These
are the Chronicles of Famous Surf Writer Ben Marcus and his trip
into the Wilds of the Alaskan Frontier.
Latest Update: October 1, 2000
21:36
THE TV ROOM OF THE DRIFTWOOD INN, HOMER, ALASKA.
I
like Homer. This is the third major Kenai Peninsula town I've been
in today, and I like Homer best. I just had a fresh halibut sandwich
at a restaurant about four miles out onto Homer Spit. There was
a bumper sticker in the bar:
A
quaint drinking town with a slight fishing problem. Homer, Alaska.
Funny.
Homer
also calls itself The Halibut Fishing Capitol of the World. There's
a big commercial and sport halibut fishery, with charter companies
everywhere, and a lot of commercial boats in the harbor.
The
weather is just about perfect right now, clean and cool and a lot
like Santa Cruz in November. There aren't a lot of people around.
A good part of Alaska is closing down all around me: restaurants,
lodges, gas stations and cafes are closed for the season. Which
suits me fine. All the places I'm passing on empty roads must be
a mess in the middle of summer. I don't think I want to see that.
I like empty places.
Anyway,
Homer was at the end of a long drive from Seward, along the Kenai
River, through Kenai, then out to Homer. I didn't really know where
I was going or what I was looking for, but I saw some good things.
The
Kenai River is a world-famous salmon, steelhead and trout river,
and it looks world famous. It's Sunday, so there were a lot of boats
on the road and a few in the water. As soon as I saw the Kenai I
started thinking about taking a guided fishing trip. The more I
saw, the more I wanted to do it. It is a classic-looking river.
Kenai
is a fishing-crazed town, with a sporting goods store or charter
company on every corner. Most of the town was quiet and closed because
it was Sunday, so I just drove aimlessly around, looking for something
interesting. Took some pictures of the mouth of the Kenai, and caught
some amazing views across Cook Inlet. I thought the view across
Puget Sound was amazing, with that glimpse of Mount Baker. Cook
Inlet blows it away.
There
was nothing much happening in Kenai, so I headed for Homer. The
road out was nice, kind of like the road along the English Channel,
with lots of nice little rivers and creeks, but not many people
around or fishing. The Kenai Peninsula is one of the most popular
fishing destinations in the world, and there are charter companies
and lodges everywhere, all alogn the road.
Stopped
at one little fishing village called Ninilchik, on the Ninilchik
River. Poked around, called mom, took some photos. I liked the place,
and it had a classic little coastal river running through it.
There
was a classic little coastal river every half-mile or so. And I
stopped and checked out most of them. On the Anchor River I found
a man and woman fishing, and had a conversation. They were fishing
for steelhead, but not really catching anything. The girl explained
that they were itinerant adventurers. They come to Alaska in summer
and work as bartenders or whatever, then go to Maui or the Virgin
Islands in winter and work there, as bartenders or whatever.
The
woman suggested I contact Alaska Troutfitters for a guided drift
trip on the Kenai. Salmon season is over, so it's mostly trout,
but big trout. I'll try to set that up for Tuesday or Wednesday,
although I'm gonna try to watch the first Giants playoff game at
noon on Wednesday.
As
I was talking to those two, a pair of Fish and Game officers came
walking up. Good thing I wasn't fishing, because they were checking
licenses. I have a feeling that Fish and Game is a sketchy job out
here. These guys had sidearms and mace and stun guns (I think) and
they were wearing Kevlar vests. Kevlar? On Fish and Game?
I
continued on, passing numerous other classic rivers and streams,
and pulled into Homer in the late afternoon. Found a good RV park
called the Driftwood with a big view into Cook Inlet. Had dinner
out on the spit, and now I'm typing, in the TV room at the Driftwook
Inn, watching the closing ceremonies.
I
like it out here on the Kenai, but what's not to like? Classic rivers,
perfect fall weather, not many people around, huge glaciers and
snow-covered volcanos on the horizon. I'll probably hang around
for a couple of days, do a drift trip on the Kenai, then head up
to Anchorage, then Denali.
I'm
supposed to be back in Sequim by October 16 to contest that ticket,
but I don't know if I'll attempt it.
There's
a good Discovery Channel show on bear attacks right now. Every once
in a while, a bear will go after a human, and nothing much will
stop it.
Hope
all is well.
Send
e-mails.
Ben
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