A DREAM COME TRUE
My first trip to Alaska was in 1984 to visit my uncle, I visited
him on three occasions always taking a little time out to go fishing,
but I was never satisfied - there was always something more important
- somewhere to see, someone to visit, go to dinner, pub etc.etc.etc.
Back home I would dream of hiring a camper van in Alaska and go
fishing. My dream came through last June when two friends Martin,
Pat and myself just went and did it.
First we booked a Camper Van (RV in American terms) from a company
called "Great Alaskan Holidays"(GAH) in January. The
cost was $3,000 for two weeks with all insurances included. This
was a 32ft 6 berth Winnebago.
Come June we left Dublin airport complete with duty free and
all the fishing gear we could carry, stopped off in Chicago for
six hours and then on to Anchorage - total travelling time twenty
seven hours. This is a long time for an old man like me but Martin
and Pat being much younger, took a lot of the pressure. Landing
in Anchorage at 11.30pm was a big suprise for the lads as there
is no darkness - just 24 hours daylight. We took a taxi to GAH
where the keys of the RV were left over the back wheel. We were
allowed to sleep in it overnight and complete the formalities
the next morning. What a surprise when we arrived at the premises
- the camper was brand new and it had never been used. The next
morning we went to the office to do the paperwork and watch a
video on how to operate the van. Then after parting with the balance
of money we were off.
First on the agenda was a trip to the supermarket to stock up
on food and drink as we would not always be in the vicinity of
a shop. Then we sort out fishing gear and licences. Having a permit
is an absolute necessity and not something to take lightly. Alaskans
do not mess about with their fish and game as it is a huge part
of their tourist industry. We were all set.
Two days sea fishing had been booked in advance so we headed
down the Kenai Peninsula to the town of Homer, open road and three
hundred miles ahead of us. Pat and myself sat up front while Martin
positioned himself at the table taking in the magnificent Alaskan
scenery, snow capped mountains and crystal clear skies. I had
bagged the double bed at the rear, Pat who is 6' 4" with
a shaved head slept over the cab, and Martin slept on the table
(his term!!). There was plenty of room for the three of us as
we all had our own spacce. The fridge/freezer is a good size and
this is where we kept most of our food. We were not too worried
about cooking as we BBQ'd whenever possible. We didn't have to
wait long as a great days fishing near Homer produced some of
the tastiest Halibut meals I had in a long time. That night we
stayed in a campsite called Deep Creek and the wild life there
is what Alaska is all about. We got our first sightings of Bald
Eagles, Dall Sheep, Caribou and Moose, even the sight of hundreds
of salmon jumping in the sea is a real treat. After two days sea
fishing, we headed back north to fish the Kenai/Russian rivers
- the most prolific rivers in the world for salmon. We spent the
next ten days exploring part of this vast State, stopping here
and there to fish rivers and streams for trout, salmon, dolly
varden and artic char.
The campsites are basic but that is all part of the adventure.
An interesting aspect of camping in Alaska is that they allow
you to light a fire and provide a round steel cauldron for this
purpose. These cauldrons are actually off cuts from the Alaskan
pipeline and are perfect for the job, as well as providing heat,
the smoke keeps away the mosquitoes which are a pain in the butt.
The smoke along with the constant application of Deet manages
to keep them at bay for most of us, but Pat with his baldhead
was always in trouble. The twenty four brightness takes a bit
of getting used to - it is strange to leave a bar at 3am with
the sun shining. the days and nights flew by and suddenly it was
time to bring the RV back. There was not a scratch on it thanks
in no small way to the competence of all drivers as the roads
in Alaska are not great.
We left Alaska with fond memories, and came home via Chicago.
All in all it was a dream come true and if you a fisherman you
will appreciate that you don't have to tell lies. Thanks to Pat
for sharing the driving and also being chief cook and bottle washer,
to Martin for looking after paperwork, tickets, travel insurance
etc., and for keeping Pat and myself out of trouble. Roll on 2008
when we hope for a repeat performance.
