July 24th

We moved back up to Soldotna and are back in the same campground where we caught all our fish. We took a different route back up north just to change up the scenery a bit. A road called Kalifornsky Beach Road! How’s that for an address! The locals call it K-Beach road. It’s about a 20 mile stretch that winds along the Cook Inlet. It would have been very pretty except… you guessed it! It’s cloudy, cold, and threatening rain. The high has been 58. As we traveled along we noticed a “For Sale” sign on a piece of bluff property. It is a wooded lot with road frontage and the back of the property drops off into beach front property. Gorgeous! The cliff is about 80 feet high above the Inlet which looks out across to Mount Redoubt and the Aleutian Range full of glaciers. So our curiosity got the best of us and we called the real estate agent selling the property. How does $165,000.00 for 1.3 acres grab ya’? HA! We thanked her very much and got off the phone quickly before she could ask for our names & phone number! So much for our great idea of buying property, leaving the RV parked and flying home.

We visited a fish cannery that was in operation back in the 1920’s to process fish in this area. One sign said they could filet 4-6 fish per minute! Can you imagine…. That’s approximately 300 fish per hour. Incredible. The deck in the back overlooks the mouth of the Kenai River and there were a ton of boats moving in and out. The ones that caught my eye were the small boats who were dip-net fishing. Something I’ve heard about since we got here and have seen the monstrous nets that are used for sale along the road, but I’ve never seen it in action. It was interesting. The fishermen drop the nets down next to their boats and then travel along slowly, close to shore while fish swim directly into their net! That’s fishing???? Okay, the other day there were a few dip-net fishermen that arrived back at camp and said they had caught 22 fish in one day.

So Gary needs to catch 5 fish to fill our 2 boxes to go home and then we can continue on our way from here. Until then, here we sit.

July 23rd

Not much is happening today. It's a beautiful sunny, warm day (for a change) and Gary has gone out fishing on the river here at the campground. I think he's worked out something for tomorrow to go out on the boat with Travis early... around 6 am! So today is a rest & relaxation day. Yipee!! So not too much to post other than to answer some of your comments:

Dan: Thanks for explaining the whole "Deadliest Catch" thing. I was confident that you would clear it up and add appropriate links to inform us all on the details of that. It does sound interesting.... and dangerous. Sorry about the slow trip through Alaska. I had no idea that when we got here we were on such a time schedule.... or at least an alphabet schedule! Can't you do your magic and make it work? I believe you can figure something out! Does it help that this campground and the next will be repeats? I hope we helped you out there.

Martie: THIS is not camping. We have literally brought the kitchen sink (and the leaky toilet) with us! Who goes camping with the microwave and refrigerator/freezer? Other than paying a camping fee, we are traveling in "luxury".... well, at least compared to our typical camping trips. The down side to traving in this luxury is... we have to fix the kitchen sink and the leaky toilet.

Gerry: Sorry to hear that you are spending a very hot summer hauling wood off OUR lot in preparation for winter. Remember... we did beg you to come out here and join us for the very low cost of 10 bags of Bolivia's Best coffee.... but NO! You are just too busy for that. Gary enjoyed the conversation also. See ya' soon.

Geoff: I trusted Gary, with his boyscout skills, to always be prepared. Why he didn't have a toilet valve in his back pocket.... I don't know!!

July 22nd

Everywhere in Homer there is reference to “The Deadliest Catch”. T-shirts, mugs, hats, all carry the quote. I have learned that it is referring to the Discovery Channel’s report on crab fishing. It is known to be difficult & deadly. So now you know, don’t make catching crabs the top of your vocation list.

We had a bit of a technical problem last night before going to bed. Our video camera ate the tape that we have been recording on! Yes, it is sad that the only film I have of Gary reeling in his salmon was destroyed. So we decided we needed to purchase a new one today. Radio Shack was the only techy store that exists in Homer so we now have a very small, hand held, new video cam….. That neither one of us know how to use. This should be interesting.

We have moved on from Homer and retraced our steps back towards Kasilof. Before leaving such a beautiful place we took a ride back up the Skyline Drive so we could take video of what we had seen yesterday. We followed it to the end and also followed another road beyond Homer to its end, just to say we drove to the entire Kenai Peninsula! It was very picturesque even though it was cloudy…. Again! And not that great for pictures. We grabbed a sandwich at McDonald’s this afternoon in Homer and noticed 2 bald eagles sitting at their nest just outside the door! We also saw a few more eagles today in trees and flying around the coastline. We went for a walk along the beach on Homer Spit to see if we could catch a glimpse of those sea otters again. No otters… but we saw a 10-legged star fish! It was hard to leave Homer.

On our way back up Rte 1 we also took a detour to Anchor Point where we found boats being hauled out of the ocean by tractors (skidders)! It was the strangest looking thing. These big rigs drive into the ocean half way up their tires, the boat pulls into a trailer attached to the tractor and it gets lifted out of the water and the tractor backs up onto the beach. The fishermen never get wet! Crazy. Anchor Point ends at the most westerly point on the North American continent accessible by continuous road system.

So we are back in the same camp ground, Crooked Creek, and Gary is going to talk to a “Travis” a guide on the Kasilof River who can take him out for King Salmon fishing. Because he and Gary figured out that they have a mutual friend, Travis is willing to take him out at a good price if the boat is not full. So we’ll see what tomorrow brings. Maybe the 20 remaining pounds that we are waiting for will be caught to send our 100 pounds of fish home?!

July 21st

So, a picture is worth a thousand words, and this place can’t be described in words. It is beautiful. Last night before we went to bed, the sun was setting and causing the clouds to light up with bright pink over the mountains. It almost gave the impression of a volcano. The moon rose and was visible between two layers of cloud cover. Amazing.

This morning we woke up to a steady 25 to 30 mph wind and 49 degrees. The high was only 58 and it was C-O-L-D! I have been relying on my knitted socks from Judy to keep me warm each morning! They are amazing! In spite of the winds we decided to take the scooter out for a ride on the Spit. It’s only a few miles away and only about 5 miles long so how bad can it get?!

On our way out to the Spit we were able to view sea otters rolling in the very rough current as if it were their rocking chair. They have very white heads and large bodies. I almost mistook them for a log in the water until I saw one dive. They were fun to watch but incredibly difficult to take a picture of. I posted one but only to prove to you that we really did see them! Once on the Spit it became a pretty typical ocean side village. The houses were built up on stilts, they were painted very colorfully, and it was a tourist trap that we enjoyed skulking around on like Spit Rats! The boats that were docked were overwhelming and the air was filled with the sound of sea planes taking off and landing.

We went to the Salty Dawg for lunch but due to the thick smell of beer and cigarette smoke we decided on fish & chips across the road. The inside of the building was interesting enough to get a picture of before we left though. There were signs that displayed which road was a Tsunami evacuation route…. Interesting…. Since there is only ONE road on the Spit. I would say that if there were a Tsunami these people wouldn’t have much of a chance on using that route anyway.

This evening we drove up on Skyline Drive which took us above the Kachamack Bay and we got panoramic views of the Kenai Mountains across the Bay and an overview of the Spit below. Overall, in spite of the cold wind, it was a great day of site seeing. Enjoy the pictures!
1) Homer Spit, Kachamack Bay & Kenai Mountain Range
2) View of 2 glaciers. One all the way to the right & all the way to the left
3) The Salty Dawg
4) Inside the Salty Dawg are hundreds of signed dollar bills hanging from the wall
5) Fireweed in the foreground, boat dock in the distance. We have learned that fireweed will blossom at the top in the fall. It predicts the on coming winter
6) Tsunami evacuation route sign
7) Seafarers Memorial bell stands beside a monument for those who have died at sea
8) Ocean view from the Spit
9) Fishing boat & hundreds of gulls off the Spit
10) beach landscape
11) sea otter... no really!! Look in the upper right corner... look again, real close
12) Bishop's Beach... we had to visit.

July 20th

So today didn’t go quite as we planned. The toilet had a problem with the water not stopping so Gary had to take it apart. He spent MANY hours on it until he was frustrated and decided we needed a part. I called around and found a guy who had the part in his hand…. Soooo…. We are moving on to Homer a little earlier than we expected. Homer is a place I’ve been very much looking forward to seeing. I’ve read and seen pictures and looked at the map and I think it looks like a really cool place. As we drove south, the clouds got thicker and the ceiling of fog dropped down so low we really couldn’t see anything on the scenic drive down to Homer! SOOOO disappointing! There was one point that it cleared a bit and I was able to get a couple of shots across Cook Inlet but for the most part it was pretty socked in. I was particularly interested in seeing the other 2 volcanoes in the “Pacific Ring of Fire” but I don’t think they were visible in the picture I took.
Homer Spit is another interesting area that I look forward to investigating. It is a 4.3 mile arm of gravel that juts out into the Kachemak Bay. During the 1964 earthquake the Spit sank 4 to 6 feet and required several buildings to be moved to higher ground. There are many shops and restaurants along the 4 mile road and it is a major boat dock for incoming fishing boats and even cruise ships because it has a deep water dock. The historic Salty Dawg is one establishment that I am looking forward to visiting. “Ted”, one of the fishermen on the Kenai River told us we HAD to go and at least have a beer there.
So here we are sitting in Homer Alaska, the most southern point of our journey,at the 'Oceanview RV Park', waiting for the clouds to break. Yes, we did pick up the part we needed and “Mr. Fix-it” fixed it. We’re good to go!

PS: Zoe, don't underestimate Dan's creative abilities to extend the alphabet. He did it once... he'll do it again. NH via NC??? Hmmmmm. I think we'll have to make reservations for the fall.

July 19th

The weather has been much the same as the past month. Overcast, threatening rain showers and by the afternoon we see sun. It remains in the 60’s.

So we’re in a MUCH different kind of campground this time. A refreshing change from the glorified parking lot we came from with the hustle and bustle of catching and processing fish all around you. Here in Kasilof it is quiet, peaceful, family oriented type camping and the smell of pines. Yes, we are among the trees again. It is a state recreation site so we have the benefit of a lot of woods around us. There were bears spotted a few days ago, not far from here so we are back in the height of awareness again. It’s a bit of a walk to get to the Kasilof River, but a nice path that leads down to it about the same size as the Kenai. The fishing is very different than what we experienced on the Kenai. Gary & I were out for a few hours last night and I caught a 16 inch dolly varden and a 20 inch red. It could not be compared to where we had come from. It was really anticlimactic and I don’t know that we’ll find anything better than where we were. I am actually pretty well done with any kind fishing, but Gary is still looking for his big King! We’ll see how that goes.

We met an elderly man, Les, from Dunbarton, NH today. That’s the next town over from Weare. He had the old time New England accent and dry sense of humor that sounded so familiar. His son, Jim, was with him and he had moved to Berlin Germany 20 years ago. He had a slight German accent We had a lot to talk about. I bragged about my brother the “author” who married a German girl!! And he finally explained to me that the German’s and the Swiss are huge into fishing and there is a direct flight out of Frankfurt to Alaska which makes it convenient for them to get here. So that’s why we are meeting so many of them on this trip!

Today was spent resting and relaxing and taking care of all the gear. I did a load of very fishy smelling clothes and we enjoyed dinner cooked over a camp fire, pork chops not fish and a glass of wine.

Pictures:
1) flowers & woods around Kasilof Rec.Campground
2) Kasilof River
3) Kasilof River with filetted fish carcases at shore
4) The walkway down to the river... unlike the boardwalk in Saldotna!
5) The RV in our new spot

July 18th

Well, yesterday Gary and I both caught our limit… well…. Actually I caught one out of the 6 fish taken. It was a good day for the Kiddo. However, he had an unfortunate incident occur. While reeling in the 6th fish his rod broke about 2 feet from the tip. He was still fighting the fish so I ran over and tried to net it quicker so he wouldn’t loose it. We did get it in, but Gary is down one rod. The fish weighed in at 7 pounds and his rod was an 8 weight rod that should have held a 15 to 20 pound fish.

There is a whole procedure in catching these fish that I don’t think I’ve explained. First, of course, the whole technique of getting one on the line and keeping it hooked. It takes a lot of strength to pull in one of these 8 to 10 pounders. I think because they come fresh out of the ocean they have a lot of strength. They put on quite a show as they are being reeled in. They jump, twist, and “dance” across the water on their tail fin. Very cool to watch but it makes it more difficult to reel in. Once they are close enough you need a “netter”. Everyone here is so nice, they all come to your aide if you need it and net the fish for you. I have netted Gary’s fish enough times now that I’m finally feeling comfortable doing it but it’s always scary. I have seen MANY fish lost at the net. Yesterday Gary was netting for a guy and he got the fish in the net but it jumped up again over the net, heading straight back into the water. It was like watching a lacrosse player as he quickly re-netted the fish in the air!! Everyone was quite impressed with his skill. I, on the other hand, take a shower every time I am netting. I am not tall enough or strong enough to hold the netted fish out of the water so until I can make it back to shore, he thrashes around in the water and gets me completely soaked. Once on shore, the fish needs to be knocked in the head. Yes, you heard me right. I tried to do this once and it seemed as though the fish looked at me and laughed. In order to get them to stop fighting so you can get the hook out of its mouth, you give it a good crack on the head. So that’s why everyone is carrying what looks like miniature bats. They call these clubs, or knockers, or as one fisherman said, a Kenai Convincer. After the hook is removed and they are on a stringer the gills have to be cut in order to “bleed out” the fish. Sorry, I forgot to warn those who are a bit squeamish not to read this part. Anyway, you tie the stringer to the boardwalk, let the fish lie in the water and continue to bleed out and then begin the filleting process. So there’s your lesson on salmon fishing. We have learned a lot in a week and a half.

The Big Run has officially begun so we have been issued badges by the campground allowing us to fish off this dock. Every once in a while someone from the office will walk the boardwalk and make sure that those in the water or fishing from the boardwalk are officially campers. If not, they are asked to leave. It makes it nice for us, the fishing pressure remains low. I’ll try and post a picture of the badge.

So we decided that we have had our fill of fishing for reds here in Saldotna and we are moving on from this campground. We are moving just 15 miles south to a town called Kasilof and staying at the Crooked Creek Campground. We will be trying to catch a final 10 pounds of fish in order to send back a total of 100 pounds of salmon! WOW! All in one week. Amazing.

Picture Description:

1) Gary dropping fish off at the fish processing shop
2) my little friend 'Tanner' who would coach me when I had a fish on!
3) the River Badge
4) a fisherman getting to numb the fish
5) 'Kenai Convincers'... ours on the left, store bought on the right
6) Busy day at the fish cleaning stations

July 17

Yesterday I limited out in one hour and Gary limited out in 3. We had all the fish filleted and delivered to the fish processing shop by 5:30 and we actually had dinner at a decent hour! So now our total is 75 pounds! Yikes. We need to figure out what we’re going to do with 2 more days of fish. We’ll figure it out as we look at the total on Sunday.

This campground is like a big huge family party. It seems everyone knows everyone else and they all eat dinner at each other’s sites. They talk about their fishing stories of the day, compare how long it took everyone to limit-out, and of course eat grilled salmon for dinner. People are more than willing to share their favorite recipes with you and tell you the best way to fillet a fish. It’s a very fun, relaxed atmosphere.

I was talking to Gary & Tim at the front office today about the fish count. They said the run has definitely begun and the plane spotters are reporting 35 miles of salmon that are beginning to move in this direction. They say, from the air, it looks like a huge black line in the ocean. Amazing! Wouldn’t that be a sight to see.