Friday, June 6, 2014

Kenai, AK

On Monday, 6/2, we left Wasilla for Kenai.  It's about a 3 -4 hour drive depending on traffic, stopping, etc.
 If you double-click on the map, you can follow the road from Anchorage down around Turnagain Arm to Girdwood and then on to the Kenai Peninsula.  








































Then follow the road to Cooper Landing, Soldotna, and then Kenai.  We are parked behind the Kenai Middle School again, and, it feels like 'home.'


The Peninsula is known as "Alaska's Playground" and is one of the most visited tourist regions in Alaska, especially popular with nature lovers for its beautiful scenery, and with anglers lured by its excellent salmon and halibut fishing.

Saw another one of these signs but, again, that was the only one we saw!




Not sure what this was, but it was unique!


Alot of homes on this hill side.


The drive around the Turnagain Arm was beautiful.  Sometimes you can see beluga whales in the water, but, of course, we did not.








Once you get around, you come to this sign and from there on, it is a sloping climb into the mountains to Turnagain Pass.






Eventually we get to the turnoff - the road to Seward is Highway 9 and the road to the right is the Sterling Highway (#1) which we take.




As we get closer, the Kenai River comes into view.  A very popular river for salmon fishing.  The Kenai is home to the world’s largest salmon with the record weighing in at 97.4 lbs.  The King Salmon Derby in local Soldotna provides the chance to win a $50,000 first prize for landing the next world record.
The Kenai River sonar fish count shows that between 40,000 to 45,000 Kings pass through in July during the second run.  Late May and June show a slightly smaller run. The King bag limit is one per day or two for the season on the Kenai. 
According to the local paper:  For the first time since 1965 the Alaska Department of Fish and Game has announced a preseason closure of fishing for Kenai River early run king salmon.A preseason forecast for the run estimated 2,230 fish to make a run on the river, less than half of what is needed to reach the lower end of the ADFG optimum escapement goal of 5,300 fish.
The early run sport fishery for kings will be closed beginning May 1 through June 30 from the Kenai River mouth upstream to Skilak Lake and the Moose River from its confluence with the Kenai river upstream to the northern edge of the Sterling Highway bridge.
Kings may not be targeted or retained.
Not good news for the avid fisherman.


As we got closer to Soldnota/Kenai, the mountains on the other side of Cook Inlet came into view.


Cute little ice cream stand along the way.


And an old church


And then we finally made it to the Kenai Middle School.  Met with the school maintenance man and got setup.





Will update again in a few days.

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