Bipolar Fish

We are not wasting a minute of vacation. It's our last day in AK and we were up at 5:15am for one final day of fishing, this time for grayling. We met up with our fantastic guide Terry and headed out the Denali Hwy to the Jack River in search of "bipolar fish."

The weather gods were not working with us this morning. While gray overcast cool weather is ideal for trout, it's not so good for "trout with Mohawks." Terry was a great instructor, helping us perfect our casting technique. Marj continued to have the magic touch, and in the last half hour caught two of "the world's smallest grayling." I however, didn't even get one bite! So frustrating! I really wanted to catch one, I suppose I'll just have to come back again!

After fishing and regaining the feeling in our frozen toes, we drove down the Denali Hwy to where the pavement ends and the spectacular views begin.

We then begrudgingly continued our trek toward Anchorage, stopping briefly at Leisure World (aka the McKinley Princess Lodge) for improving views of Mt. McKinley and a change of clothes. Then it was back on the road again to Talkeetna.

After lunch and having a good laugh at another funny Alaskan sign, we continued the trek to Anchorage, doing our best to stay out late and only arrive at the airport in time for our 1 and 2:30 am flights. Easier said than done however, since we got up super early and Anchorage doesn't have much nightlife. We did manage to find a good dinner, and afterwards spent some time in a Chevron parking lot trying to repack our suitcases and retrieve all our belongings from the crevices of our rental car, all while the local NBC news truck watched from the parking lot next door. After accomplishing this feat, we headed to the airport, arriving just before 11 pm. We had had it with both Anchorage and tourist shops.

We hated to leave, but our washing machines were drawing us home.

At Least We Got Dirty

The day started out at warp speed! Becky, our excellent mountain bike lady at the Outdoor Center, orchestrated a monumental whirlwind mountain bike rental and reservation on the next bus into to Denali National Park.Once on the bus, we could finally sit and catch our breath! We rode the bus 45 mi into the park, listening to some entertaining commentary from the driver on the history of the park and looking for wildlife.

Aside from a few dall sheep, we didn't see anything, but we'd already seen a moose and a mama bear w/2 cubs crossing the highway on the drive to the park.
Much to the shock of the cruise passengers on the bus, we got off the bus and after a few quick photos, started biking back toward the park entrance.

The bike ride started off great, though a bit chilly. After a few miles, however, it began to rain, and the mud began to fly! Laughing as we pedaled, we tried to take in the scenery between the mud polka dots on our glasses. We rolled into the rest stop, and gave the bus passengers their laugh for the day.
Some nice bus drivers were all too happy to take some pictures of us so that we can document the filth (which was even on the inside of our clothes) in our photo albums. They also offered us paper towels, which was more thoughtful than effective (not much short of a hose would have helped us)! After brief rest, we continued on. The mud feast let up, but the cold, wet, filthy damage had already been done. We cycled most of the way back, before reboarding the bus for the last few miles. It was quite entertaining to hear the gasps and watch the passengers on the aisle lean as far into the bench as possible to avoid any inadvertent contact with the filth. The comical bus driver said, over the microphone as I boarded the bus, "No folks, that's not a moose, just a dirty mountain biker."

We did the best to clean ourselves up in the wilderness center bathroom and headed to dinner. Thank goodness for spare clothes and shoes in the car. After dinner at the Salmon Bake, and a near run in with a moose that was out sightseeing on the highway, we made it back to the hotel for showers and an effort to wash our jackets in the bathtub. They were so covered in mud there was no way they were getting packed! The effort was rather futile, however, so it is probably good that we are almost done with the trip. All of our clothes have now been classified as semi-dirty, dirty, or absolutely filthy.

Trophy Trout

What a spectacular day on the Kenai River! After breakfast at the B&B chatting with some salty old fisherman about how obviously we were responsible for the gorgeous weather, and getting outfitted in chest waders, (definitely not as glamorous as the riding gear) we climbed in a drift boat w/our guide Paul for a day of fishing.

Paul gave us some casting instruction (which was definitely needed) and within an hour Marj had caught what would be the largest fish of the day - a 23.5 in rainbow trout! And she wasn't even trying! We were just drifting under a bridge and barely paying attention when she got a bite! Paul was amazed she caught one that big, especially since she was apparently doing everything wrong, but clearly she had the magic touch today because nobody else could match her!

A little bit later, we noticed the trout were eating dry flies right off the surface. Trout were rising everywhere! Paul anchored the boat and fixed up a couple dry rods he had on the boat and and asked if any of us wanted to wade. I jumped at the opportunity to get out of the boat and do what I was more familiar with. Paul offered some further casting instruction and went through every fly in his box, but we couldn't catch a single one. The trout were taunting us! Feasting on mayflies and pretty much everything but what we were casting! It was so maddening! Paul said he'd never seen so many trout rising in the Kenai or AK yet they were not to be caught!

Back in the boat, I did finally manage to catch a Dolly. So I can go home happy that I caught one fish in AK. Though really, with so many fish in the river I feel like should have caught more. I also think my brain is totally screwed up trying to learn both drift boat casting and traditional fly casting in one day!

We also saw a couple of King Salmon in the river (one almost jumped in our boat) and hundreds of dying sockeye salmon.

Alaskan Summer Camp for Adults 2010

On our way out of Seward, we stopped by the Exit Glacier. It was stunning to see the yearly markers of where the glacier was, and just how far it has receeded over the years.

We exited quickly and hit the road for sunnier pastures in Cooper Landing. We did a 3 hr tour w/Sunny and Crescent Moon of Alaska Horseman. What a hoot! We got outfitted with outback wear and rode off to catch stunning views of Lake Kenai. Luckily our horses knew the route and required little (no) direction from us! Another fun day at Alaskan Summer Camp for Adults 2010, as we've begun referring to it!

The Trip of a Lifetime

When Marj and I were researching what to do in Alaska, every adventure claimed it was "the trip of a lifetime." A great marketing message that clearly worked on us, as we tried to cram as many "trips of a lifetime" as we could into 2 weeks. Today was our kayaking "trip of a lifetime!" It was indeed cool to see the Holgate glacier calving up close. I'm not sure it was quite the trip of a lifetime I had anticipated after all the build up on the company's website and reviews on Trip Advisor, but it was indeed a very cool way to see the glaciers up close. The boat ride however was not as much fun. While it was great for viewing orcas, puffins, seals, and bald eagles, it was a rough ride, for 3 hrs. each way!

Diligence and Wool Socks

Determined not to waste a minute, we booked a last minute kayak trip in the Valdez harbor for the morning before we caught the ferry across Prince William Sounds. It took a bit for me to figure out the foot pedal and paddle coordination, but once we got going we saw some cool wildlife, including a bear, devouring a dish. (Note: No bears to be found in WSE, but as soon as we hit a sizable town, we find them dumpster diving and chowing down on fish in the harbor.)

We got pretty close, and I was feeling pretty safe in the kayak, assuming bears couldn't swim. I found out otherwise a little later on, but fortunately this bear was more interested in a fish breakfast than a human one. We also saw juvenile bald eagles and sea lions popping their head up. It was a great way to start the day.

Next we said good-bye to Valdez and boarded the ferry for Whittier.

Coming off the ferry we got stuck in an Alaskan traffic jam waiting for the tunnel to open because it would make too much sense for them to time the ferry arrival with the tunnel! This is AK afterall! Once on Seward, we finally splurged on a yummy salmon dinner! And gelato! Mmmm...


Best quote of the day came from a gluten free guy on the ferry, originally from Kansas, who told us that "living in AK is all about diligence and wool socks."

Odd Goods are Better Than No Goods?

We were sorry to leave McCarthy and WSE behind. What a special place. Though when I go back again, I think I will follow Taylor's advice and take a plane somewhere into the back country for a multi-day backpacking adventure. Even if it does mean camping.

After another adventure on John's ATV to the foot bridge, this time with the luggage carrier in tow, we flew out of McCarthy today, and drove from Chitina to Valdez.
After a brief stop at a single gas pump in Kenny Lake, and a quick trip into the neighboring Kenny Lake mercantile to eye the fur hats, we drove the very scenic route to the thriving metropolis of Valdez (not kidding - we hadn't seen so many people since Anchorage!)

We did a very scenic hike on the outskirts of town that took us into the canyons past a pretty waterfall, and mostly got our legs moving after a couple hours in the car.

We were very excited for Alaskan Mexican food. Amy's tradition of visiting the Mexican restaurants in each country she visits, which I have adopted, was kept alive. Let's face it, Alaska might as well be another country! The halibut tacos hit the spot (or we were just happy for an alternative to the McCarthy saloon). We also had fun watching the salmon jump in the harbor. And we are once again addicted to our electronic devices.

The best laugh of the day was provided by Nina, who via Facebook, commented that "odd goods are better than no goods!" Marj and I are still debating that one...