Alaskan Salmon
Year 2017 - Family first
are there changes in nature?
would you rather go straight to the photo album?
It was another year without one of my dogs, Iceland-Air and my health unfortunately put a spoke in the wheel here.Since the airline changed its baggage regulations at the beginning of 2017, we will be flying direct again from 2018, withcondor.
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As far as my health is concerned, I think coming here right after my surgery was the best thing I could have done. My daughter Monika was already "over there" with the children when I arrived and after about 14 days I felt noticeably better. I don't want to write more about this topic at this point.
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Weather was great to mixed, but overall definitely not as nice a summer as last year. Son-in-law Robin followed and the time I was able to spend with my children and grandchildren really gave me a lot. It was a very harmonious get-together - a bit of work on our "addition", fishing and relaxing.
The biggest and certainly most exhausting job was repairing our bedroom roof. That was really backbreaking work.
Thank you Robin
The fishing was unusual:
Little water in the Kenai River, an irregular run and on some days you didn't know if there were any salmon in the river at all. On other days it went great and so in the end our boxes in the freezer filled up. We were all busy - Monika tirelessly with Mia on her back, Robin and Quentin(ius) and myself as best I could. My grandson Quentin really enjoyed fishing. Of course we still had to help bring his catches to shore, but that won't be necessary next year.
The graphic shows an overview of the difference between this year's late run and 2016.
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The run is smaller, but runs longer.
However, towards the end of the run, the sockeye became noticeably red and you could often no longer take them.
It is not possible to explain what caused the change. The low water has certainly also contributed to this and it really only remains to be seen next year. The fact is, however, that the late run has started a few years later than maybe 5 years ago.
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back to 2017
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At the beginning of August Renate joined them and a day later they flew children back to Germany. That was twice Anchorage and back - a hot assignment with consequences. . .
Picking up Renate went smoothly. After a visit to Cabellas in Anchorage - a must see wholesale market for hunting and fishing - we went back to Sterling to our cabin. The next morning at 6am bagging the salmon for the kids to take away, picking up a U-Hall trailer for luggage and heading back to Anchorage. Our expedition started making strange noises but made it to Anchorage, although we had to buy and install a new battery along the way. The children were delivered and had checked in without any problems. Renate and I made our way back, 30 miles along the water and then off into the pass - and this is exactly where our engine gave up on the first climb. So we stood 100 miles from home at Turnigan Pass. . .
A few phone calls and a visit from the state troopers later, my friend Jeff picked us up with his towing service after a 3-hour wait and brought us home. Jeff dropped us off there around midnight and took our Ford and trailer with him.THANKS JEFF
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This is how it was when the trailer was handed in.
There were now almost 5 weeks of vacation left and 3 empty salmon cooler boxesus. Renate and I had a great time, meeting friends, building a bit, relaxing and of course we fished the boxes full.
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We still had our Subaru to drive, which was enough for both of us. In 2018 I will look around for a replacement for the Ford, that was now too expensive and no longer necessary.
It became quiet in the country, there was no end to the water and there were bigger discounts in the markets. At the end of August Renate's 65th - a great celebration with our friends. On September 14th we went to the airport in Kenai (thanks Ilona and Klaus), short flight to Anchorage with the little one von Grant Aviation and then with Icelandair to Germany, which we reached on September 15th, 2017 around noon.
A great year with some good and bad "treats" is behind us - but of course we are looking forward to 2018.
We also hope to meet a good friend who, despite a serious illness, longs to come again.
You can do it Gerhard !! See you !!
