Sunrise Over the Kachemak Bay |
Ever expanding journal of a couple's discoveries while traveling through Alaska. Est Jun 2013
Thursday, December 19, 2013
Sunday, November 24, 2013
Hiking - Portage Glacier Trail (all the way to the beach)
Distance: 4.7
miles Difficulty:
Strenuous Time: 5 hrs
Summary
We chose to try the Portage
Glacier Trail on 10 Jul 2013. The hike
goes up a nearly continuous inclined for a 750 ft elevation change, then back
down (more gently) the full 750 ft to reach the portage glacier lake. We found the hike on the National Park Service map
(NPS Portage Glacier Trail). This page is useful, but someone dated, see
The Hike section of this post for updated information.
Opinion
This is a fabulous
hike! But we wouldn’t recommend it to
anyone who is not at least reasonably fit.
The highlights of the hike include
Thursday, November 7, 2013
Experience - Viewing Baby Moose
One of the cutest things
in Alaska is a baby moose. But standing very close-by is the most
dangerous animal in Alaska; its mom.
Moose moms can weigh-in at as much as 1200 lbs. Moose in Alaska
usually give birth to twins and, at least in Homer, they are usually born from
mid-May to early June. Moose moms have babies every two years. A few weeks before they give birth, the mother moose chases off her two year old(s); usually by then she only has one calf left. So in April and May there are often a lot of confused and unhappy teenaged moose running around.
Moose give birth in a
place they feel safe. This used to mean
in the middle of a pond or bog, but now that location is often in the middle of
someone’s yard, a town park, or even (according to one story) a Walmart parking
lot.
Sunday, October 27, 2013
Experience - View from Skyline Overlook
If you’re in Homer and
have 20 minutes to spare or can afford a short detour on the way out of town,
the scenic overlook on Skyline is a great choice.
A quick five-minute drive
from town and three steps out of the car will bring you to one the best views
in Homer. Head up either East Hill or West Hill road until they merge
with Skyline. If you chose West Hill Rd,
turn right; if you chose East Hill Rd turn left. About a quarter mile
from the intersection of Skyline Dr and East Hill Rd you'll find a pull off on
the south side of the road (next a small antenna farm). That pullout
gives the best high-altitude view in Homer. From this spot you have a
fabulous 180-degree view of Kachemak Bay, the Homer Spit, and the Chugach
Range.
We especially like the
days where Homer is socked in with low clouds and the pullout is clear.
The entire valley and bay are covered in white cotton balls--often with
peekaboo views of the spit, the coast, or the ocean--and the mountains across
the bay stick up pass the clouds. They have the feel of untouched
wildness.
If you’re leaving town, you
can follow Skyline Dr west along several miles until it intersects with Diamond
Ridge Rd. Diamond Ridge Rd intersects
with Sterling Highway and it's a right turn to Soldotna, Seward, and Anchorage. This route bypasses Homer proper and follows
the ridgeline for several miles.
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
Adventure - Fishing with Dan Donich Charter – Full-Day Halibut Trip
Stats
Difficulty: Easy -
Moderate Time: Full-Day
Summary
I
love halibut, but we don’t own a boat. We
decided to go on a fishing charter on 11 Sep on the hope of filling the
freezer. This time we chose Dan Donich (Daniel's Personalized Guide Service). He
was recommended by an acquaintance. This
was our second charter in 2013. We went
out on the Irish in late Aug (see Halibut Fishing with North
Country Charters) and came home with 15.8 lbs of halibut filets, but we wanted more.
Opinion
Great
trip! My husband and I caught our limit
(so did everyone else on the boat) and came home with 54.1 lbs of halibut filets
Labels:
Adventures,
Alaska,
Autumn,
Boat,
Charter,
Excursion,
Fishing,
Homer,
Kachemak Bay,
Kenai Peninsula,
Spring,
Summer,
The Spit,
Winter
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
Adventure - Halibut Fishing with North Country Charters
The Take |
Stats
Difficulty: Easy -
Moderate Time: Half-Day
Summary
I
love halibut, but we don’t own a boat.
So we decided to try halibut fishing.
For our first trip, we decided to try North Country Charters. They were offering a ½ day halibut-fishing
trip on 20 Aug that suited our needs.
Opinion
Good
trip! WIth day old or worst halibut running $21 to $25 per pound we decided to fill
Saturday, September 7, 2013
Story - Novices Go Fishing for Reds (Salmon)
Summary
This
is the story of my husband’s and my experience when our neighbor took us
fishing for Reds for the first time. We thought the story was funny enough that true fishermen would find it funny and others would find
it interesting.
The Story
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)