Second Year of Chitina, Take 2

We left Sunday, August 16 and got back Tuesday, August 18. There were four of us this time, April and her daughter Dana, Erin, plus myself. The plan was to leave around 4pm on Sunday, since Erin was working that day. I had the car packed with the cargo rack ready to load, but we ended up with more gear than I anticipated so we needed to hook up the trailer before we could leave. After a quick run to Sams Club for ice, we finally got on the road just after 6pm. We stopped at the Buffalo Drive-In in Delta Junction for dinner.

We arrived at the campground after midnight and it was dark, raining and the three spots that can just be pulled into were occupied so I got out and tried to walk down to the tent pads to see if any were available.  Before I got there I fell and hurt my hand pretty badly.  (It’s been a week and my hand is still not working right).

We managed to get two tent pads and set up our tents, then I discovered that Dana’s sleeping bag, which had got stuck in a gear bin on the back of the trailer, was wet.   I offered my bag to her and her mom a couple times since I had loads of clothes I could have worn as a bag, but they didn’t take it. The next morning I found it was not just wet on the outside, like I thought, but it was soaked through.   I think her and April had a couple of rough nights since they only had one bag between them, but they also had some amazing sleeping pads plus they spent the second night in the car and April had one heck of a warm thick sweater with her, so it was not a total horror story for them, I hope. Also, this will make me ensure that all sleeping gear goes inside a vehicle at all times in future!

The next morning we set up camp, including putting up the gazebo since it seemed like continuous rain might be an issue.  While we were trying to set up the gazebo I got stung several times on the leg when I stepped into a yellow-jacket nest.  I found out I am not dreadfully allergic, but I did have a painful and swollen reaction that lasted three days.

We got to Salmon Point just before noon I think and the hike was not terrible difficult, although the washed out section was still washed out and this year the support road on the lower part was gone so you had to go up and over.  This was okay with all of us since the log on the lower part was wet and slippery.

There was another family in the great spot, a man with what seemed to be his three daughters.  So we camped out in the first spot that was not as good and after the first four hours of nothing except me losing two fish, I think we were starting to think we would not catch anything.   Erin and Dana made a fire and just as they really got it going the other family was getting ready to leave. Considering how wet it was, I was very impressed with their tenacity and success with the fire.

We all warmed ourselves a bit, but the prospect of catching fish lured us away and once we moved to the better spot April and Erin turned out to be excellent fish dispatchers and Dana and I were bringing them in faster than they could dispatch them! The family that had finished fishing still had to trek back and forth two more times to get the rest of their catch and at one point the man and the oldest girl just stopped and watched us for a bit.  We asked if we were in their way and he said no, but that he was impressed with how well we were doing and was also impressed at our system for catching and dispatching since we really had a well-oiled machine-like system going once we starting catching fish! We made a great team.  April also was an amazing fish processor; she gutted most of the fish.

We stopped fishing only because we knew we would have to walk the trail back and make a couple trips due to carrying fish.  We all helped with getting gear and fish back; I carried a load of fish, as did April.  And Erin made not one trip, but THREE TRIPS with 8-10 fish on her back! Note to self, do not ever try to hike in neoprene hip waders again.  It would have been better to take them off and hike in the yoga pants since they were so constricting that I could barely lift my leg to get up some of the steeper parts of the trail.  They did keep my dry and fairly warm while fishing though!

I think we determined we brought home 34 fish total.  And lots of soaking wet gear.  We lost a bin of gear (three PFDs) and the cooler of (mostly my) food.  But good times nonetheless! And now my freezer is full of yummy fish!

Erin meets a local celeb at the Buffalo Drive-In

Buffalo burger basket and a piece of fried fish too!

Trailer of gear and coolers.

Trailhead for Salmon Point.

First fishing spot at Salmon Point.

Lots of sitting and waiting in this spot.

I think I finally got “normal Chitina weather.”

Copper River rages while the skies turn grayer.

So pretty and wild.

Interesting cloud formation that was preceded by rain and dark skies.

Erin helps make the fire.

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Fire. Good!!!

We enjoyed the fire very much!

Prepping our fish for transportation.

Chatty seagull that was mad we didn’t give him the fish guts.

He fussed and fussed at us….

That log on the left is the lower part of the washed out trail. We did not take that part.

Frogs in Alaska! I saw two on this trip. I knew they existed, but this was the first time I’ve seen them, I think.

Moose eating, near Summit Lake

Copper River Reds, ready for processing

 

My take of nine fish all processed and ready for wrapping in plastic wrap then vacuum sealing. We decided to try steaks, a couple whole fish and just a few filets this time. It gets easier with time too; only a couple hours to fully process all nine fish!

Salmon steaks and a couple tiny fillets from the tail, from just one fish!

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All nine of my fish processed. Just needs plastic wrap and vacuum sealing before freezing.

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Final product. With my other 19 fish, my freezer is now full and I’m thinking I won’t be buying any salmon this winter.

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