Trail River Campground...it's a beautiful place

When it comes to campgrounds on the Kenai Peninsula you would be hard pressed to find one more beautiful than Trail River Campground near Moose Pass. It's nestled in the mountains along the shores of Kenai Lake amidst some of the most scenic views in Alaska. We went there for the Memorial Day Weekend and even though it pounded down rain on Saturday the remainder of the weekend was absolutely perfect as far as the weather goes. Sunny skies with warm temps.

The campground was packed on Friday afternoon, but we found several empty campsites. Some of our friends met us there and we spent the weekend cooking over campfires, taking in the views, playing football, and walking down to the lake. We also worked on my generator which didn't want to generate. It works just fine now.

On Monday the campground emptied as everyone had to return to work. We stayed an extra night and ate breakfast at the Crown Point Cafe. The food is good but make certain you have plenty of time if you go there for a meal.

We returned to our house this afternoon and we are already talking about when we can go back to Trail River Campground. After all...it's a beautiful place.

...the shorebirds of Kachemak Bay

There were lots of birds: Hudsonian Godwits, Dowitchers, Western Sandpipers, Semipalmated Plovers, Northern Shovelers, Bald Eagles, Common Ravens, and various gulls. We saw them all along with several thousand other birders at the Kachemak Bay Shorebird Festival in Homer, Alaska. The birds were interesting indeed, most of them making a quick stop over on their way to nesting grounds farther north.

But, more interesting were the birders, most of whom had spent considerable amounts of money on spotting scopes, tripods, binoculars, cameras, and all weather clothing so they could stand out in the wind for extended periods of time and discuss the various differences between the four species of sandpipers "just beyond the edge of that mud flat." One birder was overheard stating his "glass" cost $2400, and I don't think that was the most expensive one on the viewing platform. I felt a bit conspicuous standing there with my $89 Nikon binoculars. But, I saw plenty of birds, so I guess they worked okay.

On Saturday we spent most of the evening at the Light House viewing station on the Homer Spit. Birders came and went. It was quite the social birding scene. Everyone seemed delighted with the evening weather, the birds, and the camaraderie. Everyone shared their knowledge and offered their scopes for others to look through. The atmosphere was festive and it was easy to lose track of time. Before we knew it it was past 9:00 PM, and we headed back to the trailer for some heat and then bed.

The weather turned gnarly this morning as the winds whipped the ocean into white caps and lifted clouds of dust into the air on land. Still, it was a great weekend overall and we were glad we went to see...the shorebirds of Kachemak Bay.

...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.

...how much longer?

It's been a long winter. We know that for sure. And, if you know us at all you are well aware that we truly enjoy camping in our little travel trailer (we call it Harmony) in the summer. There's nothing like roasting s'mores over a campfire after an all day hike or bike trip and taking in the view from many of the extraordinarily beautiful Alaskan campgrounds. In fact, we like it so much that we have spent over 30 nights camping in our trailer during some summers. We stay in campgrounds with wonderful names like: Teklanika, Williwaw, Eklutna, Trail River, Discovery, Byers Lake, Quartz Creek, and Russian River. They are places where we've seen lots of wildlife and met some incredibly fascinating people from all around the world.

So we're anxious for the season to start...soon.

This afternoon we made the drive to Cooper Landing where we checked in on two of our favorite campgrounds. We wanted to see how the melting of snow was going and how long it would be before we once again can tug our trailer to one of their campsites and enjoy life without phones and laundry. At Russian River Campground we found a gate blocking the road locked tight with a chain and padlock. So on we drove to Quartz Creek which is featured in the photo above. Another chain and padlock--and snow.

Just the same, it's April 13th and all we have of winter is leftovers. It will be gone before we know it and those padlocks will be retired from service for the summer. Yepper, we will be camping soon. But, for now we have to wait. The only question is...how much longer?

...skiing at Alyeska

It would be difficult to imagine Spring Break without a trip to Alyeska for some downhill skiing. So, last Thursday we went and there was plenty of snow. Snow by the foot. Major storms had been dumping the stuff in the area for days. But, as we pulled into Girdwood the sun was coming out from behind the vanishing clouds and brightly reflecting off the miles of pure whiteness. Better conditions could not have been ordered. We even had to declare a sunglasses alert.

So, we skied the day away and spent the night at the Alyeska Resort Hotel, then returned home the following morning. Spring Break was complete because we had been...skiing at Alyeska.

...the cabin at Point Possession

The builder and his cabin.
A night view.
The gear sled.
Fishing on the lake.
Playing in the sun.

Six snowmachines, three sleds, and ten people left the pavement at Captain Cook State Park for several nights at a cabin 14 miles away. The trip in was smooth and the only mishap involved a broken hitch which was remedied by hooking the sleds of gear in tandem to one snowmachine. No problem.



Upon our arrival a fire was started in the wood burning stove and the kids ate snacks--lots of them. Then we took a trip to the lake where we fished for an hour and even spotted an otter crossing the ice. After a spaghetti dinner it was bed time.



The next morning was bright with sunshine and following breakfast burritos we made our way through the woods to the edge of the lake where everyone basked in the sun. After a few minutes it became clear that we were going to stay put for a while and the following conversation ensued:







"We could use a beach blanket down here...and I wish I had a Diet Coke."







"I'll drive the snowmachine back to the cabin and get you a Diet Coke."







"And get some juice pouches for the kids."







"I'll have a bottle of water--and why don't you bring one of those boxes of Girl Scout Cookies back, too?"







So the morning went. In between sips of Diet Coke, juice, and water we took turns swinging on a rope suspended from a tree near the lake's edge. Then we would eat a Girl Scout Cookie. Then talk. Then just look around. Then take another sip. We even started a fire which seemed like a lot of work to keep going. But, we kept it burning until all the nearby wood was gone. Then it was back to the cabin for lunch.



In the afternoon we built bunk beds in the upstairs and celebrated St. Paddy's Day with a steak dinner. The kids made ice cream for dessert by playing soccer with one of those ball ice cream makers and it tasted just like maple nut (sans nuts) because we used syrup in the place of sugar. It was really good. After that the kids went upstairs and got into the new bunk beds to watch a DVD while the adults played Yahtzee.



The next morning the crew ate pancakes and played a game of tag football at the gravel pit. Then it was time for part of the group to head home, hoping soon to return to...the cabin at Point Possession.

...thru Turnagain Pass

Welp, we took a trip to Anchorage last weekend and it was snowing heavily as we drove over Turnagain Pass. In fact, the snow was stacked higher than the cab of the truck. Deep stuff indeed and more coming down. Lots of it. Still, some of it was melting which meant standing water on the road and potholes--many potholes--many BIG potholes. Made for an interesting drive.

Eventually we made it to Anchorage where we checked into the hotel and then went out for the best pizza in Alaska at the Moose's Tooth. We all had fun and Grandma MJ treated. Thanks Grandma MJ! Hope you are reading this.

The remainder of the weekend was spent shopping, swimming, and checking things out in the big city. When it was time to return to Nikiski we had to drive back over the mountains and, of course, it was snowing as we drove...thru Turnagain Pass.