Mom and Dad finally made it up here! It took some convincing to get my mom on a plane but she finally decided to do it and was glad she did.
First on the agenda was a float on the Kenai, we were having fantastic weather and it was sure to be a very nice day to be on the river. We floated a short ways and pulled in to a steep bank, one of the first places I like to stop and fish. I set mom and dad up with some rods to flip for reds and I grabbed my trout rig, Rose decided to be the photographer. We fished a while and I wasn't seeing any fish moving upstream but I knew they were there. I was fishing a bead under a strike indicator (a bead is fished to mimic an egg bouncing along the bottom. This time of year, the trout are keyed in on eggs from all the spawning salmon and flesh from filleted or dead salmon in the river.) and I was drifting it as I was walking down the bank to help dad out when the indicator went under. I set the hook and immediately felt the weight of a fish on the end of my rod. I thought it was a small fish until I began to see it flashing beneath the water, it looked to be a good one! Rose came down with the net and she scooped the fish up for me, like a pro. It was one of my best fish coming in right at 21". After I released him, we continued fishing and drifting.
After a while, mom and dad both had the Kenai flip down pretty good but the salmon just weren't cooperating. Rose hooked and landed a big red, but it had turned a bit and we released it. She did an awesome job fighting that big buck and was excited she got her first salmon of the year. Dad had one on for a while but it ended up spitting the hook on him before we could get it close enough to net. It was a beautiful day spent on the river, couldn't have asked for better weather.
The next day, we drove down to Seward and spent most the day down there checking out shops and walking around town.
We stopped on the way out of town at Exit Glacier, which is pretty impressive.
Also on the way home we stopped and panned for gold but didn't find anything.
Next up was the hike up to Crescent Lake. Dad was a bit excited I think, but that didn't last too long as the trail went took a turn straight up!
We made it up to the hanging valley where the trail flattens out and opens up as well, I think this is one of the most beautiful places in Alaska.
We somehow managed to get down to our spot with no one else there, but it didn't take long for others to show up. I helped mom and dad fish and they each caught a few but the fishing was definitely really slow. I think it had recieved a great deal of pressure based on the numbers of people I was seeing.
Mom and dad didn't think they needed waders so we didn't take any. The water had come up a bit since we were in last and I had to piggy back everyone across the little creek and this little slough below.
Overall, it ended up being an exceptional trip with unbelievable weather. They lucked out big time with having such nice warm days. I know they had a great time and I'm sure they'll be back for that elusive Alaskan Salmon!
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