Alaska - Seward, Kenai & Kodiak

August 18, 2016

This is the second installment of photos from our recent 'Planes, Trains, Automobiles, and Ships' trip to Alaska.

After returning from our car leg up to the Denali area (North to Denali)  we took a train trip on the Alaskan Railroad to Seward.

Alaska Railroad to Seward

Snow covered mountains along Turnagain Arm
Named by the explorer James Cook frustrated by the many tacks(turns) required to sail up it in an unsuccessful search for the Northwest Passage

We took a boat tour of the Kenai Fiord on a very rainy & foggy day
Didn't see much, but lunch was good at Fox Island 

After returning to Anchorage by train, we flew to Kodiak. Largely off the cruise ship itineraries, it felt more like the 'Real Alaska'.

Commercial marina from atop Pilar Mountain

View from Pilar Mountain
Road leading east - only a small fraction of Kodiak Island is accessible by car

Fishing boats in Kodiak Harbor

We took a float plane trip to Frazer Lake to see Kodiak Bears
Views of the island from the plane were great.
They fly through the valleys (between the mountains) which is a bit exciting!

A Kodiak bear sow (front) with her 3 year-old male cub following.
Her female 3 year-old cub behind the fish ladder is not into fishing as much as her brother and consequently is much smaller 

Mama looking for fish

Mama eating a fish

Brother with a fish

Brother eating his fish

3 year-old female - much smaller than her brother
Not very much into fishing

Sister taking 'leftover' from Mom

Sister - "I'm just not that in to fishing - guess I will just sunbath"

Mama going to explore the fish ladder

'If only I could get down inside (the fish ladder), it would be like fishing in a barrel"
Note that the sign that says "No Public Use";
Mama says "I'm not the public!

River below the fish ladder where we saw a couple of juvenile bears.
After three years Mama cuts the cubs lose and they have to fend for themselves - she will actively keep them away from her.
50% of the cubs survive the first years with Mom; 50% of the remaining survive after they are on their own.

Rugged Kodiak landscape

Fossil Beach - shale cliffs that contain many fossils

Near Fossil Beach is a private missile launch site - not sure exactly what they launch.  Very strange sight!

Assembly/launch building on left

No red lights when we were there!

"Surfer's Beach
We saw several surfers; waves were not that impressive that day.

Enjoyed Kodiak a lot.  We then flew to Dutch Harbor in the Aleutian Islands, which you may have heard about, as the home port of the 'Deadliest Catch'  crab fishing fleet.  More photos to follow.


Tom
Docked Marco Island