Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, September 5, 1993 TAG: 9309050327
SECTION: HORIZON PAGE: F-6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: TRACY WIMMER
DATELINE: MOOSE PASS, ALASKA LENGTH: Long
For two summers, I have worked in Moose Pass - which I consider no less than magic - in the central part of Alaska's Kenai Peninsula. When I have not been slicing reindeer sausage or serving it, I have traveled, trying to absorb it all, take it all in for some long, cold night when I know I will surely need a lift.
Listening, my father calls it. He should be glad to know I'm finally trying.
Alaska is a place of great diversity. It is not, however, Northern Exposure.`
Sure. In Moose Pass, we have our disenchanted Stanford philosophy professor, our New York bush pilot, our beautiful grandmother who flies around on her three-wheeler looking for her slew of adopted little boys. And then there is our Ed.
Yet, like much of Alaska, we have our alcoholism, our unemployment, our winter depression and our natives who, unike Ed on the show, often suffer discrimination. So I tell people who ask - and they always do - that the show is a fine piece of fiction. And most Alaskans I know hate it.
Kenai has no Eskimos or igloos. (Eskimos never lived in ice houses in the first place. Igloo is an Inuit Indian word. And Eskimos and Indians are enemies from way back.)
So don't come for the stereotypes. Instead, come to the Peninsula to fight the sockeyes and the halibut, to run your fingers across 1,000-year-old glaciers, to soar high above the running black bear, and ultimately to try to catch your breathwhile a protective mother moose and her calf, stand motionless before you under the red-green lights of the the aurora borealis.
Above all, come and listen to the stories that wlll make you laugh and sometimes cry, for you will meet few people friendlier or who possess more courage to live life by their own standards, not those set by society.
I'm told yhe worst months to visit Alaska are October and April: the former because of icy rain and everything is mush, the latter because of snow thaw and everything is mush. It rains a lot here. But summer is marked by all sorts of celebrations. June 21 - summer solstice - gives rise to wonderful community parties and all- night volleyball games no matter what the weather.
And while most of Alaska experiences darkness in the winter, by nature Alaskans are a hearty bunch. There is always cross-country skiing, snowmobile racing, ice fishing and all sorts of h4nting. And while the iditarod draws the press, good dog-sled races are fairly easy to find in throughout the winter.
Much of the Kenai is in the Chugach National Forest, the nation's second-largest national forest and one of the oldest - established in 1907. Its abundant wildlife includes killer and h4mpback whales, sea otters, sea lions, seals, all five species of Pacific salmon, bear, moose, Dall sheep, mountain goat, Sitka black-tailed deer, caribou, wolves, Iynx and coyote.
Getting here is pricey. Figure at least $800 for a round-trip flight if you book early. Once here, a reliable car rents for about $29 a day. Gas costs $1.89 to $2.50.
Of course a lot of introspective, heavy-vibe folks hitch. But take it frorn someone who spent the better part of her moming thumbing, only to get a ride in the back of a black El Camino with a bunch of dead salmon rolling around, it's hard to do a lot of self- exploration while smelling reds and wondering if you're going to end up on `Unsolved Mysteries.` Rent the car.
odging varies. Chugach National Forest has 15 campgrounds and 43 recreational cabins for rent. For more information, call the U.S. Forest Service at (907-271-2500).
Lodge and hotel rooms can cost $55 - $100 a night, depending upon the kind of accommodations you want.
Food runs about $6.50 for a hamlurger and fries to $30 for FRESH Alaskan King Crab with the works.
Visit the Kenai Peninsula from Anchorage,by following the Serard Highway and the Sterling Highway, the two main highways in the Kenai area. (Don't let the word `highway ` scare you. Alaskan highways may or may not be paved.)
The Seward Highway is Alaska's first National Scenic Byway, designated by the U.S. Forest Service in 1990. The 127-mile, two lane road from climbs and dips through paths beaten by Eskimos and Indians of pre-history; and by Russian trappers and American prospectors who followed. The Sterling Highway meanders south to Kachemak Bay through a tableland once trod by Indian and Russian hunters. Both offer spectacular scenery.
First stop, Hope
Turn right at the first and only Hope Highway sign to get there.
Ed, the self-proclaimed mayor of Moose Pass, use to carry the mail by dogsled from Moose Pass to Hope back in the '30's but things have died down quite a bit since then. Hope now serYes as a woodsy retreat for elderly folks and urban escapees. A 17-mile paved road goes past the gold mining ghost town of Sunrise to Hope proper. Established in 18961 this small gold-rush town is on the south side of Turnagain Arm. Most of the original streets were destroyed in the 1964 earthquake but its remaining old buiidings still emanate the aura of the gold rushes in 1896 and '98.
Also, if you have time, hike the periodically-challenging, 38- mile Resurrection Pass Trail for incredible views of the northern Kenai Peninsula.
Moose Pass
Beware: moose are everywhere, hence the name. There are also a lot of children on rollerblades.
Moose Pass began as a construction camp for the Alaska Railroad in the 1920's. It was then called `Mile 29 Section.` (Alaskans give their addresses by mileposts.)
The place boasts a population of about 128 - depending on whether Joy (the grandmother) and her boys are Outside or not.
And while it miht not look like much, there is a lot to do in Moose Pass including the Moose Pass Museum which consists of a few newspaper clippings, some photos and some gadgets. I'nl not sure what the gadgets are because I refused to pay the $5 adrnission fee when looking through the windows gave me a pretty good view of what was inside. Not much.
Next door, though, is Moose Pass Inn, which also serves as a home to its owners. The food is good - mostly sandwiches - but the atmosphere is great. At best, the place seats 20 people in what was once a living room. If you eat at the bar in front of the picture window, you look out across the street at beautiful Trail Lake where the floaters are taking sightseers and fisherman off beyond snowcapped mountains. Sometimes, when it rains, the rainbows (not trout) therc look like rising right up from the water.
Just down the road is Ed Estes's water wheel which Ed built in 1982. It is said to be the most photographed spot in Alaska - aside from Mt McKinley.
Stop in the grocery and have a conversation with Ed. You won't I '` likely' forget it. If he's not there or on his bulldozer or on his ATV, chances are he's across the street at Trail Lake Lodge, home of some of the best food on the Kenai: fresh halibut, salmon and steak - all cooked outside at the salmon bake if you go on a weekend.
After supper, charter a plane next door at Scenic Mountain Air for $89 per person. It is money well-spent for an eagle's view. If you don't want to spend the money, go watch Ed shoot pool In the Trail Lake Lodge bar - also time well spent - especially if he's having a good night. For more information, call Trail Lake Lodge (907-288-3103) and Scenic Mountain Air (907-288-3646).
Seward
The 28 mile drive from Moose Pass to Seward is again an extraordinary\ journey.
Kenai Lake, a 24-mile-long, dog-legged lake, is the start of the world-famous Kenai River, owning the king salmon sport record at 97 pounds.\ The lake, like various others on the way to Seward, is an unusual bluish-green,\ the result of all the glacier silt that flows from the surrounding mountains.
Seward was settled by Russians. In dire danger on the blustering cod Gulf of Alaska, a band of early seafarers found a pocket of calm water on the east coast of the peninsula. It was Eastertime, so the Russians gratefully christened their safe haven `Resurrection Bay.` The town sprang up around what is still known as Resurrection Bay.
Established in 1903, as the ocean terminal for the railroad to Alaska's Interior, the town is named after Secretary of State, William Seward, who arranged Alaska's purchase from Russia in 1867. (No shabby businessman, Seward swung the deal for $7.2 million, or about 2 cents an acre.)
Today, Seward is a popular coastal town known for great sports fishing, great restaurants (Ray's on the harbor) and more incredible scenery.
Competitors from around the world gather each 4th of July for the running-climbing scramble up and down 3,022-ft. giant, said to be the most rugged of 5 such events held worldwide.
Beyond the top of marathon, stretches one of the most awesome sights in Alaska: Harding Ice Field, 80 square miles of uninterrupted ice and snow. The field - left over from an ice cap which once covered three entire mountain ranges - is replenished each year by enormous snowfall, the heaviest in Alaska. Many mountains are buried under the thousands of feet of ice.
Exit Glacier is the easiest to reach of many glaciers flowing from the Harding Ice Field. Turn left at Mile 3.7 leaving Seward and travel nine miles on the gravel road to reach the Exit Glacier Ranger Station, open May - October.
We've reached the end of Seward Highway and must double back to Sterling\ Highway for the rest of the journey around Kenai Peninsula.
Cooper Landing
Some eight miles from "the Y" where you turn left onto Sterling Highway, you'll come upon a place known as Cooper Landing, more specifically a little lodge called the Sunrise Inn. It's one of the many lodges there. Stop in and order a sandwich or go shoot a game of pool in the bar next door if you want to experience some real Alaska color.
Sunrise Inn is a place where you'll hear the tales of river runners, gold miners and homesteaders alike.
Again, lodging is available. Contact the Sunrise Inn at (907-595-1222).
Cooper Landing, home to some 350 residents, is also an occasional residing place of a herd of caribou living in the high country between there\ and Hope. Countless National Forest trails are charted throughout the\ mountains surrounding nearby Sunrise Lake and the Russian and Kenai Rivers.
Even if you're not a fisherman, take time to float the rivers if only to see the moose, bear and the bald eagles from the water.
Floating and fishing outfits line Sterling Highway, but call for reservations in advance. Prices vary. Cooper Landng Floating & Fishing offers a full day of fishing, including "gear, lunch and incredible viev" for $125. A half day is $89. (907-595-1406).
Many guides say the best fishing is in September because the salmon, having spawned, are dying and creating a lot food for trout.
As for salmon, it all depends on the season and what's coming up river - silver in the winter, kings in the spring, sockeye in the summer and silvers in the fall.
Be forewarned, though. If you're not into "combat fishing," (like opening\ trout day on the Roanoke River), get a guide. They 'll help you avoid the\ crowds while filling you head full of more local lore.
Finally, on the way out of Cooper Landing, stop in at Gwirts Lodge, an all-night eatery where the fishing tales get even bigger in the wee hours of the morning.
Soldotna
Soldotna is a community of about 3,00, consisting of sprawling strip malls filled with things most Alaskans don't want to admit they need but nonetheless conle here to buy. Established in 1942 by homesteaders, this seat of the Kenai Peninsula Borough government is growing rapidly.
But it's hard to forget you're in Alaska.
After spending some time in the muchan'cipated new Kmart last week, I walked out to find a mother moose and her two calves standing by my Jetta. Progress didn't seem to bother them much. I had to beep the horn to get them to move.
Take some time to relax on the pebble-covered beach at Kenai. It's too cold to swim but the view across Cook Inlet shows three snow-capped active volcanos: Mount Spurr (erupted in 1992), Mount Redoubt (erupted in 1989) and Mount Augustine (erupted 1986).
Kenai
Founded in 1791, Russians branching out from their Kodiak base established a fort, St. Nicholas Redoubt, in the midst of a Tanaina Indian village on the\ mouth of the Kenai River. Americans arrived in 1869, replacing the departed\ Russians, to build their own Fort Kenay at the same locale - the second oldest\ permanent settlement in Alaska. Kenai had been abandoned in 1957 when oil was\ found in Cook Inlet. Today, Kenai is the largest town on the peninsula -\ population 5,500.
Salmon, halibut and herring fishing is a major industry in Kenai, making it Alaska's third largest fish-processing center.
If in Kenai in the fall, you'll be treated to the dramatic influx of waterfowl - thousands of snow geese. Also, look for a herd of about 20 caribou that roam the lowlands around the city and frequently take position on the bridge which crosses the Kenai River.
Ninilchik:
At the Ninilchik River bridge a narrow side road leads off toward the west. Approaching the shore of Cook Inlet it comes upon a tiny white church topped by a distinctive slim spiral. This Russian Orthodox church, built in 1901, rests on a bluff that overlooks this small community of 750 people. Nearby is cemetery and a path that slopes down to an old store building and a clutch of log abins still inhabited by the descendant of the Russian farnilis who originally lived there.
Ninilchik, an Indian word meaning "not a bad looking little place" was established in 182O and used as an agricultural station, a penal colony and trapper's base. Today it is one of many places in Alaska to stop and admire the Russian influence on our 49th state.
Homer
As the southbound Sterling Highway tops its final rise, you look down onto the world-famous halibut fishing capital of the world - Homer- where the fish run anywhere between 20 to 300 pounds.
This small coastal community lies against tall bluffs pressing against its back and faces the blue-green waters of Kachemak Bay, which open off Cook Inlet immediately on the right and disappear from sight to the left.
The dominant feature of this seaside coastal town is actually the Homer Spit, a slim finger of land that pokes out into the bay for five miles, the 2nd such longest formation in the world. A paved road travels its length past gravel beaches, campgrounds, rickety buildings and clusters of tiny stores and eateries perched above the shore on pilings. Near the end of the Spit is a busy small boat harbor - complete with charter fisherman ready to help you land a halibut. Contact Capt. Mike's Charters. (9O7-235- 8345).
There is also an Alaska State Ferry terminal with rides over to the coastal villages of Seldovia and Halibut Cove.
Homer was built in 1895, when miners began taking coal from the veins of the bluffs north of town and hauling it over a railroad up the spit to ships docked near the end. Coal mining ended in 1916.
Today, Homer survives by virtue of tourism, fishing and the arts - numerous writers and painters live there year round. Truth be known, it's kind of Floyd-esque minus the Pine Tavem plus the Salty Dawg.
You can't leave Homer without going to the Salty Dawg Saloon - the weathered log cabin which served as a Post Office, railroad depot, grocery store and school before it became a bar in 1957. Drinker or not, you owe it to yourself to see the business cards, underwear and various and sundry other things people have tacked on to the Dawg's ceilings and walJs over the years.
By the way, Homer Spit is more than a geologic formation; it's also a drink invented by resident Hazel Heath. Having grown too much rhubarb, she was inspired to combine rhubarb squeezings with the juice of cranberries, strawberries and wild berries and "anything else tasty and available." The result is Homer Spit. The drink has recently gone into commercial production.
Homer marks the end of the Sterling Highway and the end of this journey. There is much more to see in Alaska, but the Kenai Peninsula is great place to start.
by CNB