above the sea selected, success follows in the details! I need to ﬁnd the perfect rock, which is rarely diﬃcult with the Baja geology. A ﬂat rock is essential, and it must have an ample surface area to hold the the amount of waste that will be deposited upon it. This will be diﬀerent depending on the individual, so the perfect ﬂat rock is an individual decision. The chosen rock must be able to be lifted in order to ﬁnish the project.

So to begin, take good aim, deposit your poop onto the rock, and when all is ready, my favorite part follows – ﬂing it con mucho gusto out from the bluﬀ into the sea! Keeerrshplasssshshh – and voila, the poop is broken down into very small parts! Quite satisfying! And the cycle of processing the organic waste continues – in the environment that has the wherewithal to decompose it. As mentioned above, this method is only suggested in remote areas. Other details? Before you ﬂing, be sure that nothing can be hurt or damaged in the water below you. Make your toss from a safe spot not too close to the edge. And toilet paper? Do not leave TP anywhere, or think it will go away if you stick it under a rock – super disgusting! It will not just go away on it’s own! Either carry TP out in a sealed zip-lock bag, or at some point, have a safe and legal burn below the tideline. And ﬁnally, never forget to wash/clean your hands – everytime!

Lt. JG Nancy: Awesome advice. As always, Capt. Deb is so on point. Now here’s Vice Admiral Jim Kakuk with his tale about waste in the wilderness:

Admiral Kuk: We arrived in Loreto a few months ago to kayak around Carmen Island for the Tsunami Ranger Retreat. One of the first logistical discussions we had was on the topic of pooping. Carmen, now a National Park, has restrictions on how to poo. Of the several options mentioned the method I decided on was to “paddle and poo”.

I remember a time many years ago in Pohnpei, Micronesia, when swimming through the giant coral heads with schools of colorful fish schooling around I dropped my drawers and delivered a plume of yellow and brown mixed with bits and pieces. I recall several fish swimming in to take a look and one in particular that took a bite and then ejected it with a sideways glance, took another taste and then spit it out before swimming reject-fully away. Most of the other fish were curious but kept their distance from the brown plume.

The mysterious ruins of Nan Madol in Pohnpei

On Carmen one morning, with coffee cup stowed in my crotch, I dutifully headed out to a place down the coast a short ways to a private spot to toss my chunky monkey (several days of consuming all sorts of mixed camp food makes for some interesting excrement).

About half way to my destination I realized I needed to “flatten the curve” and started looking for another rest stop right away. Along the blank rocky cliff, I spotted a small ledge just above the low tide line that looked like a miniature Rivendell. I seal landed and quickly dropped my togs while a covey of crustaceans scampered into the crevices. The buildup was intense and after the ass blast I turned around to see the scattered brown chunks on the landing, then noticed the crabs hiding in the rocks with wide eyes looking at the seismic event that had just landed in their front yard. But then they are crabs that live on dead things so maybe, I was thinking, “not a problem”.

Admiral Kuk and the crab — Admiral Kuk and the Baja Krab

After jumping into the salt water bath and washing up real good (no toilet paper needed) I hopped back into my kayak. Paddling away, I could see the crab colony emerging and shouted out, “Uber eats, Baja Fresh”. Thinking that maybe they had a good breakfast, I returned to camp to make mine.

Lt. JG Nancy: Prior to departure on the Baja trip, Capt. Deb informed us that our destination, Isla Carmen, is a National Park and therefore off-limits to pooping. My enthusiasm waned. No pooping on the island? Wtf??? But Capt. Deb was taking it all in stride and told us she and Paula were bringing Wag Bags, and that keeping the Park pristine for others was the Right Thing To Do. Still, I found the constraint depressing.

Pooping below the tide line at this camp on the Lost Coast was not a problem

But then I remembered a backpacking trip I took with my son up the Lost Coast of Northern California in 2014. All went well until the last campground, just before we hit the Mattole River. It was nearly impossible to find a place to poop even though the campground was quite large. The place was a zoo. Normally I would have pooped some place below the tide line, but when I walked over to the beach there were what seemed like fifty people hanging out, watching the waves. Nowhere to run to, nowhere to hide. I went back to camp and scouted around. In the first likely spot I began to dig I promptly encountered fresh poo. Ugh. Same at the second spot. I don’t remember where I ended up, but by the time the ordeal was over I was totally grossed out. I came away from the trip A. never wanting to go there again and B. recognizing that the Lost Coast has been officially found. It sucks because I remember backpacking that coastline in the 70’s and not meeting a single soul.

Thinking about that experience I understood the need to protect wild places. Times change. Till now it’s never occurred to me that I can’t just dig a hole, drop my pants, and poo when I’m out in the wilderness. But there it is. What to do? Emails went back and forth, and when I understood that while pooping on land is a no-no, pooping in the ocean is ok, I started to see light. With that, here are a few methods for disposing of poop in the wilderness, from the most basic to the most high tech.

As it turned out, some of our campsites were small pocket beaches where proper poop disposal was critical — As it turned out, some of our campsites on Isla Carmen were small pocket beaches where proper poop disposal was critical

The Swim and Poo Method Once we were on the island I started implementing a variety of waste management methods. First I tried swimming out a good way from the beach and pooping in the water. Easy peasy and the water acts as a natural bidet. By the time I swam back to the beach I was all clean. The only problem was the surge pushed the bits around and it was initially bit of a challenge to avoid them. If you try this method I recommend swimming further out to sea after elimination and giving your dispersing poop a wide berth as you swim back in.

The Poop and Scoop Method The next method I tried was pooping on land and scooping it up with a plastic bag. You put the bag over your hand, pick up the poo, turn the bag inside out, and knot the bag, just like you’d do for your dog. Each morning when we put in for our next destination I’d place the bag in the small hatch in front of me. When an opportune moment arose, I’d pull the bag out, dump the poop in the ocean, rinse the bag, and put it back in the hatch. This method worked pretty well but it wasn’t always opportune, and sometimes I had to wait till we made camp for the night and then take a special poop drop paddle.

The problem with the In-Water Method is that the tight quarters in the pocket beaches mean the poop can come right back to the beach, so dropping the load out to sea or along a series of cliffs is a better option — The problem with the Swim and Poo Method is that the tight quarters at pocket beaches mean you have to swim out a fair ways or the poop can come right back to the beach.

The Poop Flinging Method This became my favorite method of poop disposal, but I had to do it a little differently than the Captain described above. This method works great if you have leisure to take a stroll before go time, but the first time I tried this method it didn’t go as planned. When nature calls me, it’s urgent. It comes on quickly and demands instant action. So I pooped in the sand behind my tent and then found a flat rock and used my U-Dig It shovel to cover the poop with sand and then scoop it onto the rock. Then I picked up the rock and began trekking to the top of the bluff. It was a good 20 minutes up the rough, rocky slope while evading thorny shrubs and saguaro-like cardons. Along the way I got into this weird mindset that I was like some kind of Mayan priestess carrying a scatalogical offering to the gods. It was sublime yet ridiculous. Here I was, with both hands holding my excrement on a large, heavy rock like a platter carrying it up and up into the sky…

The U-Dig It tool. The sheath got lost but it's still a great addition to any camping trip! — The U-Dig It tool. The sheath got lost but it’s still a great addition to any camping trip!

When I finally reached the bluff top, I found I couldn’t just fling. The act seemed to require more gravitas. The point at the end of the bluff beckoned, and tired as I was, I hiked on for another couple hundred yards till I got to land’s end. Standing there I said a silent prayer for the benefit of our expedition and then flung as hard as I could. The rock sailed into space and plummeted out of sight. Three…two…one…foom! I heard the rock hit the water with a healthy splash. It was strangely satisfying. I walked back to camp feeling lighter both physically and spiritually, and highly entertained.

“Kevin” This method is a share from TRs Cate Hawthorne and Jeff Laxier. It’s also used by the Boy Scouts, but I bet they don’t give their PVC pipes names. “Kevin” is a section of PVC capped at both ends. Cate and her lovely husband Jeff carry it with them on wilderness trips. They use it to pack their poop out, and dump it at an RV station when they return to civilization. For more info on Kevin, here is a link to Cate and Jeff’s video on How To Pack Out Poo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2PODtBeCfQ&feature=youtu.be

Kevin the Poop Tube — Jeff and “Kevin” the home made Poop Tube

TR Jeff Laxier: Here [is] Kevin II the poop tube. This was checked during permit process with BLM prior to getting on the Rogue, and fulfills BLM standards, and guidelines. I will modify again with a 4” main pipe. This makes it less messy for dropping and cleaning. The use of doggy bags (corn starch) is no longer best practice. Burrito Wrap poop in sturdy napkin(s) and drop into Kevin.

The Wag Bag Some of us used Wag Bags on Isla Carmen. Wag Bags are high tech bags to pack your poo. Each bag is puncture-resistant and contains a hand sanitizer packet, NASA-developed solidifying agent, “poo powder” to de-stink your poop, and some TP. Rather than repeat what others have done so well, here’s a link to a great article on Wag Bags, where to use them, how to use them, and why to use them. Check it out at https://thedyrt.com/magazine/gear/wag-bag-camping-waste/ You can get Wag Bags from a variety of sources in a variety of prices. Just google “wag bag”.

All kidding aside, this is a serious issue. Human waste is everywhere, and I don’t mean litter. Think about Mt. Everest. Pristine, sacred Qomolangma, the Holy Mother, now polluted with tons of human excrement. Humans leave an estimated 26,500 pounds of feces on the mountain each season. Leave No Trace ethics regarding human waste are as follows:

Minimize social and esthetic impact
Minimize water contamination
Minimize the spread of disease
Minimize decomposition

This last is important because it’s estimated that human poo can take up to a year to decompose, especially in desert and high alpine environments. Coprolites, or fossilized fecal matter, stick around for a Very Long Time. Dried human excrement from Oregon’s Paisley Caves has been dated to 14,300 years old. And with the coronavirus ravaging the globe, disease should be on everyone’s mind. Our water sources are already contaminated by giardia. I remember the days when hikers could drink water in the wild without having to think about it. No one does that now without taking a risk of infection. We don’t need to exacerbate the problem. Lastly, if all other reasons don’t move you, consider this. You get to a seemingly pristine place, set up camp, and look around for a potential latrine site. You find the perfect spot, dig down a few inches, and encounter a big fresh turd. This happened to me on the Lost Coast. I’ll never see wilderness the same.

What are your methods for pooping in the wilderness? Let us know by clicking below!

Playing in Tide Rips With A Sea Kayak

by John Lull

Editor’s note: It’s great to have another article by our talented Tsunami Ranger John Lull. Welcome back, John! Thanks for the informative post and for the awesome photos, taken from the Golden Gate bridge by your lovely wife June Legler. Thanks, June!

When he's not out kayaking, John plays with the South City Blues Band or jams at the Old Princeton Landing — When he’s not out kayaking, John plays with the South City Blues Band or jams at the Old Princeton Landing

It’s an exciting experience to sit in the eddy just outside the massive concrete base at the south tower of the Golden Gate Bridge during a six-knot ebb. The current rushes by on both sides and a dull roar testifies to the powerful tide rips nearby. The eddy is a boiling cauldron full of small whirlpools and conflicting currents. Whenever I’m in this eddy, I glance up at the bridge looming overhead and wonder what the tourists think of these “maniacs” in tiny kayaks below. But all stray thoughts disappear upon peeling out into the main current in search of waves to surf.

After turning to face the current, I’m poised on the crest of an oversteepened swell; a brief battle ensues between the force of the current, trying to pull me out to sea, and gravity, trying to pull me down the wave face. Gravity wins, assisted by a brief flurry of paddling, and my kayak slides down the wave, momentarily defying the drag of the current. Riding these waves, ferry-gliding back and forth across the current, is exhilarating. This is known as “riding the rips” and it ranks as one of the ultimate thrills in sea kayaking. With the appropriate skills and knowledge, it can even be done safely.

Tide rips (not to be confused with “rip tides” which occur in the surf zone) form during periods of strong tidal currents. These currents form in response to the rise and fall of the tide, usually in estuaries and inland waterways which are connected to the open sea. Tide rips range in scale from small ripples and dancing water to huge breaking seas. The rough water results from the release of energy when the current meets obstacles, traps waves, or flows against other forces such as wind or cross currents. Places to watch for tide rips include shoals, areas off points of land, the mouths of constricted channels, and areas of colliding currents (i.e. the down current side of an island). Whenever a strong wind blows against the current, the wind waves are slowed and steepened, creating large, confused seas.

TR John Lull, calm and relaxed in large confused seas

Many sea kayakers regard tide rips as dangerous water to be avoided whenever possible. For the inexperienced or novice paddler, this is certainly true. But for the kayaker who has good bracing skills and experience in rough water (especially surf), tide rips are an excellent place to train and have fun at the same time. Obviously, it is important to start out in relatively mild tide rips at first and work your way up to more extreme conditions as you get used to dealing with currents, eddy lines, whirlpools, and standing waves.

There is an important distinction between playing in tide rips and running them. Running a tide rip is simply a matter of paddling or bracing your way through while being swept downstream. Playing in a tide rip involves paddling in an upstream direction and surfing the waves directly into the current or ferry gliding across the current while holding an upstream angle. A substantial tide rip with fairly steep waves is necessary for surfing. This usually means a current of three knots or more. Playing implies fun, but these maneuvers can also be serious business if you are trying to cross a raging tidal stream and want to avoid getting swept out to sea. The ability to play in tide rips will give you the confidence and skill necessary for paddling safely in areas with strong currents. The following techniques outline how to play in tide rips in a safe, relaxed, and controlled manner.

Using waves to make progress against the current

Preparation

Before venturing out into strong currents, learn as much as possible about the area in which you plan to paddle; find out where the strongest currents and largest tide rips are likely to be and the location of nearby eddies or escape routes. The really monstrous tide rips are well known to local fisherman and other boaters. Most of my experience with tide rips comes from paddling during spring tides (during new and full moons, when tidal range is greatest) in parts of San Francisco Bay and at the Golden Gate. The amount of water flowing through the Golden Gate is six times the flow of the Mississippi River—about six hundred billion gallons every 24 hours, and ebb tides (outgoing current) can reach up to 6 knots. Local knowledge of the currents where you plan to paddle is very important.

Consult current tables and charts to determine the direction, strength, and timing of currents. Treat these figures as estimates; times predicted in current tables can be off by as much as an hour and current strength is affected by runoff and wind. Nautical charts show the location of major tide rips, but rarely indicate anything close to shore that won’t affect larger vessels. The chart can be used to predict possible tide rip locations by looking for the features mentioned above (shoals, etc.) Keep in mind that the strongest currents generally occur in deeper water and constricted channels. The current is much weaker in shallow water close to shore.

Eddies (areas where the current reverses direction) occur in embayments close to shore and on the down current side of obstructions such as points of land, rocks, small islands, and bridge abutments. It is extremely important to locate eddies, because they can be used as resting places or as a means to travel opposite to the main current direction. It is often possible to use an eddy to move back to the upper end of a tide rip.

Basic Skills

The first step is to work on some of the basic skills needed. Surfing skills are essential; you need to be able to surf and handle breaking waves. Try to get some practice in the surf zone before attempting to play in large tide rips. If surf is unavailable, then practice surfing boat wakes and wind waves. Learn to control the boat while surfing by using boat lean and stern rudder strokes. Practice bracing strokes, using a combination hip snap and slap brace. Also practice bracing sideways into breaking waves. Make sure your rescue skills are reliable; you might need them. An Eskimo roll would be very handy, especially if you intend to progress to big tide rips. Finally, many of the skills used in river kayaking (crossing eddy lines, downstream lean, etc.) are applicable to paddling tide rips.

Once you have located a tide rip that looks manageable for your skill level, try to gain some perspective on its dimensions (from shore, if possible). Determine how far the area of rough water extends and how wide the tide rip is; does rough water fill the entire channel? Keep in mind that conditions will change as the current strengthens or diminishes. Make sure the current won’t carry you someplace you wouldn’t want to be. Locate a convenient eddy or area of slack water nearby where you can rest without being swept down current.

Boat Lean

Maintaining the proper boat lean is important whenever you get broadside to the current or cross eddy lines (see below). When broadside to the current, keep the hull on a planing angle by leaning the kayak slightly down current. Lean the boat, not your body. Do this by tilting the boat with your knees and thighs, keeping your upper body over the boat. This can be practiced in flat water; practice tilting the boat sideways (by pushing up with one knee) and hold it in position without a using a paddle brace. It is also important to lean the boat into breaking waves. Because the current carries you into the waves, you will also be leaning down current.

Crossing Eddy Lines

An eddy forms where the current reverses direction, usually on the down current side of an obstruction. The shear zone between the reverse current (in the eddy) and the main current is known as an eddy line. Eddy lines can be sharp (narrow) and fairly obvious or broad zones that are not so obvious. They are sometimes marked by floating debris. Wherever you suspect an eddy, note where the current changes direction to determine the location of the eddyline. This is important because when you cross the eddyline, you must make an adjustment in boat lean in order to prevent capsize. The basic rule to remember is this: When traveling with the main current and turning into an eddy, lean into your turn as you cross the eddyline. The opposing current will grab your bow and swing it around into the eddy. By leaning into this turn, you will be presenting the hull at a planing angle to the opposing current in the eddy. When the currents get confusing, just remember to lean the boat in the direction the bow gets pushed.

With a well-marked eddy and sharp eddy line, the best way to make an eddy turn is the same as on a river. With the bow pointed downstream at about a 45 degree angle to the eddy, power across the eddy line, using a sweep stroke to initiate your turn into the eddy. As you cross the eddy line, lean into the turn while planting a high brace in the eddy on your turning side. You can also ferry (see below) into an eddy if the eddy line is not too extreme. To exit the eddy, reverse the procedure: Facing into the main current, power out of the eddy at about 45 degrees to the eddy line. As the current grabs your bow, lean into the turn on a high brace, pivoting around into the current. If you wish to exit the eddy into ferrying position, use a smaller angle into the current and paddle hard. As the current grabs your bow, use a sweep stroke on the down current side. This prevents your bow from being pushed down current.

Punch the eddy line at a 45 - 60 degree angle — Punch the eddy line at a 45 – 60 degree angle

Ferrying

Ferrying is a technique used for crossing currents. By paddling upstream at an angle to the current, it is possible to move directly across without getting swept downstream. Practice ferrying back and forth across the current. The faster the current, the more you will have to angle upstream into the current. Watch the shoreline or use a range (line up two stationary points) to determine your direction of movement.

In strong tide rips with waves, the only way to ferry without losing ground is to surf the waves while ferrying across. This is known as ferry gliding and is a very efficient (and fun) way to cross a tide rip. The trick is to set a ferry angle, paddle hard, and surf across the upstream wave faces. Adjust the ferry angle so that you continue to move across the current while surfing.

Use a ferry angle whenever you want to move laterally in a tide rip. When tired or if conditions get too difficult, don’t panic; just ferry over to the eddy or slack water which you located ahead of time. If you have trouble holding a ferry angle and find yourself fighting the current going nowhere, point more toward shore, paddle hard, and accept some down current drift. This way you will at least make progress toward shore.

Surfing

Tide rips tend to “trap” waves. As wind waves, ocean swell, or boat wakes flow against the current, they are steepened (sometimes to the point of breaking) and slowed. Where the current flows over obstructions, standing waves can form. The steep upstream faces of these waves can be surfed. To catch the waves, paddle in an up current direction and ferry over to the waves. As your stern is lifted, lean forward and paddle hard. Once on the wave face, use stern rudder strokes to steer. If your bow digs in, lean back. When you lose the wave, be ready to catch the next one. Ferry back and forth until you find the best waves. If you get swept too far down current or out of the rip, ferry over out of the main current or into an eddy (if one is present) and paddle back to where you started.

One trick to catching waves in tide rips with choppy, confused seas, is to watch for wave troughs under your bow as you paddle up current. When a trough appears under your bow, lean forward and paddle into it. While surfing, steer and paddle into consecutive wave troughs to keep the ride going.

Surfing can be used as means of resting or holding position in a tide rip. To “rest” while facing against the current, save energy by easing up on your paddling while on the wave faces and otherwise paddling just hard enough to maintain position. If the waves are not standing still, but are moving up current (this is often the case), progress can be made against the current by surfing each wave as long as possible. When you lose the wave, keep paddling and catch the next one.

Surfing upstream on steepened ocean swell

Rolls and Rescues

In strong current, it is easier to roll up on the down current side. If you try to roll on the up current side, you are forcing the boat up against the current. But it is too disorienting when upside down under water to know which way the current is flowing. One way to handle the situation is to try to roll on your “strong” side first, then switch sides if the roll fails. Another option is to wait a few seconds until boat speed matches current speed, then roll up.

Everyone paddling in tide rips should be well-versed in deep water rescues. If someone capsizes and bails out you will be faced with a rough water rescue. This should not be a major problem if you have practiced rescues under varying conditions. In some cases it might be prudent to wash through into calmer water before doing the rescue, if that option exists. It is very important to hang onto your boat for dear life if you end up swimming in current on a windy day. If you let go, the boat will go with the wind and you will go with the current and “never the twain shall meet.” It is probably a good idea to set up a buddy system in case a rescue is needed. But you should also have the ability to do a self-rescue if necessary (re-enter & roll, paddle float rescue, or with a sit-on-top kayak, remount).

Summary

Paddling in tide rips is a great way to improve your kayaking skills and learn to handle strong currents. It’s also a lot of fun! But be sure to prepare yourself with the appropriate basic skills and knowledge. Start out training in small tide rips before trying the stronger ones. Don’t tackle “hellhole rapids” at maximum ebb during the full moon the first time out. With practice, you can play safely in moderately strong tide rips and learn to use the current and waves rather than fight them.

We hope you’ve enjoyed this informative article by TR John Lull. For questions and comments, please click below. Thanks!

Nature is Your Guide by Harold Gatty – A Review

Editor’s note: Harold Gatty was born in Campbelltown, Tasmania in 1903. He went to school at the Royal Australian Naval College, and became one of the world’s great navigators. In 1931 he was placed in charge of Air Navigation Research and Training for the United States Army Air Corps. During World War II he served in the Royal Australian Air Force and his survival manual The Raft Book was standard equipment on U.S. Army Air Force life rafts and saved hundreds of lives. Subtitled How to Find Your Way on Land and Sea and originally published in 1958, Nature is Your Guide is a comprehensive expansion of the information in that manual, covering pathfinding in the wilderness, the desert, and in snow-covered areas as well as marine environments. Through years of research all over the world, Harold Gatty collected and tested the pathfinding techniques in this book.

“Even in these days of highly advanced technical aids, situations can arise when it is vital for us to be able to find our way by observing the signs of nature.” – Lieutenant General J. H. Doolittle, Nature is Your Guide, Forward, p.8.

When Gatty wrote this book he had 35 years of experience as an air and marine navigator. He even had his own Navigation School in Los Angeles for many years. He emphasized the importance of what he called “natural navigation” to show students they needed to use their eyes as well as their instruments. More, he showed how natural navigators, like people from ancient cultures, can use all 5 senses and even their inherent sense of time passing to find their way.

Moss doesn't always grow on the north side of trees, but observing what side it does grow on can help you find your wayAC — Moss doesn’t always grow on the north side of trees, but observing what side it does grow on can help you find your way

This is a great book, unusual, practical, and fascinating. One of the stories I find most powerful is that of Enos Mills, a mountain guide, who became snow blind and lost in the Rocky Mountains yet was able to find his way to safety by using nature as his guide. Enos was able to find the blaze marks he had made on the trees on his forward journey by feeling the tree bark with his fingers, as well as feeling where the moss grew on the trunks. Before he lost his sight he also had observed which type of tree grew on which side of the canyons in that area, and thus he was able to use trees as compass points in three different ways. He even used a form of echo location. Stories like this show how much information there is in nature. If we have eyes to see or even just ears to hear and hands to feel we need never be lost.

But Nature is Your Guide is more than stories. The book contains Sun Tables for telling directions by using the sun at all times of year and in most latitudes. There are also tables showing how to find indications of land by observing sea birds, and plates of the different birds encountered at sea. There’s an emphasis on staying relaxed and not being in a hurry. Needless to say, it’s hard to observe your environment whether walking, driving, or kayaking when you’re speeding along. “Everything becomes more meaningful to him who watches and listens without too much thought to the value of his time,” says Gatty (p. 17).

Nature is Your Guide shows how we can find our way in the natural world even in roadless areas by observing birds, animals, weather, plants, sand and snow, as well as sun, moon, and stars. The book is a natural for kayakers and anyone who spends time in the wilderness. Technology is great but it’s fragile and can be unreliable. Gatty uses years of travel, study, and observation as well as the methods used by early explorers and ancient cultures to give the reader invaluable information on how to use nature to guide us home.

Nature is Your Guide contains lots of practical advice anyone can use, for example, looking behind you on the outward journey to note landmarks along the way so the way can be followed in reverse. This is huge for hikers and kayakers. Last summer I had an experience on Mt. McLoughlin, a local volcano. Mt. McLoughlin tops out at 9,495 feet. My friends had gone on ahead because the altitude was causing my knees to ache and my lungs to catch fire. About half an hour from the summit the going gets really rough. The sketchy trail disappears and you only have two options: one which goes straight up the lava and one which goes straight up the ash. I sat down to rest. As soon as I did I felt fine. After thinking about it I decided I’d had enough and started back down. I’d been told how easy it was to lose the trail on the way back. There are “trails” all over the mountainside but all you have to do is follow the ridge down to get back safely. Still, after about 20 minutes I looked up and realized I couldn’t see the lakes that should have been off my left shoulder down below. Sure enough, I had got off the main trail and was wandering down into the big coulis which was most definitely not the place to go. I cut straight back to my left, traversing the steep slope and regaining the narrow ridge which was the correct path. I have a lot of experience hiking in the wilderness but because I didn’t look up and take my bearings often enough I got off track.

Mt. McLoughlin. August and September are the best months to hike when the snow has melted

Another great thing about Nature is Your Guide is that there’s a whole chapter on how early people found their way through the world. Of special interest to sea kayakers is the wealth of information on the Polynesians. For example the Polynesians had no word for distance. They thought of travel in terms of canoe days, canoe hours, even canoe minutes. Gatty also talks about the innate time sense common to most animals: birds, fish, ants, bees, even sea anemones, and how even though it has become dulled in modern humans as a result of our reliance on time pieces, with practice we can develop this time sense so valuable to early people. Eric and I used to play a game where we’d bet on who could guess the time more correctly. That little game honed our ability to judge time based on the position of the sun, the light, and our innate sense of time passed.

Also of interest are the wave and swell charts developed by the Micronesians of the Caroline and Marshall Islands. Other Polynesian navigators developed incredibly accurate mental charts that encompassed islands over 2,500 miles apart. The North Pacific Eskimos were able to create relief maps with sticks, sand and stones long before Europeans arrived in their lands. Memory of course plays a huge role in ancient peoples’ ability to navigate. I have read that the first Europeans to encounter island peoples couldn’t believe they could recite their ancestors going back multiple generations but in fact, geneaology was just one of the uses of memorization in these cultures. Practicing natural navigation can help us improve our minds as well as find our way.

Gatty offers the reader great examples of ways in which early people were able to avoid getting lost. Simple, logical, and obvious once you read about them, these techniques don’t occur to modern people because of our reliance on technology. All are based on highly developed powers of observation. Again and again while reading this book I was reminded of my own experiences on land and water. For example, the reliance on observation reminds me of the time I was paddling with Eric during one of his classes at Sniveler’s Row. Suddenly, as it is wont to do, the fog rolled in. We weren’t far out but we couldn’t see the coastline, so Eric chose to use the opportunity to teach natural navigation. First we paddled north back the way we’d come. We could tell north by the swell pattern and the sound of waves on the beach. Then Eric asked one of the students to figure out where we should start paddling in to shore at the Marine Reserve. The student underestimated the time we had to paddle north, possibly because you have to paddle past the take out and then turn back in through a break in the rocks to land safely. Because I’d been out there quite a few times and could tell by the sound of the waves, the lifting of the swell, and the white foam traces on the backs of the swells I knew we needed to go farther north and then turn in. Luckily the student figured it out before he wiped out on the rocks and we all managed to get back to the beach without incident.

Eric at Sniveler's Row — Eric at Sniveler’s Row

Another interesting thing about Nature is Your Guide is that the book answers some curious questions like why do lost people walk in circles? I know this is true but now I know why and what to do about it. Gatty also tells the reader how to read clouds and make use of their reflective qualities, and how to use wind to keep a straight line. There are also some fun experiments to help determine your dominant eye (this is related to why we walk in circles when lost). Gatty also talks about how to steer or sight on companions, whether human or canine as in the case of dog sleds. This too is related to deviation and keeping a straight line.

Also of special interest to kayakers are the chapters on finding your direction from waves and swells, the color of the sea, and the habits of sea birds. Gatty includes practical techniques like that used by the natives of British Columbia on fishing trips: dropping cedar chips from the boat to mark the route in fog. Another point of interest to kayakers is this: “Winds may suddenly change but the direction of the swells will not” (p. 162) because the momentum caused by prevailing winds is so strong that changes in weather will not affect them. Even when the wave action as influenced by weather acts in a different direction to that of the swell, Gatty says, “we can begin to detect the peculiar effect of wave motion working at an angle to the long fundamental chronic swell” (p. 162). He also talks about the usefulness of distance echo sounding because sound carries a long way over water. If you’re close to a high rocky coast in fog or at night you can judge offshore distance by firing a pistol, shouting, or blowing a whistle. The time between the initial sound and the echo is about 360 feet per second from the reflecting coastline. One last tidbit: Fiji Islanders can identify the sound of a shark swimming some distance away. Nice.

Great white - photo by Rob Cala — Shark! – photo by Rob Cala

Other things included in this book: an interesting bibliography, photos of wind swept trees, snow, and sand dunes to indicate the direction of prevailing winds, the migratory bird routes of the Pacific Ocean, and lots of cool drawings to illustrate the text. The Sun Tables mentioned above cover all times of the year from Latitude 60 degrees north of the equator to Latitude 50 degrees south. They are accurate to within 5 degrees and were developed by Gatty himself as being superior to azimuth tables used by navigators and surveyors in that Gatty’s tables are less bulky and complicated and much easier to use for the non-professional. Gatty includes a practical example to show how to use his tables. The star charts are of particular interest as well.

I highly recommend this book, especially if you are an expedition kayaker. However, even if you’re not a kayaker at all this book will help you find your bearings anywhere in almost all conditions, and the discussion of ancient human travelers and how they found their way with only their senses is worth the read alone.

“After all, the art of natural navigation often consists in receiving pieces of information from a number of sources, each of which by itself may well be unreliable, but the sum of which when taken together becomes a certain guide” (pp. 175 – 176).

Read this book! To buy, click on the link: https://www.alibris.com/Nature-Is-Your-Guide-Harold-Gatty/book/8429349

Questions and comments welcome! Please click below!

The Log of the Sea of Cortez – Tsunami Ranger Retreat November 2019

Glory days - photo by Steven King — Glory days – photo by Steven King

Surf Sirens Shred 2019! The Sirens’ Annual Gathering in Pics and Prose

What a great weekend! Three days on the water with a great group of badass women. I love this event for many reasons. One, it takes place on one of the most beautiful beaches I’ve seen, Hobuck Beach on the Makah Reservation at the tip of the northwest corner of Washington State. Two, it attracts quality both with regard to instructors and students. And three, I learn stuff and it’s hella fun!

Everyone contributes, everyone shares, and everyone approaches the weekend with enthusiasm and joy. It rains, who cares? It’s a red tide, who cares? (Well, we care but there’s nothing we can do about it so onward and upward.) We get nervous and scared, who cares? We have too much food, who cares? A lot of gung ho women and no ego.

Day One: I arrived too late to go rock gardening but was able to catch the group that paddled to Pt. Anderson and landed on Shi Shi Beach returning through the surf. Took off my pants, tucked the shirt up into the bra, waded out into the waves in my underwear and got some pics. Yep. It was fun to welcome the grrls after their 10 mile paddle. Instructor and Tsunami Ranger Captain Deb Volturno took a smaller group of late comers to Waadah Island outside of Neah Bay. Both groups saw a lot of action.

That evening we gathered for dinner at Linda’s in Neah Bay. A few people ordered the bomb wood-fired pizza but most of us chose the featured coho salmon. Yum. We welcomed old friends and met new ones and made plans for the next day. I slept like a stone in the back of the truck listening to the not so soft sound of waves anticipating a brave day.

Day Two: Weatherwise, Saturday was better than I had expected. The rain held off most of the day, with light showers from time to time and patches of sun. The air and water were warm which was nice, although the miso-colored water was a bit weird. The waves were two to three feet with an occasional four footer rolling in, and pretty nicely spaced. No wind to speak of, although it picked up in the afternoon as the storm approached.

Leading the Blessing — Embracing the Sea – photo by Deb Volturno

As always we started the day in a group for the traditional Blessing of the Sea. Why do we bless the sea? As instructor Alison Reinbold said, “So it doesn’t kill us”. Right!

Then we run. And swim... — Then we run. And swim… – photo by Deb Volturno

The sea is sentient and we play with it at our peril. It doesn’t really care about us but it does appreciate recognition. Traditional cultures know this and from the deeps of time have always offered a blessing before setting out on the waves. It’s called Respect.

Tami executes a move during the Blessing – photo by Deb Volturno

We divided into three groups: beginners at the north end, intermediates in the middle, and short boats on the south. The night before we had all been asked what we wanted to work on as far as skills, and the instructors divided us accordingly. I was in the intermediate group, and the first thing on the agenda was to talk about conditions, hazards, and the Plan for the day.

It was awesome! Before lunch I spent most of the time in the water taking photos. I love being up to my neck in surf, doing my best to keep my feet while trying to get shots of people surfing. It’s a lot of work and next day my thighs were sore from bouncing up and down and bracing into the breaks but I’m getting better at timing and got some pretty good photos.

Then I went surfing. Fantastic! Waves big enough to give you some oomph but not enough to scare or crush you. I wiped out once or twice in my eagerness to catch a wave, any wave, but overall I was pleased with my performance.

There were plenty of wipe outs but that just shows we were all pushing ourselves and trying new things. As one instructor said, “Do something different!” We all know that if we keep doing the same thing we’ll keep getting the same result. If we want to improve we have to try new stuff.

Wipeout! Esther nimbly avoids the hazard.. — Wipe out! Esther nimbly avoids the hazard..

That’s what happened with me. I was doing great on the waves but at the tail end of the ride I kept wiping out, flipping into the wave as I slid up the beach. After talking to instructors Melinda and Esther and student Jo Ann I figured out I had a timing issue.

Laine demonstrates the broach. My problem was I was hanging on all the way up the beach. Right about here is where I should have been turning. — Laine demonstrates the broach. My problem was hanging on all the way up the beach. Right about here is where I should have been turning.

I was riding the wave too long as well as bracing too long. When I let go of the ride (before getting into like two inches of water) I could turn out a lot easier. That meant letting go of the brace as well. If I did end up bracing I could ride it a bit, then take the paddle out of the water and turn before I hit sand. Duh!

I surfed for a while after lunch and then went into the soup and practiced that last part, setting up broadside, bracing, taking the paddle out, and turning back into the waves. It was so easy I laughed out loud. From then on I did pretty well and finished the day with a long smooth ride into the beach. Yay! This was actually an important lesson, to break the ride down into sections and work on just one part. And take the paddle out… Sometimes the littlest things make the biggest difference.

One of the coolest things about this day was how much better everyone got after lunch. Before we took a break, we debriefed. The students talked about their experience and the instructors offered feedback. Everyone had insights and said something useful. We had been doing pretty well to begin with, but the second half of the day was impressive. Students were catching waves and really shredding. Everyone noticed the improvement.

We ended the day with the Extraordinary Potluck that has become a joyful tradition of this event. So. Much. Good. Food. It was suggested that we do two potlucks next year, Friday and Saturday. We certainly had enough eats. Linda’s is great, but we have to drive into Neah Bay and such a large group is a bit of a challenge for such a small venue.

After the feast came one of my favorite parts of Surf Sirens. We gathered round and the instructors asked for feedback. Did we get what we wanted out of the day? What more (or less) would we like for future events? What could be done differently? It’s essentially a brainstorming session. We have a group of smart, creative, thoughtful women and everyone had something good to say. We talked about format, philosophy, and skills and came up with ideas for the future. It’s a true collaboration; everyone helps to evolve the event.

Day Three: Most of the women had to leave today, but some diehards remained to do movement warm ups with training knives (yep, we do a little shredding on land as well!) play in the surf with instructors to support, and make a few plans for next year. It was hard to leave the camaraderie but after leading the warm ups, watching some surf play, and chatting a bit I headed out as well. It’s a two-day journey home for me and there’s always next year!

Jameson's got the edge - sweet! — Jameson’s got the edge – sweet! – photo by Deb Volturno

I can’t say enough good things about Surf Sirens. Every year is a bit different and it’s clearly going in a great direction. Surf Sirens will never get stale. Props to instructors Jameson Riser, Alison Reinbold, Melinda Moree, Barbara Gronseth, Esther Ladwig, and Deb Volturno. You guys ROCK! And thanks as well to all the new and returning students. You are a joy to know and to hang with. I am blessed to call these people part of my sea tribe and I am devoutly grateful that life has given me the opportunity to participate in these gatherings.

Our next gathering will be on September 18 – 20, 2020. For more information about Surf Sirens, please contact me, Nancy Soares at bmcsfp@hotmail.com

Questions? Comments? Please add a comment below!