My goal with Kodiak was to see the main points on the island, and then to find a place to be on my own for a few days as a cap to the trip. It hadn't been my intention earlier in the trip, but that plan had evolved as I got closer to the island. I had pictured it as a wild place, and to be sure it largely is. 2/3 of the island is wild, accessible only by boat or plane. Either of these would involve both leaving my truck behind and large quantities of money. So they were out.
I was directed toward Anton Larsen bay as a place where "I wouldn't see another soul for days." well that sounded pretty good. I got off the boat on Saturday and drove out toward Chiniak, where I camped on a beach for the evening.
I know it looks chaotic, but there is a method to the madness. I have gear in the back right corner, gear in the front left corner, and my sleeping bag on a diagonal from back left to front right. On that I have my gun, my duffel, and my bow, along with the tent. That stuff goes in the front seat, leaving a sleeping space in the back. Takes 4 minutes. The tent is roomier, but in bear country or just when I don't feel like putting it up, it's nice to be able to crash in the truck.
The next day, I drove up to Pasagshak, where I passed the Kodiak rocket launch site, a number of buffalo, and a small community of surfers. I stopped and chatted a while. The New York license plate was, as usual, a hit.
Following Pasagshak, I went up to Anton Larsen bay, assuming that I'd find an unspoiled wilderness where I could set up camp by a bay and be for several days. What I found was a parking lot next to a boat launch, and at the very end of the road, a shooting range (three signs with more bullet holes than I've ever seen) and covered with spent cartridges and beer cans. Not the utopia I was searching for. I got pretty frustrated at this point, and decided to go back to Chiniak, where I had pulled up before venturing into some of the gnarlier trails at the end of the road. I went down a few, and ended up finding a site away from people, where the U.S. army had set up some concrete bunkers overlooking the ocean.
The next morning, the fog blew off and I had much better views.
Again, it was my intent to stay at Chiniak for a few days without human contact. The first night I set up shop in this beautiful remote spot, I was still on that plan. But when I finished my dinner and settled down for the night, I was struck by a thought: "It's time to go home." It was surprising, considering the original plan and how much I was enjoying being on my own. I thought about it a bit more and still had the same conclusion. I'm not even sure what went into the decision. I wasn't as far out of the way as I would have liked. There were ATV trails nearby and I had heard that people did occasionally take trucks through there. I don't think that's what spurred the thought though. I think I was just ready to turn around. So I booked passage on the boat off the island on the night of the 4th. It was good to take a night trip, as it allowed me to sleep and the seas were much calmer than they had been on the way out.
Kodiak pics 1
Kodiak pics 2
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