Living in Alaska - Life in the Last Frontier

PART ONE OF TWO - HOMER

(Read PART TWO HERE)

We are quite fortunate that Steve works for a company who has their shifts set up so that he gets a week off every month.  We take full advantage of that week off in the summer months, when we dust off the camper and visit other parts of Alaska.  We are lucky to have a great house sitter, and because we have a camper, we’re able to take our furkids with us. I love traveling with my pets.

Steve and I left last Tuesday morning for Palmer - our usual layover when we’re traveling to points south. The drive is only about 6 hours, even towing the camper. The roads were relatively empty. It seemed to us that tourism is down for Alaska - especially in regards to RVers. The price of gas may have caused many folks to re-think their plans to drive to AK, especially if towing or driving an RV. We only get 200 miles to the tank, and a tank costs us more than $100.  Needless to say, fuel is pretty much our biggest expense when traveling.

(I’ve implemented a new way of viewing my photos when posted in thumbnail size. When you click on them, they will open in another window as they always have, but now you’ll be able to scroll through each set using the arrow keys on your computer, or the arrows that will appear if you hover over the right or left side of the photo. When you get to the last photo in a set, you will need to click the *X* to close the set. Each grouping is its own set and will open when you click on the first image.)

We stayed at Homestead RV Park in Palmer, and had a fun time meeting up with our friends Joe and Shan later that evening. I miss Shan now that she’s moved to Palmer from Fairbanks. We were great hang-out buddies when she still lived in Fairbanks. But after meeting Joe, who lives in Palmer,  love bloomed, and off she went - to be with her guy. I don’t blame her, but I sure do miss her.  It was great seeing her again.

We made our usual stop at the gas station on Elmendorf/Richardson base to fill the tank, after leaving Palmer the next morning. Gas was *only* $4.09 - a real bargain after seeing gas as high as $4.50-something on the way.  We ran into the commissary to stock up on produce and lunch meat, as groceries are also cheaper in Anchorage than they are in Fairbanks.  Finally we were on our way to Homer. (On the return trip, gas had dropped to $3.99/gallon)

It rained on us almost the entire time we were on the road. When it wasn’t coming down in buckets, it was drizzling. We stopped at Turnagain Pass to walk Raven - the typical stop when traveling on the Kenai. Both Steve and I were feeling a bit sad because it was our first stop at the pass since we had to say goodbye to Sedona last fall. Steve took Raven for a walk, and I took a few photos. I love Raven with all my heart, but when we stop at these familiar places… these familiar Sedona places… I feel a little sad. But it is nice to make new memories with our sweet Raven too.

We made plans to meet with friends at 7pm for dinner after setting up in Homer. We chose Fat Olives, as we’ve always had great food there.  It was nice seeing Richie and family (Tam and three of their six children) and Michelle and her husband Caleb. The food and company were awesome, and they thanked us for bringing sunshine with us.

The weather in Homer was fantastic the entire time we were there. From our campsite at Oceanview RV Park, we had unobstructed views of the mountains ringing Kachemak Bay. The campground was only 1/4 full - another indication that travel is down. Sad for business owners, but nice for those of us who took to the roads (less slow-poke RVs to pass). After dinner, we drove down to the Spit, and then later that evening, we had the most glorious moonrise over the Bay.

Here are some of the lovely views in Homer:

Beautiful Moonrise over Kachemak Bay

When we arrived in Homer, we called Jill at Beluga Air to check in, and told her we would see her the next morning at 9am. Beluga Air was providing transportation to Katmai - weather permitting. If you’ve been following my blog for a long time, you know that Steve and I went on two trips back in 2004 and 2005, and then were weathered out for several years. So disappointing. We were thrilled that this was a lucky year for us! We couldn’t have asked for better weather for flying.

Our friends Chris and Ken Day (who used to own/fly Emerald Air) are no longer in the business, but they suggested we try to get a trip with Derek Stonorov. We met Derek several years earlier (he hails from the Philly area) through Chris and Ken, so he was a familiar face. Derek is a bear biologist too, with an extensive knowledge of bears and bear behavior, which made us feel as safe as being with Chris and Ken.  (No other guide could ever compare to Chris and Ken, however!)

There is quite a bit of preparation that goes into a trip like this.  The weather across the inlet can be much different than the weather in Homer. Dressing in layers is key so that it’s easy to put on, or take off, clothing for temperature regulation.  Rain is a big consideration, so rain gear is also a must.  Hip boots/waders are required, as the ground in Katmai is wet and muddy. Plus, flying in a float plane, you’re expected to step off the floats and into the water to wade the final yards to shore.

Camera gear and a tripod is a must (for me) and Steve always takes his video camera and monopod. Lunch or food items to snack on throughout the afternoon need to be packed. Bug spray, sunscreen, etc might also figure in. Plastic bags to keep camera gear dry are nice to have. Toilet tissue and ziploc bags to pack out the used toilet tissue and other trash are required. Extra socks are a good idea in case you fall and water gets into your waders. As is a set of long underwear at certain times of the year (it can still get very cold in June, so we packed lightweight silk undies).  And water - can’t forget water.

This means you’re wearing a fairly heavy pack, while walking long distances over soggy, lumpy, rocky, terrain. It can be a heck of a workout, depending on who you go with, the stamina of other folks on your trip, and how ambitious a guide you have. Since it was only the three of us, we were free to do as we wanted - at a pace that was comfortable for us.

On a trip with a larger group, compromises might be made as to where to go, or how long to stay in one place. We’ve never had a problem however, as we’ve been lucky to be with groups of like-minded individuals (mostly photographers), with the same physical fitness level.  You move as quickly as the slowest individual, as you must stay together as a group.

We didn’t fly in a large plane. It held the three of us (and the pilot) comfortably, and could have held two more tightly. I’m glad it was only the two of us on this trip. The flight over to Katmai took a little more than an hour. If you’re not a fan of small planes, this is probably not an excursion for you.

The views from the plane were astounding. We could see the volcanoes Mt Augustine and Mt Iliamna clearly, as well as the beautiful rainbow colors of the hills, the turquoise of the glacier lakes, and the vibrant green of the tundra and prairies. You get a spectacular flight-seeing trip in addition to bear viewing.

We landed in a river that flowed into Hallo Bay, after flying along the coast of the Preserve and looking for the highest concentration of bears. Upon landing, we only had to wade about 10′ to shore. After putting our packs on, we began moving toward the bears we saw from the plane.

All in all, we saw about a dozen bears. We walked about 5 miles in total, with stops to just sit and watch the bears, to eat lunch, or to rest and enjoy the surrounding beauty.

We saw other photographers out there - something we had never seen before. In the past, we were totally alone, but last week we saw three other groups. I now understand why Chris and Ken got out of the business, and why Derek has decided not to do private guiding any longer.  We saw people over there without guides, and learned that you don’t need a guide - or a permit - to go to Katmai and see the bears. All you need is a plane or a boat ride. I don’t think this is a good thing.

The Katmai bears are habituated to humans. They have seen people frequently. They might view us as curious creatures with cameras and binoculars around our neck. I don’t think they necessarily view us as a threat, but they are wild animals and they will protect their space and their young.  A good guide will know how to read their body language, their facial expressions, and other actions. The guide will then make decisions to  move away (slowly), or come to a stop - so as not to stress out the bears. I worry that unaccompanied viewers could find themselves in a dangerous situation if they don’t understand how to read bear behavior.

Let me add here, that just because I feel totally at ease being surrounded by 4 or 5 huge male bears in Katmai (with a guide present), doesn’t mean I feel equally at ease when hiking in Seward or Valdez, or even Denali. But I’m not scared to death either. I know to make noise - to talk or sing, or bang river rocks together. I know to be aware of what’s going on around me. Chris Day once told us that we have many close encounters with bears living up here, that we never know we had. Bears don’t want a confrontation - and I know I don’t either!

The day was perfect, and I took hundreds of photos! Here is a pretty good sampling:

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On Friday, our last day in Homer, we went for a drive around town. It was another perfect day. We were driving up on Skyline Drive, when we passed two gentleman standing on a bluff with a hang glider.  We stopped and asked them if I could take photos, and were surprised to find that the one man was supposed to take photos of his friend, but his batteries in his camera died an hour earlier. So I offered to take the photos for him and email them to him when we got home. They were both thrilled for the photos, and I was thrilled for the opportunity to see a man hang glide off a tall bluff. Serendipity at its best.

The pilot’s name is Ted Wakeman. He lived in AK for more than 30 years and now lives in Hawaii. He has done a lot of hang gliding in HI, but this was his first time doing it in AK.

After he landed in a field far below, and I snapped the final photos, Steve and I continued our drive around town. I love that you can see Kachemak Bay and the mountains from just about anywhere. It’s a real treat for the eyes. If you live in AK, and you haven’t been to Homer, you really need to check it out.

We met up with Ken and Chris for dinner at Homestead Restaurant. The food was delicious, and the company was wonderful. We hadn’t seen them in a few years, and had a lot of catching up to do. After dinner, they took us up to the lot where they’re building a new house. Ken’s building it himself for the most part, and from what he described it’s going to be gorgeous. The views from the lot are spectacular!

After dinner, Steve and I took Raven down on the beach for some frisbee tosses. Raven did so well catching (as always) and really loved playing in the wet sand. We all had a good time.

This concludes Part One. I hope you enjoyed it!

(Read PART TWO here)