The Hunt

Travelling PT has given us the opportunity to experience things we otherwise never would have had the chance to do. For instance, if you had told me back in the Spring of 2012 that by Fall of 2013 I'd be on a bear hunt in Alaska, I would have thought you were completely insane. However, that's exactly what just happened. Seriously. This happened.

It all started when our good friend Clayt, who is an experienced hunter, proposed that Amanda and I accompany him on a black bear hunt in Kachemak State Park (across the bay from Homer). He has been contemplating going on a bear hunt for some time, but hasn't been able to make it happen. You may remember that we tried to look for bears when we first got here to Alaska, but were unsuccessful. This time we were more prepared. There was more planning and Clayt got some good tips from a fellow Alaskan hunter he met. This time we were better prepared and primed for success.

We reserved a yurt (a small, round cabin-like structure) near Humpy Creek from Friday until Sunday, giving us plenty of time to track down a bear and take advantage of the great trail system across the bay.

Hunting headquarters

Unfortunately, in the days leading up to the planned hunt Amanda's immune system did not cooperate. She got a nasty head cold with probable sinus infection which caused her to bow out of the hunting trip. Amanda was legitimately looking forward to seeing the hunt go down, but since she could barely function there was no way she was packing a bag and travelling across the bay.

That left Clayt and I the responsibility of bringing home some bear for the purpose of feeding the Spitler family. For Clayt, this was no big deal. He has hunted all kinds of stuff, knows what to do, and knows how to do it. For me, well, I'm pretty much the complete opposite. I've never hunted anything, ever. I always liked the idea of hunting, but really had no concept of what went into executing a successful hunt. I was certainly willing to learn and Clayt was willing to show me the ropes.

We expected to see both black and brown bears. Brown bears are larger and can be more aggressive than black bears. The main feature you look for to determine if a bear is black or brown (you can't always go by color) is the presence of a shoulder hump. Brown bears have a large hump on their back, while black bears have a flatter back. Brown bears, since they live on a diet of mostly spawned out/dying salmon are not appealing to eat. Therefore, they are really only hunted for their hide. Black bears on the other hand typically eat more berries and have better tasting meat. If you are looking for a good meal, black bear is the way to go.

When we arrived at the yurt Friday morning we saw a huge brown bear eating salmon out of Humpy Creek within our first 5 minutes there.

Confirmed, there are bears in the area

We unpacked all of our gear as the rain steadily fell. We had a lot of gear. Maybe too much gear.

How much? Much too much.

We agreed on a trail to scout for black bear signs (tracks and droppings), Clayt showed me how to handle his rifle, we gathered the items needed for harvesting a bear, and we discussed the plan of action should we come across our targeted game. After lunch the rain let up and we headed out. All tolled we hiked about 8 miles, but didn't see any bears. We cam across a bunch of paw prints and other signs that bears were in the area, but no actual bears. It was a bit of a let down, but we knew we still had plenty of time left in the weekend. We ate dinner as we discussed our Saturday plans. During this conversation Clayt mentioned that bears are typically more active in the morning and evening, so we should think about doing the bulk of our hiking at either of those times. As we were discussing this, we realized it was 7:00 pm or evening, as some might call it. On a whim, we left the yurt with only a rifle and a knife just to see if any bears were out an about. We clearly didn't anticipate coming across any, since we didn't pack any of the gear we had with us earlier in the day. Big mistake.

After travelling only a half mile from the yurt, Clayt's eyes lit up and he said, "There's one!" Sure enough, a medium sized black bear was browsing for food in the distance. Black bears have a tremendous sense of smell, so good that if the wind is blowing towards them, they could smell a human before they ever see them. Luckily for us the wind was calm and the bear had no idea we were in the area. We crouched down and softened our footsteps as we slowly moved closer to the foraging bear. The adrenaline was definitely flowing. In order to get a clean shot, Clayt had to move across the field and onto a small mound. In doing so, he would lose sight of the bear, so I stayed back to track the bear's movements and signal them to Clayt. Since I didn't have binoculars (or any other gear for that matter), I took out my camera to zoom in for a magnified view. Clayt got into position as I watched intently.

Even though I knew what was coming next, my jaw still dropped when I heard the BANG of the rifle discharging. The whole point of this trip was to hunt and kill a black bear, but I still thought to myself, "Holy crap! Clayt just shot that bear!" Clayt raised his hand and gave a thumbs-up, a sign that he hit his target cleanly. The bear dropped and laid on the ground as we approached. After about 15-20 seconds it was all over. We had gotten our bear.

It was amazing to me what a single bullet did to this 200-300 pound creature. While Clayt and I certainly appreciated the bear giving it's life to feed Clayt's family, it also made me better understand the raw power firearms posses. I have worked with many patients following gun shots, but to see what it did in real time was an eye opener.

After we made sure the bear wasn't going to come back to life and exact it's revenge by biting our faces off, we did what all good hunters do: pose for pictures!

My first ever successful hunt

Clayt Spitler: Alaskan Sharpshooter

Then came the real work, removing the hide and harvesting the meat. Since we didn't pack any of our gear with us I had to run back as Clayt began the process of separating the hide from the underlying muscle and fat. Of course, it was now getting dark, and starting to rain. Keep in mind, we are clearly in bear country, so I was yelling, clapping, and just generally sounding like a fool as I made my way back to the yurt. It was either that or chance getting mauled. I think I made the right choice. With our headlamps on and knife in hand we got to work. "Dr. Spitler" did most of the surgical cutting while I used my knowledge of human anatomy to point out where joint lines would be. This made removing the arms, legs, and paws a little easier. I realized how much of a nerd I am when statements such as "Disarticulate the wrist here." or "You should cut through the fascia there." would yield sideways looks or sarcastic comments from Clayt. Sorry Clayt, I just can't help myself sometimes.

At about 10:30 pm, in complete darkness, we lifted up our ridiculously heavy packs and began the hike back to the yurt. Since it was not a well defined trail, we took a few detours, but eventually made it back safely. We hung the meat from a tree so other bears, coyotes, or creatures of the night wouldn't steal it while we slept. The cool air also helps preserve the meat, since we wouldn't get back to town until Sunday. We spent the rest of the night celebrating our victory.

A bear. In bags. In a tree.

With the main goal of our trip accomplished, we were free to relax and do whatever we wanted for the rest of the weekend. We decided to hike up to Portlock Plateau, where spectacular views and fresh blueberries are abundant. It definitely qualified as a strenuous hike (so much for relaxing), and we were also feeling the effects of celebrating until 2:00 am the night before. It was definitely worth it though. We had panoramic views of Kachemak Bay while we picked some of the most delicious blueberries you'll ever eat. That evening we were witnesses to an unbelievably dramatic sunset over Kachemak Bay, a perfect way to close out the trip.

K-Bay at it's best

As we headed back to Homer the next morning, I just kept thinking about how much of a rush and how exciting the whole hunting process was. Even though I didn't pull the trigger, Clayt made me feel like an integral part of the team. Let's be honest though, this trip never would have happened without Clayt, so all the credit goes to him. However, this whole experience has, without a doubt, made me even more interested in learning to hunt. If we end up somewhere that it's feasible to do so, and I get proper training, I could totally see myself getting into this.

It'll be hard to top this trip though. I mean my first ever hunt is for bears in Alaska. How cool is that?

In-Law Invasion: Part II

Blogging here in Alaska has been a bit of a challenge at times. There is always so much to see, do, and experience that I almost don't want stop and sit at the computer. Fortunately, today is a lazy, rainy day that gives me the perfect excuse to document everything that's been going on. Most notably, we just hosted our second set of visitors, Mom and Pop Funk. If I tried to recite everything they did during their 3 weeks here in Alaska two things would happen:
1) I'd get a notice from Blogger saying I'm using too much of their web space.
2) Mom Funk would get heart palpitations and likely pass out after reliving their Alaskan expedition.

For the sake of my mother-in-law's health I'm going to stick to the highlights.

The Funks arrived in Anchorage and immediately went to Denali National Park. They had a great experience there, hiking, viewing wildlife, learning about dog sledding, and generally enjoying the beauty of Alaska's signature National Park. Unfortunately the weather did not allow for an unobstructed view of Mt. McKinley, but as their trip proved, there's more to Denali than just seeing the mountain.

When they were finished playing up north, Amanda and I met them in Anchorage so we could bring them to Homer.

The Funks reunited in Anchorage

The drive south was rainy (as most days were during their time in Alaska), but even in poor conditions it is always spectacular to drive alongside the Cook Inlet, Kenai River, and upper Aleutian mountain range.

Mom and Pop survive the trip to Homer

Since we can't control the weather, the only thing we guaranteed was that the Funks would be well fed. There are plenty of great restaurants here in Homer, plus Amanda and I put together a pretty solid menu. Pop, being a vegetarian, lived on a steady diet of toast for breakfast and salmon for dinner. The only time it was a problem was when he was forced to have toast for dinner at an Anchorage diner. That was a sad situation.

Between feedings we did our best to balance entertaining our guests and being productive at work. Luckily our work schedule allowed at least one of us to be be a tour guide, taxi driver, or hiking buddy. It was our mission to give Mom and Pop true insight into all Homer has to offer so they can better understand why we love this place so much.

The rain did clear out enough on the weekends to allow for two excellent adventures. First, we booked a float plane trip to Lake Clark National Park. This is the least visited National Park in the entire Park System, but is where Dick Proenneke's wilderness cabin is located. If you are unfamiliar with Dick Proenneke, I highly recommend checking out the book One Man's Wilderness or the video documentary Alone in the Wilderness (Part I & II). Hopefully his story inspires you in the same way we were. Here is a link if you'd like some more information: http://www.dickproenneke.com/.

I cannot express how incredible of an experience this trip was. It is right up there with climbing Mt. St. Helen's. It was that awesome. There is something to be said for entering an area without roads, shops, or civilization of any kind. It allows you to feel one with nature. It also gave us a better appreciation for what Dick Proenneke was able to accomplish than the movies or books ever could. There were so many great pictures and moments from that trip that I decided to summarize them in a video. If pictures are worth a thousand words, be thankful I did a video instead of writing about it all!

Our other fair weather trip was across Kachemak Bay for a hike to Glacier Lake. Even before we got to Homer, people have been telling us the Glacier Lake trail needs to be on our "to do" list. After taking a water taxi across the bay, we set out on an easy to moderate 5+ mile hike. After making your way from the beach, through the forest, and across the bush, you find yourself at the base of Grewingk Glacier, a massive sheet of ice which extends off of the Harding Icefield in the Kenai Mountains. As the glacier has receded it created a lake that it now calves into. When you arrive here, you can immediately feel the cool air blowing off the snow and ice, see the icebergs floating in the frigid water, and can climb on the rock faces previously chiseled out by the movement of the glacier.

Grewingk Glacier in all its glory

We finished up our Homer outings with a halibut fishing trip and family golf outing. The fishing wasn't great, especially considering we are in the "Halibut fishing capital of the world" but Pop and I did each come away with a delicious halibut.

Yes, we ate them for dinner

Despite a poor showing on the fishing trip, I think that was still more successful than the golf outing. While it was a ton of fun to be playing golf with glaciers in the background, we all played very, very poorly. Pop, who is an avid golfer won, but was none too pleased with his score. I would like to think that the scenic backdrop distracted us, but if you ask Mom Funk, she'll tell you that we were too busy laughing at her swings and misses to concentrate on our own shots.

Multiple distractions lead to bad scores

Our last night in Homer was a time to party as Mom Funk's birthday was approaching. She and Pop would be flying out on her actual birthday so we decided to have a little celebration of our own a couple days early. Two Sisters Bakery provided the cake, we provided the entertainment. Clearly the cake was the highlight!

Happy Birthday Mom!

After two weeks of Alaskan action, we had one last stop to make. The Alaskan State Fair was calling our names. Each year this fair is held in Palmer, AK, a city northeast of Anchorage. After driving to Anchorage (with a layover at Girdwood's luxurious Hotel Alyeska), we boarded the Alaskan Railroad headed for Palmer. We spent the day browsing the vendors, eating scrumptious fair fare, and following a bluegrass band from venue to venue. The main attraction though is the over-sized produce display. Despite a short growing season, the near constant sunlight of the summer months yields gigantic, mutant looking vegetables. For example, there was a pumpkin that weighed over 1200 pounds and a 92 pound cabbage. That's a heck of a lot of pumpkin pie and sauerkraut!

Big, BIG veggies!

With everyone successfully exhausted, we said our goodbyes and sent Mom and Pop on their way back to PA. It was once again great to have them stay with us and experience firsthand this crazy life we lead. We appreciate their love and support so much and sincerely enjoy having them be a part of this journey.

Speaking of our journey, we have officially decided we will not be spending the winter in Alaska. We definitely debated seeing what an Alaskan winter would be like, but in order to stick to our two year plan of travelling we decided we'll move on at the end of October. We don't know where we're headed, but are looking for something in the southern half of the U.S. That could mean Arizona, or it could mean Virginia. Only time will tell. As we know more we will keep you informed, but for now we are just going to enjoy the rest of our time in the last frontier. Starting with today's lazy, rainy day.

Summer in Alaska

Since Em and Dave headed back to PA, Charlie and I have laid relatively low enjoying all that Homer and the Kenai Peninsula have to offer.  That being said, this post should be relatively short; a quick update to avoid any back-up that could occur as things pick up at the end of this week.  That’s right, Mom and Pop Funk are about to make an appearance in The Last Frontier!

As July suddenly turned to August it is hard to believe that summer will soon fade into fall.  You can still feel the hustle and bustle of the Alaskan summer, but cooler weather and rain have moved in and made us much more aware that seasons change quickly here and new activities will accompany these changes.  Since local summer activities are still abundant we are trying our best to participate in as many as we can. 

Of course we enjoy perusing the Homer Farmers Market.  It is no Lancaster County market, but they do their best to grow fresh produce that consists mostly of humongous leafy greens, herbs, and hearty root vegetables.  They do have a seafood stand, delicious salsa, colorful floral arrangements, and many other craft/miscellaneous stands that make it easy to find something to buy.  The market is open each Wednesday and Saturday, but doesn't open until 3pm on Wednesday and 10 am on Saturday…that is kind of weird, don’t you think?!  Regardless, it is a nice summer staple. 

We are often tempted to eat out on Tuesday and/or Thursday due to dynamite dinner deals at Alice’s Champagne Palace - $10 Burger N' Brew, $12 Tacos and Tequila.  Alice’s is a local restaurant that has lots of character, great music, and unique theatrical performances.  We love it.  You’ll probably see Charlie wearing an Alice’s t-shirt some day.

Alice's Champagne Palace = Classy (in our book, that is!)

Fridays are often quite busy here in Homer.  First Friday of each month is dedicated to celebrating local artists with open houses at the various galleries downtown, the small local movie theater plays new releases, and live theater performances are ongoing at Pier One Theater.  Local musicians are never bored playing each Thursday through Sunday at several restaurants and bars.  Especially unique for a small town is a summer music series put on by the Kenai Peninsula Orchestra.  They have multiple performances in several locations throughout the Peninsula and consist of non-professional musicians who vary from expert to mediocre.  For two weeks they hold free “Noon Time Tunes” at a variety of locations, Monday-Friday.  Charlie and I made both Friday noon tunes – an informal violin and guitar performance and a more formal father/daughter keyboard/saxophone duet.  All of this live music has stirred up my internal love for music and I have dusted off my violin, playing more in the 2.5 months we've been in Homer than the previous year! 

On Friday, August 2^nd there was a last minute contra dance held in an old boat repair shop.  But we were unfortunately unable to attend the contra dance due to a prior commitment.  The Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies hosts a free community event every Friday (“Fantastic Friday”).  On August 2^nd Charlie and I were the speakers, talking about how to enjoy popular outdoor activities without getting hurt. Despite all of the other things to do in Homer on a first Friday, a great group of about 10 people showed up enabling an interactive presentation with great conversation. 

Very Official.

Following a successful Fantastic Friday we treated ourselves to a day of live music and fun at Salmonstock.  This was a 3 day music festival held in the tiny town of Ninilchik, AK (population <1,000), about 45 minutes north of Homer.  It's a newer festival hosted by the Renewable Resources Coalition and Foundation.  The festival is a celebration of fish and music; the cause is to raise awareness and provide education related to protecting Alaska's natural resources and the peoples livelihood. The hugely controversial and political topic on the top of their list is opposition for a proposed Pebble Mine Project in the Bristol Bay area.  Bristol Bay is home to one of the world's largest wild salmon fisheries and a mine located in this region could greatly affect the fish that depend on these waters and its unique habitat.  Similar to oil companies, the developers of the Pebble Mine Project provide studies and ensure that measures will be put in place to protect the land and avoid disturbance, but the reality is often less ideal than the picture that they work so hard to paint.  Needless to say, it is a hot topic but was not shoved in your face at the festival.  It was mostly about bringing people together for a great weekend of music.

Best souvenir ever!
Kleen Kanteen cups.  The cup that keeps on giving. 

Headlining that evening was Trampled By Turtles.
An amazing blue grass band from Minnesota.
(Can you spy the hand painted salmon on stage?)

A large part of Homer’s art and music scene is the Pier One Theater, which I briefly mentioned above.  It's been around since 1973 and we felt it was important to see what this small wooden playhouse had to offer.  I can't imagine the theater seats more than 100 people which allows an intimate experience.  The show we had tickets for was Johnny B.'s "Rhythm of the North" described as a multi-media performance with audience interaction.  Johnny B. is a Homer resident, composer, and pianist who has been performing since the 1950's, playing in every state, Canada, Europe, and Japan.  He recently composed the soundtrack for a children’s movie about Alaskan animals and used parts of this video as he performed as a one man show at Pier One Theater.  Johnny B. turned out to be a great story teller specializing in boogie-woogie.  It was definitely a unique show filled with toe tapping and laughs. 

Random? Yes.
Entertaining? Yes.

When we aren't listening to some form of music or doing something physical therapy related we are either watching Netflix or doing something outdoors.  If you don't have Netflix you are seriously missing out, just an FYI.  

We were antsy to hike a trail Clayt and Laura told us about when we first arrived in Alaska and the weather allowed us to do that the last weekend in July.  Skyline Trail is labeled as being 1.5 miles one way.  As we read a bit about the trail we found this distance to be controversial.  The hike is a steep one requiring some scrambling on loose rock.  We both agreed that it felt like more than 1.5 miles and sure enough our trusty GPS told us we'd hiked 2.2 miles one way.  That trail head is definitely telling a lie.  

Incorrect mileage markers won't wipe the smiles off our faces!
Chillin' in the clouds.

Enjoying the view of Kenai National Wildlife Refuge.

  

We were psyched to find out that Homer has a disc golf course, so we hit that up one Sunday afternoon.  

What a stud.  In a field.

This past weekend was spent in Soldotna visiting friends, celebrating the arrival of adorable Hudson Marshall who arrived 3 weeks early (congrats Melissa and Brady!), tasting great brews at the Kenai Peninsula Beer Festival, and camping out while we still can. 

The sun really sets these days!
This was taken around 10:30 pm.  No flash needed.

This "short" and “quick” blog has turned out to be a bit bulkier than I expected, but I have to end with a special CONGRATS to Elaine, Chris and Kiera Dougherty as they welcomed Dilan Mae Dougherty into their family on August 5^th.  We are excited to have another niece and can’t wait to meet her!

Welcome Dilan!

Freaking Awesome

Before I get started, I just want to applaud my mom for recently completing an Alaskan cruise. She was a bit apprehensive about committing to such a big trip, but after talking with her, it sounds like she really enjoyed her cruise from Seattle, WA to the Alaskan Panhandle. It was a shame that the cruise didn't bring her to Homer, but Amanda and I are really proud of her for going out on a limb and experiencing something that many people don’t have the chance or desire to do. Great job mom!

The O'Malleys Alaskan Adventures just keep rolling on. The weather is beautiful, the people are friendly, and the opportunities for exciting activities are plentiful. It’s pretty freaking awesome here, hence the title for this entry. You should get used to that phrase, since I plan to keep using it.

What I really want to talk about was our salmon fishing extravaganza, but I don’t want to get ahead of myself. I’ll be a good blogger and pick up where Amanda left off. Plus it’s more fun to save the best for last…

As Amanda briefly mentioned before, we got to spend some time with Brian and Nikki Strohl, two good friends from Amanda’s home town who made the trip up to see Clayt and Laura. Clayt and Laura hosted a little get together which was followed by a great hike the next day. 

This is what it looks like when a bunch of
people from Pennsylvania end up in Alaska

We went to Russian River Falls, which is a staging area for spawning salmon. As the salmon swim up the Russian River (a branch off of the Kenai River), they will rest at the base of the falls before attempting to jump up the series of steep, rushing waterfalls. We all stood in amazement watching these fish leap out of the water, over rocks, and further into whitewater rapids. They are like possessed zombies because they are so focused on one thing, and one thing only: getting up the river to spawn, even though it means they will die. It gave us all an appreciation of how hard they have to work to keep their species alive.

All these guys need to do is swim up stream...

...piece of cake

The Strohls then came down to Homer later in the week to see our end of Alaska before they headed back to PA. They were very interested in tidepooling so they could see some marine wildlife, but we also did some fishing so they could bring some of the marine wildlife to them. They seemed to really enjoy taking in the spectacular mountain and bay views, while exploring the town we currently call home sweet Homer.

A perfect day to explore the beaches of Homer

Just as one group left, another arrived, literally. After we dropped Brian and Nikki off at the airport in Anchorage, we went directly from departures to arrivals to pick up Dave and Emily, our excellent friends from Lancaster, PA. It was so great to see them, and finally have them here since Amanda and I had spent quite some time planning for their arrival.

Even though it was midnight when we picked them up, the sky was sun lit and appeared as though it was barely mid-afternoon. With Dave and Em thoroughly shell-shocked by the series of flights, 4 hour time difference, and midnight sun, Amanda and I made sure they got a good night’s sleep before embarking on a myriad of adventures together.

Our first stop was Flattop Mountain, which is a popular, though strenuous, hike just outside of Anchorage. Climbing the steep terrain and scrambling over the loose rocks is worth it when you get to the top and have unobstructed views of Anchorage, Cook Inlet, the Aleutian Range, the Alaska  Range, and even Denali. We all agreed that it was a perfect way for them to begin their Alaska experience. I might even go as far to say it was freaking awesome.

Great views and we aren't even at the top yet

Watch your step!

After lunch we headed south to our favorite little ghost town, Hope, AK. There is just something about this cozy spot in the middle of nowhere that we love. It’s so easy to show up, pitch a tent, grab a beer, and listen to great live music out on the sun drenched deck. What’s not to like? The band even called up a really young girl at one point to sing Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire”, and she tore the house down. Where else are you going to see that? It is so much fun to share things like this, and Dave and Em are the perfect people to share them with.

On the agenda for the next day was a kayak tour of Humpy Cove in Resurrection Bay near Seward, AK. While it was an enjoyable experience for our group (which even included a sweet waterfall hike), a different group that was heading out on the water before us had an unfortunate incident. A double kayak tipped over because one of the users couldn't control it. It is an emergency anytime someone falls into open water in Alaska because it is so frigid. To make matters worse, the people were in the water for a good 5 minutes, which can cause body temperature to drop significantly. Luckily, with our guide’s help, the other group was able to get the kayak righted and the people out of the water. In the end everyone was alright, but it was a sad end to their kayak trip and a nerve-racking start to ours.

Hiking in kayak skirts is always a good look

Dave an Em: A well oiled machine

We departed Seward and finally headed for Homer. Along the drive, Dave an Em were wide eyed looking for moose. Emily has waited her whole life for the chance to see a moose, and we didn't want her to leave Alaska disappointed. Sure enough, nature cooperated and we spotted a nice bull moose having some dinner by the side of the road. Mission accomplished!

Emily's first moose encounter

It was late when we arrived in Homer, so we saved the Homer tour for the next day. We walked along the Spit, perused a few art galleries, and had delicious sushi at Wasabi. It was a great way to relax after our busy weekend. While Amanda and I had to work during the week, that didn't stop Dave and Em from exploring all that is Homer. They hiked just about anywhere they could find a trail, including a 7-8 mile beach hike where they saw a ton of seals. They gathered as much information as possible about wildlife, geology, and history at the Pratt Museum, Wynn Nature Center, Alaska Islands & Ocean Visitor Center, and the Homer Visitor Center. I think they now know more about Homer than we do. They also know more about Homer’s milkshakes as they stopped for them three out of the five days they spent in Homer!

The highlight of the week though was Sockeye Salmon (red salmon) fishing with Clayt. When I say that this was freaking awesome, it was FREAKING AWESOME! Clayt and I had been watching the fish counter all week waiting for the salmon numbers to spike so we knew when the salmon run was on. In order for it to be worth fishing sockeye in the Kenai, you’d like to see at least 25,000-30,000 fish in the river. There were a few days hovering around the 15,000-20,000 mark, before the counts jumped up to about 100,000. As if this wasn't good enough, it shot up to almost 250,000 the next day! It was time to fish!!

After I finished work on Wednesday evening, we drove an hour and a half up to Soldotna to meet our "fishing guide" Clayt. He took us to the banks of the Kenai River and set us up with the gear we needed to fish. After reviewing the proper technique for catching these feisty fish, it was time to fish. Dave wasted no time catching a good size salmon on what seemed like his first cast. In fact he had caught two before anyone else caught anything. I was getting pretty frustrated because I was hooking fish, but they were getting free before I could bring them in to be netted. After modifying my technique for setting the hook, I finally had the upper hand on the fish. I reeled in my first salmon as Clayt excitedly yelled, “That’s as big as you’ll find here!” and “It’s a monster!” It was easily the biggest fish I had ever caught, close to 10 pounds we think. I may have screamed out a more colorful version of “This is freaking awesome!”, but only those on the river know for sure.

Yeah, I caught that.

Each person is only able to catch up to 3 salmon per day. Dave was a machine and caught his limit in a little less than an hour. He then turned his attention to helping Emily catch her fish. We were a little worried Em might freak out or drop the rod when she got a fish on the line, but she held it together and caught a couple of really nice fish. Amanda had a difficult time getting started as she kept losing fish before she could reel them in. It turns out part of the problem was an issue with the reel. Once Clayt was able to fix it, Amanda started to bring in fish as fast as anyone else on the river. 

I love how excited Amanda and Clayt are...FISH ON!

Once a fish is caught, it needs to be hit on the head with a blunt object so it doesn't suffer. Clayt's mini baseball bat, named the “Kenai Slugger” accomplished this task. Everyone got a turn practicing this skill, though Emily was clearly the most timid, Amanda didn't flinch.

Amanda swinging the Kenai Slugger

There's dinner!

Once we had all of our fish, Clayt started to fillet them, revealing the scarlet red meat these fish are known for. We ended up bringing over 42 lbs. of salmon fillets with us back to Homer. Dave and Em were later able to ship 17 lbs. back to PA as a scrumptious souvenir from their time in AK. Keep in mind, that’s just the fillet weight, the rest of the fish was thrown back in the river (“fillet and release” as Clayt would say). Not bad for 3 hours of work on the river.

Best fishing guide ever.
We couldn't have done it without you.

Unfortunately, we then had to drive an hour and a half back to Homer, where Amanda had to work the following morning. Despite not getting to bed until after 2:00 am, she toughed it out and was ready for work. She was a little less chipper than normal, but ready nonetheless.

Before we had to say goodbye to Dave and Em, we camped at Cooper Creek Campground, about an hour north of Soldotna. We smoked some of our freshly caught salmon over the campfire and just enjoyed spending our last bit of time together in Alaska. It was sad to say goodbye to them, as it is always sad saying goodbyes, but we had made some great memories over the 10+ days we were together. Plus we know they will think of us, and us of them, every time we dig into our massive pile of salmon fillets for dinner!

A huge thank you goes out to Dave and Em for making the long journey up to see us. We know it’s not easy (or cheap) to get to Alaska, but they made the choice to do so and we sincerely appreciate getting to share our Alaska experience with them. Having those two here with us made something that is already pretty amazing, freaking awesome!

Settling In

The uncertainties that accompany our current lifestyle of temporary living wax and wane.  The excitement of getting prepared for new adventures is remarkable, however the unknowns and effort required to ultimately uproot from one place and set up a new life in another can be quite nerve racking and exhausting (no matter how many times we do it).  I now find great pleasure in the period of time following a big move when we have established a new routine without the events of each day being somewhat of a mystery.  We have been in Homer for one month now.  This means we are unpacked, know our way around town, feel more comfortable at work, and have a place to regularly exercise.  Having a routine enables us to plan excursions out of the comfort of our new home.

In short, we are settling into our life in Homer.  Ahhhh!!

As we’ve slid into the settled stage of our Alaska experience we have continued to explore this gigantic state…with a little help from our friends.  If you haven’t already noticed, fishing plays a huge role in the life of Alaskans that live on the Kenai Peninsula.  I am NO angler with my fishing experience limited to a handful of days of fishing at a stocked, man-made lake in PA.  Being here among true fisherman I’m beginning to develop a new appreciation for the dedication, patience, science, and art behind the numerous kinds of fishing.  Here in Homer the main attraction is halibut with cod, rockfish, salmon, rays, and dogfish also being caught in the bay.  If you go slightly north to one of the many lakes or rivers that traverse the peninsula you run into opportunities for major salmon runs, dolly varden, rainbow trout, and graylings, to name just a few.  Being in a fisherman’s paradise we have the chance to try our hand at all kinds of fishing, which is a unique first experience for both Charlie and I!

Our friends Melissa and Brady have a sweet, large boat docked in Homer and they were nice enough to invite us out for a day of halibut fishing.  Everyone was determined to catch giant bottom feeders, but unfortunately the conditions didn’t cooperate with fog and large waves leading to nauseated discomfort for some. We were able to move to calmer water, but the fish weren’t biting and so we called it a day.  Oh well…you can’t win ‘em all! 

 

Can't say we weren't trying!

 

The following weekend we had the pleasure of spending the whole day with Clayt and Laura since Laura’s mom was visiting and offered to babysit for the day.  We decided to spend the morning and afternoon floating down the Kenai River on a cataraft.  What is a cataraft you ask?  It is a beautiful thing really.  It consists of two heavy duty inflatable tubes and a frame that allows people to comfortably sit, row, fish, and carry gear while floating in water (rivers, streams, lakes, ponds, etc).  And of course, Clayt and Laura just happen to own a cataraft!  This allowed for relaxation, trolling, and a stop at the Russian River intersection where an early season sockeye salmon run was in action. 

 

Blue skies + Beautiful water + Good friends = A great day

 

As we approached the intersection with the Russian River we were shocked with the number of people wading in the river attempting to catch salmon.  This gave me and Charlie an introduction to what people here call combat fishing.  Combat fishing is a phenomenon that occurs on the easily accessible stretches of river when thousands to millions of salmon are swimming upstream to spawn.  When the salmon are swimming, the people will come.  This leads to overly crowded stretches of river. 

Salmon Anyone?

 

We threw some elbows (just kidding) and found a spot to wade, learned how to fish for salmon, and put our waders to the test as we stood in the cold Alaskan river.  Luckily Charlie loves fishing because his waders sprung a leak leading to numb knees and feet!  

Despite the number of people in the river it didn’t look like many were catching anything.  So when we came up empty handed we weren't too surprised.  It was a nice opportunity to practice the technique.  If locals aren’t catching, we certainly aren’t!  Also, this early run is small compared to the Kenai River run in mid to late July.  To put it in perspective, the 2013 early Russian River run cumulative fish count was 32,813.  The average mid to late July Kenai River fish count is 959,214 sockeye salmon.  That’s a lot of fish!

Timing is definitely important with fishing, as are the conditions.  Unfortunately the stars have not yet aligned for us, but do not fear…we are putting in the time and hoping to score big one of these times!

Our outings have not been limited to fishing.  We’ve also done some hiking and made our way across Kachemak Bay for an evening picnic on Sunshine Point.  Sunshine Point is across the bay from Homer, a small area of land and shoreline that is privately owned and surrounded by state park.  Turns out that land belongs to our boss’s husband’s family!  And they were nice enough to take us and our housemate/co-worker Darcy there for a picnic on the beach.  We continue to be awed by how inviting and giving people can be.

Sallie and Captain Dan

 

Perfect evening.
The bay was like a sheet of glass.

 

Don't stop reading yet!  I’ve saved the best for last...

The weekend before the 4^th of July we decided it was time for another big hike.  Clayt was free to join us and so we all decided on the Harding Icefield Trail, which is within Kenai Fjords National Park.  The beauty of this trail is that it parallels a glacier and provides views of the enormous Harding Icefield with snow, ice, and glaciers as far as the eye can see.  Fun fact: the first people to cross the glacier were men from Homer, AK who are also responsible for naming it Exit Glacier.

8.2 miles round trip
(add about 1 extra mile if your name starts with a C)

 

Good advice.

 

We've decided that this was one of the best hikes we’ve done (second only to Mount St. Helen’s).  The variety of terrain (packed dirt, large rocks, loose rock, to snow), vegetation, wildlife, and of course the glacial viewing take your mind off the amount of work you are putting forth.  We had the company of song birds throughout the hike and encountered large rustling movements in nearby trees that turned out to be a black bear.  Eek! Luckily the bear was quite focused on eating the thick, leafy vegetation and didn't bother with the sweaty hikers. 

Exit Glacier...see it while it is still around!

 

Shelter near the end of the trail.
Safety from weather and wildlife.

 

Like I said...snow, ice and glaciers
as far as the eye can see!

 

The vista was impressive, but the boys weren’t quite satisfied.  Seeing the glacier wasn’t enough.  They wanted to experience it up close and personal.  I wasn't so sure about that AND I have already had the opportunity to hike on a glacier (guided, of course!) in New Zealand, so I didn’t feel the need to follow the daring duo.  Thus, I stayed back and photographed their crazy hike onto Exit Glacier… 

There they go...

 

Little men on a huge glacier!

 

They just kept going
and people started talking...
"Those guys are crazy!"

They returned safely and both felt pretty cool.  The End.

The end of one adventure means it's time to plan for the next.  However, a lot has already happened since the above hike due to my delay in blogging!  I just can't keep up!  Due to this, I must say a belated happy 4th to all and a special happy 4th/birthday to my Pop and Ellie :-)

The 4th is now behind us, but we enjoyed a patriotic day at the Elks and Homer parade with our housemate Darcy.  This was followed by another Ephrata reunion with Nikki and Bryan Strohl who are visiting the Spilters.

Now it is time to bid farewell until our next blog as we anxiously await the arrival of our first guests, Emily and Dave Brown.