Day 33
7/23/26 Thursday
Mosquito count: too windy
Kodiak Bear count: 0. Scat count: 0
Well as we expected the kayak trip was cancelled about the time we got to get ready…6am. Seems to be how our excursions are working for us on this trip.
Chiniak Point. This gave us time to take a beach walk, have a leisurely breakfast and make new plans for today. The wind did not reach our little bay while we were there in the morning. It is always a surprise when we wake up to blue sky and sunshine. And today we had it all day!!
Surfers Beach. We decided to take the drive further south on this side of the island and go to Surfers Beach on the Narrow Cape. The wind kicked up quite a bit from early this morning and was blowing steadily when we got to the beach. We didn’t stay long and went further to another point with a smaller beach. Really beautiful drive on the side. The vegetation was not forested. You could see all the beautiful green hillsides. It was dramatic like I remember in Hawaii, lush hillsides just different plants.
Not sure you see this everyday.
Pasagshuk rivers mouth
On this south side there was a big Coast Guard installment of the top of the hills. Much of this land was owned by US Coast Guard with all kinds of unusual grain elevator sized buildings and radar. This is the largest Coast Guard base in the US.
Bull Whip Kelp. We walked along Fossil Beach. The amount of Bull Whip kelp washed ashore was huge. I had to learn more about it. The entire plant is edible…. It can be pickled in sauces and relishes. It has been used as rope on boats. It’s a very very large plant. I did discover while walking that it’s a lot of fun to step on the bulb and feel it pop. Kind of like popping bubble wrap… that kind of sensory satisfaction. There were no kids there but I’m sure that could entertain them. Then I thought about getting all snarled up in that if you fell in the ocean or were surfing. 😱
It was a steep road down to that beach but Vince Van-Go just climbed up and out of there. There was good dirt and gravel even though it was rutted in spots.
We headed back to the city of Kodiak after a stop at a recommended locally sourced restaurant called Rendezvous on Women’s Bay. Fish chowder and fish and chips for us.
White Sands beach. We were headed north of Kodiak next to the trailhead to Termination Point. It’s called White Sands beach. It’s the end of the road going northeast. Looks to be a popular picnicking spot for locals and visitors. There’s been a slow steady stream of cars coming and going and evidence of teenage drivers making donuts on the pavement. Also the longest rope swing in the world (maybe) with a fishing buoy as the seat. We think this the local late night high school hangout.
Perhaps we will hike the trail along the shoreline in the morning if the wind isn’t ripping.
There’s one more road on this island we haven’t driven so we hope to take the drive out and back before we start the “boarding the ferry” process. We have to checkin at 3, departs at 5. Longer trip due to 2 short stops for commuters on the island.
Things I wonder about…. The high school is appropriately named Kodiak Bears. I like that! When you live a 9.5 hour ferry ride or an airplane ride from the mainland how do you manage High School athletics? Do they fly to away games or take the ferry? Do they do this every week for several weeks? And what about home games? Do other school fly or ferry to play these sports? How do any of these schools afford that? It’s crazy to think about how this is all managed. Anyone know??
cinnicrew 