This summer has been cool and rainy in Alaska, and I haven't done as much paddling as I would have liked to. I did get out for two, day paddles, plus one overnighter in the last week.
Here are some pics of today's solo paddle on Skilak Lake, this Lake is 15 x 5 miles long, 500 feet deep and glacial fed from the Harding Ice Field, so I have to pick my paddling on Skilak Lake very carefully when I ply her waters.
I am extremely fortunate to have one of the two landings only 1.5 miles from my cabin.
I paddled for a couple hours toward the outlet of the Kenai River, covering 6 ish miles.
The Moose pic is from a couple days ago, it walked within 50 feet of me by my place. I was in my government rig.

I always enjoy your beautiful photos. Thank you! Marc

quote Laketrout58: "I always enjoy your beautiful photos. Thank you! Marc"

Agree

Wow, so incredibly gorgeous. Good for you. I really like that pic of the boat and paddles. Are those types of days few and far between in the great white north? Or does the wind seem to blow all the time? One day I need to get there.

I have vacation next spring. What's your address?

Awesome!

I believe I recall you switching from an old town pack, is this your first season with the packboat? Has it been what you hoped?

Yup, very nice pics.

Beautiful and lonely, both in large scale, captured in a pic.

MT,
Today looks like a carbon copy of yesterday so I'll paddle somewhere today, just not sure where.
Winds, we are surrounded by mountains on four sides. Given that winds and weather systems can come in and settle over us for a week or more blowing all the time.
But it can also be sunny and dry for 6 weeks or more, especially in May and June, hence the need for me as a firefighter here.

Pswith5,
I'm leaving Ak in 5 weeks returning to northern Mn for good/retiring. It is very doubtful I will be here next year. There is a lot of good paddling on the Kenai Peninsula. Get ahold of me before you go, I'll turn you on to some if your interested. Come up in May or June, your chances of hitting good weather will be greatly improved.

Kona,
Still have the Old Town Pack but it's my river canoe now.
I'm very happy with my Ally folding canoe. At 36 pounds it is a little heavier than I would prefer, but it was the lightest Tandem I could find that can still be put into a backpack. Mine is 16 feet long.

Another rare carbon copy sunny day like yesterday, so I settled for a paddle on Hidden Lake, about 8 miles from my cabin.
Hidden Lake is about 7 miles long by 1 mile wide, and 200 feet deep.
I've paddled and camped on it a few times the last couple years.
It has three large islands with dispersed campsites on them and one awesome US Fish and Wildlife Refuge campground.

Water clarity on this Lake is 15-20 feet and I viewed schools of Sockeye Salmon spawing in its waters. It's obviously an Anadromous Lake, being connected by Hidden Creek (a small creek 5-10 feet wide) then the Kenai River and eventually the ocean. In the past (Spring) I have paddled a ways down Hidden Creek, I never would this time of year, there are just too many bears that I would rather not have a conversation with. Suprising them in my canoe would not be good.

Don't be complacent by the small size these mountains may look in my pics.
Tree line around us here is 1,700 feet. These mtns are the foothills of the Kenai Range. The taller ones in my pics are 4,500 feet above true sea level. The mtns and glaciers from the Harding Ice Field rise above the ocean to 6,500 feet.
They are steep.

Light winds and sunny skies greeted me on my paddle.