In a kayak named Yemaya with a cedar wreath lashed to the stern, Jennifer Hahn launched from Ketchikan, Alaska, on a solo voyage home to Bellingham, Washington. The veteran naturalist and kayak guide with fourteen years of wilderness travel under her hull had honed the skills necessary to travel the Inside Passage alone. But this journey of waterways became much more: it became a journey of mind, spirit, and emotion.<BR>Spirited Waters is a story about navigating never-ending dangers, both real and imagined. By sea, Hahn faced tide rips, racehorse currents, and gale-force winds. On land, she encountered yowling wolves, foraging bears, and beer-emboldened fishermen. Yet she pressed on, paddling for seventy days split over two springs and two summers.<BR>Spirited Waters is about the deep connection Hahn made with the wildlife and elemental seascape around her. Spying on an otter family, she tells of their habits and haunts and shares a native Tlingit tale. She explains why "star-fish" is a misnomer, how to catch and eat a giant sea urchin, and what are the traditional uses of the kelp she chops into her chowder.<BR>It is also about the human characters Hahn met along the way - lonely lighthouse keepers, salmon fishers, native elders, small-time loggers, and friendly gunk holers. Paddling among these coastal companions, Hahn discovered that openness and trust were her best co-pilots.