7-29-2013 Fishing on the Kenai

The guys finally decided to head out and wet a line.   We hired a fishing guide to do some drift fishing.  Down the Kenai there is a 13 mile stretch of the river that you can only drift.  We met our guide at the landing and got suited out in our waders (like men in tights with boots) went through the safety briefing in case you fall out of the boat.  The water temperature was about 44 degrees with a current of 8 knots, so if you do go over the side you need to have a plan.  You wouldn't survive long before hypothermia would render you motionless and the fast flowing river would sweep you downstream.  The bears and eagles would have a field day with you.  Your brain would be still functional but you’d not feel a thing.  You would have to watch them devour you right before your own eyes, not a site I would like to be a part of.

There are a few rapids you have to negotiate along the way, nothing that would give you heart failure, just a little excitement.  After about an hour of drifting we landed the boat along the bank of the river at a spot the guides call Bloody Point.  It derives its name from the guides cleaning the fish they catch along the bank. Once they fillet the fish, they throw the remaining fish parts into moving water for the seagulls and other varmints to feast on. 

The point lived up to its reputation.  After we were given instruction on how to properly cast the line we commenced to fishing.  It was a while before we got the technique down but it wasn't long before we hooked our first salmon.  What a thrill!  They are real fighters!  The first one I caught took out about 100 ft of line.  We were using fly fishing reels so it was really exciting. Cranking that fish in is challenging.  You have to properly hook the fish in the mouth for it to be considered legal catch.  The salmon do not feed during their journey up the river so the technique is to drag the line in front of them and hook them as they swim upstream.  It may sound cruel but it is what it is.

You are allowed to bag 3 salmon per day.  My buddy, Don, got his limit and I got 1 real beauty.  I caught several that were considered illegal hooks, having hooked them in the side, the belly,  or the tail.  When you hook illegally the fish just takes off downstream like a lightning bolt.  They normally just jerk the line out so you don’t harm the fish any further.  You only keep the ones that are silvery in color.  The dark pink colored salmon are not good eating, they are nearing their life expectancy and the quality of the meat is not very good. 

I said I'd kiss the fish if I caught one!!

We had a great time and would do it again.  The salmon run is nearing its end so the opportunity to salmon fish again is doubtful.  They let approximately 800,000 salmon up stream in the Kenai each year.  The guides do not believe that the numbers are there this year; they feel that they only let approximately 650,000 up before they let the commercial fishing boats close off the inlet with nets.  Looks like some lobbyists are at work putting the almighty dollar in front on the line instead of the natural migration of the fish.

In all we landed 14 lbs of salmon and are having it processed, filleted and vacuumed sealed for future consumption.  The guide $200, processing $25, men in tights priceless.

Our next fishing adventure will be down in Homer where we will go Halibut fishing off shore. Get ready for some real fish stories!

On the way back to the RVs we spotted a field of Fireweed.  I couldn’t resist the opportunity to snap a few pictures to share with you.

In Alaska, they are about to break a record for the local areas of 14 days in a row of 70 degree plus temperature.  It may shatter it by several days.  Their forecast it to continue the 70’s into the weekend. Timing is everything.  We have thoroughly enjoyed the beautiful weather we have encountered. The locals can’t remember a summer like this for quite some time.

We hope that you are enjoying your summer with your family and building fond memories. Those kids grow up so fast and before you know it they’re up and out of the house.  So grab all the love you can get and cherish the moments.

Go to  youtube.com and paste this the link to see Bob in action. Thanks to my good  buddy Don Jacobs


              This is a link to Bob Relyea catching a salmon: http://youtu.be/FPM8GAVKgUg

Bob in tights in the reflection of Don's glasses

7-28-2013 Checking out Kenai and the results of Sawfest

  

Bob headed out to the golf course to play a round.  Hadn’t played in probably 3 weeks so was ready to see if he still had the touch.  While he did that, Sharon went with Don and Joy to take a drive into Kenai.  Kenai is larger than Soldotna and right on the coast.  

We are finally to the mouth of the Kenai River.  And, again, there are many fishermen.  These were using dipnets as the salmon are entering the river.  Because there have been over 600,000 salmon come into the river already, they are also letting the commercial fishermen use their nets just outside the mouth of the river to bring in large catches as well. 

Right across the Cook Inlet we were also able to just start seeing the volcanoes on the other side.  They are over 10,000 feet, but the haze made it a bit tough to see them.   Mount Iliamna is the closest.

Rectory is there on the left.  Church in front.

As always, Sharon had to get her history in.  The Russian Orthodox churches are some of the oldest buildings in Alaska.   The rectory of the Holy Assumption of the Virgin Mary Russian Orthodox Church is considered the oldest building on the Kenai Peninsula.  We visited the church and the chapel today.  Very typical of the Russian church construction. 

The St. Nicholas Chapel, actually built on the site of the original church, was a memorial to the first Russian monk, Father Nicholas and his helper Makary Ivanov, for their work distributing the first smallpox vaccine in the territory.  They are so isolated out here. At least Kenai is on the coast.  We have been in so many places that it took weeks or months to pack or mush in to an area.

We were driving along trying to find a way to get down to the coast and who should we run into?  Bob!  Doing the same thing.  Taking pictures along the coast.  It was getting close to the time for the judging of the Sawfest at Progress Days so we headed back to Soldotna.    Progress Days actually started back in 1960 to celebrate the completion of the natural gas line.  Hey, everybody has to have something to celebrate!!

There had been a lot of work done since we left yesterday!  Check out the completed totems.  We didn’t agree with the judging, but it was popularity vote by the folks and not all agreed.  They said with over 600 votes, it came down to 4 votes!  (where have we heard that before?)   We really like the one that all the animals were woven around the totem, but the flashier ones won out.  Guess we should have voted.

1st

2nd

We really liked how intricately they were intertwined.

Can you see how the animals are wound around the pole??

This one came in 5th, but he won all the saw-offs.

Alice in Wonderland came in 4th.

While we were gone, they also had “saw offs” to complete a fish and an eagle.  They really are artists of a different medium.

On our way back to the motorhome, we drove down the road to the airport.  Yes, because of the remoteness of these places, every town has an airport.  The plane is a Starduster SA 100 single-engine, single seat, open cockpit biplane.  It was built by the locals in the 60’s and used in Alaska air shows until the 90’s.    It was retired here in 2001 as a remembrance of the early Soldotna area aviators.   I think it’s pretty cool.

7-27-2013 Headed to Soldotna

Kenai Lake

The band of gypsies packed up their tents and continued farther down the Kenai Peninsula, a short drive of 60 miles to Soldotna.  After arriving at the RV sites and getting set up we headed out to see what the city had to offer.  

Wow!!  Did we happen in on a fun day in Soldotna!!  This weekend celebrates “Progress Days” in Soldotna. 

Our first stop was at a local car show.  There were many vintage cars that brought back fond memories of past decades.  One of the highlights for us was a 41 Ford pickup.  We bought one just like it in 1973 shortly after we got hitched.  At that time Sharon was still going to college at TWU in Dallas and it became her daily driver.  Also during that time we were raising chickens for the eggs.  She would deliver eggs in the trusted old truck to our friends.  We still have that truck today and enjoy remembering many great times we had driving it around.  We have many old cars in our warehouse back in Dallas.  My Dad got me started collecting them.  They are like pieces of art.  Unlike much of the normal art that is collected by individuals, you only get to see it if you are invited to their homes.  We like to share our art collection with everybody, so when you drive the classics around town everyone gets to enjoy.  It’s a mobile art collection.  When folks see those vintage cars it takes them back in time to some of the most memorable events of their lives.

Some of ours even look like this

We then went on to the Progress Day Festival at the local ball park.  I’m not sure what the population of Soldotna is but I can tell you everybody was at the Festival.   The weather was perfect and everyone was enjoying being out in it.  By the way this is one of the very best summers that the locals can remember in many years.  One lady told us, last year here in Soldotna, they only had 6 days that were not raining or overcast!!   It appears that 2013 will go down in the history books and we were here to experience it.

 After wandering around to all of the displays of handicrafts and exhibits we had to have one of the Reindeer sausages that were being grilled on the barby.  They were still sizzling when they placed them on the bun and smothered them in grilled onions.  You don’t know what you’re missing until you have bitten into one of the tasty links. Hungry Yet?

During the Festival they have the Sawfest.  This is where the local chainsaw artists compete and show the handy work.  

During the day they had a 1-hour saw off.  The subject they had to carve was a bear.  Each of them start with a 4-foot log, crank up their Husqvarnas and go to work. There was saw dust flying everywhere and the noise was deafening.

It is quite a site to see.  Each of the artists has his or her vision (there is a women carver in the completion, which is very rare), and to watch it come to life is amazing.  They are also carving Totem Poles throughout the 2-day event.  The winner will be voted on to see who wins the completion.

Most are very traditional totems, except hers.  It is Alice in Wonderland.  See if you can pick it out.  

We will go to the event again tomorrow to see who is the champion.

Look for more of the carving in the next blog

7-26-2013 the Russian River Falls and the Kenai River at Cooper Landing

We hiked to the Russian River Falls.  The round trip was about 5 miles but we took our time and enjoyed the walk through the forest.  There were many little water flows in the woods and very lush moss and fern gardens along the way.

After about an hour hike into the falls we saw the salmon waiting for the fish ladder to open.  They were hoping for the easier way to get around the falls, but not today.  If they were to reach the spawning areas they would have to climb the falls.  There were hundreds gathered beneath the falls and many more arriving there to continue their journey.  Some will rest and gather strength and clean their gills of the glacial flour they have collected coming up stream.

We hoped to see a few eagles and bears feasting on the bounty, but they were not at the falls while we were there.  The falls are a popular place to visit and fish.  We saw several folks hiking with their fishing poles.  There were several families picnicking and watching the fish struggle up the falls.

We climbed down from the viewing area to get closer to the bank.  It was very slippery and a steep climb.  You had to have sure footing or you would join the salmon in the ice cold waters. Everyone enjoyed watching this phenomenon.  The determination that the salmon display is astounding. We know that you cannot assist the salmon with the journey.

Can you see all the salmon??

Jumping up the falls.

It’s much like life for us. You have to struggle through life and endure the challenges that you are faced with to truly appreciate your successes.  It’s not the destination; it’s the journey you go through that really represents the personal growth you experience along the way.

After completing the hike we found a roadside park to have lunch before we headed to the Kenai River for the rafting trip.  Needless to say we needed that little break to gather up the reserve energy we would need for the trip down the Kenai.

We got suited up and off we went down the river.  The river is a beautiful aqua blue color due to the high mineral content of the water.  It was not a wild trip down the Kenai but a gentle float with a few rapids that gave you the thrill of excitement.

Young bald eagles about 3 or 4 years old.  They don't get their while heads until about 5 years old.  

We saw a few eagles, one bear cub (that old eagle eyes Sharon spotted) and hundreds and hundreds of fisher people (you cannot say fishermen anymore, as there were many woman fishing as well).  This is the height of the salmon run so everyone is lined up along the river hoping to snag the big one.  During the salmon run the fish do not eat so you have to snag them in the mouth for a legal catch.  If the salmon don’t have enough to be concerned about already, now they have to avoid all these wild fishing people.  There are not many that get hooked but a few do.  

They call this fishing frenzy combat fishing.  I would venture to say that more people get hooked than the fish.  It is not something that seems very interesting to Bob.

end of the day on the Kenai River

We all returned home exhausted and ready to relax. We had planned to have spaghetti for dinner to replace all the carbs we had expended during the day.  It was good we had simmered the sauce all day.  A good night’s sleep and we will be ready to go in the morning.  With the exception of all those muscles that haven’t had this kind of exercise in many years.  This is our training for the grandchildren.  We are determined to outlast those little rascals.  When their little feet hit the ground we will be right there to share the experiences.

Bring ‘em on!