[.ca] Spirited Waters: Soloing South Through the Inside Passage (ISBN 0898867444)

Not what I expected:
Perhaps I've read too many stories of epic journeys or "firsts," but Jennifer's trip, while commendable, seemed like "cheating." Taken in chunks over a period of years, with some sections paddled north to south and others south to north, when the going gets rough, the author hitches a ride on a boat - not once, but twice! Too cold or rainy? She pulls out her VISA and sleeps in a B & B! Granted, she does endure much of the discomfort (read: lack of creature comforts) associated with outdoor adventures, but it loses some of its "gee whiz" appeal when there's always a cozy boat or lighthouse not too far away. The descriptions ad nauseum of seaweed, urchins, and lichens turned edible delicacies had me turning the pages looking for real adventure. Her encounters with bears were nothing more than hyped-up fear of what might happen -- same with those nasty drunk men who never even came near. Granted, as a woman kayaker, I give Jennifer great credit for her trip and knowledge, but the claims are a bit grandiose when compared with actuality. Good descriptions of the natural beauty as well as kayaking with whales and otters, but I'll wait for the next book when she does it all in one trip without hitching or sleep-overs under down comforters.

Jennifer-and-the-Sea:
Adventurer, naturalist and narrator, Hahn takes the reader along through the spectacular scenery of a fabled coastline. Often pristine and wild, sometimes developed or abused, always interesting, sometimes scary. This is not another machismo assault of man-against-the-elements, this is Jennifer-and-the-sea. And she knows the sea well. This book is a good read. Inspirational and informative; enjoyable for knowledge gained (filling the plate at the "intertidal table") and emotions evoked ("At 2 A.M. I woke to hear food bags being shredded outside my tent..."). Spirited Waters is a spirited narrative of a modern grand adventure.

I know her!:
My reasons for thinking this book is great isn't just because I persanoly know the athur, but because she's done something that I would oneday love to do!

Exceptional, reminiscent of John Muir & Ann Dillard:
This is the debut passage of a kayak guide whose fecund and original prose is reminiscent of Annie Dillard and John Muir. As if her exceptional natural history writing isn't enough, Jennifer Hahn is also heritably wired--through the accidental deaths of her mother and brother--to the calculated risks of a modern day Odyssey. Her encounters with hairy bears, scarey tiderips, lonely men, huge seas, and a spy-hopping gray whale are gripping and inspirational.

An okay book:
Author gives very nice accounts of historical, cultural and natural features of the inside passage. Also, her notes on edible seaweeds and other ocean life are excellent. Overall I found the book decent but nothing to be enthusiastic about. Her descriptive passages are often marred by jarring analogies, such as when she likens wind gusting on a tent to "pranksters lobbing melons" or when she describes the effect of current on her kayak as "like a dog hair being sucked by a Hoover vacuum". Also, on a number of occasions she oddly dismisses men as bigots for strange reasons such as not offering her a ride on their boat, asking if she needs help, or just appearing grumpy in the pouring rain. The author frequently describes speaking with wildlife and receiving messages in return and it comes across as very corny. Finally, the author kayaked the passage in bits and pieces over a two year period and although I can understand her reasons for this it took something away from the drama of other books in which persons give accounts of traveling the passage as one mammoth trip. I found that these things detracted from the reading experience. I recommend Rick's book called Homelands, about a couple who kayak the passage. It's much better written. Also, Ivan Doig has a great fictional account of a group of 19th century swedes traveling the passage in a cedar canoe entitled "The Searunners". J Raban's book on sailing the passage is worth a look, too.