GREAT DAY FOR A HIKE

Even though it rained last night we woke to sunny skies this morning. Good thing too as this was our last day here in Cooper Landing. They were planning to take a hike rain or shine, but it was so much better in the sunshine. 

The Russian Lakes Trail is an area of the Kenai-Russian River Confluence. It’s a very popular destination as over 150,000 people come here to fish, camp and enjoy the spectacular scenery every year. The hike they chose today was the Russian Lakes Trail. This hike is a 4.8 mile walk to the Russian River Falls Viewing Platform and back. At the falls the river is so clear that you can see dozens of salmon waiting to climb the fish ladder. It was an amazing site. There are many bears in the area at night and this is the place people like to view the bears eating the fish. We didn’t see anything but bear scat on the trail today.

The hike through the forest was long but really beautiful. Warren was busy checking out the berries and the many different mushrooms in the shady damp places along the trail. One mushroom happened to match my Kathe’s socks. Red with white dots, maybe even a troll could live under it.

Along the trail they met a man with a dip net who had just caught seven large salmon. He had them stuffed into a backpack and was carrying them back out of the forest. His companion had bear spray on his belt and a gun in a holster. He said his job was bear patrol. Yikes!

Everyone is tired but happy tonight as it was a perfect ending to our stay here in Kenai. We’re having salmon for dinner and Kathy T. Is perfecting the Black Swan Martini. Tomorrow, we move to Palmer, Alaska, a suburb of Anchorage. 

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