Headed back to Chris' place and did some work on his house (not as much as we'd intended, for various reasons, mostly the weather). We kicked back and enjoyed some more beers, and his friend Julia came over. Had a bit of a target shooting contest with her beautiful 22, and sat back down to enjoy one of the warmest days this year in Alaska.
Later on Sean came over with some yearling Moose meat. We threw the grill together, made some turkey burgers, some moose burgers, and yes, more beer. Chris' brother stopped by with a sweet GMC 2500 HD (new that day) and we admired for a bit.
night and back to the truck for another good sleep.
The next day we actually woke up early. Me because I needed to hit the road and Chris because he and Sean were going to try to get some work done on the house. It was another beautiful day, so I'm not sure the plan materialized...
On the way out of Cooper Landing, I drove down Skilack Lake road, recommended by Chris. I'm glad I did. I stopped for about 45 minutes and just sat looking out over a valley with some streams that fed into the lake. I saw my first bear! He and I shared a moment, then I remembered my camera and he decided to take off. So here's some bear ass.
I also watched some eagles play in the sky above the valley, soaring and diving on the wind. They really are an incredible sight.
I drove down through Soldotna, did some laundry and took a shower. Many places have a "pay for a shower" option in AK, which makes getting around and avoiding motels fairly easy. Sleeping in a tent or a truck is much easier when you either have showered or know that one is not that far off.
Had some good Mexican food in Soldotna. I was really concerned about my ability to get good food on the trip, and for the most part those fears were unfounded. Each town has at least one place that will serve good food all year long, and larger places typically have a mexican joint and maybe an asian place. Thai is popular. I'm not comparing the variety to NY, but rest assured that it's much better than you (or maybe just me) would think.
Out of Soldotna I really saw a lot of spring thaw. It's incredible the feeling in the land right now. The earth is softening up and coming alive, the snow is melting, and the animals are starting to come out. The change really fills up your senses; you can hear avalanches as snow melts and comes off the mountains, and ice cracking on lakes. The smell of wet earth and plants is in the air, and there's a humidity that escapes as the ground softens up. Fields are under water, streams and rivers are all overflowing, and trees are opening up as well. I wish I could see it go from January to July, and see the change in the landscape from trough to crest. Another time.
It's hard for me to admit when I'm wrong, but in this case it's deserved. Dad, after all these years, it turns out you were right.
The moose is, in fact, loose.
Got into Homer and crashed on the beach out on the Homer Spit, a mile jetty out into Cook Inlet. Set up the tent and lit a fire after scavenging some driftwood. Coleman fire sticks are indispensible. Gone are the days in the early part of the trip where I'd be whittling wood shavings to get some tinder, then going through a book of matches to get that lit. These things are essential for any camping trip. Driftwood makes a great briny, rich smell as it burns, and provided a great end to the evening.
Full set of pics
No comments:
Post a Comment