Lexus Magazine, Summer 2005

Summer in Homer, Alaska

Nothing seemed more natural than sitting on bank above a river bubbling with salmon, while 11 Alaskan brown bears fished. One used a rock as a table to spread its catch out; another laid shallow water, legs in the air, chewing a salmon like it was corn on the cob. A small cub hugged a fish to its chest and squeezed it. Its mother swung a salmon on shore with her mouth and began shredding it with nimble claws. Another bear dug a hole in the gravel and laid down for a nap in the sun.

Do not surprise a bear, do not approach a bear, and do not back away from bears. Chris and Ken Day had drilled these lessons into us. But they assured us that if you respect them and give them their space, you have nothing to fear.

"They know we're here," Chris told us. "They are just politely ignoring us. If one stands up to take a look, they're just curious, they never charge like that."

A crisp breeze blew over the tundra at the Katmai Reserve in Alaska, carrying scents of far off glaciers.

"Shall we walk a little," Ken Day asked. "Perhaps see what's happening down at the falls." Even though he and his wife Chris have done this every season, seven days a week for 16 years, their excitement at seeing the bears and their comfort around them was palpable. We hiked through country thick with brown bears that grow up to 1200 pounds, armed with only cameras, and instructed to stay in a group and not squeal with delight, which proved to be the most challenging part, as bears frolicked and dug holes and scampered up the cut banks.

We eventually returned to the floatplane, dumbstruck and trying to digest the exhilaration of the experience. As Ken flew us back to the Emerald Air docks in Homer, I took the swatch of bear fur I found in the tundra from my pocket and sniffed the sweet scented bit of fluff.

I couldn't be further away from my life in New York City, where by late July, the stench of yesterday's garbage steams from the hot sidewalks and the crowds of people seem even crankier. By this time of year, the city is under siege from the summer heat and escape seems the only remedy. I didn't just want to go past city limits; I wanted the antidote. Dreams of Alaska, of ice capped mountains and streams thick with glacial silt, animals large and wild roving open spaces spurred me to buy a ticket to Anchorage. From there, I rented a car and drove south on Sterling Highway, until the road ended in Homer. I found myself in a clamor of fishing boats, artist's galleries, and restaurants. The town faces an incredible view of Kachemak Bay, surrounded by glaciers and fjords; forested and alpine tundra mountains that reach the sea. These all beckoned me further out in the last great North American wilderness. Denizens of Homer know all about this pull, and many of them have followed their passions, be it flying, kayaking, fishing, horseback riding, or watching the brown bears into businesses that guide the visitors into a wilderness so fecund, you feel like a visitor not just to a place, but to another time in history.

From the Homer boat harbor, I caught a water taxi over to the rocky shores of Yukon Island. From there we launched into the smooth waters. The ultimate kayak dream, fed by popular photographs, is of a whale breaching, its massive tail eclipsing the kayaks. Alison O'Hara, co-owner of True North Adventures and a guide on Kachemak Bay for 11 years told me they only occasionally spotted whales, but not to count on it. She promised plenty of sea otters. Salmon jumped from the water and a bald eagle perched on a rocky balustrade jutting from the island. Alison led us through a series of rocks where we spotted our first sea otter, resting in a bed of kelp.

"They like to wrap themselves in the kelp when they sleep," Alison explained. "This way, they don't drift. Just remember not to invade their personal space, and they let you watch them all day long."

She went on to explain that sea otters spend a third of their life sleeping, a third eating, and a third primping. They don't have blubber, so if their fur gets too matted, they can't stay warm. The sea otter woke up, and then started cleaning its whiskers with its paws.

We continued around the island, paddling through cliffs and boulders composed of layers of rock curled into fantastical formations. We stopped to see Alutiiq natives burial site. Coastal indigenous people, sometimes referred to as Pacific Eskimos, they inhabited areas throughout Kachemak Bay and south to Kodiak Island for a continuous 7,000 years. Some archeologists claim that they are ancestors to the modern day Alutiiqs who live on Kodiak Island. The bones had been excavated by archeologists in the 1930's, and sent back for reburial in the 1970's. Oil lamps, arrowheads and bones of every type local animals had been found at these sites. We paddled on; the water shone silver and in the distance we could see the island volcano, St. Augustine. We paused to watch the sea otters and harbor porpoises. Then we heard a very loud breath.
"A minke whale" Alison yelled.

I started fumbling for my camera and trained it on the water, waiting for the whale to surface again. It came up about fifty yards from us. I snapped the shot, which, I'm pretty certain will look more like a brown smudge on the water than the dramatic kayak-huge-whale photo, but a whale photo all the same.

The next day, I seemed to be the only person excited by the humpback whales diving and surfacing around us. I had never in my life caught a fish on a pole, and settled in for a nature tour. We had dropped anchor near a cluster of uninhabited islands, and the skipper, Marcel Bourgeois, loaded a large hook with herring bait and weighted it down with two-pound sinkers. I thought I'd just hang onto the reel while enjoying the sight of whales breaching and puffins flying past us. Immediately my line jerked and the tip bent towards the water. There was no question, fish on. I reeled and reeled as Marcel instructed me to pull and then wind. I paused for a breather, and the pole almost yanked out of my hand. Marcel put a harness around my waist to stabilize the pole and threatened to attach my ankles to the boat with a bungee cord so I didn't go in. Eventually I saw the fish near the surface. I felt very pleased with the halibut, but Marcel figured it was about 35 pounds, and wanted me to throw it back and go for a bigger fish, as each person has a two fish limit and they pull fish just over 300 pounds out of this water. This one looked like perfect fillet size, so I kept it. Something about that tug on the line that made me forget the whales for a moment and bait up again.

While I had been across the bay from Homer, fished beyond it, and flown over, the trip didn't seem complete until I had seen the head of it, and there was only one way to do that. Where the pavement turned to dirt at the tip end of the road through town, I mounted a spotted Appaloosa named Cheyenne. Mark Marette, our cowboy guide raised and trained these horses, so as we headed down a steep switchback to an open beach, he told us about their personalities and how to ride them. We moseyed past a Russian Old Believers village, the reclusive community a small outpost of houses built by a religious group that left Russia after the Bolshevik Revolution for South America, then traveling to Oregon, and eventually following the fishing industry north to Alaska in the 1960's. Then we went through the Fox River flats, where tide channels snaked into the open bay. The horses plunged across shallow rivers and then we turned into a path leading through wildflowers that grew higher than the horses' heads until we reached a clearing that had once been the homestead of a religious group from California. They refused to cut their hair or wear shoes until world peace had been achieved and world hunger eradicated. They became known as the "bare footers" around Homer, and named their place named the Wisdom, Knowledge, Faith and Love Homestead. The site was now preserved by the Kachemak Bay Land Trust, and with eagle chicks peering down at us from nests in the cottonwood trees and patches of lavender fireweed and elderberry bushes dotting the old homestead, the tranquility of this place made even the worn dreams of the bare footers seem possible. As we dismounted and hobbled around the place, Mark pointed out the prints of black bears, and even one of an Alaskan brown bear. Everyone else marveled at the size, but I just smiled. I had traveled well beyond the end of the road, and seen a different version of summer. It would take a lot to impress me now.

Homer and Kachemak Bay

How to get there:
Homer is 220 miles south of Anchorage. Several airlines travel to the Anchorage airport. After arriving, you can take a short flight to Homer on Era Aviation. They depart Anchorage several times a day and the cost is between $85.00-$115.00 depending on the time of year and how far in advance the ticket is booked. Contact Era at 1-800-866-8394 or www.FlyEra.com. You can also rent a car in Anchorage and make the spectacular 4-hour drive. There are several rental agencies in the airport, but if traveling in July and August, be sure to reserve a car well in advance.

Chamber of Commerce:
Homer offers a variety of day hikes, horseback rides, halibut and salmon fishing charter boats, flight seeing and boat tours. The town also has a lot of excellent restaurants, good local artists galleries, and theater productions. For comprehensive information, contact the Homer Chamber of Commerce for a full brochure. www.homeralaska.org or Phone: (907)235-7740

Kachemak Bay Ranger Station:
The ranger station provides comprehensive hiking maps of the 80 miles of trails in Kachemak Bay state park, and there's also a public cabin system in many of the bays. Website: www.dnr.state.ak.us/parks/units/kbay/kbay.htm

Getting out on Kachemak Bay:

Emerald Air Service is the only bear viewing company out of Homer which refuses to take bear hunters out. Both Chris and Ken Day have such an incredible approach to these creatures that this is the trip of a lifetime. Contact: (907)235-6993 www.EmeraldAirService.com

True North Kayak Adventures specializes in guided day trips and overnight packages. They offer unguided kayak rentals for experienced paddlers only. They also book cabins and yurts on kayak and hiking routes in the bay. www.truenorthkayak.com (907)235-0708

Trails End Horse Adventures offers half-day, full day, and overnight trips with pack horses into the Homer Hills. Contact Mark Marette at (907)235-6393.

For halibut fishing, reserve with Central Charters at (907)235-7847 or (800)478-7847 or visit the website at www.centralcharter.com.

For the Family-
The Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies is a non-profit environmental education center. Local naturalists interpret tidal pools, local flora and fauna. They also have live tanks so that children can pet the starfish and sea urchins. (907)235-6667 www.akcoastalstudies.org

For the Less Mobile:
Kachemak Air offers flight seeing tours of the glaciers and bays of Kachemak. They fly a fully restored 1929 Travelair, complete with mahogany framed windows and wire wicker seats. (907)235-8924

Rainbow Tours leaves the Homer harbor daily for full day whale watching trips. www.rainbowtours.net (907)235-7272.

Recommended places to stay in Homer:

My favorite spot is the Surf Shack, a cabin located in town, but right on the beach. It has a full kitchen, and spectacular views of the bay. Fall asleep to the sound of the ocean. On breezy days you can watch Bald Eagles fly into head winds. Phone: (907)235-7873

Coyote Bend Cottage is a pristine cabin located near hiking trails that showcases the work of local artists. Phone: (907)235-4083

Magic Canyon Ranch Bed and Breakfast was once a homestead, now fully restored with beautiful rooms, great views, and pet llamas wandering the property. Phone: (907)235-6077

Hoedel's B&B is a cozy place located in an old homestead cabin with original cottonwood floors, fireplace, and locally made quilts with rooms that overlook a prize flower garden.
Phone: (907)235-8859

Recommended Restaurants in and around Homer:

Tsunami Café provided the wonderful salmon burgers we packed on the kayak trip. It's located on the Homer Spit Road. (907)235-1996

Two Sisters Bakery, at this popular spot, they know their pastries. For a light lunch or an afternoon coffee, head to Homer's old town. (907)235-2080

Fat Olives offers Mediterranean style cuisine such as calzone, anti-pasta, creative salads and a great selection of wines by the glass. Also located in Homer's old town, the décor includes an old Suburu in tribute to Homer's most ubiquitous car. (907)235-8488

Café Cups, located in the heart of Homer, specializes in American bistro cuisine with an international flair. Creative chutneys and Thai flourishes accompany meat and seafood. (907) 235-8330

The Homestead, located past town out East End Road, it offers fine dining including seafood stews, specially prepared halibut, locally farmed oysters and great steaks. Reservations: (907)235-8723

The Saltry is a short ferry ride across the bay from Homer to Halibut Cove, this bistro offers only locally caught seafood and vegetables grown in their garden. Before dinner, stroll the boardwalks of this small fishing community and pop into the art galleries. Reservations: (907)296-2223, or book them through Central Charters 1-800-478-7847. www.halibutcovedining.com