Day Tripping Down the Kenai

From Day Tripping down the Kenai

On a drizzly day, we decide to take a day trip down the Kenai Peninsula. We arrived in Soldotna on 7/19, and with Bob's successful fishing experience and 4 sockeye and a dolly in our freezer, we want a time out and a chance to see some of the awesome scenery along the Sterling Highway.

From Day Tripping down the Kenai

From Day Tripping down the Kenai

From Day Tripping down the Kenai

Our first stop is the Village of Ninilchik, known for clamming and a city facility launching by tractor, of halibut fishing boats. I also scored a pair of hand carved salad servers in the little gift shop, much nicer on the inside than it appears on the outside.

From Day Tripping down the Kenai

From Day Tripping down the Kenai

This guy parked himself under our warm dirty car. No one has a clean car in Alaska!

From Day Tripping down the Kenai

From Day Tripping down the Kenai

From Day Tripping down the Kenai

Thousands of gulls patiently wait for the tasty salmon. They are in such profusion this year, the daily limit for fisherman was doubled.

From Day Tripping down the Kenai

From Day Tripping down the Kenai

From Day Tripping down the Kenai

Ninilchik (Deep Creek) was originally settled by the Russians, and many Russian settlements remain today, including Russian Orthodox Churches. This church is locked, but we enjoyed seeing the exterior, high above the hill overlooking the town.

From Day Tripping down the Kenai

From Day Tripping down the Kenai

From Day Tripping down the Kenai

The catch of the day is proudly displayed. Next we witness the craziest thing we have ever seen: tractor boat launch.

From Day Tripping down the Kenai

From Day Tripping down the Kenai

From Day Tripping down the Kenai

From Day Tripping down the Kenai

Picture dozens of boat trailers lined up with numbers. When you arrive with your boat on a trailer, you hook up to the tractor, then, after removing the safety chains etc., the trailer backs you down into the ocean as fast as they can, and jam on the brakes. The tractor comes to a screeching halt and you and your boat go flying into the water.

When it's time to come in, you do the opposite. Call with your number, the tractor and trailer is waiting for you and you come into shore on full throttle, and as soon as you hit the trailer,  a couple of guys jump off the tractor and secure your boat. Then the tractor  hauls you up onto shore.

This is crazy! They are doing about 1 boat per minute, and at any given time a half dozen or more boats are waiting either to go out or come in. Mind you, this is a City operated facility, and they must be breaking every OSHA law imaginable. Alaskans don't sweat the small stuff! One of the city officials tells Bob that since initiating the tractor launch, the fishing industry has been revitalized in the area.

We drive all the way down to Homer, and then back to the City of Kenai and take a few more pictures.

From Day Tripping down the Kenai

From Day Tripping down the Kenai

From Day Tripping down the Kenai

From Day Tripping down the Kenai