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The
Pirate Queen (a.k.a. Dawn Keller)
  
Pirate Queen Dawn, "The
Queen," has been a professional kayaker and guide for the last few decades. Raised on the edge of the Linville Gorge
Wilderness Area in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Dawn is proud to be
a “Hillbilly Indian.”
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| First female finisher class 2 of the Everglades Challenge - a 300 mile race from Tampa to Key Largo that lasts a week |
Record setting female solo for the first year of the Missouri 340 (340 miles in under 100 hours)
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| International Sea Kayak Expeditioner |
| Outward Bound Instructor |
| Solo and self-sustained she paddled Freeport, Maine, to Deer Island in the Bay of Fundy, Canada in 18 days---and then hitchhiked back from Canadian Border with the aid of the informal Lobsterman Network---“Mainiacs” still refer to the woman with a 19ft kayak and no clean clothes affectionately as the “Southern Salt” |
| Wilderness EMT and North Carolina EMT |
| Survival Instructor for military courses---has been spotted eating lilies and dandelions from yards of neighbors. |
Favorite Quote:
Said by an 80+ year old icon, Verlen Kruger, when asked what his
secret was to setting expedition records, “When you aren’t
paddling, you aren’t moving.”
Favorite Paddling Memory:
I was paddling at sunrise off the coast of Maine. The water was
still, the lobster boats and coast were miles away, the calm silence
of the morning was entrancing. Then the faint sound of snoring
came drifting across my bow. As I looked for the nearest boat
or house, I knew even the loudest bedmate couldn’t be heard
from this far off shore. Suddenly the dreamer awoke off my bow
as the startled harbour seal let out a screech of shock matched
only by my own squeal of surprise.
Pirate
Queen II (a.k.a. Valerie Jones)
 Valerie
made her way to coastal North Carolina from St. Louis, MO (nowhere
near close enough to the ocean for this Pirate Queen).
When off the water, you will often find this Pirate Queen on horseback--herding cattle, jumping fences, driving her two draft horses, and even on horseback in the water.
Experience:
Professional Sea Kayak Guide since 2000
Group Instructor since 1995
American Heart Association First Aid
Favorite Paddling Memory:
Looking back at the “gypsy caravan” we led of 22 people exploring
the Florida Everglades and Ten Thousand Islands. Watching the
pods of people amazing themselves and continually being amazed
by the animals, mangroves, baby islands, and expansive water around
them confirmed that this is truly the way to travel.
Favorite
Quote:
"To be nobody but yourself in a world which is doing its
best, day and night, to make you everybody else, means to fight
and never stop fighting." - e.e.cummings
Winston the Webpug
When Winston is not sleeping or begging for food he is busy updating the webpage. Born up in NewYork he has managed to settle into the slow pace of coastal living.
Experince:
Able to fall asleep anywhere at anytime.
Has a bottomless stomach.
Favorite Paddling Memory:
Once while no one was watching Winston ate a whole package of hotdogs. Yummy!
Current project:
Training Murphy to become a webpug also, so Winston can sleep more.
   Murphy after his 1st day
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