Alaska Treasure Chest

"I'd suggest ordering something other than salmon or halibut," said Chuck Smock of Cabela's as we pondered menu options at The Flying Machine restaurant for our last dinner in Alaska. We all laughed in agreement, knowing the four huge boxes in the hotel freezer contained more than a few meals of delightful Alaska salmon and halibut.

One of many great things about spending a week on Alaska's Kenai Peninsula is the opportunity to bring home a portion of the trip in the form of fresh fish. Our treasure chests each contained nearly 50 pounds of sockeye and king salmon and halibut, all vacuum sealed in serving-sized packages and frozen by Ninilchik Outfitters. Staying shy of 50 pounds spares "overweight" charges, and allows you to fly a box of fish all the way home for the cost of an extra checked bag.
From a practical standpoint, that's a lot of fine meals. It's more than a box of meat, though. When we enjoy a meal of halibut baked with garlic butter and chives, I'll think about Capt. Al's funny lines, Colin's cod-catching prowess, the thrill of detecting a telltale halibut pump and the painful but laughable futility of reeling up 4 pounds of lead from 193 feet to learn the bait was not stolen after all. Grilling salmon "on the halfshell" will remind me of Chuck's last casts with the fly rod, Daniel's refined flossing technique, John's relaxed posture as he watched us try to conquer a king and of course the countless fishermen who back-trolled together in amazing harmony.
I'll also remember the bears on the trail, sandwiches from the General Store (incluing the one the dog stole from John), humpback whales, the great tractor launch, 11:30 sunsets, snow-capped volcanoes, stories shared around the dinner table... And as my family enjoys the contents of the treasure chest, one meal at a time, I must remember to share an added taste of Alaska in the form of trip tales.

Flat-Out Tiring

We got in a couple hours of halibut fishing before the swells grew into 8-footers, and let me tell you, pulling big flat-sided fish from 190 feet of water, with 4 pounds of weight on the line and strong current, is quite a work-out. And my biggest was only about 25 pounds. I can't imagine what it must be like to catch a really big one. Maybe I'll find out tomorrow!

It was an exciting morning on the water that included a beach-front tractor launch, spotting a couple of whales and a seal, fishing fairly near a 10,000-foot active volcano and nearly constant action when lines were down.

Having rested a bit and eaten at mid-day, we're northbound now to try a little wade-fishing for trout!

Winds of Change

Last night we were supposed to board a big boat, on which we would sleep, eat and fish for the next 2 1/2 days; however, a call for 6-foot waves inside the bay (we were planning to travel much farther out) dictated a change of plans. Instead we settled into cabin at Ninilchik Charters, from which we'll do all our fishing in day-trips. Dependant on wind along this part of the coast, we'll fish either halibut or salmon today.

Yesterday we saw one moose, plus a spectacular slice of the Alaska landscape.

Reindeer Sausage

A lot of things on the breakfast menu looked good, but somehow it didn't seem like I could pass on what I would only find in Alaska - reindeer sausage.

Travel yesterday was long but smooth, and we spent night one in an Anchorage hotel with mounted bears and salmon and halibut in the lobby and a float-plane airport on the bay out the back window. We also roamed around a tourist district of fur shops, bear and Eskimo art, wildlife tour companies, reindeer sausage stands and much more Alaska-distinctive stuff.

Now we're headed out of the city and into "real Alaska." By evening we'll be on a halibut boat.