...chillin' at the Russian River

Y'all know its been a long winter here in Nikiski. Nothing out of the ordinary. Just a bunch of snow and cold since last Thanksgiving. The typical Alaska fare. But, last Friday was different. Last Friday we woke up to an enormous blue sky and we could feel the air--air that held the promise of the warmest temperatures in the past five months. We had to make our move. So, after some cryptic discussion and quick early morning phone calls to firm up arrangements with our hiking pals we decided to head to the Russian River Campground. We loaded the truck and off we went.

It was even better than we could have imagined.

Of course, you may remember from the previous entry that there is a gate swung shut across the entrance to the Russian River Campground. Locks, chains, everything, but, that was only a minor issue as we shouldered our day packs and walked around it ready to make the hike through the vanishing snow in search of a picnic table in the campground about a mile away.

Along the way we saw an eagle sitting on its nest and since we had an eagle expert with us we learned about the length of their wingspan (six feet) and how they are totally black until they turn five-years-old. To listen to someone so keenly interested in eagles was really fun. And, since he is writing a report about them for school, his teacher will be proud to know that he has retained a lot of information. We took some pictures and watched the eagle some more, after all, and this is important, we were in no particular hurry.

Eventually we resumed our trek and made it to the Red Salmon Loop where we found a picnic table in the sun--and a fire pit. We scrambled for matches and had a blazing flame going in minutes. The first of the season. It made great crackling and popping noises and smelled like heaven. I stood in the smoke trying to fill my fleece jacket with the aroma so the next time I opened my closet it would waft out and remind me of where I had been.

Someone mentioned how we should have brought a tent and sleeping bags so we could have spent the night. Then we started talking about about how long it would take to go back home to get a tent and some sleeping bags so we could spend the night. It seemed like the best idea in the world. We didn't do it but it was something we said repeatedly throughout the afternoon.

Following a leisurely lunch, as, after all, we were in no particular hurry, we walked down to the edge of the Russian River and strolled downstream. The kids threw lots of rocks and we tried to identify animal tracks in the remnants of the snow. Then it was back to the campground where we found another campsite in the sun and lounged around for over an hour. The kids busied themselves with rocks and sticks and snow. A couple of them made "salads." The adults took in the scenery and allowed for a meandering conversation covering a number of unrelated topics. Perfect.

At some point we decided to retrieve our gear and make our way back to the vehicles. It was a slow walk out and we passed the eagle's nest again. We even watched as it frantically chased some type of hawk in a territorial dispute. We passed some people carrying skis in their hands and wearing large backpacks. They looked like they were on their way to the Barber Cabin. They smiled but it was obvious they were none too happy.

Arriving at the vehicles we stowed our gear and made plans for dinner. One last look around, and, in no particular hurry, we knew we were done...chillin' at the Russian River.