Campman Heads to Alaska
Once again it was time to head to the last frontier. No we aren’t going to Comic-Con dressed as trekkies. Instead we trekked up to Alaska. While up in the great north our adventurous group decided to check out some of the activities and test some gear. First we tried to hike up one of the Anchorage trails but ended up getting rained out. However at least we had some Raineer to pass the time and our Golite Tumalo Pertex® 2.5-Layer Storm Jacket and Pants to keep us dry.
Apparently we caught the tail end of the record rainy day streak going on at the time. I think it ended at 30 days in a row. The last 14 occurred while we were there. It was a perfect chance to see if the Golite Tumalo Pertex® 2.5-Layer Storm Jacket and matching pants could hold up against the elements. When we first got the jacket and pants it was readily apparent how light and compact they were. They are a very thing layer but they performed brilliantly. 14 days of straight rain and I was dry the whole time. While hiking up the mountain the jacket and pants were very breathable and shed my built up moisture without problem. I would highly recommend these pieces of clothing to anyone whose is looking to shed ozs and not sacrafice gear quality.
Another activity was driving up to Talkeetna to see if we could get a view of Denali. Since the town is still a little ways away we checked the webcam to see if it was visible. The mountain was partially visible so we gave it a shot. By the time we got there not all of it could be seen but we could see how massive the mountain really is compared to the rest of the landscape. I have to say its pretty impressive.
Next up was a trip up 20 Mile River with the boys from AKBack.com. They run an adventure guiding service out of Girdwood. They have all kinds of stuff you can do from gold panning, canyoneering, jet boat trips, and river rafting class IV and V. Needless to say they have it all to fit your adventure limit. This trip we decided to take a Jet Boat trip to do some lake kayaking, wildlife viewing and see a glacier. We had a great time and cruising through ice bergs on the way to see the glacier was the best part. The trip up was quite exciting and you could tell these guys knew the river well. A couple of tight spots had us nervous but the boat cruised through without any problems.
This ended our stay in Anchorage but we weren’t done with the state yet. Next up was flying into the Talvista Lodge on the Talachulitna River. However we didn’t leave without a nice send off from a mother moose and her two calves. They were sitting in the front yard of the house we rented. Thankfully they were quite used to hanging out with people and they didn’t really mind us.
Next we caught a float plane and flew into the lodge. They have a really nice set up of three sister lodges all right in the same area (Talstar, Talvista, and the Talview). Each one is a little different than the others but all nice in their own way. We stayed at the Vista. We had great food and guides.
The fishing was pretty sweet as well. I know it wasn’t the best day the guides have seen as far as numbers go, but we caught our limit everyday and had good stories to share with the other guests. Since it was early August, we were fishing for Silver (Coho) Salmon. Not as big as King Salmon but they are more willing to take a fly and put up a good fight. Just in case the silvers aren’t biting, one can fish for pink salmon. They migrate in amazing numbers. They were everywhere while we were there. They too are willing to take the fly and put up a decent fight. During our week there people caught chum, sockeye, silver and pink salmon. The week prior there was even a couple of kings that were caught. There are also big rainbows, grayling, and dolly varden in the river as well in case you’d like to switch it up a bit. We caught several rainbows in the 6-8 lbs range. They were fat on salmon eggs and put up great fights. Needless to say we had a great time and were well taken care of by the lodge. So if you’re looking for an Alaskan fishing vacation, you should check these lodges out. They aren’t too expensive and the fishing and scenery are fantastic. We even had a mother bear and cub come right up to the deck sliding glass door one day and pose for photos.
So if our orders were a little slow going out the last two weeks we apologize but if you get the chance to head north you should.
akback.com, alaska flyfishing, alaska jetboat tours, campman, denali, Gear, Outdoor Activities, talvista lodge, Tumalo Pertex® 2.5 Layer Storm Jacket
Written by campman on August 22nd, 2010 with no comments.
Read more articles on Gear and Outdoor Activities.
