Mud-on-the-tires Full-time RV Adventure: AK -- Soldotna, 9-16 July 2018

One week in Soldotna, Alaska…

Why we came…

To catch red salmon!

The campground…

Klondike RV Park is decent. Sites varied, ours was wide however the electric post forced us to park further forward than we wanted to. We were glad to comfortably park our truck next to our trailer. The sites were packed gravel and fairly level. We had full hook-ups, a reliable Verizon signal, and decent wi-fi. The campground was busy with big rigs and crowded with extra vehicles. We liked the location and it was quiet at night. The facilities were well maintained and clean. We were comfortable and would gladly return.

Klondike RV was quiet and we liked the location

These are big sites compared to other campgrounds in the area

Nearby towns…

Soldotna, Kenai, and Sterling are strung out along a roughly 20 mile line oriented west to east. Together they have a population approaching 20,000. The communities center around the bounty of the famous Kenai River and Cook Inlet. There are plenty of restaurants, stores, and services.

Adventures…

The Kenai River…

Fishin’ was the mission! “The Kenai River is arguably Alaska's most famous fishing river and best known for its runs of giant King Salmon (Chinook). The world record King was taken here in 1985 and weighed over 97 pounds.”

“Sockeye (Red) Salmon arrive in huge numbers from mid July through August. During large runs, the Sockeye have returned to the Kenai in numbers exceeding one million fish. Silver (Coho) Salmon join the fray from early August into the winter season.”

“The Lower Kenai River flows from Skilak Lake for fifty miles before emptying into Cook Inlet. It starts out wide and slow providing excellent summer habitat for loons, nesting swans and juvenile salmon. As the river picks up speed, so does the fishing.”

“The first ten miles below Skilak Lake contains excellent spawning gravel and holds many Rainbows and Dolly Varden. This stretch is popular at peak times for salmon and trout. The next twenty miles contain numerous rocks and small rapids.”

“The last twenty river miles are locally known as "The Lower". The Lower is adjacent to the towns of Soldotna and Kenai. This is where the most concentrated fishing activity takes place.”

Kenai River map (courtesy of: https://www.akboatrental.com/copy-of-fishing-areas)

The upper Kenai River near Cooper Landing (Courtesy of: https://www.alaskariverscompany.com/kenai-river-information/) / Dipnetting at the mouth of the Kenai River (Courtesy of: https://redoubtreporter.wordpress.com/2014/07/)

Fishing for reds…

Ann and Mike have had property along “The Lower” Kenai for 19 years. I used to pitch a tent and fish there back in the late ‘90s. Since then they have made many improvements to the property, and built a comfortable cabin. There are also walking grates to and along the river that make the fishing easier to access.

They graciously invited us to fish there during our time in Soldotna. Mike was able to join us for the majority of our time there. We really appreciated that because he was able to give us expert advice on fishing “his hole”. Ann was able to tear away from her busy job and join us for the weekend.

We fished several hours over four days. We were happy to bring home four fresh Sockeye. We had a lot more hits but they got off. We had a few epic fights but they were likely hooked somewhere other than the mouth. Somedays you have to really work for them. The number of fish making their way up the river did not help either.

Sadly, the fish count this year has been lower than last year. While we were on the lower Kenai, the average return was only 11,000 salmon a day (skewed by one good day). By the time we left, the cumulative totals were 34,000 behind or 76% of last year at the same time. It is still early in the run, so the salmon are still likely to flood the river.

The Kenai is 360 feet wide at this point. On the 12^th of July it was running at 17,000 cfs which was the peak during our time there. Average is 13,500 cfs. Mike remarked on how high and murky it was and warned of us of the tricky wading along their stretch.

Arleen proved how tricky it was when she learned just how cold the water is! She lost her balance in water that was about hip deep. When she tripped, she ended up on her butt with her head fully submerged. Ann immediately helped her out and back to the cabin. The river was 50^owhich doesn’t sound cold but with an air temperature of 60^o, no sun, and a good breeze, Arleen was shivering by the time she got back to the cabin. After a warm shower, dry clothes, and a hot cup of broth, she was toasty again.

We really enjoyed our time with Mike and Ann and hope to return to the Kenai later in the summer.

The salmon counts during our visit. Mike’s rule of thumb: Ok fishing at 20,000; good fishing at 30,000 / Wild irises blooming along the Kenai River in Soldotna

It’s sweet to fish private property! / Ann hoping to hook some red salmon

Nice one Ann! / Mike is ready with the bonker

Arleen fighting a fresh salmon / She caught the biggest one!

The fishing was slow but we put four reds in the freezer

Touring with John…

Our friend John was able to come visit us in Soldotna for a couple of days.

First, the three of us drove out to North Beach and the mouth of the Kenai River. This is where the Sockeye gather before their push up river. We wanted to watch the dipnetters.

“The dipnet fishery takes place from late June through July in the marine waters of Cook Inlet just off the mouth of the Kenai River. Since 2003, Alaskans harvest between 130,000 and 540,000 sockeye salmon annually in this fishery.”

“The total yearly harvest out of all the Upper Cook Inlet personal use salmon fisheries is 25 salmon and 10 salmon for each additional household member.”

“Only Alaska residents are allowed to participate in dipnetting! Your nonresident friends and relatives are not allowed to handle any of the gear, the fish, or anything related to dipnetting. No, they can't even clean your fish for you.”

A lot of our Alaskan friends partake in dipnetting including John. “A dipnet is a bag-shaped net attached to a rigid frame. That frame can be no more than 5 feet at its widest point.” They’re big!

“Some dipnets are square, others round. The frames can be metal or plastic. Some have long handles, others short. It's all personal preference.”

“You stick the net in the water, perpendicular to the riverbank, with the current running through the net, and wait. When you feel a tug on the net, flip it to "trap" the fish and pull the net to shore or onto the boat.” It sounds easy, but it looked to us as if they were having an issue standing upright in the surf without a 6-10 pound salmon in the net. In the time we were there, we did not see anyone net a salmon.

As we were walking back to the truck from the beach, we spotted the onion dome of a Russian Orthodox church. John likes to “collect” churches. He has pictures of churches he has taken from around the world. After a few minutes, we were able to find a walkway that led over to the church.

The Holy Assumption of the Virgin Mary Church was the second Russian Orthodox church built in Kenai. It was built in 1895 to replace the first one that was built in 1849. The Parish house was built in 1887. “Today it is the oldest standing building in the Cook Inlet region.”

In 1906, “the St Nicholas Chapel was built as a memorial to the heroic deeds of Fr Nikolai and Makary Ivanov, both of whom were instrumental in saving the lives of hundreds of Dena’ina from smallpox.”

After admiring the church, we set off to look at another famous fishing spot.

“The Kenai River Special Management Area (SMA) consists of more than 105 linear miles of rivers and lakes, including Kenai Lake, Skilak Lake, and the Kenai River from river mile 82 downstream to four miles above the river's mouth on Cook Inlet. Adjacent to these waters are fifteen state park sub-units.”

One park sub-unit is Bing’s Landing. John has fished there many times over the years and I fished there a couple of times back in the day. They have made many improvements since I was there and even since John was last there.

Bing’s Landing consists of 126 Acres along the Kenai near an area of rapids. The facility includes 36 campsites, separate parking areas for boat trailers and vehicles, toilets, picnic sites, trails, and a boat launch.

We walked the trails and watched about 20 fishermen in waders challenging the fast waters. They were doing pretty good and we saw several fish landed.

Finally, we had a good dinner at the St Elias Brewing Company. It was a fun day with John. Maybe next time, he’ll have more time and we can fish together.