AIRS

10,197’ Mt. Redoubt is in Lake Clark National Park

I was anxious to get to the beach which was just in front of our motorhome. The air was filled with the customary sea smells and the loud shrieks of eagles feeding on beach carrion.

The drive from Kenai had been nothing short of spectacular. Fireweed cast a purple glow on both sides of the highway and rolled like an amethyst carpet into the nearby hills. Across Cook Inlet, the snow white peaks of Mt. Iliamna and Mt. Redoubt penetrated an azure blue sky, better known in our hometown as Middlebury blue.

10,016’ Mt. Iliamna also within Lake Clark National Park 

I heard John Deere tractors start their engines preparing to launch fishing boats into halibut rich water. It’s an interesting process in which the boats are loaded on shore while still trailered. Tall step ladders are used to get people and gear onboard. The tractor then hooks to the trailer and backs the fully loaded boat from the beach into the ocean. Once buoyant, the boat is released from the trailer and motors away. The trailer is numbered and parked on the beach until the boat returns.

Exiting the water is much more exciting. If the tide is out, the tractors back far off shore. By use of some sort of communication, the boat notifies the tractor crew that it’s ready to come ashore. The boat bobs in deep water until its trailer is retrieved and backed into the ocean. Then, gathering speed, which might mean making a loop around to achieve, the boat pilot literally drives his boat onto the waiting trailer. Some boats approach with such speed it looks like a crash about to happen. Everyone and everything stays aboard until boat and trailer are safely on the beach. Only then are the high step ladders once again used to remove people and gear.

This large charter boat circles to gather speed before driving onto its trailer.

Our dog, Pika, discovered that the beach provided a seafood buffet. I found it impossible to prevent her from tasting the many appetizing fish parts so I let her have her way. Fortunately, this resulted in only a few upchucks. The following day she apparently had learned what pleased her palate and what didn’t as she walked past a number of ocean treasures.

The day was so beautiful that we took a selfie!

We packed up to leave our campsite just as numerous folks arrived to fish from the beach. This style of fishing seemed to rely on the tide. I was really hoping to see someone have success, but it didn’t happen. By the time they picked up to leave, the sun had lowered and a stiff wind blew. What had been T-

shirt weather now required hooded jackets.

I struggled to attach the correct names to the volcanoes we were seeing. Seldom have we seen them so clearly. I remembered a large panoramic display of the volcanoes at Anchor Point State Recreation Area, so we headed there. It helped me to use the acronym AIRS when viewing the four most prominent volcanoes from south to north. (Augustine, Iliamna, Redoubt, Spurr)

We left the coastline to revisit Nikolaevsk, a town settled by members of the Russian Orthodox Church and known as “Old Believers”. This sect of the Russian Orthodox Church adheres more strictly to old rituals and “beliefs”. Over three hundred people live in Nikolaevsk where both Russian and English are spoken.

We drove into the fireweed covered hills and stopped to eat a sandwich beside the road. From here we could look down into the valley below.

We passed well maintained houses and poorer looking homes. In some yards, large fishing boats were cradled, indicating a connection to the sea despite living in the hills. A large modern school was located not far from the post office and Orthodox Church.

We easily located Nina’s Cafe. Many years ago I bought a painted Russian spoon from Nina. I really hadn’t wanted or even needed the spoon but I bought it in an attempt to dissuade Nina from trying to sell me a very expensive lacquered tea set. That day, Nina had encouraged us, actually demanded that we eat borscht. She dressed us in traditional Russian attire and then took a picture of us standing among her nesting dolls and tea sets. I think she hoped we would pay for our glamour shot, but we didn’t.

We viewed her as a little crazy and left as quickly and politely as we could.

The Samovar Cafe

On this day, Nina’s cafe looked run down and its once beautifully painted exterior looked in need of repainting. The cafe looked permanently closed, but we were informed that Nina was still in business, but only serving guests by appointment. No longer are customers invited inside to be “encouraged “ by Nina to buy from her crowded shelves or eat borscht. They are now served outdoors on a picnic table.

Nina!

The dirt road from Nikolaevsk continues on to Homer located at the very end of the Kenai Peninsula. We chose to turn around in Nikolaevsk and head home. The following day we returned to our cabin in Talkeetna feeling glad to have once again experienced the Kenai Peninsula.

Our cabin!

Last night’s visitors. We have the best rain water in Talkeetna an no need to bend over when drinking!