SHUYAK ISLAND PACKRAFT TRIP 2022

Paddling packafts in from Eagle Cape on the Big Bay Neketa Bay Loop.  Shelikof Strait is in the background.  (photo credit Trevor Davis)

SHUYAK ISLAND, KODIAK ARCHIPELAGO, ALASKA, JUNE 21-28, 2022

THE CREW:

Doug Armstrong

Jim Bennett

Kristin Davis

Trevor Davis

Steve Ford

Wally Hufford

Julie Stephens

LOGISTICS:

We flew to and from Shuyak Island via Northwind Aviation's floatplane based in Homer, Alaska.

ABOUT SHUYAK ISLAND:

Shuyak Island is an island in the northern part of the Kodiak Archipelago located just north of Afognak Island.  It covers an area of 65 square miles and has only one tree species-the Sitka Spruce.  Shuyak was designated a state park after the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill.  It has miles of rugged coastline, beaches, and protected waterways.  "The Shuyak experience is one of wilderness."

Source:  Wikipedia

DAY 1: (6/21/22)

At 9:30 AM we departed Homer, Alaska on Northwind Aviation's floatplane bound for Shuyak Island.  The weather was exquisite and would remain so for the duration of our trip.  The flight was fantastic as we watched the mountains of the southern Kenai Peninsula pass under the plane.  Open water was next and shortly thereafter we flew over the Barren Islands.  Just minutes later we caught our first glimpse of Shuyak.  We landed at Deer Haven Cabin and unloaded gear onto the beach then moved into the cabin.

After lunch we inflated our packrafts and paddled around Carry Inlet.  Along the way we saw Black Oyster Catchers and curious sea otters.  Later in the evening we held a slingshot competition.

Northwind Aviation's Otter.  Our transportation from Homer to Shuyak Island.  

Gear and people (that's Trevor in the photo) loaded and bound for Shuyak.

Jim Bennett takes aim during the evening slingshot competition.

DAY 2:  (6/22/22)

Most of the group spent the day exploring the trails around Deer Haven Cabin.  We walked a good portion of Skiff Passage and took several side trips with "Side Trip Steve."  Along the way Jim lost his 'Adventure Croc' in the mud while crossing a plank.  After several minutes of searching in the muck up to his elbows he found it!  Trevor and Kristin took off on a beach camping adventure while the rest of us returned to the cabin.  

Later in the afternoon we decided to pack up our gear and head for a beach at Big Bay where we would spend the night in tents.  Julie sprained her ankle as we were making the move and spent a good portion of time soaking it in cold water in efforts of making the swelling go down.

One of the cabins we used during our trip.  They were all essentially the same size, design, etc.

Doug Armstrong and Julie Stephens plan the day while looking at maps on Doug's iPhone.

Jim displays his 'Adventure Croc' after it had disappeared in the muck and mire.

DAY 3:  (6/23/22)

After breakfast we packed our gear and left Skiff Passage bound for the Eagle's Nest Cabin.  As we paddled along we saw a hole in a rock so we stopped for photos.  We arrived at Eagle's Nest cabin just as a group of State Park Interns were anchoring their boat and heading into the woods to place new signage along one of the established trails.  Shortly thereafter Trevor and Kristin arrived and the group was together again.  

Later that afternoon we took a hike to 503, which is evidently the tallest location on the island.  Some of us turned around before the steep climb, but Trevor, Kristin, and Doug made it to the top and said the views were spectacular.

Our beach camp at Skiff Passage near Big Bay.

Packrafters paddling past a hole in a rock.

DAY 4:  (6/24/22)

We were all looking forward to this day because we planned to paddle the Big Bay Neketa Bay Loop in our packrafts.  It was exciting because we would be traveling along the outer coast of the island into the open water of Shelikof Strait.  The weather was perfect for it as the skies were clear and the winds calm.  So we set off from Eagle's Nest Cabin looking forward to an invigorating paddle.  It took about an hour to get to the open water and we found it glorious!  There was a slight ocean swell, kelp beds all around, and sea life everywhere.  Sea otters, seals, sea lions, and birds of all sorts were in great abundance.  

As we rounded Eagle Cape we ran into Julie coming from the opposite direction and a few minutes later we looked up to see Trevor and Kristin atop the bluffs taking photos.  They had hiked out on the Eagle Cape Trail from the Ranger Station and timed it perfectly to see us from above.  We paddled to a small cove where we all met up for lunch and conversation.

Packrafters in the ocean and hikers on the bluff at Eagle Cape.  (photo credit Doug Armstrong).

The view from a packraft looking out toward Shelikof Strait.  (photo credit Doug Armstrong).

Stephen Ford packrafts the Big Bay Neketa Bay Loop.

Lunch break during the Big Bay Neketa Bay Loop packraft paddle.

DAY 5:  (6/25/22)

Different objectives led the group in three different directions on this day.  Wally and Jim hiked the Eagle Cape Trail while Doug, Julie, and Steve paddled packrafts around the Big Bay Western Inlet Loop.  Trevor and Kristin departed for some paddling around the area and another night of tent camping on the beach.  

The trail to Eagle Cape was awesome and followed the edge of land along a bluff above the water.  During the hike we could hear loud noises like an explosion every once in a while.  As we neared Eagle Cape we saw a whale in the distance slapping the water with its tail and we knew where the sounds came from.  The destination was an overlook at Eagle Cape which provided splendid views of Shelikof Strait, Afognak Island, and part of Kodiak Island.  In the water we could see seals, sea otters, and all types of bird life.  It was a unique perspective to see everything we had seen the day before, only this time it was from land.

These markers helped identify established trails.  Animal trails crisscrossed all over the place and it was easy to  inadvertently start following one of them.  These markers helped keep us on the right track.

DAY 6:  (6/26/22)

For a change of scenery Wally and Jim moved to the Salmon Cove Cabin while Doug, Julie, and Steve remained at Eagle's Nest and spent the day hiking the Eagle Cape Trail.  Trevor and Kristin were still out camping, so we all kept in contact with each others whereabouts by using our inReach devices.  

The hikers had a wonderful afternoon and stayed at Eagle Cape for three hours enjoying the scenery and watching the wildlife.  On their way back they saw a sow and cub brown bear near the Big Bay Ranger Station.  The bears were evidently a common sight around the station and the rangers had seen them often.  Trevor and Kristin arrived at the Salmon Cove Cabin later in the afternoon and spent the remainder of the evening there.

Trevor and Kristin making a breakfast cake on a camp stove.

Big Bay Ranger Station.  There is a small Visitor Center in the front of the structure which has some good information about Shuyak Island.

Sow and cub brown bear.  They had been hanging out near the Big Bay Ranger Station.  (photo credit Julie Stephens).

DAY 7:  (6/27/22)

The group from the Eagle's Nest Cabin, Wally and Jim reunited on the water between the Salmon Cove and Eagle's Nest cabins and began the paddle back to Skiff Passage where we would portage our gear back to Deer Haven Cabin.  Trevor and Kristin portaged their gear from Salmon Cove Cabin to Deer Haven Cabin via the Deer Haven Trail.  

The paddlers took it nice and easy because the tide had to fill the cove with water before we could enter with packrafts.  Once the paddle and portage(s) were complete we spent the remainder of the afternoon drying and packing gear for the floatplane trip back to Homer.  

Later in the evening Trevor received a message on his inReach from Northwind Aviation saying they would be there at 8:00 AM the next morning to pick us up.

DAY 8:  (6/28/22)

Everyone got up bright and early this morning so we could be ready for our pickup.  Right on schedule the floatplane taxied up to the shore and we began loading our gear.  Then, as we were going across the lake Trevor said, "There's a bear on the shore."  We looked over and sure enough there was a bear.  Once aloft Jim and I saw a deer running down the beach.  It was a great send off.  An hour later we were in Homer.

Loading the Otter for departure from Shuyak Island.

Shuyak Island under the wing of our departing floatplane.

The official map we used to plan and follow our packraft routes and hiking trails. 

DENALI NATIONAL PARK 2021

DENALI NATIONAL PARK, ALASKA, SEPTEMBER 8-11, 2021

For the first time since 1984 we had no reason to stay in Nikiski following the Labor Day Weekend.  Retired from our jobs and kids all graduated from high school, Denali National Park seemed like a good destination.  So, off we went.  Astoundingly we were able to see it all--rutting moose, the mountain, fall colors, termination dust, and interesting people.  We stayed at the Grizzly Bear Cabins for three nights and had a spirited cribbage game each evening.  Elizabeth was crowned champ of the tournament.  Here are a few photos:

This bull moose was strutting, prancing, and pawing the ground one evening near Savage River Campground.  His antlers were impressive.

Moose rutting is taken seriously in Denali National Park.

This is a moose jam.  It happens when a moose is visible from the road.  Lots of vehicles, people, cameras, and spotting scopes converge upon the scene.

This guy had a ladder attached to the roof of his camper shell with ratchet straps.  He would climb to the top of the it whenever he spotted some wildlife, to get a better view.

Posing in front of the sign at the entrance of Denali National Park.

Denali was out in full view much of the time we were visiting the park.

The fall colors were in full force, too.

Fall colors and termination dust atop the hills in the distance.

Termination dust up close.

The rock at the Savage River parking area.

A Northern-hawk owl perched in a tree along the Denali Park Road.

TLIKAKILA RIVER PACKRAFT TRIP 2021

TLIKAKILA RIVER PACKRAFT TRIP, LAKE CLARK NATIONAL PARK, ALASKA, JUNE 20-26, 2021

Liq'a Qilanhtnu-'stream where the salmon are' (Dena'ina Athabascan)

"The Tlikakila offers a beautiful but all-to-short wilderness float for intermediate boaters with good wilderness skills in a splendid mountain setting in Lake Clark National Park and Preserve."

-Karen Jettmar

The Alaska River Guide (2008)

THE CREW:

Doug Armstrong

Jim Bennett

Trevor Davis

Rick Green

Dylan Hooper

Heather Hooper

Wally Hufford

Julie Stephens

LOGISTICS:

We flew from Nikiski across Cook Inlet to Summit Lake via Alaska West Air.  At the end of the trip we were picked up at Lake Clark and returned to Nikiski.

ABOUT THE TLIKAKILA:

This river has a very difficult name to pronounce.  In English it is the Tleekak-keela River, and is part of the National Wild and Scenic River System.  At about 51 miles in length it has even been featured on a United State postage stamp.  

Landing at Summit Lake there is a portage to floatable water that requires some work to find the best route.  Once on the water the river soon becomes swift and braided.  Below the confluence of the North Fork there are some class III rapids.  

The sky above the Tlikakila is very busy with airplanes as this is the main route between Anchorage and Southwest Alaska.

Landing at Summit Lake we unloaded our gear to begin our adventure.

DAY 1:  (6/20/21)

Portaging/floating

Departing Nikiski we took a short flight across Cook Inlet ultimately landing at Summit Lake.  After unloading our gear onto the shore the plane left.  

You're in a moment when the plane flies away.  Suddenly you realize you're really out there.  For a minute you wonder what you've gotten yourself into.  Then, slowly, reality begins to unfold and you remember there is gear to organize and make ready to haul.  River travel begins soon and there are miles to be made.  The plane is gone.  It's time to get on with it.

Lugging our 50+ pound packs to our backs we started the portage in search of the Tlikakila River.  Staying on the north side of things we eventually found a path that led us to floatable water.  Once our boats were inflated we negotiated three beaver dams, hoisting our packrafts over them and then floating to the next.  We caught up with Trevor later in the afternoon where he had already set up his tent.  He reported that he had seen a black bear sow and cub as he was floating through the beaver dam section of the river.  

Rain began falling as we constructed camp.  So, we set up Doug's tarp and sat under it while we ate dinner and held our nightly talent competition.  The rain was here to stay for a while, so we met it with smiles of cheerfulness and resignation.  Well, mostly we did that, because there wasn't much else we could do about it.  

As we were enjoying the evening a couple from Seattle paddled up in an inflatable kayak and stopped to chat.  We shared stories and info before they went on their way.  It turned out that we would leapfrog each other several times as we traveled down the river.

Crossing a stream at the beginning of the portage.

Heather found an antler shed by a moose.

The first water of the Tlikakila.

Dylan and Rick maneuver a packraft over a beaver dam.

An evening under the tarp due to rain.

We held nightly talent contests.  This night's event was the Lady Gaga Lyric Interpretation Competition.

  Dylan was the winner.

DAY 2;  (6/21/21)

14.4 miles packrafting

After packing up and getting on the river we paddled about a mile to the point where Glacier Creek empties into the Tlikakila.  The sun had come out in full force when we came upon the Seattlites as they were breaking camp.  We spent some more time visiting with them.  

Then it was back to the packrafts and more floating.  

For a little ways.  

About a mile further down the river we came to the confluence with Glacier Creek.  As we were planning our trip we had looked at the map and hoped to spend some time hiking up the Glacier Creek Valley.  However, after taking a short walk we found that it would require many stream crossings in deep water to make any distance.  

So, we got back in our packrafts and continued down the Tlikakila.  Along the way Jim uncharacteristically capsized twice.  He later discovered that it was due to the load strapped to his bow, which would shift whenever he was in big enough waves.  This would throw off the balance of his raft causing him to flip.  Once the load was secured all was good.  

Arriving at the confluence of the North Fork we decided to stop and set up camp.  That evening we held the Pose Like a Famous Statue contest in radiant sunshine.  Even though the rain had subsided the wind continued to blow like a banshee.  Fortunately we were in a semi protected space and the wind was mostly just a part of the background.

Trevor floats in some very cold water wearing his dry suit.

Heather waits for her dinner to hydrate.

Day 3:  (6/22/21)

0 miles, rest day at North Fork Camp 

This day was spent lounging at the North Fork Camp.  We did make an attempt to hike up the valley, but once again our efforts were foiled by deep water and brush.  Trevor was able to make it about two miles up the valley before he turned around.  

Back at camp we essentially spent the time visiting and enjoying each others company.  Then we conducted the mother-of-all-slingshot-competitions.  It was a huge event.  Taking turns with the slingshot we ultimately got 15 shots each.  Every time the thwack of the target was heard there were cheers and applause from the others in the group.  It was a rousing contest indeed.

The sun was out.  The wind was constant.  Many airplanes passed overhead.  We counted a total of 58.

Julie participating in the slingshot contest.

DAY 4:  (6/23/21)

12.1 miles packrafting

When I woke up I tried to turn on my inReach so I could send out the daily update to family and friends at home.  However, after repeatedly pressing the power button nothing happened.  Making numerous and creative attempts to turn it on, I became resigned to the fact that it had failed.  It wouldn't work.  Luckily we had two other inReach devices with us on the trip.  We ended up being very happy for the redundancy of bringing them along.  I put my inReach in the bottom of a bag where it stayed for the remainder of the trip.   

With all the inReach drama settled, we readied our packrafts and attitudes for the paddle through the class III rapids we had read about.  They were just below the North Fork and we took it easy making the approach.  At one point we stopped in an eddy where Dylan and Heather made the decision to portage.  The remainder of the group paddled to the end of the rapids and waited for them.  Turns out the portage was extremely difficult due to the bushwhacking.  Dylan and Heather decided to go back to the the river where they inflated their boats so they could float the remaining water to catch up with the rest of the team.  

In the meantime the remainder of the group once again crossed paths with the Seattleites.  They had been making several trips along the edge of the river to portage their gear around the rapids.  It was a surprise for all of us to bump into each other in the dense brush along the river.    

Once reunited with Dylan and Heather, our group continued to paddle down the river to our next campsite where we experienced more wind and rain.  We set up tarps and actually went to our tents early to get out of the weather.  There were no contests or fabulous prizes on this evening.  Julie got a weather forecast on her inReach which called for even more wind and rain.

Jim juggles some stones along the edge of the Tlikakila River.

Float on.

DAY 5;  (6/24/21)

21.0 miles packrafting

Rain continued as we prepped for another day on the river.  We travelled a good long way before finding a campsite where we set up the tarp once again due to the wet weather.  This evening we conducted the Tlikakila River Poetry Slam.  The poems were very good!  Here are a couple of examples:

The river with the name, 

no one can say.

The origins are small, 

all tough to find.

As the miles go, the river grows.

As the rapids peak,

don't be deterred.

The portage is heinous, 

and is better avoided.

The water mellows and joy follows.

~Dylan Hooper

Worthies gathered to discuss trips.

The name Tlikakila was on peoples lips.

Mr. Hufford was the one who discovered the scene,

and made plans to gather people that mattered from hither and yon.

They humped their loads faster than toads (just barely), the first day.

On the second day they rallied in the sun-so much fun.

They pursued to aspire memories,

acquired in beauty,

friendship to admire together.

~Rick Green

At the edge of the river we placed a couple of paddles in an X for the Seattleites to see if they passed by.  Late in the evening Jim had a chat with them before they continued to the shore of Lake Clark.

Then, just before bedtime the clouds parted and the sun came out.  It was so glorious that we had an impromptu slingshot contest and ended up trying to see who could propel a stone to the other side of the river.  It was a very pleasant way to end a rainy and windy day.

Laura and Danny-an adventurous couple from Seattle.

DAY 6:  (6/25/21)

9.1 miles packrafting 

We broke camp and paddled toward Lake Clark.  We happened to meet the Seattleites at the lake where we learned it was Laura's birthday.  So, of course, we sang 'Happy Birthday' to her!  

We then paddled around the corner to our final campsite where we set up the tents in sunshine as the wind kept the bugs away.  The Seattleites showed up not too much later and told us they decided not to paddle across the lake to Port Alsworth.  We all thought that was a great decision.  We used Julie's inReach to a arrange a water taxi ride for them, but the boat was not able to make it that afternoon due to high winds and waves on the lake.  

So, the Seattleites merrily joined our group and we spent the evening sharing stories and participating in a Name That Tune contest.  The Seattleites won the Fabulous Prize of a package of Rolos, which they shared with everyone.  They fit right in.

Checking out the maps.

Adjusting gear along the Tlikakila River.

Paddling the Tlikakila River.

DAY 7:  (6/26/21)

Return to Nikiski via floatplane.

We awoke around 7:00 AM and had a message from Alaska West Air on Trevor's inReach to be ready for pickup at 9:00 AM.  We had a casual breakfast and readied our gear for departure.  Flying  above the Tlikakila River on the return trip we caught glimpses of the route we had traveled by packraft just days before.  By 10:00 AM we were back in Nikiski.

The Seattleites would be picked up via water taxi later that morning and arrive in Port Alsworth in time to catch their flight back to Anchorage.  

Back in Nikiski we reconvened at the Hoopers for an afternoon barbecue to celebrate the end of another successful trip.  Dylan even cooked some of his bear brats for us which a special treat indeed and a fitting way to end a special trip.

Loading the floatplane for our flight back to Nikiski.  (photo courtesy Laura)

Group photo:  (L to R) Heather Hooper, Rick Green, Trevor Davis, Jim Bennett, Wally Hufford, Dylan Hooper, Julie Stephens, and Doug Armstrong.  (photo courtesy Laura)

 

GPS track of our trip.