Streams and Mountains                                         

From this 45-day long adventure I have brought back stories of storms with 2 meter waves that caught us on the water, nerpa seals (the only freshwater seal in the world!) on their secluded beaches on the Uskanyi Islands, and then, finally, the most exciting part of my adventure: when we passed the northern terminus of the lake, the my companions (Matt and Hannah Abbots) and I were separated accidentally and lost each other in the Russian wilderness. Being completely alone on the lake shore, with no means of communication, watching storm clouds boil over the mountains, with bear tracks in the sand and no human beings for miles around is not as romantic as it sounds. Finding myself alone, I decided to turn back (I had been paddling in front) and find the Abbots. Instead I paddled my way into a poacher's camp, where a bunch of inmates living on the run in the woods, were very surprised by my sudden, neoprene-clad appearence...