Carlisle and I dashed between showers for a quick ride up the Talkeetna River to Larson Creek. We go to the river most days to bail the boat and decided to take a ride. Larson Creek drains from Larson Lake and into the Talkeetna. It is a spawning creek for Sockeye Salmon. With a limited return of King Salmon and the early closing of King season, folks now are anxiously awaiting the return of the Reds. We thought we'd see if there were any around.
The Talkeetna has dropped in level. We passed only a few people fishing during our ride. The river is full of snags and huge trees that have been pulled down this past Spring.
Lady rode along but, we also brought a gun as bears tend to be around. The Talkeetna remains silty but there was a clear seam line at Larson Creek. Some charter fisherman were there, but we saw no sign of fish. Later we were told that a few had been caught. Hearing this, we sorted our fishing gear and are now ready when they do arrive in numbers. The Sockeye travel hundreds of miles from the ocean to reach the clear water of Larson Creek. Once here, they travel upstream through shallow water until they reach their spawning ground, Larson Lake.
Last year, Bucky stood on the seam line with our salmon. The limit is three fish per person. It's easy to see where the clear fresh water of Larson Creek enters the silty grey water of the Talkeetna.
Carlisle stands in a prime spot on Larson Creek last summer trying her luck as the fish move through. When the fish arrive it is an exciting time with fisherman lining this narrow creek. We found that going up very early in the morning or later at night, either before or after the charters, meant fewer people to deal with. It is still light almost all night, so there really are no hours to adhere to. While Carlisle and I were at Larson, we checked on a house of some people who are trying to build remote. Having to haul their building supplies in by 4 wheeler or boat makes building the traditional house quite a task. These folks have not been back now for 2 years and what they had started, now needs some serious attention!
Tall ferns and huge Cottonwood surround the property. With all the rain this summer, it was truly a jungle. No sooner had our feet touched land, when swarms of mosquitoes dove in on us making it very unpleasant.
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| Bear protection. |
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| Wild Geranium |
Riverside Bluebells
Through the showers and cooler than normal temperatures, Bucky has stayed busy. I often feel like I'm on vacation and he's not. He remains cheerful despite rising early each morning to temperatures that are in the forties. Some nights have been in the thirties and our furnace kicks on regularly. We were told that it's the coldest July in history. A little sun would surely be welcomed.
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Bucky looking out the kitchen window.
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The rear window.
We were able to get our electric pedestal up today and now await inspection by the power company. It would be so nice to have power before we leave. We also hope to install a Toya furnace on this back wall before we leave.
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