June 20th, 2016 Homer Update

We made it down to Homer. The trip down was pretty windy until we got to the end of the Turnagain Arm. There was a high profile vehicle caution with up to 55 MPH winds. It was tough driving until we got into the trees of the Kenia Peninsula.

We are staying at the same campground as 2014, Baycrest RV. I really like it because we are not on the spit, and the views are spectacular.  After setting up camp, we drove down to the spit. Boy do I feel sorry for those guys. The winds had to be a steady 35 MPH with gusts in the 40's. There were several tents blown down and dusty conditions.

On Sunday, we went to Don Jose's for dinner. The food was OK, but a little expensive.

On Monday, we got up early to go fishing. We scheduled the charter with Bay Explorer a 50 foot boat. It is much smaller than mine, but appears stout. Captain Billy warned us we have a very small window for fishing due to the short time between tides. It is the summer solstice and a full moon so the tides were extreme.

The fishing for Heather and I started out fast. I dropped my line in and right as it hit bottom, I was fish on. It came up at 29 inches so I elected to throw it back. The new rules are one fish must be under 28 inches and the other any size.

Heather was on next. Of course I had to bring hers up for her. First fish just under 28 inches. I then caught the next at just under 28 inches. Heather and I both got around 29 inch fish next. I elected to keep both as I was worried about time.

At this point Chris had not caught a fish. Getting worried, but still fishing. Chris then got on. She immediately was having issues reeling the fish in. I jumped on and noticed it was going to be a tough fight. After 10 or 15 minutes, we finally got color. This fish was the biggest of the day at over 38 inches. Yea for us.

After that the captain moved us around so everyone could get their two Halibut. Chris got hers and we waited until all of the guest were limited out.

Bob and Angel got both of theirs right around 28 to 29 inches for all 4 fish. It was a good day for everyone, but definitely smaller fish than in 2014.

So heavy Chris could not lift it.

June 15th & 16th, 2016

The last couple of days have been awesome.

June 15th

In the morning, Chris, Heather, Angel and I went out to the Reindeer Farm for some horseback riding. We had done this in 2014, but it was cloudy with a little rain. Today, the weather was perfectly clear. We rode up the butte and had unobstructed views of Denali, Pioneer Peak and the Knik Glacier. The horses were well behaved and friendly.

With our fee, we also received entrance into the Reindeer Farm. Of course we had to pet rabbits and feed the reindeer and elk. I guess they have been selling off quite a few of the elk. The herd was trimmed down from around 60 to around 30 animals. There were just a few babies this year.

That afternoon we went to the Iditarod Headquarters to see the new puppies and give Bob and Angel a chance for a sled dog ride. Of course Heather had to go with them. We had done this in 2014, so I really did not see a reason to do it again.

Click for video:

Iditarod Dog Sled Ride

We learned something very valuable visiting with the guy and lady running the dogs; he is Joe Redington, Jr. His father is the "Father" of the Iditarod Joe Redington, Sr. His wife told us quite a bit about the race, raising dogs, and its history. They currently have over 80 dogs which they train and sell to mushers.



June 16th.

We decided to go down to Anchorage with our bikes and ride some more of the Coastal Trail. Again our luck continues with the weather. We had crystal clear skies and warm temperatures. After riding, we had lunch at Earthquake Park.

June 13th and 14th, 2016, Wasilla/Anchorage

The last two days have been filled with quite a bit of hiking. Good for us as sitting in the RV or the Jeep can be interesting, but I really need to get outdoors.

On Monday, we went up the Glenn Highway up to the Matanuska Glacier (Mat-Su). It is a beautiful drive up the river. As was the case in 2014, the people that own the road charge $25.00 per person to pass and go down to the glacier.

The road is somewhat maintained, but I am very surprised that these huge RV's can get down it and cross a homemade bridge.

Once down to the parking lot, we hiked down to the glacier. I was a little surprised that it seemed to take about a quarter of a mile longer than 2014. I am not a global warning fanatic, but this glacier is definitely shrinking.

On Tuesday, we drove down to the Whittier Tunnel and to Whittier. In 2014, we did this, but stopped just the other side of the tunnel to hike up to the Portage Glacier overlook. This year we decided to go "downtown". There really is not a lot going on in Whittier. The town evolved around a military installation during WWII. There are these huge buildings, dorms, I think that have been abandoned. I was told they rehab'd one of them to create around 200 rooms and all of the Whittier residence stay there.

We walked the docks and had lunch at the China Buffet. OK food for a pre-hike.

After lunch we drove back to the Portage Pass trailhead and hiked up. It is a one mile hike up, but 800 feet vertical. However, the views are worth it.