Two weeks in Homer, Alaska…
Why we came…
We loved it in the past and wanted to spend more time there.
The campground…
We didn’t care for Driftwood Inn RV Park. We chose it for its convenient location and access to Bishops Beach. Unfortunately, a small parking area for Bishops Beach was right behind us. Noisy vehicles came and went all hours of the day. Our sleep was interrupted multiple times each night…it was not peaceful at all. Speaking of noisy vehicles, we’ve never seen or heard so many without a muffler. If Homer has muffler laws, they certainly aren’t enforced!
Parking was also very bad in the RV park. The little park is so tight, tow vehicles had to be parked elsewhere. And even then, there was barely enough room to navigate RVs. We’ve stayed in hundreds of campgrounds, and this one had the worst parking situation.
The sites themselves are also tight. They are designed for motorhomes to face out, so the hook-ups are on the wrong side for trailers. We had full hook-ups, but were lucky to have 30 feet of blackwater hose to snake under our trailer and up towards our main door where the connection was. Wi-fi was decent and the GCI phone signal was fast and reliable (who Verizon contracts with). We were given a cable tv connection set and got a few a tv channels with it. Laundry, showers, and bathroom facilities were kept clean and well maintained. It was $3 to wash and $2 to dry. The inn and RV park employees were helpful and very nice.
We liked the location and really liked our view. Too bad the obnoxious traffic and tight quarters spoiled it. If we visited Homer again, we would not stay at Driftwood Inn and RV Park.
That’s a spectacular back yard
It was really sweet when we didn’t have neighbors. Sadly, the little parking area behind us had obnoxiously loud traffic all hours of the day. / The sites are designed for motorhomes to face out so the hook-ups are on the wrong the side for trailers.
Nearby towns…
Homer, population 5,631, is very scenic, fun, and interesting. It sits on the north side of the expansive Kachemak Bay. The rugged snow and glacier covered Kenai Mountains line the horizon east through south. Homer used to be famous for its commercial fishing for salmon, halibut, and crab. Now Homer is more popular for the sport fishing for salmon and halibut and bills itself as the “halibut fishing capitol of the world”. Homer has a decent selection of supplies and services, including a good-sized and usually busy Safeway. Homer also has some very good restaurants.
The town of Homer is on the right. The Homer Spit is in the middle, surrounded by Kachemak Bay with the Kenai Mountains in the distance.
Another view of The Spit and the Kenai Mountains
Kenai and Soldotna are roughly 75 miles north and offer more supplies and services.
Adventures…
Bishops Beach…
One of the advantages of our campground was that we had easy access to Bishop’s Beach. Bishop's Beach offers both exceptional vistas and an opportunity to poke around in tidal pools.
It is possible to walk all the way to Diamond Creek, seven miles to the west, but only at low tide! The low tide around noon was going to be a negative 2.6 feet. Perfect for tide pooling!
“As the tide recedes, watch for the squirting jets of water from clams clearing their siphons. Rocky outcrops trap pools of water and form anchors for beds of blue mussels and barnacles.
You may find jellyfish trapped in these tidepools, along with plankton, crabs and tiny shrimp-like amphipods. Burrowing anemones pucker the sand in places, visible as half-dollar-size disks almost flush with the surface.”
We walked about a mile and a half down the beach before the tide started to come in.
Walk route along Bishops Beach at low tide / There are always interesting things to see at low tide
Checking out the tide pools
Bishops Beach, Kachemak Bay, and the Kenai Mountains
Brightly colored anemones / Lupine blooming near Bishops Beach
Bishops Beach on a different day
Anchor Point beach walk…
Back in the day Arleen and I were once on the Anchor River for the midnight opening of King Salmon season. Although, we did not catch anything, it was a memorable experience. We also have fished for steelhead on the Anchor in early winter, and camped in the back of my Toyota truck on the beach.
“The first written descriptions of the land and people of the Kenai Peninsula are found in the 1778 journals from the expedition of Captain James Cook. According to legend, Anchor Point got its name when Captain Cook lost an anchor near the mouth of the river.
Wildlife abounds around the Anchor River, with moose, beaver, mink, bald eagles, a variety of ducks along the river, harbor seals, sea otters, and beluga whales near shore in the Cook Inlet.
Across the Cook Inlet from Anchor Point, three of seven volcanoes bordering the inlet can be seen: Mount Augustine to the South, then Mount Iliamna, and Mount Redoubt to the North. Mount Augustine's last eruption ended in March 2006; Mount Redoubt's latest eruption ended around July 2009;” Mount Iliamna has had no recent confirmed eruptions.
Anchor Point, where Anchor River State Recreation Area is located, is “the most westerly point on the U.S. Highway System.”
We parked at the picnic area (in the campground) of the State Recreation Area and walked down to the beach.
One of the first things we saw was a number of tractors. “Anchor River Enterprises is a private company that provides tractor assisted boat launching services at Anchor River”. We didn’t get to see any launches but watched a number of recoveries.
We walked two miles of beach to where the Anchor River enters Cook Inlet. We had great views of Mount Iliamna and Redoubt the whole way.
We saw a gathering of about a dozen Bald Eagles. Some soared above us, but most were scrounging fish carcasses on the beach. We saw Wood ducks bobbing in the surf. Hundreds of gulls gathered and poked at the goodies left behind by the receding tide.
Surprisingly a halibut beached itself after a retreating wave left it behind. We thought it was a salmon at first. Arleen marched right over and picked it up. He was very much alive! We weren’t sure what the length limit was for halibut and if it was legal to just pick them up off the beach. Never heard of it! So Arleen wished it luck and heaved it into the surf.
Walk route along the beach near Anchor Point / It’s the farthest west you can drive on the highway system
Mount Iliamna, 10,016 feet / This halibut just flopped up on the beach!
A crow and Mount Redoubt, 10,197 feet high, last erupted in 2009
Lots of sea gulls
The eagles were the highlight
Coming in for a landing
Beautiful!
This is how boats are launched on Alaska’s beaches
Hike on the other side of the Bay…
“Kachemak Bay State Park was Alaska's first state park. It contains roughly 400,000 acres of mountains, glaciers, forests and ocean. The park's outstanding scenery is a backdrop for high quality recreation. Park visitors will find opportunities for fishing, boating, kayaking, hiking, camping and mountain sports.
Visitors frequently observe sea otters, seals, porpoise and whales. Land mammals include moose, black bear, mountain goats, coyotes and wolves. The many species of birds that inhabit the bay, including eagles, gyrfalcons and puffins, make it a popular area for bird watching.
Special park attractions include Grewingk Glacier, Poot Peak, China Poot Bay, Halibut Cove Lagoon, Humpy Creek, and China Poot Lake.”
“Access to the park is by boat or airplane, as there are no roads to the park.”
We coordinated a 10 mile boat ride with Ashore Water Taxi to the Saddle trailhead. As we pulled into Halibut Cove we observed a few otters frolicking in the aqua water.
We had six hours to climb the Alpine Ridge Trail and return to the trailhead for pickup. Allen, the boat captain, warned us that six hours wasn’t enough time.
We were dropped off on a rocky beach at high tide. Saddle is one of the trailheads that are accessible even at low tide.
The trail climbs a few stairs and then it is a steep twisty path to the intersection with the Lagoon Trail. If we turned left here, we’d be at the Grewingk Glacier Lake in a half mile. But we took a right and followed that for a quarter of a mile to the Alpine Ridge Trail.
It was very difficult to see through the overgrown tall grasses, ferns and shrubbery. It had not rained in several days but we got pretty wet from the waist down as we pushed through the thick moist vegetation. We were in a rainforest!
We realized, with the thick foliage, we would not be able to see bears if they were five feet from us. We saw piles of scat about every 300 yards. We called out loudly and frequently, “Hey bear, go away bear!”
In the first mile, we climbed 1,000 feet. After that, there were four muddy steep areas where rope had been strung between trees for assistance. We had no problem going up. What about the way down?
After climbing 2,000 feet in two miles, we came to a rocky overlook. We finally had a decent view back over Kachemak Bay towards Homer and Mount Redoubt in the distance. It had taken us two and a half hours to get that far…slow going for sure. It was a tough trail.
From here the trail was easier and across simple-to-navigate alpine tundra. Brilliant lupine adorned the scene. We hiked over a half mile to a rock outcropping with a good view of the Grewingk Glacier, our objective. We took a break, soaked up the scenery, and pondered the work of the slow moving ice.
Then, we looked at our watches (something we try to avoid in the wilderness) and realized Allen was right. We would not have time to hike further. We needed to head back now to make the deadline for the water taxi.
Thankfully, it actually took us less time to skedaddle back down the trail. I had an over/under bet with Arleen that she would fall on her bum at least four times in the steep muddy sections. She only fell twice! She had the last laugh because I also fell. We had matching muddy bums!
We met a 20ish year old couple that was coming up the trail carrying 30 pound packs. When Arleen asked them if they were camping up on the ridge, they said, “no, we’re just going to POP up here before we get picked up by our taxi this evening.” They were so cute. They also shared stories of the number of bears they had seen during their multi-day adventure.
Afterwards, Arleen noted aloud “I don’t think I’ve ever seen so much bear poop on a trail”. Green bear scat, purple bear scat, big piles and small. It was everywhere!
We saw six other people on the trail that were all spread out. We felt we had the area to ourselves. However, with all the bear evidence it was a little spooky.
We returned to the Lagoon trail with a little extra time so we walked towards the lake. The lake trail is wide, smooth and in great shape. It is the most popular trail in the park and obviously gets the most love.
When we returned to the beach, the tide had dropped several feet. It caught a few recreationalists off guard. A boat was beached and sitting on the rocks. The boat’s occupants were relaxing off to the side waiting for the tide to return later that evening and release them.
The sea breeze had come up with the afternoon warm temperatures. The ride back across the bay was rough with the small water taxi getting bounced around quite a bit.
Hike route up the Alpine Ridge Trail in Kachemak Bay State Park / Our water taxi
We always like seeing otters!
The boat dropped us off at the trail head / The trail log said that bears were on the trail the day before our hike. Would we see any?
The trail was overgrown and steep. We were also on edge due to the recent bear activity.
Halibut Cove is far below
Grewingk Lake and Kachemak Bay. What’s floating in the lake? / They’re icebergs from Grewingk Glacier
The Homer Spit and Mount Iliamna
A field of colorful lupines
Looking higher into the Kenai Mountains. That’s a LOT of snow and ice.
Our view of Grewingk Glacier. This is just a small part of the 1-3 mile wide and 13 mile long glacier.
Picture of Grewingk Glacier taken from the Skyline Overlook
We didn’t see any bears, but we saw LOTS of bear poop.
Eveline trails…
“The Eveline State Recreation Site was donated to Alaska by Edmund Schuster in memory and honor of his wife, Eveline. Eveline offers beautiful wildflowers in the spring and summer, cross country ski trails in the winter, and year round panoramic views.
The trails are mostly gentle terrain.” Five different intersecting loops over the 80 acre parcel offer a variety of hike options.
We walked Meadows Loop and Glacier View Loop and from these we had a good view south across to Kachemak Bay and the ridge we climbed 24 hours ago. It was a pleasant two mile walk to stretch the legs out after the tough hike the day before.
The wildflowers were impressive. We identified very tall Larkspur, Fire Flower (too pretty to be called “fire weed”, Lupine, Lemon Paintbrush, and the ever present blistering Cow Parsnip which was now putting on a show with its umbrella of small white flowers.
Arleen noticed a small white bottle brush flower she had not seen before. And it smelled like strawberries. After a little research she found out it was the Sitka Burnet.
It had been foggy all morning but it lifted and then the stratus dissipated just for our walk. Thank you, Baby Jesus, for another beautiful day!
Walk route on the Eveline trails / The site was donated by Edmond Schuster in honor of his wife, Eveline.
Hey, that’s Grewingk Glacier on the side of the bay! / Larkspur were all over the place
The trails were pleasant and peaceful
Alaska Islands and Ocean Visitor Center…
Arleen spent a year at King Salmon AK and I spent a year on Shemya Island AK so we enjoyed a visit to the Alaska Islands and Ocean Visitor Center.
We walked over to the center a few times along Bishop’s Beach and through the adjoining wetlands.
“The Alaska Islands & Ocean Visitor Center takes you on a dramatic journey through the refuge's past and present . . . surrounds you with the sights, sounds - and even the smells of a seabird colony . . . and invites you to follow biologists as their research ship sails to remote islands each year.” Admission was free.
We watched the movie, the Journey of the Tiglax, a research ship dedicated to studying wildlife along the Aleutian Chain. Then we visited the bookstore to get a few stickers and stamps for our National Park Passport book.
The Alaska Islands and Ocean Visitor Center, the front entrance
The rear entrance and observation area
I had a special interest in the Aleutian Islands exhibit because I lived on Shemya Island for a year. / The wildlife displays are very good.
Shemya Island is roughly 2 miles wide and 4 miles long. It’s one of the farthest islands in the Aleutian chain. I lived here for a year, 1992-1993.
Walks on The Spit…
“The Homer Spit is a geographical landmark on the southern tip of the Kenai Peninsula. The spit is a 4.5-mile long piece of land jutting out into Kachemak Bay. The spit is also home to the Homer Boat Harbor. The harbor contains both deep and shallow water docks and serves up to 1500 commercial and pleasure boats at its summer peak. The Spit features the longest road into ocean waters in the entire world, taking up to 15 minutes to cover by car.”
We took a walking tour of the spit starting near the “snaggin’ hole. We walked out to the end and had a nice lunch at the historic Land’s End. On the way back we stopped in at the infamous Salty Dawg Saloon. We really enjoyed watching eagles, loons, and otters. Add the incredible scenery and you’ve got a special place.
Our longest walk route on the Homer Spit / An informative sign about The Spit
This sea otter kept it eyes covered while it napped / A bald eagle with a snack
An excellent guide describing how bald eagles age
The Homer Spit Boat Harbor
The Seafarer’s Memorial
Kachemak Bay info / The Salty Dawg has a long history on The Spit. It’s one of the few buildings that survived the 9.2 magnitude Good Friday Earthquake in 1964.
The Salty Dawg
The Salty Dawg
An adult eagle with its youngster below / A loon with a snack
This family of otters was very active in the boat harbor
Baycrest Ski Trails…
Allen, our water taxi driver, had told us about the Baycrest Trails. Arleen did research and found a map for them on a Homer, Alaska Trails map (2014). We set out to do a 6 mile hike.
Well, that did not go according to plan! The plan had been to do the Homestead Loop and the Sunset loop up to the Diamond Ridge. However, we were stopped by private property signs beyond Serpentine Trail.
So, the second plan was to hike down the west side of Homestead Loop. But now we ran into deep mud bogs in the lower areas. The east side had pleasant boardwalks across Diamond Creek and the lower meadows. So we climbed the hill back to Molly’s Bench and cut east to retrace our route back…no loop hike for us.
We wondered as we hiked this area; how do moose select what to eat when everything is so lush and green? It all looks so edible!
Also, with everything so green and thick, it is hard to imagine what it looks like during the winter when it is mostly barren and just different shades of gray.
Hike route and trail map for the Baycrest Trails
We liked this stretch of boardwalk / Lots of flowers. The wild roses smelled great.
A nice bench with a nice view at our high point
The Kilchers…
We have watched several episodes of Alaska: The Last Frontier. I have always imagined that in another time, I would have been a mountain man. Arleen and I, along with our friends Steve and Raymona, respect those that still live a rugged minimalistic subsistence lifestyle. So, when we checked in at the Driftwood Inn and noticed that they can arrange tours of the Kilcher Homestead, we were interested. Our friend Steve was interested, too.
They advertise, “The Homestead visiting hours are Mon-Sat 11am – 1pm. Tours are available Mon-Sat at 11am and last approximately one hour.” We were there for about three hours!
The dirt road in was a winding, at times one lane, washboard affair. We parked in an open area. We walked up towards the homestead and were rewarded with a spectacular view of Kachemak Bay and the mountains beyond.
Mike, Stellavera’s (the second youngest daughter) husband, was our tour guide. It was the three of us and a couple from Texas on the tour. Mike said that there are usually about 20 folks.
Mike started the story of the Kilcher family outside for a while and then we moved into the original cabin which was built in 1947 by Yule and Ruth Kilcher. “Yule and Ruth Kilcher homesteaded outside Homer, Alaska over 80 years ago after fleeing Switzerland in search of a free and simple life.”
Today, the 640 acre Kilcher Homestead is in a trust with each of Yule and Ruth’s eight children allotted a five acre lot. “Four generations of Kilchers proudly live off the land and the resources that the land provides; with no running water, they must hunt, garden, gather, raise and protect livestock, cleverly recycle old-as-new and rely on their innovation in order to survive Alaska’s uncontrollable elements.”
We could see a lady outside on her ATV going about her chores. Eventually, she came into the cabin to speak with Mike. It was Kelli, Shane’s (Atz’s son) wife. Kelli, who had a great smile and laughed easily, told us about how she was preparing to move the peony shed and fetching a bunch of water.
Then, Otto came into the cabin. He is just as much of a character in real life as he is on the show. We were talking about fishing (Jewell was out fishing with a few other family members). Suddenly, Otto broke into song and sang a funny folksong about how women out fish men.
He also told us about how the Kilcher’s receive requests from Make a Wish Kids. He showed us pictures of a child who visited last year on his phone. Then, he told us about the boy they were helping this year. The boy’s wish was to catch a salmon. So he was with a few other Kilchers that day to catch feisty pink salmon that were flooding a cove on the other side of Kachemak Bay. He was in for a good time!
After Mike talked to us and answered all of our many questions, Arleen, Steve, and I walked down to the beach. On the way, we passed by the orchard and several levels of freshly harvested hay. In the middle of one of those fields was a unique three-trunked tree. Everything else had been cleared but that tree, and it had four large rocks under it that made a pleasant place to sit and relax. It must have been special to someone in the family.
On the beach, we noticed the abundant coal that kept the Kilcher’s warm and that they hauled into town to earn a few dollars back in the early homestead days.
Steve, Arleen, and I really enjoyed the visit. We tried to imagine surviving those early days. It is a great story of survival and overcoming obstacles.
Steve, me, and Mike, our Kilcher family member tour guide / On the left is Kelli, married to Shane, Atz’s son. In the middle is Otto, who told a few stories and even sang part of a song for us.
Yule & Ruth Kilcher with their eight children / Steve checking out family pictures & mementos in the cabin
The inside of the small cabin. We were told stories about some of these items.
The original Kilcher cabin that housed two adults and eight children / The dinner bell and an old tractor
Walking down the mile long Beach Road
Getting further down the Beach Road
This tree had four large rocks under it and is a very nice place to relax
Fireweed blooming by the beach
This is a nice place to hang out by the beach. A big fire ring is nearby.
Steve wandering around the Kilcher Beach
Alaska outhouses often have character and the Kilcher’s are no exception
Seldovia…
We made reservations on the Seldovia Bay Ferry for a trip to the quaint little town of Seldovia. It can only be reached by boat or airplane. The ferry makes two round trips a day. At times they do have to adjust their schedule for very low tides.
It was 20 miles from Homer, but the fast ferry makes it in 45 minutes. There were almost 50 passengers on board. However, the Kachemak Voyager can carry three times that many so there was plenty of room on board.
We were more than halfway to Seldovia, when they slowed and announced that there were whales spotted ahead. For the next twenty minutes we enjoyed a real treat.
There was a pod of about 10 Orcas in the distance. “Killer whales are the largest of the dolphins and one of the world's most powerful predators. They feast on marine mammals such as seals, sea lions, and even whales, employing teeth that can be four inches long. They are known to grab seals right off the ice. They also eat fish, squid, and seabirds.”
All the passengers crowded up on the bow trying to get a better look and to take pictures of the black and white whales. As we slowly approached we could make out larger male whales and mothers with their calves. We saw a pair in an area of a few fishing boats that were breaching and putting on a fantastic display. We were sure the feisty whales were feasting on a school of salmon!
As the pod drifted the opposite direction, we reluctantly continued our journey to Seldovia. The town is tucked back in a very scenic and private cove.
“Locals call their town the “City of Secluded Charm,” and it’s hard to argue with them. Set among a maze of peninsulas, straits and lakes, the isolated community of 284 residents has managed to retain much of its character.”
“Originally inhabited by Russians seeking sea otter pelts and timber to repair ships, Seldovia became an important shipping and supply center for the region. Salmon and herring runs supported several canneries by the 1920s.
After the Sterling Highway was completed to Homer in the 1950s, Seldovia’s population and importance as a supply center began to dwindle, but it was the 1964 Good Friday earthquake that caused the most rapid change in the community. The earthquake caused the land beneath Seldovia to settle four feet, forcing residents to rebuild much of their community on higher ground.”
It was noon so our first priority was lunch. We walked a few blocks to the Linwood Bar and Liquor Store. We selected a table with a great view of the boat harbor. We enjoyed some of the best clam chowder ever!
Next, we hiked up some stairs a few blocks away to see the St. Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church “perched idyllically on a knoll”.
“St Nicholas is known to keep close watch on Seldovia’s fishermen and sea farers – bringing them prosperity, peace, and safety. The church is one of the first things our fishermen see as they return home, and one of the last landmarks to fade from sight as they head out to sea. The church was built in 1891 under the leadership of traveling Orthodox Priests.”
Then, we walked to the other side of the boat harbor and strolled through a small neighborhood that is built along the remnants of the original boardwalk. The old clapboard buildings house shops, galleries, and restaurants. We saw a few women out tending to brightly colored perennial gardens.
Finally we walked a half-mile to the backside of the airport and headed up the Rocky Ridge Trail. We hiked up and past the town’s water tank.
At first the trail was a dirt road, then a wide rocky trail and finally a narrow dirt trail. All of it was surrounded by a dense rain forest. We kept an eye out for mushrooms. We did see one that pops with our favored porcini but saw no tasty shrooms we would harvest.
Thankfully the trail had recently been trimmed on both sides. It may have been for the Jakolof Bay 10 Miler that was going to be run that weekend.
As in other areas, we saw lots of bear scat. The scat was filled with berries. We paused to munch on a few of the fresh wild blueberries ourselves. Unfortunately, though abundant, only a few of the salmonberries were ripe yet.
We paused to read a few of the interesting interpretive signs. After climbing almost 1,000 feet, the trail dropped off the edge of the ridge. The south side was narrow, steep, and rocky – it is called Rocky Ridge for a reason. But we had a few views through the thick vegetation. We could see Seldovia, its little cove, and the entrance rock with a window. Behind that we could see the sparkling Cook Inlet.
Once back in town, we stopped by the Seldovia Museum & Visitor Center. “The Museum tells the story of the Aleut, Yupik, Alutiiq, Athabascan, Russian and European-American people who inhabit the Seldovia area. Both permanent and temporary exhibits give glimpses of the many cultures and influences that have shaped life in this community by the sea. Specimens of local flora and fauna from the area are displayed as well to give visitors a glimpse at Seldovia’s natural abundance. Admission is free!”
We kept our eye open for Orcas on the way back to Homer. But they had moved to other waters. Still we were thankful for a fun day with what turned out to be beautiful weather. It was supposed to rain but thankfully we were wrong.
Walk route around Seldovia and the Rocky Ridge Trail / How people migrated to Seldovia
We started with a good lunch and good view at Linwood Bar & Liquor Store / Our view while we ate. Note the four kayakers on the right.
History about the Russian Orthodox Church in Seldovia / The 127 year old church
We walked through Seldovia and along the boardwalk / The Rocky Ridge Trail was nice
The best view of Seldovia from the Rocky Ridge Trail
We liked the informative signs along the trail / A handful of yummy blueberries
The Visitor Center had some nice exhibits
This was the highlight of our Seldovia adventure! We watched a pod of 10 killer whales for about 20 minutes on the way there.
It was a majestic site that will stay etched in our memories!
The Fishing Hole …
The Nick Dudiak Fishing Lagoon (we have always called it the Snaggin’ Hole) is out on the Homer Spit and is stocked for sport fishing. “King salmon return mid-May to early July followed by an early run of silvers mid-July to early August and a late run early August to mid-September. Fish cleaning tables, restroom facilities, and a small picnic area are also provided.”
The goal is to be there a few hours before Kachemak Bay high tide. As the tide rushes into the lagoon, fresh schools of salmon often come with the rising water. Then they circle around in the 900 x 200 foot hourglass shaped pond while hordes of fisher-people try to catch them.
With a high tide at 7pm, Arleen and I were at the hole around 5pm. There were about 100 people circled around the area, with the largest concentrations at the inlet and across from it.
There was already action going on. We saw a few people fighting fish. We saw one guy walk by with three salmon on a stringer. Another drove by with them hanging from his side mirror.
We found an open spot on the far side of the lagoon where we had a little elbow room and eagerly cast into the fray. About every 10 minutes a group of 50 salmon would swim by. But they had no interest in our lures. So frustrating!
We humans weren’t the only ones fishing. From time to time a pair of Harbor seals would surface and look around. They were probably having better luck than we were.
We fought a few but were not able to hold on.
We kept at it till after high tide, even as the action waned. I vowed to be back the next morning.
Salmon swam through my dreams that night. I was up by 0400L and out the door the next morning before 0500. I got to the hole and there were only about 20 folks out in the chilly morning. This was more my kind of game!
In less than an hour I had two nice silvers! That was more than enough to fill our freezer!
I cleaned them at the convenient fish cleaning station and headed home to surprise Arleen.
We went over to the hole again the day John and Gail came back from their halibut charter. Steve went with us to observe the shenanigans. We were there after high tide but John still caught a nice silver!
I went back two more days during our time in Homer. The hole was stacked with silvers, occasionally rolling and taunting all the fishermen. But very few people were catching fish. I did not even have a nibble. Plus there was lots of grass that kept tangling the lure. The hole will soon open to snagging. Though that is not something I prefer to do myself, it is entertaining!
The Nick Dudiak Fishing Lagoon, more commonly called the Fishing Hole
The best fishing is when the tide comes in. Lots of people show up to intercept fresh schools of salmon entering the lagoon. / That’s me in the middle.
Two fresh silver salmon hanging from an RV mirror / Seals also enter the lagoon to feed on the salmon
Fish on! / I got up early one morning and caught two fresh silver salmon. They’re 10-12 pounds each.
The Farmer’s Market…
“The Homer Farmers’ Market was established in 2000 to aid in the development of a sustainable local agricultural community for the benefit of the greater community of the Kachemak Bay area”
Each Saturday and Wednesday we visited the market for fresh greens, onions, kale, and tomatoes. We also picked up some spruce tip jelly.
We went to the Famer’s Market four times during our two-week stay
Arleen making a purchase / We didn’t hug a famer but we got some fresh veggies
Next…
We are currently near Ninilchik. Our next stops are Cooper Landing, Seward, and then Anchorage.
Parting shots…
We watched Hobo Jim at AJ’s Oldtown Steakhouse, across the street from the campground, with Steve. Hobo Jim has performed in Alaska for 40 years and is the official “state balladeer”. We liked the quaint venue, great dinner, and fun show!
A family of sandhill cranes walked through the campground…a first for us! / Silver salmon with fresh green onion from the Farmer’s Market, butter and garlic…YUMMY
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