Kenai - Halibut (Big ones, and Eagles everywhere)

6 July - Leaving Anchorage

     We departed Anchorage with some improving conditions and hopes that it will continue to improve for our upcoming halibut fishing trip in Ninilchik. The first part of the trip down to the Kenai was along the Turnagain Arm where we had driven the day before but this time it was a little clearer and more beautiful. We stopped at many turn-outs to admire the views and take some photos.

Turnagain Arm

Culpepper Duo

Beautiful Drive - Turnagain Arm

     Our plan for the day/night was to make it to the Captain Cook State Park up near Niniski which is north of the towns of Soldotna and Kenai....we did make it there but decided not to stay. I had read on another post describing the park and what we found was not as described or expected. The girls would have nothing of staying in that park and Ed and I were not impressed either. After doing a drive by and decided to continue on in search of a place to set up camp for the night. 

     We noticed a beach road on the map that ran along the Cook Inlet coast from Kenai to Kasilof, in the direction of Ninilchik which is where our fishing charter reservations were in a few days time. The beach road was a good (condition) road but did not offer the views or camping opportunities we had hoped....as we arrived in Kasilof we found a state recreation area called Johnson Lake that we decided to stay. It was a boondocking site (no water or electric) but we were prepared.

     We had a pot luck dinner while it rained outside and we decided to play cards for the first time this trip. We played hand and foot, like normal- the guys against the girls. I told them before the game if the girls won it probably wouldn't make the blog - so, you guessed it - Ed and I came back in the last hand to win by only 5 points. That is worthy of the blog, right?

     As we looked at the map we realized that we had driven to within about 20 miles of Ninilchik (closer than we planned or expected to do that day) when we arrived at Johnson Lake. So, with check-out not until noon the next day we rode to Ninilchik the next morning without campers to do a little recon on the camping opportunities there and stop by the charter company office.....I told them we wanted to "interview" our boat captain and the girls wanted to see the bathroom onboard.
    
     While riding around we found the perfect spot directly on the Cook Inlet called Deep Creek Recreation area....it is a first come, first serve campground (no reservations) so we needed to arrive pretty early on the 7th of July.

Our Ninilchik campground - Wonderful Place!

7 July - Deep Creek (Ninilchik)

     We left Johnson Lake and drove to Deep Creek arriving mid morning. As we pulled in (before setting up camp) we noticed Eagles everywhere....one was even sitting on a large rock near the road just posing....really beautiful.

Guarding the Campground

     The campground is directly on the water with magnificent views of snow covered mountains/volcanoes across the bay. The views are constantly changing with the clouds/fog and the mountains peeking in and out constantly. Between the eagles and the scenery views we are taking many more photos here.

Deep Creek campground view (Cook Inlet)

Cook Inlet view

     We went for a long walk on the beach where the deep creek empties into Cook Inlet.....another area with huge tidal changes. We saw many more eagles on the walk, some in or near the water eating fish. It looked like as the tide went out it may catch fish in small pools which makes them easy picking for the eagles.

Eagle having lunch - looked like salmon

He ordered Halibut

Flaps down - coming in hot!

     As we photographed the birds we learned (at least I didn't know) that the juvenile eagles were not born with bald (white) heads.....they are still majestic looking but they look different than the older birds. We also saw a nest near the road and I have gone there several times to photograph the birds on the nest and no one home.....when I ride by without the camera they are there.

Juvenile Eagle in flight

Juvenile Eagle Landing for lunch

     Ed and Kay grilled a great steak for dinner and we enjoyed sitting out with the weather getting nicer (upper 50's with sun). After dinner, since it doesn't get dark, I went out by the water where eagles were soaring overhead and seemingly playing games to try to capture some of that on film.....not much luck with my new telephoto lens but I met another photographer who shared some tips with me that seem to help.

     Since it doesn't get dark (completely) it is difficult to go to bed early and awe are always questioning what time it is. Just before going to bed this night Kathy noticed the sun setting behind the mountains and I went out to try to capture a few photos of that scene...it was 11:30 to 11:45 and it still did not get dark outside.

Cook Inlet Sunset

8 July - Deep Creek (Ninilchik)

     This is the day before our scheduled fishing charter and we decided to go to the company (Reel 'Em In) and watch the arriving fishermen from that day and just get a better idea what to expect for us. Hey, with a name like Reel "Em In, how could you go wrong.

     A nice group of folks were there unloading, weighing, and cleaning their fish so we had a nice chat with them. We even took some photos of ourselves with their fish....just practicing :-)

     After that we decided to take a ride down the coast looking at the beauty of it and ultimately ending up in Homer, Alaska where we had lunch on the spit. We wanted to check it out as that is our next destination, probably one overnight there and hopefully with full hook-ups.

     Getting back early and having an early dinner are important because we need to be at the fishing charter company by 5:45 A.M. the next day. An early night was necessary. We grilled out, readied our gear for the fishing trip and all went to bed early.

9 July - Reel 'Em In

     Arrived at the charter fishing office at 5:30 ready to go. Met our captain "Eric" and loaded up the gear. We expected to be on a boat with two others but turns out it was just the four of us.....nice!
Some notes about the fishing operation:

• Boats are all aluminum V-Hull boats with twin outboards. Ours was 28 feet but many were larger
• Boats are towed to the launch area where passengers board the boats via step ladder (still on the trailer) and a large tractor is used to push the boats down to the water (and retrieve them). Not sure if this is primarily because of the huge tide?
• Fishermen are limited to two halibut per day - one large but one has to be under 28 inches
• Fished with 3 or 5 lb lead weights (bottom fishing), 16/0 hook size, and large baits (salmon heads, herring, cod, and other cut baits 

Deep Creek Boat Launching

  

     The two previous days the bay was slick like a lake and we thought we'd hit a homerun if it would just hold one more day. Well, the weather wasn't bad (about 50 degrees and a little overcast) but the water was not as calm as the two previous days. Luckily we had our sea sick patches with us and were smart enough to use them. Seas were a little choppy going out (about 18 miles offshore) and once there, they were rolling 2 foot (estimated) swells. We survived the day without anyone getting sick.

First Fish Caught

     When we checked on the boat operations the day before the girls were more interested in what the bathroom facilities onboard were like than anything else.....as it turns out there was not one....only a little portable toilet. So, although I could not believe it, Kathy and Kay neither one used the bathroom for the entire trip (six hours).  Ed and I had no problem :-)

The Bets:
     A lot of talk about who would catch the first and biggest fish led us to place a bet on each. We didn't have baits in the water too long before Ed hooked and landed the first fish....estimated weight 40 lbs. Things were a little slow (waiting on the tide to turn) before Kay latched onto the first very large one - 81 lbs so she is in the running for the biggest fish. Kathy was next and bettered Kays weight by landing one that turned out to be the biggest of the day at 98 lbs. That left me, with pressure mounting and everyone watching....first about a 30 lb fish....the skipper (Eric) said we are on big fish, let's let that one go. You know you're having a good day when you throw back 30 pounders! A short time later I got maybe a 35 lb fish on one line and another one biting....we were holding the 35 lb fish at the boat until we could determine if the other line had a bigger fish. Both ended up getting off. Then after a long dry spell I finally landed my big one of the day...maybe 25 lbs. Hey, I caught MORE fish than anyone else but we didn't bet on that!

Biggest fish winner (98 lbs)

cell phone photo

     Then we move to another area where we will most likely catch the smaller fish. We were probably not there 30 minutes and all four of us caught them.....again they were waiting on me to catch mine.

     Back ashore and at the charter company site we hang fish and take photos with our own fish..... we look better in those photos anyhow! Eric also has the task of fileting the fish and we have them vacuum packed and prepared to ship home but not before we take several pounds for our RV freezers. Fresh grilled fish was on the menu tonight and it was good.

Good Day of Fishing

Total of 143 lbs filets

Moving to Homer tomorrow.....but Ninilchik was a very memorable experience !

A few more photos from this leg of the trip below:

Guarding the nest

Not the biggest but fun

That's a winner

Pro at work

She's a natural

Posing with other people's fish

Parent and child

Cook Inlet

Russian Orthodox Church circa 1900

Happy 4th of July from Anchorage

3 July - Denali to Anchorage

     We broke camp in Denali (actually Cantwell) in the rain and traveled from there to Anchorage (about 210 miles) in a pretty heavy rainy/foggy day so the photos on the way were few. We had a couple of look out opportunities to see Denali (our last chance) but the weather was so poor we could just see the road ahead of us.

     On this route we traveled through Wasilla, Alaska and as we neared there it cleared enough that we began to see through breaks in the clouds some snow capped mountains in the distance.....the Alaska Range. We needed fuel there so we also decided to stop for lunch in Wasilla at a local diner called the Mat Su diner.

Scenery near Wasilla

(from moving vehicle)

     After leaving Wasilla we only had about 30 miles left for Anchorage and we pulled into the Golden Nugget RV Park pretty tired. Ed and Kay took the remainer of the day off and Kathy and I didn't do much other than make a run to the store and a quick look around town.

4th of July Anchorage Style

     We spent the entire day celebrating the 4th of July at the downtown festivities that were a nice change for us and a great event. They had a parade at 11:00, music on two different stages beginning at noon, reading of the Declaration of independence at 1:00 and food and rides over the entire park area called Delaney Park.

Young Parade Spectator

Parade Participants

Parade

     The reading of the Declaration of Independence was at the Veterans Memorial just across the street from the park and was a quite a show. They did a flag ceremony where they demonstrated the different flags of the nation including the one where Alaska became a state and added the 49th star to the flag in 1959. After singing the national anthem they invited all the children to come up front for the reading of the Declaration where they were given flags to wave. At the conclusion of the reading they sang the Alaska state song.....I was amazed at how many folks knew and enthusiastically sang the state song. We left there feeling that Alaskans were a very proud and patriotic bunch.

Flag Ceremony

     Not exactly a health food fair but hey, it's the fourth of July! Ed and Kay had some reindeer sausage, funnel cake and ice cream while Kathy and I split a few differnt things, Thai spring rolls and chicken wings, a Greek Gyro, and a funnel cake too. We walked around the fair atmosphere and enjoyed the live entertainment at both venues.

Kids having fun

     They had a baseball game (double header) scheduled for 7:00 and 9:00 P.M. followed by some fireworks and I really wanted to go but the temp was dropping and we were all pretty tired after that day. Instead we opted for a couple cool drinks back at camp and visited for awhile before turning in. 
Happy 4th of July!

5 July - Turnagain Arm & Whittier

     Another rainy day but we were determined not to let that stop us from touring. But first, I took my truck in for an oil change and lube....all systems good. After that we struck out for a ride south from Anchorage to do some exploring without the trailers in tow. It was raining and foggy so what would have been a beautiful ride was hampered by low visibility.....but still nice.

     The route, Seward Highway, travels along the Turnagain Arm with incredible mountains on both sides of the water...at least water at high tide. Another amazing area with huge tide swings (33 feet) that leaves the bay with large areas of mud flats that come with warnings that they are like quick sand and not to walk out on them.

     Early on we saw a couple dall sheep (we think that is what they were) on a rocky mountain side....a little far away but still managed a few decent photos. We also ended up seeing a couple of eagles today but no opportunity to photograph them.

Dall Sheep

     We rode to our first stop which is the town of Girdwood and the Alyeska Resort (ski resort)...they had a tram to the top of the mountain but visibility was too poor for that to be worthwhile. The original town of Girdwood is known for dropping 8 feet during the 1964 earthquake after which time they relocated the town to the current location. Very small town.

     Next was the harbor town of Whittier....interesting to say the least and our first look at the Prince William Sound. Whittier is a town of 200 residents that all live in the same six story building. The town was built by the US Army, who have since abandoned it, and it is accessed via a 2.6 mile tunnel through a mountain. The one lane tunnel is shared by automobiles and the Alaska Railroad.

Tunnel entrance

     The harbor/docks in Whittier was a pretty scene with a lot of boats and mountains (we couldn't really see well) as a backdrop. Many folks (private boats) put in here for fishing and they also have tours departing for viewing glaciers and charter fishing. We enjoyed a salmon burger for lunch at a dockside restaurant, took a few photos in between raindrops, had a walk around town and looked through their small museum. Then back through the tunnel.

Whittier harbor

     We were all interested in what we learned about the severe tidal changes...called a bore tide. We found out that while we were out today the tide had gone out and was turning to an incoming tide as we were driving back to Anchorage. We'd read/heard that the tide was so significant that at times it looked like a 3 foot wave coming into the Turnagain Arm so we made our way to a look out point to try to witness this.....not to be, the tide did change and was swift but did not see an incoming wave.

     Back to camp to wrap up some chores to get ready for tomorrow's departure to the Kenai Peninsula.

Two Days in Denali

1 July - Fairbanks to Denali

     We departed Fairbanks around 8:30 under cloudy skies and intermittent rain. Forecast was for heavy rain all day with the same forecasted for the Denali area. As we drove out any scenery early on was under heavy cover of clouds and fog....not many pictures early. As we drove on, to our surprise, the weather showed some signs of improving.

     We couldn't get in a campground at Denali so we ended up staying in a town about 27 miles south of there called Cantwell. When we arrived, the rain was light and almost finished by the time we set up camp around 12:30'ish. After a good lunch we headed into the park at Denali with the goal of finding the location for our tour the next day and possibly taking a hike, weather permitting.

     On the way to the park we saw another cow moose on the roadside but not in time to get a photo. But, right after we made the turn to enter the park we saw two moose calves right on the side of the road and did manage to photograph them. Mother moose was not in sight but I suspect not far away.

Moose Calves

Babies entertaining us beside the road

     We found the place for our tour, got our tickets and are set for the tour. We took in a movie on the park history and learned that there was a sled dog demonstration in the park and it just so happens it was a two mile hike from the visitors center. We hit the trail at a quick pace and just made it in time for the show which was great. The ranger giving the demo was a young lady from Asheville, N.C. and she was quite good and obviously enjoyed her job.

Blue eyed Alaskan Husky sled dog

Sled dog demo in Denali

     After the walk back we decided to drive into the park as far as we could (about 15 miles in personal vehicles) because the weather had improved significantly and we thought we might have a chance to see Mount McKinley (now called Denali).....the skies were clear and it was now a beautiful day. Unfortunately that mountain makes it's own weather and it was not clear/visible. At one point we thought we were able to barely see a small part of it but never the entire mountain nor very clearly.....always tomorrow. They say that the mountain is only visible about half the days of the summer season and guests are lucky to see it.

Not Denali but surrounding scenery

     Mosquitos - We heard prior to coming to Alaska that the mosquitos could get pretty bad. We started seeing some in Fairbanks and after arriving into Denali we are now seeing many more. The good news (at least so far) is they don't seem to be biting and probably a good thing as they are pretty big. Ed says when one flies near his hearing aid it sounds like a helicopter landing.

     Back to camp around 8:00 P.M. and too tired to cook....left over left overs tonight. A good night's sleep (hopefully) and a very long busy day planned tomorrow.

2 July - Tundra Wilderness Tour

     We purchased tickets into Denali on a the Tundra Wilderness tour which takes you 60 miles into the park with a narrated guide (her name was Cindy). The tour was scheduled to last 8 hours....yes, 8 hours on a bus and our departure time was 2:00 P.M.

     With that schedule we opted to rest in the morning and eat a big lunch early before heading to the park. Ed grilled a wonderful pork tenderloin that was originally planned for the night before but we were so late and tired getting back we moved it out a day. Turned out to be a great idea....lunch was really good and we were well fed for the bus ride and long afternoon.

An interesting section of road on the tour (no guard rails)

     When we left the weather was not too bad and we hoped would clear up as the day went on like it had done the day before. That was not to be...it went from not too bad to not too good...rain and fog most of the way. The scenery during the clearer times was really spectacular however there was not a chance of seeing Denali (the mountain) this day. Our best hope now is that we can see it on the way to Anchorage as there are a couple viewpoints on the way.

     Overall we were somewhat disappointed that we did not see as many animals as we thought/expected but it was still a good tour and we did see several animals. We saw a moose early on from a long foggy distance but no chance for photos of it. As we moved along we saw several Caribou which was the first we'd seen of them. We were looking really hard to see a grizzly but was not to be. The highlight on the way back was spotting a bull moose, also from a considerable distance. The tour guide said that was the first she'd seen a bull moose this season.

Bull Moose from a distance

Caribou

     As we got closer to the visitor's center (near the sled dog kennels) we also saw another cow moose right beside the road and it was a tense situation as there were several of the workers walking the dogs on leashes and the driver said that if they were not very careful that the moose would charge the dog. We came thru there with a couple photos and no one hurt.

Moose

     We traveled thru one area of the park on the bus today called Savage River.....a camping and hiking area......... that is where we were the day before (in our own vehicle) looking for a view of the mountain. Today that area was closed to the public....they had an incident with a bear in that area scratching and biting a person/hiker. On our way back there were numerous rangers along that area apparently looking for the bear. Not long after we got back we learned on the national news that they had to kill the bear. (Sad to hear)

     All in all a great day and the end of our Denali visit....headed for Anchorage tomorrow with plans to spend a few days including the 4th of July.

A few more photos from in and around Denali:

Hello from North Pole (Fairbanks, Alaska)

27 June - Tok to Fairbanks

     Left Tok for an easy drive to Fairbanks....some mountain views on the road and road conditions better than we've been used to....nice change. We did not see any animals on the roadside and have not for several days now....still looking for that elusive moose.

Between Tok, Ak. and Fairbanks, Ak.

Between Tok, Ak. and Fairbanks, Ak.

     We rolled into town with rain and we are actually staying in a small suburb of Fairbanks called North Pole at the Riverview RV Park....pretty nice place. They advertised entertainment in their community building "Alaskan Stories, Tales and Lies" and it was pretty informal and entertaining. The guy speaking was an author himself and a storyteller....storytelling seems popular in this area as we also experienced some storytelling in Whitehorse. This gentleman recited a lot of work by Robert Service....pretty entertaining stories from the gold rush era.

North Pole Resident

North Pole

28 June - Fairbanks
     We headed out to the University of Alaska Fairbanks museum of the north in the morning and spent all morning there....it was a good visit with a lot of interesting artifacts and a few informative movies. The school has expeditions every summer to recover dinosaur bones...apparently they roamed the landscape here millions of years ago. They also had a stuffed grizzly that weighed 1250 pounds and stood 8 feet tall.....wouldn't want to run into him.

Kathy posing with Otto

     We have friends here in Fairbanks, Rob Robertson and his wife Donna (of Sun City Peachtree fame) ......they spend winters in Sun City and summers here in Fairbanks. He has been great in guiding us to the better places in the area. We met him for lunch after the museum at the Pike's Landing restaurant....a good choice. Over lunch with Rob we discussed what to do the remainder of this day and made plans to play golf the next day.

     After leaving the restaurant we made a quick stop in Lowes and Walmart before heading up towards Chena Hot Springs....a highway said to be your best bet for viewing wildlife and the Moose we are looking for. We rode for the better part of an hour in that direction without seeing any animal activity at all. We decided it was the wrong time of day so we headed back to camp.

     Resting an hour or so was a good call and we came off the rest looking for a dinner option (without cooking). We heard that there was a terrific Chinese restaurant in town called Pagoda's that was now pretty popular after a visit by the diners, drive-ins and dives TV crew....we tried it and it was pretty good. Both couples opted to split a meal each and that was a good call as the portions were huge.

29 June - Golf
     We made plans to meet Rob at the North Star Golf Club around 8:30 for a round of golf. The weather was unbelievably good.....shorts! It was about 62 degrees when we left camp and it did get to a balmy 72 degrees by the time we finished. (Sorry - I know it's hot at home).

Rob Robertson, Ed & Darrell

     The North Star Golf Course's claim to fame is that it is the northern most golf course in the United States. Ed was driving us to the golf course and when the GPS started taking us on a dirt road he was concerned but sure enough.....out of the woods opened up to a pretty cool setting and pretty golf course. They had been dealing with a lot of rain so there was casual water but otherwise a pleasant track and beautiful day.

Frost Heaves - The challenge for road maintenance up here is what they call frost heaves.....the ground freezes so solidly that it moves up and down with the freezing and thawing.....well the golf course apparently has the same problems with their greens. Hole #13 didn't have a level spot on it. They had a sign posted there that the green was built (level) in 1996. I had to take a photo of it but it is not easy to see the undulation.

Hole #13 Green - not a level spot on it

Golf course animals - at the pro shop they had a white board where people would write what animals they had seen on the course recently and in what area....example - a moose on 15 (not!). Ed and I did see an otter in one of the ponds but that was all. The score card did have an interesting animal entry under the local rules.......see below:

The last local rule is interesting

     After golf we rode out another mile or two to see a portion of the Alaska Pipeline. 800 miles of pipeline that runs from Prudhoe Bay to Valdez....an engineering accomplishment for sure. Much of it is underground but a lot is above ground too.....interesting placards there telling about it and a couple samples of the "pigs" that are used to run thru the pipeline to clean it.

Alaska Pipeline

Alaska Pipeline "Pig" - for cleaning the pipe

     On the way back to camp, eagle eye Kathy spotted a mother moose and her baby near a pond in a field just off the highway. Unfortunately I didn't have my long lens with me so I did the best I could with what I had. We parked and got out to watch them for several minutes before they ran off into the woods. We can now check moose off the list but would still like to see a bull moose. We will continue to keep or eyes peeled.

Mother moose and baby

     Dinner at the Silver Gulch Brewery, owned and operated by Rob's stepson. Rob's wife, Donna and her dad joined us for a nice dinner, sampling of their beers, and a fantastic tour of the brewery operations. It was way more than we could have expected and a nice surprise. It was billed as the farthest north brewery in America. Yes, more tee shirts (and a six pack to go!)

     I really enjoyed talking with Marvin, Donna's dad, who is 84 years old and telling a lot of local stories....quite the character and sharp too.....at one point I said "I sure hope I live to be 84 years old" to which he quickly replied,  "I hope you do too....stop by and see me".

30 June - Maintenance Day
     We extended in Fairbanks an extra day to take care of some maintenance items.....Ed is getting a spring modification applied to his truck, we need to do some maintenance on the rig, shopping, haircuts, laundry, cleaning, etc.....yes, we are taking all the same chores from home with us on vacation. I am trying to schedule my next oil change while we are in Anchorage next week.

Happy customer at the barber shop!

Next stop is Denali National Park!