Primal Glory

Primal. That's how Tom describes the Channel Islands. I have to agree; his description is dead on. But, that's not surprising. Tom featured the islands in one of the shows in his Adventure Highway series, which aired on the Outdoor Life Network.

These beautiful islands are located just off the coast of California near Ventura. Tom says a lot of locals don't even know the islands are there. But hordes of sea lions barking on pebble beaches, pods of dolphins smoothly rolling through the water like waves and flocks of pelicans and gulls call these exquisite islands home. Mysterious caves dot the sides of cliffs, some accessible by sea, others looming high above. I took out Tom's kayak to explore. My first cave gulped in the sea with its wide mouth, but quickly narrowed into a small tunnel that left me wondering just how far it delved. Drifting into the second cave, I watched blue-green light bouncing and shimmering off the walls like magic stardust. The lapping of my paddle echoed beyond the bend and out of sight. I crept through the caverned halls decorated in sparkling diamonds and rounded the bend to see a burst of bright sunlight illuminating the turquoise sea. Yes, these islands are primal and glorious.

There were other kayakers who led me to a small channel formed by two big boulders jutting up from the ocean; fortresses for the pelicans and gulls. They showed me how to wait and time my strokes so that I could ride a gush of waves through the rocky water.

Tom and I spent the entire day out near those islands. As we picnicked on the boat I watched the brown-green kelp swaying gently just under the surface of the water. Of course, the day wasn't complete without catching a few waves. Well, Tom did anyway. We both suited up, but I simply struggled with learning how to paddle on a board and sit on it without losing my balance. Tom rode the waves, dodging rocks covered in spiky urchins. It was a little dangerous, but Tom was "stoked" after catching some "rad" rides.

By evening we were back in the harbor ready to grab some fresh fish for dinner. That night the sea slowly rocked me to sleep and the gulls cried the lullaby as I lied below deck in the cozy bowel of the boat.