May 2 - May 4 (Kodiak)

I got to Kodiak in the afternoon on the 2nd. Actually it was 7 or so, but the sun sets at about 11, so the afternoon seems really long. There are three main points on the island, connected by about 100 miles total of roads. I had debated the best way to see the island, and that gets into a larger question that I'd asked myself a few times on the trip. What is an adventure? I'm sure if you wander into the wilderness and end up dead, you probably had an adventure. If you never go past the tourist information center and guided tours, less of an adventure. My goal was to have an adventure, but I was limited somewhat by certain constraints. First, I was (and largely still am) alone. This means my margin for error is much, much smaller than if I were with someone or a group. I have a winch and a locker, but my intent is not to use them, it's to have them in reserve in case they're needed. Second, I had had the bad luck to have the truck broken into in California. Added to that was the fact that several people I met had told me Kodiak was not the type of place where I could leave my gear in the truck at a trailhead and wander off on my own. So that left me with the need to not get crazy in terms of taking the truck into the bush, and not leaving it too far behind for fear of another theft. I think I'm drawing a good middle line between conservatism and adventure. You may be sensing some regret. I would like to have gone a little further into the wilderness, but I'm glad that I have done the gnarly part of the trip and all the adventures before it without injury to me or the truck. So I don't regret the decisions I've made, although I do overanalyze them (as I do most things in my life). Now in blog form.

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