Day 57: Sunshine on the water

 We certainly enjoyed the sunshine today at Quartz Creek campground on Kenai Lake which is part of the Kenai river. We finally got the kayak out and paddled up the river and saw lots of salmon. They looked like large gold fish or something from a Koi pond. The salmon also have pronounced hooked snouts. This is from swimming up stream and not eating getting ready to spawn. I hear they don't taste as good the farther they get up stream from the ocean. We are at least 60 miles from the ocean so these guys have been doing some work the past few weeks to get here. I was not able to get pictures of them due to glare on the water. I hope to get the GoPro out tomorrow and get some underwater shots of them in the river. Right now we are just chilling in the cool weather as we know it is 100+ degrees back home.

Day 56: Quartz Creek Sunshine

We woke up today to sunshine peeking through the clouds. Today was a travel day. Of course we slept in until 9am, then we got up and started packing it up. We dumped the tanks and then Yoli was having a hankering for a burger at the High Liner Cafe. So we parked the rig and took our last walk into town. It was an awesome burger. Yoli got the Date burger, and I got the Jalapeno jam burger. We did get about a 3 mile walk in so not all lost on the burger. The sun was shining so time to hit the road, wait, wait, Yoli needed a T-Shirt, so we stopped downtown, made a quick tourist shop and scored shirt for Yoli. I already scored me a shirt at Safeway on the sale rack yesterday. A Hat for $9 and a University of Alaska T-Shirt for $8.
Miles: 50 / 4696

Quartz Creek CG

My Alaska Swag

Day 54-55: Seward Recovery

Today was a sad day, We took Tom and Nan to the train station yesterday. No not the Yellowstone train station, the actual train station where they caught the train from Seward to Anchorage. Today, after 7 days of no rain, it rained all night and most the day. So we stayed inside, caught up on the blog, and finished the Whitehorse to Valdez video. This also was our 8th & 9th day in Seward with only one more day to hang out before we move on to other parts in the Kenai peninsula. Not big photo days as the rain and clouds came in. We did get a walk in between rain showers. So for two days, Friday and Saturday, we pretty much slept in and did a lot of nothing. Tomorrow, we pack it up and head to Cooper landing, Quartz Creek Campground, hopefully sunshine and warmer weather.

Day 53: Lowell Point Hike

 

We sleep in until almost 10am and to our surprise, another beautiful day if forming out our window. The sun is peeking out and looking like an excellent day for a hike before Tom and Nancy head home back to Dallas for 100 degree heat. Its only in the upper 50's here so we gear up and head to Lowell point just south of Seward, a state park with trails and water access. We cover the 2+ mile hike out and see salmon in the river and a beautiful view of Ressurection bay back towards Seward. We hike it back for a total of 4.5 miles and stop in at Millers landing for Coffee, a Muffin, Mocha's, and I think Tom scored another brownie and cookie. It is almost 3pm and Tom and Nancy had a 6pm train to catch from Seward to Anchorage so we drive back to camp. Showers for all, have some egg casserole that Yolanda has perfected over the past few weeks, then Tom and Nan pack up for the long trip home via Train, Plane, and multi stop trip all nighter back to Dallas. Good luck T&N and safe travels.

Day 52: Kenai River

All the mid day float trips were booked so we gambled with a 5:30pm float trip today and it was awesome. But first, since we had a nice day, Tom and I went for a E-Bike ride to Millers Landing a few miles down the coast towards Lowell point. We stopped in the cafe for coffee and a brownie on the patio overlooking the bay. After we got our E-bike ride in, we pack up and head to Cooper Landing where we hook up with our river guide Issac for a 2 hour float trip. The weather was great, about 65 degrees and sunny. We see bald eagles and have a very enjoyable float down the Kenai river. We make it back to camp before they close the road at 9:30pm for blasting and road work.

Issac our guide

Alan being Alan

Moose on the side of the road

Kenai River

Tom being Tom

Fisherman on the Russian River

Issac our guide

End of the float at Russian River takeout

 

Day 51: Alaska Sea-Life Center

Today we went to the Alaska Sealife Center here in Seward. It is an aquatic center with all kinds of wildlife with seals, fish, and birds. We got to watch them feed a huge 1200 pound seal lion and watch the otters swim and play. Tom and went out for an E-bike ride to the Marina and talked with fisherman coming in with the days catch of salmon and halibut.

Baby Salmon

Sea Lion Tank

Otters

Puffins

Ressurection Bay from Sealife Center Viewing deck

Day 50: Recovery Day

We didn't make it home last night due to the accident, so this morning we get into town around noon and stop by J-Dock to drop our fish off for processing where they will vacuum seal and flash freeze our fish for $1.60 lb. We have 21.2 lbs of fish and Tom and Nan will be taking half of it home on the plane. After we drop the fish, we head back to the RV only find that the Screen Tint, our "Clam" had blown away and our good neighbors rounded it up and tied it to the bumper. Good thing we made friends with them last couple days or we might have just lost our clam tent! We finish off the day with a bonfire and smores then more binge watching Madam Secretary on Netflix via Starlink.

hot dogs and smores

Day 49: Bears, Bears, Bears

Today was the most special day of the trip. We booked an adventure tour on Talon Air where we flew on a bush plane from Soldotna, AK across the bay to a secluded uninhabited area to fish with bears. Not only did we catch over a dozen salmon, but we did it all within 50' of bears fishing and eating salmon in the river. Momma bears, baby bears, and salmon for 4 hours. We got some great video and pictures of bears and salmon. We also got a bonus glacier flight seeing tour on the way back flying up and down the glacier front. Today was epic and unforgettable. Everyone had a great time and the weather was just perfect for flight seeing, bear viewing, and flossing for salmon. Flossing is a method of catching fish with a bare hook, basically snagging them. The idea is to throw the line out and when the fish runs into it with his mouth open, you yank on the line "Flossing" it's teeth, and you snag it in the mouth and the fight is on. It is actually very effective because hundreds of salmon are being chased around by the bears in a small area.

On the way home, highway 9 to Seward was closed for 6 hours due to a head on collision from a police chase out of Seward. It was 9:30pm so we got us hotel room back in Cooper Landing at the Alpine Inn. We spend the night, get a hot shower, then head back to Seward around 11am the next day.

Yolanda and Nancy

Kenai river view

Tom flying the plane

Bears watching us

Yoli catching Salmon

Teanage Bears Playing while Momma fishes

On the hunt for Salmon

Momma and Babies

Yoli fishing with the Bears

Guide Shrek cooking fresh Salmon

Catch of the Day

21.2 lbs of Sockeye Fillets