Kayak adventures: Paddlers prepare for the unexpected as firm guides them to remote parts of the world.(Knight Ridder Newspapers)

Byline: Sam Cook

ELY, Minn. _ One moment, Steve Piragis and his paddling partner were sitting calmly in a kayak just off Ellesmere Island in Canada's Northwest Territories. The next, they were lifted 2 feet off the water atop a surfacing walrus.

That experience remains one of the most memorable Piragis has had since he began guiding international kayaking trips in 1994. His firm, Piragis Northwoods Co. in Ely, guides small groups by kayak in some of the most remote waters on the planet.

The walrus incident ended harmlessly enough. A timely bracing of paddles on the water when the walrus submerged allowed Steve and his client, a man named Larry, to steady the kayak. But Piragis noticed he was sitting in a puddle of cold water. The walrus had opened a slit in the fabric-covered craft, and the men had to hastily paddle to shore in the frigid water.

"The walrus sat out there and looked at us for about an hour," Piragis said.

This year, Piragis and his fellow guides will lead kayaking trips to Mongolia, Vietnam, Iceland, Greenland, Greece and Patagonia, in addition to trips on Lake Superior. While other adventure travel companies offer a mix of raft trips, hiking treks, bike trips, safaris and camel ...