The Lynn Swim

Next Steps

2005-08-16T16:26:00.000-08:00

One of the most asked questions I have received since I completed the swim has been, “What was the hardest part?” The answer to this is becoming more apparent with each passing day.

Now Comes the Hardest Part
Following up the issues, getting out the information, keeping attention on the subject and getting people motivated to act is the next big step. This is the most important time. The swim brought a lot of attention to the Juneau Road. But now as the spotlight is starting to fade we have to keep working.

I urge everyone to write letters to the editors of all Alaskan papers. This is vitally important! The more we can reach out to our neighbors in Fairbanks, Anchorage, Ketchikan, Sitka, etc… the better chance we have of getting our government officials to listen.

The New Alternative
Ironically, on the day I finished my swim, DOT came out with a “new” alternative plan. This plan calls for cutting the road short of Skagway by 18 miles (seems there is some National Park land they can’t bulldoze through).

The Juneau Access Road was supposed to connect Juneau to the outside world. But all this plan does is makes for a farther, more dangerous drive to a ferry terminal. In essence, it connects Juneau to nothing while exposing it’s riders to dangerous driving conditions – let’s get real folks... who is going to feel safe driving this thing in the winter?

Now, the new route does cut the over all cost ($246 million vs. $276 million). So the Federal Government may be happy with that. But maintenance for this road (paid for by Alaska) will actually be more. DOT says this alternative will actually cost 31% MORE than the current ferry. This is “preferred?”

And for those who think this is going to make travel easier, think again. Even the DOT (notorious for bending stats in their favor) has come out and said the new alternative will actually be slower than the current system. Chances are when you drive the 90 miles from downtown Juneau to the new ferry terminal you’ll be stuck in a line behind dozens of RV’s. I wonder how patient people will be as they see ferry after ferry fill up before their eyes as they wait yet another 2 hours for their chance to get their vehicle on board?

At least now, when I go from Haines to Juneau for a doctor’s appointment, I can rely on the current ferry to get me there on schedule. The new alternative would be a first come first serve hit and miss game making it impossible for any pre-planning.

Folks, the road plan went from bad to worse. This new alternative is more expensive to maintain, slower to travel and just as dangerous. Let's keep the momentum going. Improved ferries are the future. Let's be sure to get our message out.

Nothing Left to Fear

2005-07-31T08:56:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow, I start the swim. The planning, training, media and fundraising will all be behind me. I look forward to long swims devoid of emails, phone calls and appointments. Once I enter the water, there will nothing left to do but swim. It’s a challenge I am looking forward to.

Fire
The other day our neighbor’s house burned down. In a matter of minutes the entire home was up in flames – fast, powerful and scary. It was only 30 yards from our home. We were just about to leave our house for a safer place when the fire department showed up.

The next day, one of our friends wondered if someone who was pro-road set the fire and meant to get our house. He had said when the Bald Eagle Preserve (about 15 miles up the road) was being created, that the organizers actually received death threats.

Fortunately, I have only received support for this swim, but his comments made me realize just what a culture of fear we live in.

Fear
When I spoke at the Haines Borough Assembly, I asked if they would consider donating money to the swim or at least authoring a statement of support. The assembly has come out against the road in formal referendums, so I was hoping to get some sort of verbal resolution. In the end, they choose to “recognize” the swim (see “Fear Revisited” below).

In the latest Chilkat Valley News (Haines local paper) an assembly person, when asked about the recognition, said, “I just don’t know how a resolution (of support) would go over with the Murkowski administration when it comes to future funding.”

It was sad to read this. Are we now to the point that if we practice our freedom of speech we can be punished? Do the current leaders hold such power over us as to prevent us from speaking our minds? I don’t blame the borough assembly - chances are their fears our justified… it’s just a travesty to see that such fears exist in what is suppose to be free society.

Water
I once thought that the whales, sharks and sea lions were the biggest fear I had to over come for this swim. But now, as I embark upon this expedition, the water seems a welcoming source of reprieve.

In the water I am stripped of everything. I have no voice, I have no control and I have no choice. The ocean makes my decisions for me and I just react. It’s simpler this way - it relieves me of any need to act. Once with the flow, I let the ocean determine the day.

Earth
But once on land, I know that my actions and words determine who I am. I make the choice to be the person I am. I have a responsibility to my friends, neighbors and most of all myself to act in accordance with my beliefs.
This is the scariest part of all.

Voice
In 10-days, I will come out of the ocean in Juneau and I will speak again. With your help, over the coming days, this voice will become stronger; write editorials to your paper, talk with your neighbors, call your representative. As momentum builds, our voice will be heard.

Count Down Begins

2005-07-29T14:24:00.000-08:00

Just a couple days left until we start. Tomorrow we load the Arcturus (our crew boat) full of food, gear, water and fuel. This will be our home for the next couple weeks. It’s going to be nice to settle in once we start.

The Cleveland Plain Dealer
The Cleveland Plain Dealer (Cleveland is my home town) wrote an nice article on the swim. I was impressed with how well the writer (Donna Iacoboni) was able to capture the environment here as well as the issues surrounding the swim.

The article put me in touch with some old friends – in particular, my first swim coach Dave Abineri. His website (http://www.goeasyware.com) has photo’s of recent LRSC reunions (my old swim team in Lakewood). Very nostalgic to see names and faces of people I grew up with 25 years ago.

Alaska Pork - Unplugged
The energy bill passed through congress yesterday. This means millions of pork money for Alaska road projects. One project is the Ketchikan bridge which is being built to connect Ketchikan (pop. 16k) to its island airport. The $275 million bridge will be as long as the Golden Gate and taller than the Brooklynn Bridge. This replaces the publicly favored ferry that takes only 10 minutes to get to the airport.

So the question is why? Why build a more expensive road to replace an already existing transit system? Can you believe these politicians call themselves representatives of the people? We say improve the ferries and spend wisely. They spend millions on redundant projects that the people don’t want. Wouldn’t you like to know who their lobbyist are?

How can they sleep at night knowing that they sucked millions of dollars away from our soldiers safety, our health care, our social security and our education. Alaska will have some of the best roads (not to mention least traveled and most dangerous) in the country that will lead to the most outdated, dilapidated schools and hospitals in the North America. Yeah, that’s the way to represent the needs of the people… just who are your lobbyist?

Taking a Stand
Funny that the only way to make a dent in the political agenda of a tired-of-hearing administration is by NOT doing what they say (writing letters, speaking at hearings, calling your representatives, etc). When asked what they thought of my swim, Governor Murkowski’s spokeswomen said, “If we had a road, we could drive down and watch him."

Doesn’t that just sum up their attitude. No mention of the issues - the millions of dollars it would cost, the bulldozing of endangered sea lion habitat, the 60 avalanche areas and the public outcry against the road. Nope, just a flip remark ignorant of the sincere concerns of the people. Cute.

I have no choice but to swim.

Haines Brewery Names New Beer

2005-07-21T15:19:00.000-08:00

It's the official beer of The Lynn Swim. Local brewery, Haines Brewing Company, named their latest batch of beer "Roadless Lynn Canal". One dollar of every purchase will be donated to The Lynn Swim.

This is great honor. We can't thank HBC enough for their kindness and support. Be sure to get your growler of Roadless Lynn while your at the South East Alaska Fair.

12 Days - Lots Left

2005-07-21T12:06:00.000-08:00

Well, the anxiety and excitement is settling in. Less than two weeks and I'll be hopping in the water to start the swim. Part of me is really nervous yet, part of me just wants to get started.
There is a lot still left to do - more training, fund raising, media, crew training, event organization... it gets a bit over whelming at times.
I just got back from Juneau. I got to talk on KINY's Capital Chat radio talk show. I wasn't happy with my first few opening statements... it's hard to put all the reason for doing this into a few short paragraphs (hence the website full of info). But once I settled in, I starting to get the message across. At the end of the show, a listener called in and said it was one of the best shows she's heard them do... so it couldn't have been too bad.
The fundraising events went well. We didn't raise as much as we'd hoped (wanted $2000, received about $1200), but as with most things with this swim, it allowed me to deal with some of my own fears. In this case, my social phobia's. It's hard enough going to a potluck dinner when you don't know anybody, but when your the guest of honor too - oh my.

Still Time to Donate
In the end, what we hoped would be a 40 person potluck, turned out to be about 20. But don't you fear - there is still time to donate!
We are about half way to our needs, so please anything you can offer to help support the Lynn Swim and crew would be great. Donate at our support page.

Documentary Crew On Board
Big news - we have a documnetary crew coming on the swim. In fact, filming has already started. Steve Kroschel and his crew will be filming the swim and interviewing people about the cause in hopes of producing a TV documentary. Steve has done films for PBS, National Geographic, Discovery Channel, etc. We are really excited to have his expertise on the crew.

Welcome New Sponsor
Thank you Clif Bar for sending us cases of your product. It is an honor to have you on the team supporting a clean safe environment.

Fear Revisited

2005-07-15T15:49:00.000-08:00

As I swim longer in the ocean, I am getting more comfortable. I am acclimating to the temperature and not as concerned as I have been about marine life.

I have talked with Dena Matkin, an orca expert in Glacier Bay. She said I shouldn’t be too concerned. The resident orcas are fish eaters (I am not a fish). The pups may come over to me out of curiosity but shouldn’t be a threat. The transient population, the mammal eaters (I am a mammal) will most likely stay away because of the expected boat activity around me. When pressed, she finally said,

“If they begin to approach you just get out of the water and watch what they do. Then call me and tell me what happen."

We do have sharks.Hmmm... Dena is contacting people in Juneau who study sharks to see if there are any concerns. Especially for the night swims.

I've had a couple porpoise encounters. A couple times they were so close I could hear them under water (sound just like dolphins – obviously). I poked my head up and Alain, my kayaker said, “They are all around you."
"How close," I asked.
"Within 20 feet.”
To my amazement I didn’t panic. Of course my rational mind knows porpoise won’t hurt me but it doesn’t always prevent the feeling of vulnerability. Anyways, I actually started peering under water to see if I could catch a glimpse of them. This is a bit of a break through for me - only a month ago I didn’t even like having my eyes open under water.

As for the cold temps, I am adjusting well. I went for a 2-hour swim today and as long as I kept moving I felt fine. Unfortunately, I had just washed my moldy (like you needed to know) water bottle and left some soap in it. So my carb drink tasted awful. I came out of the ocean a bit dehydrated, but at least I wasn’t hypothermic.

Oh, another point of interest. I spoke at the last Borough Assembly meeting to ask them to support my swim. I mentioned our monetary needs, but also left open the option for a statement of support. We didn’t get any money from them (which is probably the most politically correct thing to do), but we did get this:

The Haines Borough Assembly recognizes the determination of Steve Vick to bring attention to the potential affects of the proposed eastside Juneau-Skagway Road on the people of the Northern Lynn Canal.

If anything, it is nice to be recognized. I appreciate them taking the time to unanimously come up with a statement.

Hey – Lynn Swim is in the news. Go to Goggle and type, “Steve Vick Lynn Swim” and you’ll get plenty of hits. This swim is making waves! (Links to news article also our home page.)

Crew Practice

2005-07-10T14:27:00.000-08:00

Well, we spent saturday on the water practicing kayak rotation on Jim's boat. The Lutak Cat (Jim's boat) is well suited for the needs of the kayakers. The 29' catamaran has a lift in the front that was designed to drive 4-wheelers off when on shore. This lift is ideal for kayakers to get on and off the boat, as it lowers right into the water. With just a few rotations Alain and Tania (our kayakers) were pretty comfortable with the system.

But, it hasn't been tested on rough water yet. I am learning that my ability to handle rough water can sometimes surpass my kayakers ability to do the same. Thus we will most likely be using a zodiac to pace me when the conditions start to get rough.

We all got a look at the Arcturus. This is Terry's boat. It has room for 8 in the lower area of the boat. It has some large deck space and a large galley area. So I am hoping that Terry will commit to the entire trip. Right now it seems he is about 75% committed.

Between the Arcturus and Lutak Cat, we should be set on meeting the needs of the crew and the safety of the swim.

We had Matt Davis (local photographer) and some high school students (shooting video) along with us. It was nice to have everyone out together - made the upcoming swim all the more real and served as a good motivator.

I reckon everyone was waiting to see me swim. I can see how it would be exciting, but after an hour or so, I figured their enthusiasm would wear off. I swam for almost 2 hours while we were out. When I got out of the water everyone seemed pumped up. I guess the realization that this is really going to happen is starting to sink in. It's only 3 weeks away.

Boy do we need funding. The Lutak Cat burns alot of fuel. Hopefully we'll be able to conserve as much as possible, but it is still going to take some money to make this swim happen. If you'd like to help go to our support page to donate.

Well, lot's to do in the coming weeks. I will keep you posted.

A Juneau Visit

2005-07-04T19:21:00.000-08:00

I spent July 4th in Juneau at the SEACC booth promoting my swim. The booth was in a park at the end of the parade route. There must have been a few thousand people hanging around the park, participating in all the after parade activities.

I eventually went out amongst the crowd with a sign around my neck that said, "I am going to swim from Skagway to Juneau, ask me why." The original plan was to do this while wearing a wetsuit, but it was just to hot. None the less, we generated plenty of attention. The local newspaper and radio station both interviewed me. Plus plenty of people asked questions while we handed out brochures.

This is definitely a multi-facet undertaking. Something I surely couldn't do alone. I am thankful to SEACC and all their volunteers for helping find crew members, sponsors and helping raise awareness. They deserve a lot of credit for making this happen.

Meanwhile, a group of supporters and crew members in Haines, made a float for the Haines parade. I am told that Scott Hamilton made cardboard waves and put them along side his pickup truck while Alian (kayak crew member) wore a cap and goggles in the back and would pop up over the waves and pretend he was swimming. Classic.

Also Blake (Scott's son) road his unicycle around the float handing out "Lynn Swim" brochures. And Tania (my girlfriend) also wore a wetsuit and handed out brochures. All this amongst the occasional chant of "Dive, dive, we won't drive." as my dog sat on the tail gate wearing a life jacket.

That just sounds great. At the end of the parade Alian was heard saying, "My arms are tired."

Yup.

We'll more to come soon. Thank you Junuea and all those back home in Haines. This is certainly a wide ranging community effort.

Facing the Fears

2005-06-29T14:56:00.000-08:00

The past few days have been busy. The Lynn Swim is now in the media (see: Christian Science Monitor and Chilkat Valley News) and I find my time being spent promoting the swim, doing interviews and of course – training. As the date for the swim approaches, now nearly 30 days away, fears are starting to bloom.

The most troubling at times, at least in terms of training, is my fear of the ocean. It’s a large place, to say the least. As I started swimming in open water, I realized I wasn’t trying to see what was below me. I could see about 5 feet below my body, but I really wasn’t looking hard - afraid of what might show up. And beyond that 5 feet is another 1,995 feet of ocean below me. To me that’s just freaky. But, I am getting more comfortable with it.

The other day as I entered Viking Cove, there were several porpoise out there feeding. But instead of being nervous as we neared them, I actually peered deep into the water to see if they were coming to investigate me. They never did come over, but the fact I tried to look for them was a bit of a break through for me.

So, I am slowly getting comfortable with the ocean. Lynne Cox (author of “Swimming to Antarctica”) said the fear shows a healthy respect for ocean. That was reassuring in some ways.

So, another fear that arises at times is one that seems quite naturally, namely - the fear of failure. All athletes go through it, as do many expeditioner’s. But for me, I am not just worried about failing myself; I am also worried about failing all those who support me. There are many people who are excited to see me swim. They support the cause and contact me just to say good luck and thanks. It’s a pressure that I try not to worry about but as support builds and the time to swim draws near, I wonder if the pressure will ease; or at least, if I will get use to it.

The other fear I have is simply based on the fact that I am not one who seeks the spotlight. I am swimming to draw attention to the cause, but I am coming to realize that I am as much the attraction as the swim. And although I know I have the majority behind me, there are many who disagree with what I am doing. And when they disagree, they sometimes are not very quite (or peaceful) about it.

This has challenged me to evaluate my beliefs and in the end only strengthens my resolve to push the issue. I represent a silent majority that is being strong armed by a powerful, vocal and sometimes aggressive minority. The people on the street who wave and give me the thumbs up are supporting me because I am helping stregthen their voice.

Earnest Training

2005-06-19T10:35:00.000-08:00

Well, it’s been a week of training and trying wetsuits. I want to thank Alain and Tania for paddling along with me while I tried on different wetsuits and got use the cold Lynn Canal water. I am sure paddling next to a swimmer is not an ideal pace for a kayaker, but your support and patience is greatly appreciated.

The Training
At this point, I am still doing most of my training in the pool. I get up at 6am, 4 days per week. And go to the pool 5 days in the afternoon. Each workout is around 5,000 yards with increasing intensity as the week goes by.

The Ocean
I have been in the ocean 3 times, trying wetsuits and just getting use to the water. The first time I went was for 20 minutes (see below entry).

Then I went out with Alain for thirty minutes. This was with a new ProMotion triathlon wetsuit. And boy what a difference - the shoulder movement is 10 times better than the surf suit I first used. I also tried to swim without gloves. This was difficult at first. I couldn’t keep my hands in for more than 20 seconds before I had to pull them out of the water and hold them to the sun. But after 10 minutes, I was swimming right along. Turns out, we put-in right by some creek run off from the mountains - the water must have been 38F. Soon as we were 500 feet from the put-in area the water was significantly warmer. No wonder my hands we hurting.

This will be something to keep in mind as I swim to Juneau. There are plenty of places where runoff from the mountains will be flowing into Lynn Canal. So temperature variation will need to be considered at all times.

I also just went for a swim with Tania. I swam for 40 minutes without any problems. I didn’t use gloves again and as I got use to the water I even took of my neoprene socks. It’s nice to be able to feel the water.

The wetsuit is still working good, keeps me warm and allows good movement. Though I am getting a rash on the back of my neck for the collar. I have a rash guard coming soon. I hope it covers the rubbing area. I also have several more wetsuits coming.

Next week I hope to get in the ocean at least 4 times for an hour each time. Eventually, my ocean workouts will replace my pool training. The more I am in the ocean the better.

Suit Test Goes Swimmingly

2005-06-13T11:17:00.000-08:00

The wetsuit test went well. I went to Paradise Cove with my girlfriend and met Burl there, who was ready with his kayak. Nancy from LCC was also there to watch. As I put on the wetsuit (4/3 mil), I went over some basic hand signals that Burl could give me if he needed to talk to me, direct me or stop me.

As it turns out, the water is not nearly as cold as we expected. The cove is rather sheltered and it was a sunny calm day, I reckon the water temp was around 50F. So the suit performed really well. I was nearly hot.

I talked with some fishermen to see what the latest temps in the Lynn Canal were like. I was told that the water is a couple degrees warmer than normal – they put it at around 47-48F. This is good news. It may be possible for me to use a thinner wetsuit! Boy, that would be great.

So, I contacted Brad at NEOsport. They are sending our a couple wetsuits, some gloves, a hood and an insulated cap. I can’t tell you how excited I am to have them helping us out. They’ve been sharing their expertise with us and have really helped us with the technical aspects of this swim. They are sending surf suits so it will remain to see how well I can swim in them. I’ll let you know when they arrive.

I also order a triathlon suit from ProMotion. Their suits were used by Christopher Swain; he swam the Columbia River. So they should be good for swimming, I will have to test it for fit, comfort and warmth once it arrives. There is a lot going in to getting the right suit. But if I am going to swim 100 miles, I want to be in what fits best and works best.

On Tuesday, Burl and I will also be contact HotLine to see if they have any suggestions for this swim. I am told they make some great suits. We plan to talk with their designer. He should be able to recommend what is best for swimming in.

Talk to you again soon.

One Step Closer to a Wetsuit

2005-06-08T16:28:00.000-08:00

We’ve had some exciting prospects with wetsuits. Burl got in touch with representatives from Hotline wetsuits and NEOsport. Both companies were excited about the swim… but most encouraging, they were very supportive of our cause.

We talked with Brad from NEOsport about different suit options. He walked us through many scenarios to try to determine what combination of gear would work best. He had lots of ideas. It sounds like, once we determine the thickness we need, NEOsport will be sending us some gear :)

Hotline was equally as helpful. We have to call them back next week to talk to their designer.

Most likely we will be getting gear from a variety of sources. The conditions and needs aren’t the typical demands for a wetsuit. So, it’s going to be a matter of which combination of gear works best. Everyone we’ve talked to has been very understanding to this… they just want to see a system that works. They want to see the swim work. It's been a very encouraging experience.

Tomorrow we test a 4/3 surf suit. Not for actual swimming, but to test how warm it will keep me in the 40F water. I’ll let you know how it goes.

Early Odd and Ends

2005-06-07T10:02:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I visited with Nancy at Lynn Canal Conservation. It was a quick visit, just going over some of the latest updates. We mostly talked about getting the team organized and whom we thought would be available to help. The positions we need are:

Pilot - to lead us down the channel
Zodiac - for quick access and transportation
Kayakers - to paddle next to me and keep me on course (and offer moral support)
EMT/Physician - to monitor my vitals throughout the swim watching for signs of hypothermia.

We plan to have a meeting with potential crew members on June 23rd at 7pm at the library. Anyone is welcome to come to the meeting, whether you are a potential crew member or just want to give moral support.

In other news, thanks goes to James Alborough, who is letting me use his surfing wetsuit for my training. It's a little snug, but should do until I get a new one.

I sent out a few emails yesterday asking for sponsorship from wetsuit companies. The two I am really impressed with are: ProMotions Power Glide and the Quintana Roo Hydrofull.

I am hoping one of these companies will sponsor us. It certainly would be a great help.

Speaking of wetsuits, Burl Sheldon is doing some fantastic research on the issue. Being a surfer, he is concerned about the "swim-ability" of the suits. Though, from what I am reading about triathlon wetsuits, this shouldn't be too big a problem. Burl has also offered to help be a safety boater during my training. (I don't want to risk freezing up in 42F water without someone paddling along beside me.) So extra thanks to him for the support.

In any case, lot's of training ahead. I must be off now. More later...

A Quote to Get Us Started

2005-06-05T21:45:00.000-08:00

Four steps to achievement: Plan purposefully. Prepare prayerfully. Proceed positively. Pursue persistently.
William A. Ward