# 2PawsRiver 2012 Alaska Report



## 2PawsRiver (Aug 4, 2002)

Well we made it back. Is a long flight there, but you don't mind because....you're gong to Alaska....is a long flight back, that sucks, cause you're leaving Alaska.

This year was a little different......made it a couples trip, taking the wives. We had four couples and two single guys that I called our 5th couple. Still planned on doing some fishing, but this time we would be doing a bit more of just seeing Alaska.

Most were repeat offenders, however this year we had a new couple join us, actually from the website.....Sparky and his wife joined us and fit right in. Seeing Alaska is great, seeing it with a bunch of great people just makes it better.

I will do videos and post them later.......I didn't take a computer this time and I like to use some of everybody's pictures for the videos, so this will just be a report with some pics.

Sparky, known to us as Monte and his wife arrived first and got the majority of the shopping out of the way. The rest would filter in that night, however one couple go stuck in Phoenix, so we spent the first morning shopping a bit, which in Alaska is pretty cool.










Once everybody arrived and we finished the shopping we would head around the Turnagain Arm to Hope Alaska. 










Hope is a very cool place. Looks just like it did 50 years ago. Metal buildings, metal roofs, old mining town museum. A great place to wind down from the long day before.










We usually try to get there in July to fish the Pinks. Was hoping to just catch the tail end of the Pink season, but we caught the late tail end, but still had a great time just being on the river

Along with some pretty old Pinks, we would manage a few less old Char.










As I said we brought the wives, and some didn't bring waders, though we would manage.......now that's love.










While we missed the good fishing, it was great to be in hope and the views are spectacular.










Next morning we would have breakfast, and yes, on every trip there is a tarp, it's just the hillbilly in us.










and then head for 6 Mile Creek for some White Water Rafting. Six of us would hit the river.










6 Mile did not disappoint, had a great time. At one point the guide was yelling paddle, next thing I knew I was underwater. Turns out all six of us were thrown out of the raft, bounced around a bit, eventually got everybody back to the raft, and away we went.

If you look close you can see there is a raft under us.










If you hit the Kenai Peninsula you pass right by Nova and 6 Mile and it is well worth the stop. River is fantastic, guides are great, and it is quite an experience.










After the White Water Rafting we head for the Sterling/Soldotna area, staying the night at Alaska Canoe and Campground. 

That was day one and two in Alaska.


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## 2PawsRiver (Aug 4, 2002)

The morning of day three we would start for Swanson River and spend two days canoeing 27 miles through the Alaskan Country side.

Here is our group. From MS.com and their fist trip, and actually the first time the met the rest of the group was in Anchorage, Monte and his wife. Next to them is Rockey, he is the veteran of the group, this is his fourth trip. Next is Mags and his wife. I met Mags and his group about 8 years ago on the Big Manistee River Salmon fishing, this was their first trip. Then there is me and my wife, next is Steve, my adopted little brother, then Willis and his wife. Willis was with Mags on the Big Manistee, this was his second trip, his wife's first.

Pretty happy looking group, and they should be........we're in Alaska, going on a canoe trip and the weather is looking pretty good.



















We would hit a few rocks along the way......sorry Monte, it was one of my favorite pictures.










It was a beautiful river and a great way to spend the day.










Towards the end of the day we would start seeing Silver Salmon, tons of Silver Salmon, Schools of Silver Salmon.

We set camp.










and caught some fish.



















Next morning we would wake to frost and frozen water in the canoes. On this trip we would see Eagles and one Grizzly swam across the river in front of us. The toughest part of this trip was getting the canoes off the river.










Once the canoes were loaded, a quick stop to see the scenery across the bay, then head back to Alaska Canoe and Campground.










That was day three and four, now to get ready to fly into the Upper Russian Lake.


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## 2PawsRiver (Aug 4, 2002)

Today we would load up with High Adventure Air Charter. This would be my third time flying with them over the years and they have always been very helpful, not only in flying us, but they are so good about me bothering them all year long as this trip is planned.........thanks Susan.

This year an unexpected surprise, one of our pilots was a previous kicker for the Denver Broncos, Jason Elam.........top left.










Once loaded the flight in was incredible....










Skilak Glacier at a distance










This is my third trip to Alaska and I have always wanted to hike to Skilak Glacier, but have yet to make it. I asked the pilot if we could fly over the Glacier........we did, this is not zoomed in, heck for a minute I thought we were going to land on it.










Once landed we unload and watch the planes leave. 










Our home for the night.










Great views of the Upper Russian Lake.










Fishing was great. We caught, Dollies and Rainbows. We caught bigger fish, but this one shows the sockeye in the river behind me.










We would invite several back to camp.










Next day we will start for the middle cabin, three miles down river.


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## 2PawsRiver (Aug 4, 2002)

After a quick oatmeal breakfast, we are loaded up and hiking down river to the middle cabin.










Once we arrive we fish..










Hike....










Watch the Grizzly Bear










and play poker.....with no money we played for berries and elk droppings....elk droppings were worth 5 berries.










Janet won all our crap...










Next morning we're back on the trail for a 9 mile hike back to civilization










Past the Lower Russian Lake










and the Russian River Falls.










We had a little drizzle, but it was a great hike. After we are picked up, we head back to the campground to get ready to head for Homer. That ends day 7 in Alaska.

Will put up the rest later.............wife is nagging


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## REG (Oct 25, 2002)

COOL STUFF!!!! THANKS!!!

Can't wait for the rest.


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## PaleRider (Oct 24, 2007)

Looks like another great trip Mark, wish I could have been there.


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## 2PawsRiver (Aug 4, 2002)

Would loved to have had you guys along Russ.

Day 8 in Alaska we pretty much touristed and fished our way to Homer, which was really the sleeper of the whole trip.










You can see the Homer Spit is the distance, remember the cruise boat. 










We would look around town and wind up at the Homer Spit campground, pretty much all the way at the end and wound up fishing next to where the cruise boat was parked, got a pic as it was leaving.










The views in Homer were amazing. We would end up pitching a 2.5 ounce weight, with pieces of herring off the end of the spit and had a blast.

We caught Flounder










Cod, I think....










Starfish...










and I caught two of these....I think either a Stingray or a Skate










We had a blast, the view was just great, watching the tide go out was amazing and catching all kinds of stuff of entertaining as hell.










Day 9 we were supposed to go Kayaking on the bay, but the weather turned bad, which really was not too big a problem as I think everybody needed a day off.

We left homer and started back towards Anchorage, pretty much just sight seeing...










Day 10 we left the Peninsula....and headed into Anchorage.


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## 2PawsRiver (Aug 4, 2002)

Day 10 we pretty much turned in the Motor Home and U-Haul Van. Rockey was staying the night and got a hotel room where we pretty hung out till we caught flights that night.

Monte and his wife rented an SUV and spent a couple extra days in the area.

Alaska was great we saw Beluga Whales, Sea Lions, Eagles, Moose, Bear, Sea Otters, and Grouse. We caught an assortment of fish and covered a good part of the Kenai Peninsula and best of all we saw it and did it all with a great group of people.

It was another trip of a lifetime.

Many people talk about going to Alaska one day, which is great, but one day is not promised. Alaska can be done and done pretty cheap. I still have to crunch the numbers, but even going in luxury this trip will has cost Sharon and I about 2900 dollars door to door, that includes everything, flights, transportation, meals, fly outs, equipment, rafting, licenses, the works.

Every outdoors person should see Alaska. The time to start planning is next month. Start getting your group together, and be ready to make your reservations in January and set up a payment schedule over the course of the year.

I will gladly provide you every bit of information I have, contacts, references, and I have enough equipment to fully equipment two people and you are welcome to it.

Thanks again to those adventurous souls that signed up for this trip. I couldn't afford to to it without you and I would not have enjoyed it as much.

Just a warning for you guys........2014, Brooks Range, the Yukon River and I'm not sure what else.


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## OH-YEAH!!! (Jun 18, 2009)

Mark,

Those are terrific photos. What a great idea to bottom fish the waters just off Homer. That skate picture is unbelievable. Do they have stingers like stingrays and did it try to sting you?

People ask me why don't I fish Montana or New Mexico or BC and my answer is that nothing beats Alaska. Well, maybe Kamchatka or Patagonia but I can't afford that. :lol:

Awesome photos and thanks for sharing.


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## gunrod (Jan 16, 2001)

Nice post Marc. Thanks for taking us along.


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## diztortion (Sep 6, 2009)

I love those hats in the first pic. I want one!

Nice pictures and report...


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## 2PawsRiver (Aug 4, 2002)

Paul we got out of Anchorage the day before the storm hit........pretty lucky.

Not sure if they had stingers but it looked like it did, I kept them facing the other way with they tail on the dirt, seemed to calm them a bit.....then discuss threw them back into the ocean.

Diz, I thought I had a picture of it, but there was a hat from a black wolf.......2000 dollars.

Wolf hides were going from 750 to 1000 dollars. My wife looked a some moccasins, they were 450 dollars, thankfully she did not buy them.


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## jampg (Jan 27, 2007)

What an awesome trip. Congrats on being able to do that. Thanks for posting.


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## tannhd (Dec 3, 2010)

Ya, man. I want a seal skin baseball cap.


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## Steve (Jan 15, 2000)

Wow, thanks for taking us along. Someday.... 

I really would like to go see the Dick Promekee (sp) cabin and area and try to imagine myself living there for an extended period of time.


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## itchn2fish (Dec 15, 2005)

Thanks for sharing, very nice pics


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## brushbuster (Nov 9, 2009)

Your right its an awesome place and everyone should do it at least once. Life is short just go do it. Great trip 
I have been to quite a few places in the brooks range from fairbanks to dead horse, bettles to annaktuvik pm me sometime if you'd like marc.
I have been yearning to float though the noatak preserve I hope to make that float soon.


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## UBDSLO1 (Feb 23, 2004)

Wow, thanks for sharing Mark!!! Brings back memories for sure! Great Pics too!


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## laterilus (Mar 18, 2006)

Very cool! My brother lives in Coopers landing looking forward to going next year.


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## Wellston (Dec 28, 2000)

Nice........... It looks and sounds like you guys had a great trip! Thanks for sharing.
Jim


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