From Red Rock/Dry Desert to Snow Cap Mountains Surrounded by Wat

When I saw all the snow-peaked mt from the airplane, I could not believe I was here, in Alaska. Just so amazing. Since last Wed, I have been working and staying with Rick, a native Alaskan kayak guide and his charming German wife, Dorle. They have a small cabin near the main town of Homer. My first job was to split wood for the wood burning stove that heats up the main cabin on the island where Seaside Adventures does their kayak tours. 

 

On my second night near Homer, I saw a moose from their house. There are two bathrooms: one is a compost toilet for #2 and a small kid-like potty for pee b/c they are too far away from the town and don’t have a septic tank. I am their first wwoofer this season. Apparently, people move to Homer for the lifestyle, scenery, and artist community. I thought to myself, wow, it’s like Portland.  They have a huge week-long bird festival too. Some people end up visiting Alaska by accident and some fall in love with the wilderness and make it their home, like Dorle.

Friday morning, we headed to Little Kayak Island, as they call it, where I will mostly be for the next three-four weeks. On the way here, we saw 60 otters and an Eagle, close up. We hauled a lot of supplies and equipment, as their busy season will begin soon. I admire them for their hard work at ages 59 and 57. But they love this island and the wildlife.

The island is only a few hundred yards wide. It takes 40 mins by boat. They order a water taxi when their guest comes for a kayak tour. There is no road or water system and there are only a handful of neighbors. They have a sauna that is used in lieu of a shower. They collect rainwater and have outhouses. Apparently, pee makes outhouses smell bad, so peeing in the woods is best.c

I really lucked out with this group. They really know and love AK. They are already booking up for the summer. They could expand biz, but they want to keep it small and intimate. By day 3, I’ve already taken 120 pix and will have lengthy blogs as there are just so many exciting news to report. I can see why you need to spend more than just a few days here. Internet is painfully slow on the island, so will only post when in Homer. Click here for more pix.