...the last two weeks of July

I have been doing some fishing the past couple of weeks.

A map of the lakes I circumnavigated this morning.

Self-portrait post circumnavigation of Kelly and Peterson Lakes.

Kestrel at the Peterson Lake put-in.

Self-portrait post circumnavigation of Watson Lake.

Some very tall vegetation growing in Watson Lake.

The beaver lodge at the far end of Watson Lake.

Kestrel making way on Watson Lake.

The last two weeks of July are also extremely hectic on the Kenai Peninsula.  It is the peak of fishing season and everyone is out chasing salmon for all they are worth.  I have been doing a generous amount of fishing, but decided to take a day off as it is Saturday and crowds of people are storming the river.  So I thought it would be a good time to circumnavigate several lakes in my kayak.  Watson, Kelly, and Peterson Lakes are all close in proximity and none of them are very large.  It was easy to do them all in a morning. 

I would have to say that Watson Lake is the most interesting as it is very shallow and over the years it has become filled with vegetation.  Some of it was too heavy for me to paddle Kestrel through and I had to turn around more than once to find passage.  I found a beaver lodge at the far end of the lake and the owner swam near me slapping his tail loudly on the surface of the water several times.  I don't think he appreciated my presence very much. 

I had intended to circumnavigate Bottenintnin Lake as well.  But,it was 74 degrees at noon and I didn't want to leave Gabby in her kennel during that kind of heat while she waited for me to paddle around the lake.  So, I won't be able to cross that lake off the list until another day.  All in all, it was a good way to spend the day during...the last two weeks of July.

...at Trail River Campground

THE ROUTE: Ptarmigan Lake Trail.

DISTANCE: 7.0 miles round trip.

TERRAIN: Well established trail with lots of brush.

THE ROUTE: Circumnavigation via kayak of Lower Trail Lake.

DISTANCE: 4.0 miles.

THE ROUTE: Kayak tour of Upper Trail Lake.

DISTANCE:  6.3 miles.

THE ROUTE: Kayak tour of Kenai Lake.

DISTANCE: 2.2 miles

A bee hovers over some flowers at Trail River Campground.

Troy kayaking on Kenai Lake.

Liz, Emily, Linda, Tika, and Troy at the Ptarmigan Lake Trailhead sign.

Picking the first blueberries of the season.

Kestrel making way on Lower Trail Lake near Moose Pass.

Miss Pala gets ready to eat a roasted marshmallow while Alex looks on from behind.

It's drift boat Monday and I was supposed to go fishing this morning. In fact, I was on my way. I made it to the Tesoro station where I stopped for some supplies and when I went out to start the truck there was a clatter. Followed by some loud screeching noises. Then there was a huge dark cloud of smoke and all the lights on the dashboard started flashing with what resembled a Fourth of July fireworks display...a big one. I wasn't thinking of fish anymore. I got the truck to the repair shop where it is waiting to be fixed. And, now, I am sitting here writing this blog. While the fish are hitting the river with reckless abandon. Tens-of-thousands of them.

I do have something great to write about, however, as we just returned from a three night stay at Trail River Campground near Moose Pass where we kayaked, hiked, rode bikes, sat around campfires, visited with friends, and played with Labrador retrievers. The weather was just about perfect, too. It all began last Thursday when we met up with the Zimmerman family and picked out some of the best campsites at the very scenic Trail River Campground. We spent the evening talking and making plans for the next day which included a kayak trip on Kenai Lake and a hike to Ptarmigan Lake via Ptarmigan Lake Trail. The Burnett's and Miss Pala were also scheduled to arrive on Friday afternoon.

Troy and I took our kayaks out on the lake fairly early in the morning and paddled around for over an hour. Kenai Lake is fairly large and the wind was blowing so we stuck close to the shore. Once the kayaking was done we packed our daypacks and drove to the Ptarmigan Lake Trail. We picked the first blueberries of the season and ate them as we strolled along. It was very hot and we stopped frequently to rehydrate kids and retrievers. Arriving at the lake we enjoyed a spectacular view before turning back for the trailhead.

When we got back to the campground the Burnett's and Karen had arrived and we cooked food on a fire and caught up on the details of everyone's summer at the Zimmerman's campsite. The next morning Troy and I drove to Lower Trail Lake which we circumnavigated in little over an hour before returning to the campground. That afternoon we went to the beach on Kenai Lake where we put the kayaks in and paddled around on the lake's sizable waves. The wind was blowing and the beachgoers eventually got cold enough that they returned to the campsites for more visiting. The evening was filled with more cooking and talking.

The final morning Troy and I took the kayaks to Upper Trail Lake where we paddled around a couple arms of the lake and then drove back to the campground where we packed up and drove home marveling at the volume of traffic on a Sunday afternoon during dipnet season. We talked about how quiet and serene our weekend had been...at Trail River Campground.

...a double whammy

Ready to circumnavigate Chugach Estates Lake.

Kestral on Chugach Estates Lake.

Stopping for a photo of the vegetation with my paddle.

This lake had many trees hanging over the water.

There used to be a campground/picnic area at Bernice lake. That was many years ago. The access area is still there, but it is no longer maintained and there are no signs designating the area as such. So, I took my picture with the Bernice Lake Road sign.

Kestral had to navigate some dense vegetation to reach open water on Bernice Lake.

Kestral and I after the circumnavigation of Bernice Lake.

Kestral has been in dry dock for the past several weeks. Other obligations and activities have prevented the circumnavigation of any lakes on my list, so when I got up this morning I knew it was time to do some paddling. I loaded the gear and drove a few short miles to Chugach Estates Lake, dumped Kestral in the splash and 28 minutes later I was done. That left plenty of time to drive a couple of more miles to Bernice Lake and repeat the unloading/circumnavigation process. (You may notice on the map that I neglected to paddle one small bay of Bernice Lake. It seemed that a pair of loons were nesting in that area and I didn't want to disturb them.) An hour later both lakes had been circumnavigated...a double whammy.

...drifting the Upper Kenai River

THE ROUTE: Kenai Lake to Jim's Landing via drift boat on the Kenai River.

DISTANCE: 13.3 miles

TIME: 3hrs, 42 mins

TERRAIN: Moving water

The Hufford girls at the put-in near Kenai Lake.

Drifting away from the put-in.

Drifting down the river.

The boat at the picnic spot.

Gabby surveys the river.

Laura brought her Kindle to catch up on her reading.

Me at the oars.

We took advantage of some beautiful weather this afternoon and made the drift on the Upper Kenai River from Kenai Lake to Jim's Landing. We stopped for a picnic along the way and watched other drifters in rafts, boats, and kayaks go past as we ate sandwiches and sliced apples on the shore. The water was swift as usual and extremely clear for this time of year. After lunch we took our time floating past the Russian River, Pilgrim Rock, and Henry's Hole. It was a great way to spend a sunny day, just...drifting the Upper Kenai River.