We spent 6 days camping, canoeing, and fishing in the rain. We saw 6 moose, a river otter, a beaver, and 3 Sandhill Cranes.  We watched a Merganser mother with her 11 (!) ducklings scavenging and fishing around us. 

We also watched the Olympics on C’s phone during a break in the rain.

On our last night of camping, the rain finally stopped, and we had a cool experience.   A bald eagle hung out with us for hours, often quite close.  He first startled us when he flew across the creek – he had been right over our heads, and we didn’t even know until he flew away. 

Later he flew in front of our canoe as we paddled upstream.  It was such a clear and calm evening that when he landed I could see a feather that he plucked slowly drop straight down, and we could clearly see his reflection in the creek. 

We spent our last 2 nights at an AirBnB near Talkeetna.   We enjoyed the sun and checked out the Talkeetna Riverside Park.  While Denali was hiding, the junction of 3 large rivers (Talkeetna,  Susitna and Chulitna) was impressive. We also stopped in the Denali NP Walter Harper Ranger Station, the airport, and the Flying Squirrel Bakery (yum!).  There were a lot of people everywhere in town, so we were happy to be staying in a quiet area 4 miles south. 

We checked out some other fishing options, and C fished at Sheep Creek Slough. The water was rapidly coming down in the sunny weather (Sheep Creek isn’t glacial, or it  would also rise after warm, sunny weather).

Salmon count in 8 days: 11 coho, 8 pink, 5 chum (24 total).  We also had 3 trout and lots of accidentally snagged fish not in the count.  We kept 2 coho, 1 pink, and 1 chum, releasing everything else as coho returns are very low this year.  Salmon count this time last year, 6 days:  11 coho, 5 pink,  1 chum (17 total, http://roaming-nature.com/2023/08/15/long-weekend-with-coho-count/)

Most of the streams we hoped to fish were flooded, so we concentrated on Caswell Creek (as did many others). 

August 8, Caswell Creek – C: 5 coho and 1 pink, M: 2 coho, 3 pink and 1 trout, kept one of C’s coho that was hooked deep plus a pink.

August 9, Caswell – M: 2 coho, keeping 1 in order to meet the 4 pint minimum, then we canned 4.5 pints of salmon.  Friends came to camp with us and each caught a coho, the 4 of us ate one, vacuum packed the other.

August 10, Caswell – C: 1 pink, friend caught a coho which we vacuum packed and they took the two fish with them.

August 11, Caswell – can’t remember,  but we didn’t catch much despite a lot of fishing!  Very wet, ugh.

August 12, Caswell – C: 2 coho and 2 pink, M: 1 chum, 1 pink, 1 trout; hundreds of fish in creek and lots of accidental snagging

August 13, Caswell – C: 1 trout (plus snagged 6 pink)

August 14, Sheep Creek Slough – C: 4 chum

We had a great time.  Plus  by ending our trip with another AirBNB, we are once again returning to our dry cabin freshly showered and with clean clothes.   How lovely!