ImmerWandern
This was our second stop on Alaska Wildland Adventure’s Rivers, Backcountry & Fjords itinerary. We had had great intro with a one-night stay at the Kenai Riverside Lodge (“KRL” in the lingo of our guides) followed by a river raft trip down the Kenai River. We were transferred to a US Coast Guard-certified small vessel, Alaska Nellie, from our rafts. There are 3,000,000 million lakes in Alaska and Skilak Lake is one of the few that falls under the responsibility of the US Coast Guard; ship captains and vessels need to be USCG-inspected and certified. The reason is that the lake is prone to severe weather and USCG has been called in for rescue operations in the past.||As such we were required to wear masks while on the vessel. We had a quick but thorough safety talk and were soon on our way to Kenai Backcountry Lodge (hereafter to be called “KBL” following the lead of the guides). Fortunately it was not a windy day and the lake was mirror-smooth. We reached KBL in just under 45 minutes. Alaska Nellie had a drop ramp at the bow and we disembarked without having to jump into the lake. Our head guide for our stay, Win, was waiting for us on the beach. After quick visit to the main lodge - a cozy log cabin with a small loft, a cast-iron wood stove, that acted as dining room and meeting room - she took us on a tour of the property and showing us our assigned cabins (mostly named after astronomic phenomena), the outhouses (2 of them), the sauna, beer creek (a small creek in which 2 crates of canned drinks, soda and beer, were placed to keep the drinks cold). In terms of alcoholic beverages she requested we let her and fellow-guide Christa know of our wine selection ahead of dinner. The soda was “free” available 24/7 chilled in Beer Creek. The beer (and wine) needed to be paid for and it was on us to note our beer consumption in a logbook in the main lodge. We were shown a “bear cache” typical of backcountry lodges, a small wooden box raised many feet above ground on wooden posts, a place to store food where bear would have a hard time getting to it; this was just an example of a cache and was not in use. There were 2 classic wood outhouses amongst the trees, fully functional, meant to provide relief to those who couldn’t make it back to their cabin or had no access to the cabin bathroom.||The log cabins were scattered around the heavily-wooded property. Only one looked directly out onto the lake; it was the only left of the original cabins prior to 2018; a flood and storm had seriously damaged other cabins. The other thing to note was that unlike KRL, KBL was truly “off-grid”. The electricity was generated by propane (delivered intermittently during the summer), and our cabin lights were kerosene lamps that we lit with matches. KBL had upgraded electricity generation with a small hydroelectric station. There was no wifi. We barely got cellphone signal on the beach let alone wireless internet. Even though we were here at the end of August the sun didn’t set until almost 930 pm and there was enough light to see ones way around the property until past 10pm. Otherwise a flashlight (or your cellphone light) came in handy. ||The cabins had heaters that were propane-powered. They were powerful and heated the cabins efficiently. We were told not to place wet clothes and shoes directly on the heater. Nevertheless we could dry clothes and gear on the bed and chair in front of the heater overnight. The bed we slept in was comfortable; it helped that fresh air, outdoor activity and good food together were conducive to good sleep. The bathroom featured a shower and tho water flow was strong. Due to limited sewage were were instructed not to flush used toilet paper but to place it in the small trash can (that had a lid). ||There were many wood chairs and a bench at the beach looking out onto Lake Skilak and the surrounding mountains. A steel fire pit provided warmth and ambiance. We were at KBL for 2 night; it had started to drizzle so we didn’t get to hang out on the beach that evening. The second night was more conducive to a post-dinner celebration by the beach. There weren’t many animals to spot or to be wary off at the lodge. A brown bear had been spotted on the beach earlier in the summer but not in the lodge area itself. There was water fowl far out on the lake. We saw a few “zombie” salmon one night, salmon that had spawned and were dying after having fulfilled their destiny. Nevertheless we did get to sit by the fire and enjoy sipping beer or wine and trading stories.||We were to have gone kayaking on the lake on our first evening but the once-smooth lake had turned choppy hours after we arrived and rain threatened. So guide Win made the call and informed those of us hoping to kayak that it was a no-go. We ended up playing table tennis with another couple; retrieving errant ping-pong balls from the surrounding forest could get get tedious, but we had fun. ||One of the most surprising and astonishing aspect of our stay at KBL was the quality of the food. Chef Evan prepared both our dinners and it turned into a dinner show. It was as if we were dining at his restaurant at the |“Chef’s Table”. He explained his overall inspiration for the meal and then for each dish of the 4-course service. The dinner’s first dish featured sous vide egg, pickle pear, horse radish and miso/sesame dressing. He then served sourdough bread baked that morning, roasted cauliflower, tofu, fermented black beans. Next was beef, risotto, asparagus, red wine reduction. For desert we had green tea cake, cheesecake, lemon curd (this was as best a recollection as I could manage). While the food was excellent it was Chef Evan’s almost theatrical pre-meal presentation that was most memorable. Truly unexpected. Breakfast was hearty and well-prepared. Lunches were all sandwiches which we prepared ourselves prior to heading out for the day.||I should note that we had 2 KBL-based guides, Win and Christa. We also had Zoraya, however, who was the guide assigned to the “safari” group on the Alaska Wildland Collection itinerary. While we were on our own trip, my wife and I were informally incorporated into their group.||The main activity of our one whole day at KBL was the hike up the mountain behind us to the top where we could experience a tundra landscape, pick berries and enjoy the view of Skilak Lake and the surrounding mountains. Unfortunately, not only had the drizzle persisted overnight but had progressed to a steady downpour. The hike would have been challenging even under the best of circumstances but we all decided to give it a try. Kudos, moreover, to Win and Christa of KBL for coming up with a Plan B for those not wanting to hike: a boat tour of Skilak Lake on Alaska Nellie, the boat that had ferried us from the mouth of the Kenai River the previous day. Everyone decided to try the hike but there would be a stop after 1 mile where some decisions would be made. Could we continue the hike? If so would all go for it? For those that wanted to return to KBL they would still be able to take Nellie for a lake cruise. We all geared-up in our waterproof /water-resistant outfits. KBL had hiking poles available and most of us elected to use them.||The trail passed along Cottonwood Stream for a while; there were several small waterfalls to view along the way. The trail was muddy and slippery in the rain. The first part of the trail wandered through temperate rain forest. Mostly Sitka spruce. As we climbed the lush mossy and fern-filled undergrowth changed. We made sure not to brush up against the many Devils Club plants lining the trail. We were shown bear claw markings on tree trunks. Our guides periodically called out “Hey Bear! Hey Bear!” to avoid any unpleasant surprises. We negotiated rocks, roots, mud and pools of water. Still it rained. Eventually several in the group decided they wanted to return to the lodge and go on the lake cruise and they were accompanied by Christa back down. We headed on up, now tackling the steepest pitches on the trail. When we finally broke out into a clearing and could look over and beyond the trees down at Lake Skilak. Actually we could barely see the lake. Win and Zoraya took our pictures nevertheless. Win held another pow-wow with us. She did not recommend pushing on to the tundra as there would be no view, conditions would be worse as we would be completely exposed to the elements, and would therefore not be a good place to have lunch. A vigorous discussion ensued with some advocating pushing on to the top regardless of conditions. Win made the call and we headed back down. ||We settled down in a hemlock grove where things were relatively dry. We were generally quiet as we took out our packed lunches and started digging into them. A fellow traveler spotted a brown bear looking up at us from the trail below. Win immediately sprang into action repeatedly yelling “Hey Bear!” even as she grabbed the bear spray and leapt onto the trail standing between us and the bear. It was clearly no match for her and it disappeared back amongst the trees. We were all very appreciative of her actions. You can be sure there was a lot of “Hey Bear” echoing through the forest as we completed our descent.||I took advantage of the wet sauna, pouring small amounts of water on the hot rocks to bring the temperature to 130F (it was already 120F when I entered) and absorbed all that heat before taking the plunge into Lake Skilak. Repeated it once. Definitely a challenging experience. Earning the coveted “Skilak Lake Swim Club” sticker was a bonus, Of course it stopped raining about an hour after we had returned.| |Kevin’s, the KBL mechanical genius that keeps the place running took several guests on a behind-the-scenes tour of the operation of KBL but I did not join them.||While we did not see much in the way of wildlife around the lodge and it seemed to rain most of the time we were there we loved our time there. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay as did the other guests. It was a tranquil spot; it was refreshing to just spend a few minutes staring out onto the lake and the mountains beyond. We had a good time talking with the guides learning about this part of Alaska (and about how they ended up working here). Guests traded stories about their time so far in Alaska as well as other trips they had taken. A good sense of camaraderie had taken hold. One couple was heading to Anchorage and home after KBL. The “safari” group was heading back to KRL for another night before finishing up at Kenai Glacier Lodge. We were headed directly to Glacier Lodge. It was a particularly early started to the final morning but we got to see Mount Spur and Mount Redoubt in the distance light up in a morning alpenglow. The boat ride across Skilak Lake was a smooth one again. We also spotted a black bear foraging along the shore as we approached the landing area.||We highly recommend spending at least a couple nights at Kenai Backcountry Lodge.
