Michelle Eshpeter and friend Lee Paskar just completed the first backcountry stand-up paddleboarding expedition in Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska.
The pair paddled for four days at the end of September around the Beardslee Islands, a popular kayaking destination but one no other paddleboarders had taken on, according to Eshpeter.
聽鈥淭his is the coolest way to paddle around icebergs,鈥� she said last week, speaking to The 麻豆社国产 from her home in Whitehorse. 鈥淵ou just get such a cool perspective when you are standing and are standing beside them, and you can look down and see the underside of the icebergs and things like that.鈥�
Squamish鈥檚 Norm Hann, Eshpeter鈥檚 paddleboarding instructor and mentor, inspired this trip.
Stand-up paddleboarding is the world鈥檚 fastest growing sport, Hann said, and 麻豆社国产is an incredible hub for it.
In April, Eshpeter took a two-day course with Hann and the two hit it off right away.
Eshpeter, a fitness instructor, followed up her initial instructing course with a coastal touring class taught by Hann over the summer.
Hann said Glacier Bay is a great spot for paddleboarders, but not everyone should grab a board and head up.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a very dynamic coastal environment, and my advice is to go with someone who is a qualified wilderness guide and knows what they are doing, or to be very self-sufficient and experienced in dealing with coastal weather and remote ocean travel,鈥� he said.
鈥淕lacier Bay is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and most of the places have protocols and permits that are needed for travel through these areas.鈥�
The ocean can never be taken lightly, Hann added. 鈥淪o many people get into the sport without proper training and as a result, we have already witnessed near-misses, accidents and deaths.鈥�
Eshpeter was originally attracted to paddleboarding because of the peacefulness of the activity.
鈥淭ravelling down the water was such a beautiful way to spend a day,鈥� she said.
She quickly realized how versatile the board and the sport could be.
On her fifth time on the board, she loaded it up with backcountry gear and went paddling down the Yukon River for an overnight trip. After that, heading out on a longer expedition around the Beardslee Islands was a natural next step, she said, adding that kayakers had raved about trips around the glaciers.
Spotting wildlife was a highlight of the expedition, she said. 鈥淵ou could just see how the wildlife thrive there, and it made you feel that you were really, really in nature. It felt so untouched; everywhere you looked there were bears roaming the beaches, seals following you as you paddled, and they were all playing.鈥�
The trip included challenges. On the third day, the two friends were supposed to cross the rough waters of Bear Trap Cove, which is where the Beardslee Islands end and open water begins.
鈥淲e had a four-foot swell and there was a 20-knot wind blowing over it,鈥� Esphpeter recalled. They had to cross to get some fresh water.
Because Paskar was less experienced, they decided Eshpeter would cross on her own.
鈥淭hat ended up adding a little bit of excitement to the adventure, for sure,鈥� Eshpeter said with a hearty laugh.
She had to paddle through extremely rough water for several hours across the cove and back, but she did it.
Paskar was worried because he could see Eshpeter crossing on the choppy water, and humpback whales were surfacing all around her.
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 see one of them 鈥� I had to concentrate to make the crossing 鈥� but for him, he said it was the craziest sight,鈥� Eshpeter said. 鈥淟ittle did I know.鈥�
She said she hopes from hearing about her adventure, others develop a passion for cold-water paddling.
鈥淵es, stand-up paddleboarding can be done in cold-water areas, and it can be a really good backcountry tool as well,鈥� she said.
Eshpeter is already planning her next adventure: a winter combined backcountry skiing and paddleboarding expedition in Haines,聽Alaska.
