Laurie Racenet Photography

Resurrection Bay
One of my favorite spring activities is getting out on a boat tour of Resurrection Bay. This time of year, the birds are starting to return, the weather is improving and there is always the possibility of seeing the Gray Whales as they migrate north to their summer feeding grounds.
We made the trip to Seward the day before the tour and parked the RV in Seward Waterfront Park and Campground. This strip of land was once an industrial site, with rail lines and docks for shipping and transportation. That all changed on Good Friday, March 27, 1964. A magnitude 9.2 earthquake struck the state of Alaska and the rail road yard, docks and oil tanks in Seward were all destroyed. As part of the recovery, the area was transformed into a park and camping area. There are paved walking trails and you can still see pilings and remnant of the old docks as you walk along.
This year we managed to pick a gorgeous day for our excursion with Kenai Fjords Tours. It was sunny and warm enough to stand outside on the deck with a light jacket on. The seas were calm and there was very little wind. The boats are rarely full this time of year, as tourist season has yet to start in earnest. Today was no exception. There were plenty of open seats and deck space for viewing.
As we left the small boat harbor at Seward, we were rewarded with our first wildlife sighting of the day: an American Bald Eagle, sitting on top of one of the harbor markers. Just outside the harbor were Glaucous-winged Gulls, and a sea otter enjoying a mid-day snack. We glided past dozens of campers at the Seward Waterfront Park and headed out into the Bay.
Lunch was served on board and we made a quick detour into Thumb Cove to view some of the glaciers. Several pods of Dall’s Porpoises managed to catch up with the boat and played in the bow wake off and on through out the day. We passed through El Dorado narrows, where there is another reminder of the 1964 earthquake in the ghost forest on the spit. The land here sank and the tree roots were submerged in salt water, killing the trees. Today, they stand as a sad reminder of the power of the earth.
We passed several Sea Lions hauled out and sunning themselves on the rocks, accompanied by Pelagic Cormorants and Black-legged Kittiwakes. Then it was on to Cape Resurrection and the Gulf of Alaska. Here, the water was a little rougher, but we still managed to spot mountain goats higher up above the shore line.
And then, finally, a whale sighting! While this turned out to be a Humpback and not a Gray Whale, it is always a treat to see watch these amazing animals as they swim along and then end the show with a tail up sounding dive. The Humpbacks, too, are returning for the summer and sightings will be more frequent as the days lengthen.
Sadly, out tour was now ending. But as we passed Bear Glacier on the way back to Seward, we were given one last pleasure. A delicious smell began to permeate the cabin and we were treated to homemade chocolate chip cookies. All in all, a wonderful day and lasting memories here in Alaska.

Spring Fishing
Ah, March - Alaskans’ thoughts start to turn to spring and summer. Oh, sure – we know there are still a couple of good snow storms headed our way, but the end is in sight. The Iditarod has started and the teams are approaching Nome. The days are getting longer and the sun has real warmth in it. Driveways and decks are beginning to peak out from under the melting snow.

For those of us who just can’t wait to get the season started, the winter king fishing in Homer is irresistible. These king (or chinook) salmon are not spawning and are present all year long. There are not huge numbers present, so patience is required to land one of these prizes. Since they are not spawners, the meat is much more delicate in taste, making them highly sought after table fare.

We had a slow start, with nothing to show for it but a couple of really small halibut that we threw back and a small rock fish. Still, the day delivered near perfect weather, with calm seas and sunshine galore. Finally, with only a couple of hours of fishing left, one of the rods bent down and back up. FISH ON!!!. Not 2 minutes later, another rod performed the same dance – double hook up. After a tense 10 minute battle both fish were landed, and posing for pictures began. We kept fishing for another hour or so, but 2 was our final bag for the day. Both were “white” kings, where the meat is a pale white, rather than the more common pink.

All in all, a marvelous way to usher in spring. We ended the day with supper at the Chart Room Restaurant in Land’s End Resort enjoying the view from the end of Home Spit. Soon all the winter toys will be put away and the summer toys will be readied for another season. And in the meantime, there is fresh salmon to enjoy. fishing

Happy New Year to everyone!

As 2018 comes to a close, like everyone else, I am reviewing the year. I decided to post my favorite picture. After a lot of searching and culling, I decided on this one. This grizzly sow was rambling along a hillside and devouring the last of the blueberries in Denali National Park. The majority of the Park Road closes after the road lottery in December. However, until snow closes the road, private vehicles can drive as far as Teklanika.

We got started the drive a little after sunrise. We found her a little more than in 15 miles in and were able to spend well over an hour observing and photographing her before continuing for a hike along the Teklanika River bed. She was still there when we can back, so we spent another 30 minutes or so watching and taking more pictures.
She would graze a bit, then wander on to the next patch. Occasionally, she would stand up and look around . She seemed interested in something over the hill that I could not see. The Park Rangers were there, keeping an eye out and shepherding everyone back into their cars if she approached closer than about 25 yards. This was when I discovered what an awesome thing a sun roof is. I could stay in the car, and get pictures from a higher angle, while remaining safe. She was amazingly indifferent to the 12 – 15 cars along the side of the road.

I plan on visiting the Park again at this time of year. There are few people around. Although I will not be able to drive past Teklanika, the opportunities for hiking and photography are too good to pass up. In addition to our grizzly, we saw a bull moose courting two cows, several spruce grouse, a snowshoe hare starting to turn white for the winter, a peregrine falcon and a wolf trotting on the road. We enjoyed 2 solitary hikes and Denali itself made an appearance.