Homelands:: Kayaking the Inside Passage

Byron did an excellent job of taking the reader along on his paddle....spiritually, mentally, and physically. He appreciation for the land and it's people was quite evident and gives the reader a new perspective and greater understanding of each. I appreciated Byron's honesty about spirituality and his insights. Very thought provoking!Would suggest having a map of the Inside Passage handy to follow their travels as you read.

I have sailed and paddled the Inside Passage from time to time over the last 24 years. I am an avid reader of true outdoor adventures. I usually judge a book by its ability to hold my interest and ultimately to motivate me to leave the comforts of home and to take a stoll down "the road less traveled." I have been eyeing my kayak and checking my gear since finishing Homelands. When the ski season is over, I'm packing my kayak and heading north. My only regret is that I do not have the luxury of duplicating the entire trip.The author provides an engaging and captivating description of this courageous undertaking in a journal format. This format serves the book and pace of the adventure well. The poetic language used to describe characters, places and events is excellent and conjures memories that parallel my own experiences along the British Columbia coast. The author has done an excellent job of capturing the flow, feeling and character of this region. This is not a Fodor's on kayaking the Inside Passage but rather an adventure of the soul and mind, at water level, along one of the most rustic, beautiful and inhospitable coastlines in America.

Having sailed the Inside Passage a number of times, including the summer of 1996 when I encountered Byron and Maren while aboard "Cecilie" and then reading "Homelands: Kayaking the Inside Passage" this summer past, as I sailed it again, I now see the Passage differently than I did before. Byron's insights opened my eyes wider, while at the same time, made me envious of his and Maren's vision. The book is so beautifully written, it left me inspired to look more closely at my surroundings (not only in the Passage)and think more clearly about who and what has been there before me. Out of hundreds of books read, this ranks in my top ten on any subject and "Homelands" covers many.

Ricks is a fine writer. The journey unfolds a day at a time, and for reasons which become obvious, he does not provide a lot of technical paddling instruction, maps, or 'broken stove" anecdotes. Homelands is an 'inside passage,' a journey of the mind through a landscape with a profound spiritual history. The relics and totems of European and American explorers and enterpreneurs are just as present as those of the First Nations peoples; Ricks sees the trees, the forest, the clear cuts, the log rafts, and the tides and currents as part of a personal and historical journey. It's a literate book and can be enjoyed by those who do not paddle. Readers are invited to go with the flow of the book, its weather days and paddling days, and to reflect on their own purposes in being outdoors, or on personal journeys. It is written with an authentic modesty about the considerable accomplishment of the journey, and has a moving ending, much more about the relationships one makes in one's life than about 'getting somewhere.'

Homelands is a wonderful book. While many adventure writers choose to go the He-man route of disaster, mishap and mayhem, Ricks sees fit to pay attention to the subtler events of this journey with his wife. Make no mistake, there¹s plenty of adventure; the narrative can be enthralling; the challenges of embarking on such an arduous journey in tandem are ever-present. Still, what I like most about this book is its fidelity to the landscape, to the seascape, to the people, to the history of the region. The voice is eloquent and full of verve. The story is tinged by a sense of community that drives home the notion of multiple "homelands" in a region still faced with the consequences of a frontier mentality. I hear echoes of Barry Lopez and another terrific writer of place, Wallace Stegner. This book is thoughtful and wise. I look forward to reading more from Ricks. Highly recommended.