2021 Alaska #4: Homer

View from the Homer Spit

The primary goal for this trip was halibut fishing for Scott and now we were finally heading to Homer so that he could do just that. I have written about Homer before, but we haven’t spent a lot of time there.  

Kachemak Bay and Homer from the air

Homer is 218 miles southwest of Anchorage at the tip of the Kenai Peninsula. Long known as the "Halibut Fishing Capital of the World," Homer is also nicknamed "the end of the road." 

Kachemak Bay

On the shore of Kachemak Bay, its distinguishing feature is the Homer Spit, a narrow 4.5 mile-long long gravel bar that extends into the Bay. Homer Harbor is on the spit.

Homer is a fishing town

Homer was named for Homer Pennock, a gold mining company promoter, who arrived in 1896 on the Homer Spit and built living quarters for his crew of 50 men. However, gold mining was never profitable in the area.

The current population is just over 5,500 people.

A goal; Photo: Scott Stevens

My plan was to explore on the way there and then do some local birding while Scott was fishing. Scott also wanted to eat some seafood while there. I had booked two nights in a Best Western in town and he had a half-day fishing trip booked for the next day. But, alas, on the way down a comedy of errors began to unfold.

 

Plan Changes

The first blow: just as we approached town, the company Scott had booked his fishing trip with called to say the weather was too rough and they were cancelling. Drat! What would we do for TWO days in Homer? Since it was too late to cancel that night, we continued to drive to Homer. But, I cancelled the second night. We’d figure out what to do later. 

Maybe look for some Bears

When we arrived in Homer (without doing much exploring on the way), we decided to stop by the fishing charter office to see if anything needed to be straightened out. Scott went in as I looked around the buildings along the spit. 

Scott going in to see what's up

He found out that although HIS charter was cancelled, there was another full-day trip going, so he booked that. It begs the question of why his trip was cancelled. Weather or a captain who didn’t want to go out?

While he was booking up the trip, I came into the office and one of the ladies working there asked me my plans. I told her I planned to bird ... 

There were a few birds around, including this Song Sparrow

... she suggested I fly out to Brooks Falls in Katmai National Park to photograph Bears. 

Brooks Falls

I was hesitant because: 1) the flight is rather spendy and I have been there before; 2) Scott loves to photograph Bears and this trip had been thus far a bit disappointing for him; I didn’t want to risk getting better photos than he had gotten; and 3) it seemed late in the year for Bears. 

I assumed the Bears were all gone

I was resisting. Scott was urging. The woman pitching the trip was urging (she even called the air transport company to confirm availability: there was ONE seat left for the season, which ended the NEXT day, which certainly seemed like a sign).

You can always see Brooks Falls on explore.org

So, we checked the explore.org Brooks Falls webcam to see if there were any Bears.  There were, but not nearly as many as the picture to the left.

They come to Brooks Falls to catch and eat salmon. When the salmon aren’t there, the Bears aren’t there. 

Normally, by this late in the season, both salmon and Bear are gone. But, this year, the salmon runs were late and there were still Bears.

Maybe I'd see a few

They wore me down and I said yes. I walked across the street and plunked down my credit card for an $800 trip to Brooks Falls. I think three weeks in Iceland, an unplanned trip to Florida with additional unplanned lodging expenses and then this trip to Alaska had numbed my ability to be frugal. Whatever, I booked it. 

Then, I rebooked our second night at the hotel. 

Homer

Then, with the next day planned, we explored a little around Homer.

Nice variety

Our first stop was a quick hike along the very wet and muddy Calvin & Coyle Nature Trail, which is just behind an elementary school in town.

We saw some nature, but, unfortunately, no Moose, Bears or even birds.

Calvin & Coyle Trail

Well, maybe a little wildlife ...

A red squirrel on the trail

The highlight of our afternoon in Homer was photographing birds down by the harbor and marina. 

We got a bonus rainbow

There were lots of Black-legged Kittiwakes ... 

Kittiwakes are noisy!

... and Glaucous-winged Gulls ... 

Immature Glaucous-winged Gull landing

But, the big thrill was a two-year-old Eagle feeding on a gull on the top of a light post. 

Looks like he found lunch

Yes, the surroundings weren’t that scenic, but the Eagle was so occupied that it did not care that I stood almost directly below it. 

A great angle for photos

I was a bit afraid that I would be hit by the bird guts it was flinging about, but it was a great vantage point. 

Eating can be rather violent

And, I got some great photos of a beautiful bird. 

My best bird shots of the summer

More Drama

The plan the next morning was that Scott would take the rental car to go fishing and I would Uber to the float plane dock. Then, he would pick me up when I got back.

He got up and made his lunch and headed off to fishing. I tried calling Scott to ask him a question before he left, but got no answer. Was he already on the boat? 

I was preparing to meet my Uber when he called to tell me that he had gotten to the dock only to be told it was too rough and that his fishing trip would not go out.

The morning didn't look bad; Photo: Scott Stevens

I told him that he should go to Brooks Falls and I would stay in Homer to bird. He said no, but I was already planning to make the switch as he was heading back to the hotel. I cancelled the Uber.

Then, I got a call from the fishing charter company: “Scott talked to the wrong captain. They are going out. I tried calling him, but he didn’t answer. He needs to get back here ASAP.”

So, I tried to call him, No answer. Then my phone rang.

Time to fly!

It was the Bear charter people, who had been called by the fishing charter people looking for Scott (since they referred me to the Bear trip, they knew I was going out): “Scott talked to the wrong captain. They are going out. I tried calling him, but he didn’t answer. He needs to get back here ASAP.” 

I tried to call him. I got no answer.

I ran out to the parking lot as he was pulling in, I waved at him and relayed the message and told him his phone wasn’t working (it was new and he had turned off the ringer).

He screeched back out of the parking lot, heading back to the docks. I rebooked the Uber and I headed over to the plane.

I flew over with Bald Mountain Air

I got to the plane early because I have had so many problems with late cabs and Ubers that I allowed a lot of time. I waited for awhile. And, then, right before it was time to board, my phone rang. It was Scott, but the connection was so bad, I couldn’t understand him. 

The damaging fishing line

I hung up and then he texted: “Sea rough. Engine tangled in fishing line. We are OK for now.” 

Yikes! "OK for now??"

What did that mean? Floating in the Bay with no power? Taking on water? Coast Guard rescue? On the dock drinking a beer?

I couldn’t reach him back and I had to get on the plane. After all, I paid $800 (non-refundable) and he wasn’t able to get there in time to go.

No calls came in

So, we took off and flew to Brooks Falls, where there is NO CELL SERVICE.

None at all. 

All day.

I did not know whether he went fishing or not. Whether his boat sank. Whether he would be alive when I returned. 

I assumed that, in a true emergency, they could reach me (they knew where I was and planes have radios), so I didn’t worry too much. 

Great bears

But, I knew it would be bad news if I had a great day at Brooks Falls and he didn’t get to go fishing. 

Oops

I had a great day at Brooks Falls and he didn’t get to go fishing. 

I will talk about that in my next post.

Scott spent the day drinking beer and eating oysters. He was not happy.

Well, the day wasn't a total loss (yes, it was); Photos: Scott Stevens 

He said that the boat was a disaster – dirty and not maintained – and that the captain was especially rude.

Yes, he got a refund, but no fishing and a scary few hours as they slowly putted back to the dock with one working engine and one disabled. He was NOT in a good mood.

Even in a bad situation, Scott got a great photo

It was not a good time to tell him about my fantastic day.

Photo: Goldbelly

When we headed back north the next day, we stopped in Whittier again and he ordered some halibut to be shipped to us. Perhaps that’s a better way to get halibut.

Regardless, he said he would never book with just what is available. Instead, he’ll check the company out a bit more. 

And, I doubt that he’ll fish from Homer again. Whittier or Seward seem like better choices.

And, maybe, I need to send him to a Bear lodge for a make-up session.

We need to get Scott some Bears

And, just for fun, here is my landing when I returned to Homer from Brooks Camp.

Trip date: September 7-17, 2021