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Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Lisa makes up for what I lack

July 25, 2013
All the tops of the area mountains were capped with cloud cover but the chance of rain faded as the sun picked and prodded to find our faces.  So we planned a 3.5 hour dinner cruise with Kenai Fjords Tours.  The cruise circled Resurrection Bay and stopped at Fox Island for an all you can eat buffet featuring prime rib and Salmon.  Mom and Lisa opted for an additional ½ pound of Alaskan King Crab ($12.50 each).  We stopped when wildlife was sighted and the captain (Colin) did a great job explaining the sights and the maritime wildlife.  That took a lot of pressure off of me…  Bald eagles, sea otter, cormorants, gulls, harbor seals, Stellar’s sea lion, puffins and the common murre (dives to 600 feet deep in the ocean for food).

Fox Island had a nice lodge but my interests were with the prime rib.  I took the obligatory vegetable mix, potatoes and small piece of salmon with my prime rib then returned for two additional servings.  I stopped myself at a couple of pounds before topping it off with lemon bars.  My body was adjusting to the bountiful variety that was now appearing with greater frequency.  Milk, bread, beef and desert are taken for granted in civilization.

                                                         Seward, Alaska

July 26, 2013
With enough fuel onboard to make it to Anchorage we departed the Kenai.  Groceries were resupplied and fuel replenished in CHUGIAK before heading east on Highway 1 (The Glenn Highway) to Glennallen.  The Matanuska River guided us to its source, the Matanuska Glacier.  We positioned the Raptor so we could enjoy dinner and gaze upon the glacial blue.  We pushed on for another couple hours and spent our first night “dry camping” in a gravel turnout 30 miles west of Glennallen.

                                         Matanuska River (near Palmer, AK)
                                         Matanuska Glacier

July 27, 2013
It did not take long this morning to get a look at Mt Drum and Mt Sanford.  They were visible and quite dominating in the sky to the east still 20 miles from Glennallen.  They would accompany us for another 20 or so miles after turning south on the Highway 4 (Richardson Highway).  Lunch time was spent at the Worthington Glacier near Thompson Pass.  Two meals at two different glaciers on two different days sure beat the drive thru at Mickey D’s.  After lunch we hiked to the glacier and again shrank into wee little humans compared to the majesty of the earth.  After crossing the pass, we took a long down hill coast following the Lowe River into VALDEZ stopping to see Bridal Veil and Horsetail Falls.  Again, just before town we located Bear Creek Cabins and RV Park and this time got site #81 in the rear of the park.  The city RV parks were stacked like cards in a deck and we had plenty of elbow room. 

After setup and dinner we took an afternoon drive down Dayville Road to view the local wildlife.  Solomon Gulch Fish Hatchery had the Pink/Humpy Salmon stacked on top of one another.  The hatchery was closed for production at this time so the salmon were swimming over one another trying to get up an unclimbable waterfall that was blocked by a weir.  The resident sea lions were feasting on the mass of pinks, grabbing them shaking them violently and swallowing.  Gulls enjoyed the sloppy meal cleanup.  Sea otters bobbed undisturbed enjoying self caught shellfish and crab.  All the while, tourists kept eyes out for the local Ursus and her cubs.  After an hour we drove to Allison Point and I tried my hand at pink fishing.  Area fishermen were snagging them but I tried a Cleo spoon.  The line needed some reworking but after it was repaired, the third cast resulted in a strike.  Set hook, miss and dodge the spoon as it flew out of the shallow surf just missing my head.  Cast, retrieve and fish on.  Although I wasn’t intending to do so, I had snagged the pink hen in her midsection.  Snagging is LEGAL in the ocean so I cut her gills and tossed her into the rocks.  Lisa had videoed the event and she would get the opportunity if I hooked up another one.  A moment later she did just that.  After a couple minute fight, the fish shook loose and was never seen again.  I fished for another 15 minutes then cleaned the fish and we headed back to the Raptor.


                                         Lisa and Carol (Oma) at Worthington Glacier
     "As you can see by the striations on the rock face, the Glacier went downhill, that a way"

                                        We have confirmation, "It's COLD"  Here's your sign!

                                         Asking herself, "Did I take enough pictures?"
                                         The hard walk back to the Raptor, "I think I took enough?"


                                    Lisa at Bridal Veil Falls
                                  Pink Salmon at Solomon Gulch Hatchery (Valdez, AK)
                                  Sea Lions cannot read

July 28, 2013
Sunday was relaxed, laid back and not a plan either.  Lisa tinkered with video, pictures and the check book paying bills while I caught up on writing the Blog and editing pictures.  After lunch we headed out Dayville Road for some viewing and fishing.  Nothing disappointed as the Pinks were in high numbers, sea otters playful, and sea lions gorged on the schools of salmon.  Lisa videoed EVERYTHING; me catching fish, her catching fish, sea lions, sea otter and brown bears.  I did not see the brown bears as I was fishing, Oma and Lisa went to the hatchery as the sow and her four (4) year and half old cubs strode past idling vehicles to the waterfall.  Momma fished and bathed as the cubs played with salmon scraps and toyed with joining momma in the water.  I won’t tell anymore as it is not my story.  I think there is a video and pictures.  I got the story and stopped fishing after four (4) pinks were filleted and bagged.  Dinner would be fried and baked Pink Salmon (less then three hours from the water to my belly).  Most Alaskans prefer not to eat Pinks and I would agree if the other salmon were always available but they are not.  Let’s put it this way, the salmon I ate tonight was better then any I’ve had in Michigan.
Oh look at all the dirty dishes, “Does anyone want to go back to Solomon Falls?”  The ladies said no so at 8:45pm I headed back for more fish.  They were thick; I caught many, released most and kept two for my limit of six.  Returning at 11:30pm, I quickly showered and went to bed.

                             Brown bear sow, "Damn, it's HOT and the mosquitoes are a pain in the @#%" 
                                       "Mom you are so wise!"
                                       "You're so sweet, don't tell the others, but you are my favorite."
                                       "I think he heard that."

July 29, 2013
Last day at Bear Creek and checkout is at 10:00am.  Carol and Lisa did some running around in town and tried to get the truck an oil change.  That couldn’t happen until 1:00pm so we broke camp and moved across the bay to Allison Point for a night of dry camping.  At 12:15pm we were flagged over because there were bears in the area.  Just east of the hatchery, the brown bear sow had her four cubs in tow.  The runt carried a piece of fish and played and snacked while keeping up with the others.  They must have been full as there was an abundance of tourist fat collecting along side the road.  I watched a few huffs and jaw pops from momma and thought, “The video you are about to see contains scenes of extreme violence and gore.  Parental Discretion is advised.”  TOURISTS!!!  I bored after a few minutes and walked over to the ocean side to check for fish.  I returned about five minutes later and Lisa had not taken enough pictures yet…  I pointed out that we had 20 minutes to drop the Raptor and head for the oil change.  She reluctantly agreed.
 
After a quick setup the girls left for the oil change and lunch.  I remained behind to complete the leveling and other chores.  Alright, I didn’t do any chores.  The water was only 20 yards away and it tempted me.  I caught and released two pinks at low tide and that is not the opportune time.  Lisa called and said they were eating at the Halibut House and asked if wanted anything.  I declined and enjoyed cold sourdough pancakes, smoked salmon with cheddar cheese on crackers, ginger snaps and a glass of moo juice.  Other then the milk, that has fisherman’s lunch written all over it.

After dinner, a new neighbor, Jim Peterson (Massachusetts) and I went Pink fishing and for the first hour all that were biting was mosquitoes and no-see-ums.  Then it happened, the high tide was on the downside and the pinks were on the shore moving toward the hatchery.  A fifteen foot wide band of fish was moving from our right to left.  I duplicated my personal record with three consecutive casts landing the first and hooking up a losing the third.  I caught and released dozens and kept two of the freshest.  Jim had fished three (3) days in Fairbanks earlier in the week and never saw a fish.  He caught and released over 30 salmon, his first and thirtieth ever salmon and remarked that this made his Alaskan trip worth it.  “I have never seen fishing like this in my life,” he added.  And once again those all so familiar smiles could be seen.

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