July 24: Moving Out & Goodbyes

July 24 Moving Out & Goodbyes
With sorrow this morning we packed up and said good bye to the Wild Rose Chalet and Moose Pass.  We had planned to pack up a bit the night before but an unexpected and lengthy power outage necessitated a change of plans.  After a smorgasbord-style breakfast and a fast final clean-up, we said some good-byes.  Mike drove Tom and Gail to their hotel in Anchorage.  Joe set out to find new fishing and camping locations.  Adam led the Johnson family (& honorary member Sarah Born) on a hike on the Russian River.   The hike proved to be quite wet and the hikers unfortunately did not see the brown bears that were in that same spot the previous afternoon.  It was quite cool, however, to see salmon slowly working their way up the Russian River Falls towards their birth sites.  The same locations at which they will eventually spawn.  Cold, wet and with some time to burn, Greg, Mary, Adam and the Sara(h)s, stopped for hot chocolate & surprisingly delicious cinnamon rolls at the Cooper Landing Grocery.  At short time later, they met Mike at the Tern Lake roadside pullout. With some final hugs, Greg, Mary, Adam & Sarah Born departed towards Anchorage.  Mike and Sara continued on the Sterling Hwy. to meet Joe at the Morgan’s Landing state recreation area & campground.  Joe did a fantastic job choosing our new spot; not only did we have beautiful campsites but we were also within walking distance of salmon fishing on the Kenai River.

That evening as the rain stopped, Joe, Mike & Sara decided to try out salmon fishing at our new location.  The scenery was gorgeous but the action a bit slow.  In the end Joe did come home with two salmon.  Mike caught and released a rainbow trout. 

 Sara learned the technique of salmon fishing but caught (& released) only a small sized stick.  We all walked back to our tents at about 11:30 p.m. tired but happy.