AUGUST 1 to AUGUST 9: RAMBLING AROUND THE KENAI PENINSULA

Day 64, Aug. 1 and Day 65, Aug. 2:  I spent much of these days working around the coach and at a public library working on blog entries and catching up on emails.  The evening of Aug. 2 Gil and I went to check out a couple of fishing areas on the Kenai.  People were catching fish on the river below where he lives.

 

 

The Kenai River gives up another sockeye salmon for the larder!

Day 66, Aug. 3:  Gil Glover and I went fishing on the famous Kenai River today in his powered fishing boat, putting in and taking out at Skilak Lake.  The day was cloudy and cool (some would say on the cold side of cool) with a breeze.  The rain coat I brought for the day was put to good use as a windbreaker.

On the Kenai River

Gil Glover

We fished from the boat, stopping occasionally to fish from shore along sandbars, etc.  I caught and released a pink salmon (aka Humpy), because there is not a season for them this year.

Had to let this Humpy go

Later, I hooked a sockeye (aka Red) that got away, but managed to land the second red I hooked.  Gil also landed a sockeye, so our total for the day was two. 

 

2 reds--our catch for the day

The fishing was definitely slow and the numbers coming through the counting stations were way down.  The sockeye run was really coming to an end; now everyone will get ready for the silver salmon runs which will start in mid-August.  Sure would like to stick around for some more fishing, but it isn’t in the cards for this year.  The wind had come up on Skilak Lake this afternoon, so the ride from the river back across the lake was interesting.  That boat really handled the waves well—as did Gil!  All in all, a fun day on the river!

Wildlife count:  3 bald eagles

 Day 67, Aug. 4:  Gil Glover took me in his drift boat down the Kenai River from Coopers Landing to Skilak Lake.  He said we probably wouldn’t do well fishing but we would see beautiful scenery—and he was right on both counts. 

Drifting down the Kenai River
Oh, what beautiful scenery!

Soon after getting on the river, we heard a loon.  It has been a long time since I have heard their mournful (to me anyway) cry!  We were on the river about 5 ½ or so hours and did not catch any fish.  In fact, small trout would just come up to the “indicator” (we called them bobbers when I grew up in SD), flip at it, and swim away.  We saw salmon in the river but they definitely weren’t interested in hitting our lines.  I believe we only saw two netted all day along our route.  As with yesterday, we fished from the boat and from the shore. 

Time to try our hand at fishing from land

The day was sunny and warm—a grand day for just floating down the river and looking at the awesome scenery as we went by.  We saw a couple of bald eagles and a young grizzly bear that came to the bank after we passed by.  Some people were fishing upstream of it and no one indicated they had seen it.  After a very brief stop at the shore, the bear walked back into the woods.  Numerous Merganser duck families were spotted as we floated by.  Some young ones were obviously barely learning how to navigate on the water while others had become quite comfortable in that environment.  Some were simply sunning themselves on rocks or logs.  I am not sure how many we saw but easily a couple dozen along the way.

Captain Gil

After drifting for 12 river miles/19 km, it was time to take out.  Because of all the drift boats trying to take out at the same time at the same place, it got a little dicey.  But that is another story for another time.  For now, I will say it was part of the adventure and leave it at that.  <G>  No fish to clean tonight.  L

Wildlife count:  2 bald eagles, 1 grizzly bear, a lot of merganser ducks

Day 68, Aug. 5:  I said my good-byes to Gil Glover, his son Allen and wife Colleen, before hooking up to depart for the City of Kenai.  It was a short 28-mile/45 km drive to the Elks Lodge in Kenai.  I am parked next to retirees from California who are also geocachers and we “discovered” each other’s travel bugs on our vehicles.

Yes, there is a travel bug there--but my fellow geocachers should not log it

Weather was beautiful with clear skies and warm temperatures.  Love it!  The days are definitely getting shorter.  We are losing a little more than 5 minutes per day now which means the days will be about an hour shorter just 12 days from now at this location.  Sunset is still after 10:30 p.m.

Day 69, Aug. 6:  I drove to Homer to see the Hosts (David and Donna Rumrill) and Tailenders (Shirlene and Pete) for Winnebago’s 2^nd caravan to Alaska this year.  I enjoyed lunch with them and a short visit before driving back to Kenai via Anchor Point where I found a geocache near the western end of the road system in North America.  I went to this place 10 years ago and has it ever changed!  All built up with a state park, etc.  And they charge a fee if you stay over 30 minutes!  A boat launch and takeout business using tractors is also here.  I took a few pictures and headed on up the road to Kenai.  It was a beautiful day to be out on the west side of the Kenai Peninsula!

The western end of the road system in North America

At the end of the road!

Cook Inlet with Mt. Illiama in the distance

Mt. Redoubt across Cook Inlet

Day 70, Aug. 7:  After doing some errands around the coach, I took a drive to Captain Cook State Recreation Area which is at the end of the road on northwest side of the Kenai Peninsula.  It was a pretty drive although trees blocked the views of Cook Inlet for the most part. 

Black spruce trees in a boggy area
They could be hundreds of years old, although they certainly don't look it!
 

The campground at the park is pretty primitive with a lot of tall vegetation all around the campsites.  It is definitely not a campground I would choose to stay at.  The area is known for agates that are found on the beach and I saw some people out looking for them.  I stopped and found a geocache in the area that had been placed by members of a 4-H club as part of their project to learn about the hobby.  What a wonderful age to introduce them to the avocation!  It is one they can use the rest of their lives.  I belonged to 4-H as a child and it is an organization that I firmly believe can really benefit all children in one way or another.  Continuing back to my camp, I stopped at Nikiski to look at an oil drilling platform undergoing maintenance at the dock area. 

Several boats were in Nikiski Bay, most of which appeared to be support vessels related to the oil and gas drilling that is done in this part of Cook Inlet.  I saw about every company that I have heard of in the oil and gas exploration business represented around the little town of Nikiski.

After doing some shopping, I began some serious cleaning of the coach’s interior.  Just because I am traveling doesn’t mean the “housework” ends!  Ha!  It is raining tonight as I write this—the first of a few days of predicted rain.

Wildlife count:  3 bald eagles

Day 71, Aug. 8:  I did laundry this morning ($2.50/load to wash, $.25/each 7 minutes to dry) after which I treated myself to a fine seafood lunch at a local establishment.  The grilled halibut was topped with king crab, asparagus, and hollandaise sauce—and it was really good.

The place was called Louie’s and I had noticed a lot of local traffic into it while I have been here, so figured I would give it a try.  The restaurant is decorated with trophy fish and animals as well as other animals representative of Alaska.  It is really an interesting place and I would recommend it to anyone traveling this way.  Most of the rest of the day was spent finishing dealing with the laundry and preparing for tomorrow’s travel day.  I have enjoyed my stay in this part of Kenai Peninsula and look forward to returning while on a future trip—whenever that might be.

Day 72, Aug. 9:  It was raining when I got up this morning and it didn’t let up until I was about halfway between the city of Kenai and Seward—a 104 mile/167 km drive.  The trip was routine and I enjoyed seeing the countryside as I broke out of the rain.  Fortunately, the showers did not begin again until I was parked and hooked up at the Seward Waterfront Park.  I have a nice view out the front window (when the clouds part enough so I can see) of the mountains on the east side of Resurrection Bay.  I had a late lunch/early dinner at my favorite place in Seward which is Ray’s.  The food there is still good!  I then took a drive out to Lowell Point which is the end of the road south of town.  I was thinking as I was driving out there that I have gotten to the ends of a lot of roads on this trip including here at Seward, at Haines, at Homer, northeast of Kenai, Barrow and, of course. Anchor Point, which is the western-most terminous of the North American road system.  I may have missed one but, if so, I can’t think of what it would be now.

Salmon were really jumping in the water while I was driving along Resurrection Bay.  I could see 6 to 8 of them at any given time as I look out across the water.  Oh, how I would have liked to have seen that many while fishing on the Kenai last week!

Seward is a small town of about 2800 people situated on the north end of ice-free Resurrection Bay.  It is the only large settlement on the east side of the Kenai Peninsula.  Fishing is an important industry here—a 2011 National Marine Fisheries Service report said Seward is the ninth most lucrative fisheries port in the U.S. based on the monetary value of fish taken from the port.  Tourism is also an important industry and several cruise ships come through on a weekly basis during the summer.  The town is a terminous for the Alaska Railroad which maintains a dock for the cruise ships in addition to controlling a shipping terminal for coal that comes from the Interior.  A small military installation is based here and the USCG has a small ship based out of Seward.  I can’t find the figures as I write this, but Seward’s maritime climate is, as you could predict, wet.  They get a lot of snow each winter and the annual moisture received is considerable.  The forested areas have a definite rain forest feel to them and you see plants such as ferns growing along the trails and roads.

I won’t be writing road updates from here on because the Winnebago caravans have all moved on ahead of me.  If solo travelers reading this blog want additional information on road conditions, please send me an email.  However, I will mention that work recently began on a 22 mile stretch of the Sterling Highway west of Cooper Landing that will continue for three years.  Another lane will be added to this heavily-travelled stretch.