T.R.A.I.L.S. Work Day Across the Bay

View of part of Halibut Cove from the Alpine Ridge Trail with the Homer Spit in the background.

Two years ago we participated in the T.R.A.I.L.S. Work Day at Kachemak Bay State Park across the bay. It got us a cheap boat ride across the bay for a day of hiking and no work. This year we chose a different trail, hoping to get some work! Work we got, and the boat ride was even cheaper: $15 for adults and $5 for kids, for a grand total of $40 for the family, round-trip (as compared to $240 water taxi rates for the family). It was well worth it!

The work: We chose to help with some light brushing and trail work on the Saddle Trail off of Halibut Cove. A couple of Fish & Wildlife Service guys were waiting for us at our drop-off point. After teaching us the names, purposes and use of the tools we were to use, we all grabbed some and headed up the trail.

The Saddle Trail is a series of switchbacks that heads up a rugged slope above Halibut cove. After years of use the trail gets worn down and when it rains the water runs down the trail rather than across it. which can wash the trail right out. Our goals were to 1-clear brush from the sides of the trail and 2-flatten the trail so the water would run across it rather than down it. With a crew of 7 (9 including the Fish and Game guys) we fixed up the trail in 2 1/2 hours. Denver and I had loppers and lopped Devil's Club, elderberry, cranberry and alders up the half mile, while the rest of the crew grabbed shovels, rakes and whatnot and smoothed out the trail. A major project to reduce the steepness of the trail is in the works, extending the switchbacks for more gradual corners. That is a heavier job than we were equipped for so we just helped fix up the part of the trail that will continue to exist after being fixed up.

The hike: After we got done working at 11:30, the rest of the day was ours to explore as we liked till pickup by the water taxi at 4:30. We ate our lunch, then decided to check out the Lagoon Trail that roughly follows the shoreline from a few hundred feet up off the water's edge. It was quite a trek, with a hardly visible trail, fallen trees that we had to crawl under and bear scat every 50 feet or so (some quite fresh!). We didn't go far before we decided to turn back and explore another trail. The Alpine Ridge Trail is a 2.2 mile out and back trek. We probably only made it out a half mile or so. It was all steeply uphill and grueling for the person who was wearing the backpack (in this case, Doug). Not being accustomed to the climbing or the heat (it was probably 65 or so) we got some good pictures of Halibut Cove and then decided to head to the Grewingk Glacier and glacier lake.

Another view of Halibut Cove--the inside part at low tide. At high tide all the mud flats in the middle of the picture are covered with water, but it is still not passable by most boats except through the channel on the right side (hidden in this pic by the tree).

An easy, mostly level 1.1 mile hike got us from the top of the Saddle Trail to the Grewingk Glacier Lake. This is probably one of the more popular across the bay destinations, and as you can see from the picture, there were lots of people there that day! The kids waded in the water, played with icebergs, threw rocks, climbed rocks and enjoyed the warm, sunshiney day. Weather-wise, it was an awesome treat, as the last time we'd come on the TRAILS Day it was cool, blustery and rainy and we'd huddled under a tarp.


Halibut Cove has a year-round village (an artist's enclave), oyster farms, a restaurant, shopping, camping, Kachemak Bay State Park, awesome kayaking, sealife and more. Homes like the one picture here get supplies on ropes from the water. It is another world over there and a very neat place to visit. If we wanted to go more often we would have to buy a boat or be good friends with someone who owns a boat since ferry prices are prohibitive. We just saw the backcountry part of Halibut Cove on this trip; the village would be a many-hour hike away from where we were.

We got back to the Homer Harbor and saw Halibut Cove's namesake lying in the back of a truck. That is one big fish, though I doubt any halibut are left there anymore.

Climbing the Ridge

Ever since we moved to Homer 3 years ago I have wanted to climb the ridge that rises 1000 feet above the town of Homer. Also known as "the bench," we now live at the base of this ridge. I hear there are several trails up the ridge, though they start on private property so you need to know where there are and have the permission of the owners to cross their land. On one of our walks last year a neighbor told us that one trail starts on their property and they invited us to use it whenever we wanted. Aurora has bugged me to climb the ridge since we moved to our house, but the timing was never right. We were too busy in the fall, I had no desire to go up it in the winter, and then it was too mucky in the spring. Then the bears were coming out of hibernation and no one recommended going up there until they'd been out of hibernation a bit and had found food. We haven't had rain in a couple weeks and the pushki and other plants aren't too big yet so I decided today was the day.


We found the trail with no problem as our neighbors had marked it with a flag and weed-wacked the first 50 feet or so. After that first 50 feet, the trail was gone and we pretty much had to forage our own route up. If we climbed in the ravine there was more pushki and possibly boggy land. We opted to climb one of the spines of the ridge. In some places this was a nearly vertical climb. We were surrounded by pushki at the lower elevation and thorny wild rose bushes higher up. We would lose our balance at times and grab at the nearest shrub and discover we'd grabbed a handful of thorns. Ouch!

I was amazed to discover that the plants on the ridge were significantly further along than the plants in our yard. Lupine, forget-me-nots, wild geraniums and wild roses were blooming in profusion (the lupine has just come up in my yard), creating a beautiful mountain meadow feel. Even the pushki was a foot taller than just a few hundred feet lower at our place. This is probably because of the south-facing slope.

We took plenty of breaks as we planned our route up and scanned for bear or moose who might be crabby about our invading their territory. We got to the 'top' only to discover that the 'top' was a false one and we'd have a much longer hike if we wanted to get all the way up to Skyline Drive. The kids opted to enjoy the view, eat a snack and head back down.

Three years of itching to climb the ridge is thoroughly out of my system. Even the kids, who were so keen on the hike, said they don't want to do it again for awhile. One neighbor said their kids and grandkids snowboard the ridge in the winter. Aurora likes the thought, but I can't quite imagine climbing it with snow if it was that difficult climbing without snow! I'm out on the count on whether I'm going to let that happen!

The view from on the ridge.
Grewingk Glacier is on the far left of the Kenai Mountain Range.

Diamond Creek Trail

Diamond Creek near the beach

One of our favorite hikes around Homer is the Diamond Creek Trail a few miles north out of Homer on the Sterling Highway. An unmarked gravel track across the road from the Diamond Ridge Rd. traverses a mile or so down and around to a trailhead. Oftentimes the parking lot is full and we've had to find a parking spot up the road at a pull-off.

The trail begins in an alder and pine forest with no view, but once you head around the first curve the panorama of Cook Inlet spreads out in front of you as the trail opens up with the gorge Diamond Creek cuts through. Over the past couple years mudslides have wiped out the trail a couple times and now erosion is cutting away at the trail, eating away at it. The first time we took this trail we were nervous as the trail drops off 50 feet or more down to the creek with no guardrail. With time we got used to the dropoff and just enjoyed the view.

Part of the fun of Diamond Creek is the geology. As you descend, you can see the different layers of stone in the cut. Another part of the fun is where the creek comes out onto the beach at the bottom. It is a kiddie playland, with logs criss-crossing the stream, big rocks, waterfalls and more. It is a common occurance to see sea otters a few feet off the shore while we sit and take in the sunshine, as well as eagles, cormorants and other birds. The kids love climbing the cliffs, though that could be a risky enterprise as 'slumps' are common when part of the cliff just drops off (in fact, a friend had one fall right over her head; close call!) and heads the direction of the beach.

The hike back up is a good workout, but not so long that it wipes us out. This is a favorite trail in part because many of the trails around Homer are boggy and take awhile to dry out enough to hike, but this one manages to be hikeable earlier than most. The kids enjoy the beach and this hike can be extended to whatever length one wants by hiking out and back on the beach either towards Homer or towards Anchor Point.

Pier One Theatre

Back in March my son got involved in a local production of Shakespeare's "Much Ado About Nothing." Having never been involved in a play before on any level, it has been interesting getting an inside view of show biz in Homer. Pier One Theatre is a hub for plays in Homer in the summer.

"Much Ado" opened the third week of April at Alice's Champagne Palace (I know! What a name! I guess it is a historical spot in Homer), a large, barn-like bar. Three nights there were packed with locals who enjoyed dinner while they watched the performance by a cast of 21. After a month hiatus, the show re-opens this weekend for a three-weekend run at Pier One Theatre on the Spit.
The Pier One Theatre building, located next to the fishing hole 3 miles out on the Spit, looks like a giant red shack. The front is nicely painted, while the sides are peeling. There is no running water in the building which is why it is only open for 3 months in the summer (play practices happened at the Homer High School theatre). There is a port-a-pottie for the actors and a public restroom in a building across the gravel parking lot. They do have concessions, and my son was thrilled to get the leftover popcorn after last night's performance. This theatre seats 61, and I had to chuckle because the back row is a set of overstuffed, comfy seats and when we went to preview night on Wednesday, the back row filled up first. The other seats are padded seats with wooden backs--as comfortable as any you will find.

While at Alice's the actor's 'backstage' was actually upstairs in the loft (with a set of very creaky stairs that had to be traversed to reach the 'stage!'), here there is actually a stage, albeit a small one. In the April production a table with tablecloth and a chair or two were about the extent of props, but for the theatre production there are backdrop changes after nearly every scene. Costumes are garnered from the Homer High School costume room (that would be worth a blog entry of its own!), and while the costumes are obviously pulled together from whatever is available to fit the shapes of the characters, they are reasonably well done. And I am always impressed with the talent found in a little burg like Homer. While the full cast is not incredible, the cast is solid and the director, Bobbie Lee Briggs, does a good job pulling this together.

Pier One also has a Youth Theatre summer program each year in June with a production in July as well as a spattering of other productions throughout the summer. While my son enjoys acting and is good at it, this performance has maxed him out. Practices for 3 hours every night eat up his free time, and last night he didn't get home till almost 11:30 after an 8:15 p.m. performance. Performers have to be very committed, and I am amazed at how many people are dedicated to the local theatre. I am hoping Denver recovers from this production and does some more acting...otherwise maybe I'll just take up acting myself!

In case you're interested....reservations for all performances are 235-7333.

Captain Cook Camping & 4-Wheeling Trip

A beautiful weekend and a few days off work for Doug convinced us we needed to get out for our first camping trip of the season. We'd visited Captain Cook State Park the first summer we moved here three years ago and we've been itching to do a 4-wheeling trip for awhile now so we loaded up our Durango and trailer and set out for the 2 1/2 - 3 hour drive up the shore of Cook Inlet, past Kenai and Nikiski to the end of the road: Captain Cook.

This is a nice campground. Fifty-three sites blend in with the contours of the land with different levels and layouts, making it interesting and fun to choose a site. The entire campground is overgrown with Devil's Club, a pervasive, extremely prickly plant that makes it impassable between sites. This early the leaves weren't even out yet, but in a few weeks the huge leaves will spread out, giving privacy to an already spacious campground. On a Saturday night the place was about 40% full, with quite a few campers and RV's and a spattering of tents.

One big draw of this campground is the 4-wheeling opportunities, and that provided the interest of this trip for us. Four-wheelers are not allowed in the campground, so we had to drive about a mile to the park entrance with the trailer and unload there. We didn't have a map and really knew nothing about the land we were about to 4-wheel, so we set out with an attitude of adventure and exploration. Doug and Aurora rode the Honda Foreman and Denver and I rode the Honda Rancher (80% of the 4-wheelers sold in Alaska are Honda's). Not a mile down the trail I got stuck in the muck. Doug got through, got out the pull strap and hauled me out. Shortly after I got stuck again, and again, and again, and again. By the third (fourth? fifth?) time we had our routine down: kids would jump off, Doug would pass me, hook up the pull and I would rev it as he pulled. The strap would get tucked away and off we went again for another few hundred feet, if we were lucky.

After a couple miles I looked at Doug, he looked at me, and we made a U-turn. We'd had enough mucking. We'd heard the trail was mucky, and if it had just been us without the weight of the kids on the back it might have been different. None of us were having fun, I'd almost lost my boots a few times in the thick, viscous slime and I was covered with it. We got stuck another time or two heading out and it was with great relief that we arrived back at the parking lot. We hadn't hauled all that equipment all that way for 4 miles of misery, so we headed down to the beach. We'd heard that people go out to the point of the Peninsula (across from Anchorage) on the trail and then would return on the beach, so we knew the beach was fair game.

Riding on the beach was fun. While we had to weave around the rocks some, it was smooth and we didn't get stuck, so that's all that mattered to us. We went out a few miles and then were ready for a break and the tide was coming in so we returned to the parking lot, loaded up and headed back for a few hours of relaxation and lunch. We noticed on the tide table that low tide was at 8:30 Kenai River time, so figured if we headed back out on the beach in late afternoon we could catch a low tide.

At 4:00 we donned our 4-wheeling gear (wind jacket, gloves, helmets) and headed back out to the staging area. When we reached the beach we were dismayed to see that the tide was still very high--too high to 4-wheel on we thought. We headed back to the trails we'd been on in the morning and a beautiful, secluded lake (with broken glass and a pile of trash) and had snacks and explored for awhile waiting for the tide to go down. Forty-five minutes later, the tide was low enough for us to go. We went out nearly 12 miles, stopping once to let the kids climb giant boulders and give our sore thumbs a break. Areas with wet, smooth sand we could cruise at 40+ mph, while in other places were were down to 10 mph maneuvering around boulders and rocks. This kind of 4-wheeling we liked, and we would go back there for that.

For me, one of the more interesting parts of this camping trip were all of the sounds I was able to hear with my new cochlear implant. Birds, squirrels, the crackling fire, and people talking in other sites were all things I would not have heard a month ago, and would not have heard since I was a young child. One man came over an apologized for his generator running to power his C-Pap for sleep apnea (He and his sons and grandsons were out hunting for black bear. Guess a brown bear messed up his camera and bait set-up). The generator hadn't bothered us, but it was sweet of him to mention it. The best part of all, though, was being able to hear perfectly even with my helmet on. I found that amazing! I didn't think it was possible to hear through a helmet.

Besides my agonizingly sore body and the loads of laundry, it was an awesome trip that we really enjoyed, and we were grateful for sunshine and temperatures in the 50's.

First Cruise Ship of Season Visits Homer

As I drove into town this afternoon, I was startled by the number of people walking around Homer on Pioneer Avenue. Five blocks later there were so many people I came to the logical conclusion: there was a cruise ship docked in town. When I returned home I could see it docked near the end of the Spit, and when we had to drop Denver off at play practice this evening we saw it up close: it was huge! However, it was also moving fast, so while it was just off the north side of the spit, by time we walked past the buildings to get a good view of it, the ship was beyond the Spit and heading out of Kachemak Bay.

Homer does not get a lot of cruise ships. A 'normal' summer seems to see two or three, and not the humongous ones. Supposedly there are supposed to be up to nine cruise ships visiting this summer. This one, the Amsterdam with Holland America Line, was by far the largest I've seen in Homer. I was impressed, as always, at the number of people these ships spew out, and also impressed at how much money these ships must bring into the area. I can see that a few more ships might mean a store staying in business or not. When we visited Juneau a few years ago these giant ships were in and out daily; those have the perfect setup as downtown Juneau is right on the boat dock. In Homer there is the 5 mile Spit and then some to get into 'town,' though I am guessing shuttles are provided.

The Homer News had a nice write-up on the cruise ships coming to the area this summer, including this one. See http://homeralaska.com/Stories/Cruise-ship-scheduled-for-nine-Homer-visits-in-2010.shtml.

June 8: The Amsterdam was back today and this time
I made sure to get a picture before it left harbor!

Homer Observatory

I had heard about 'some guy who has an observatory' in Homer, so when Denver expressed an interest in learning more about it, I tracked the guy down. After nearly two months of back-and-forth, and he finally emailed yesterday and said, "It's sunny and I'm around!" so we finally got together.

Tom Kern's setup is pretty cool. He built a shed with a top that slides off so that he doesn't have to recalibrate the telescopes each time he uses them. Of course they are hooked up to his computer so that he can control things from the comfort of his house, and pictures from the camera attached to the telescope can be downloaded directly to his computer as well. The telescopes are hooked up to a motor so they can track the sun or other celestial bodies as the pictures he takes can take many hours of exposure (one he had on his wall took 9 hours of exposure). Things can also be automated so that if he wanted, Tom could have his computer take pictures at night so he wouldn't have to stay awake for viewing.

When I asked him how his location was for viewing, Tom was blunt: "It sucks." He lives in Homer so has the city lights glowing around him. Apparently this far north there is a lot of atmospheric interference so things that might be clear at a lower latitude are a bit blurry here. In addition, there are about 5 months of the year from April through October that there is no nighttime viewing at all due to long daylight hours. Cloudy days limit the number of opportunities as well, so the actual window of opportunity for viewing can be slim. Apparently when there is a string of clear, dark nights, Tom will be up as much as he can, which can wreak havoc on sleep patterns, but it is a passion he has enjoyed for many years.

Homer is full of people with passions and talents in a huge array of areas, so it was neat to find one who was willing to share their hobby. Denver got to see a sunspot and track it for an hour ("It's still there!"), wanted to get his paws on the equipment, but really wanted to see more "stuff"--which he would need a dark, clear night for. For now, it whetted his appetite for space viewing.

If interested, Tom's astrophotography website can be found at http://www.belugalakeobservatory.com.