Into Soldotna

We left Anchorage early in the morning Saturday and headed down the Kenai Peninsula to Soldotna. The drive was beautiful, and the Chugach range, the one we liked so much, extends down into the peninsula.


Turnagin Bay at low tide: apparently it is really dangerous to walk on the sand, as some is quicksand.

We stopped at a Wild Animal Refuge, where they have orphaned or sick animals, so we saw our first Grizzly, but in captivity. It was a good way to double-check that we had accurately labeled the animals we saw- moose and elk and caribou all look a little alike when you go past them quickly.

Orphaned moose- his mother died while charging some people who were near him- very sad. Mama moose are said to be the most dangerous animal on the peninsula.


We got into Soldotna, and I got settled into my new place. It will take a little while to get used to using someone else's furniture, but the apartment is really nice, with a huge professional range, and is right on the river. Hearing rushing water and seagulls out the window is a nice thing to get used to.

The town's public access is right across the river from my apartment. It has been really fun watching the fishermen down there. They use a form of fly fishing, where they hold the line in the left hand, and let it out as they cast. Essentially, they're just trying to snag the fish as they go by in the river. If the fish is snagged in the mouth, they can keep it, but if it is snagged anywhere else, they have to cut it free. Right now is silver salmon season.


Yesterday, we explored the east side of the peninsula and drove down to Seward.


We took a 5-hr cruise through Resurrection Bay in the Kenai Fjords National Park- it's a park that primarily can be accessed only by boat, which was pretty neat.


Pirate Katie eyes her treasure stash:


We saw sea otters and sea lions:

and puffins:


but the highlight was seeing 3 humpback whales:


We also went past a number of glaciers. It was really beautiful, and it was fun to be out on the open water. Neither of us got seasick, proving our Nordic heritage!

Bear Glacier:


Then we hiked up to Exit Glacier- it's one of the few that you can get up close to in Alaska without having to do extensive hiking. It was so cool next to the glacier, and the colors in it were beautiful- blues and yellows and browns in with the white of the ice. It was well worth the hike.

Today we are going to head down the west side of the peninsula toward Homer. I am excited to see the Cook Inlet again, and hopefully the volcanoes on the other side of the bay.

I don't have internet, and had to drive around for a while today before I could find a place with Wifi, and my phone is on roam all over on the peninsula. I feel like I am cut off from people even while I'm back in civilization. So once things quiet down, I'll post pictures from the last few days- they are really nice. Miss you all!