Kodiak Island

It was 10pm. It was hammering down and I had an 8 mile cycle to the Ferry Terminal. I was donning warm clothes with full waterproof attire over the top and a large yellow plastic refuse sack draped over my backpack. I wondered would the rain every stop. Then it did.

The ride to the good ship Kennicott was far more enjoyable with rain water only splashing up from the road, as opposed to hammering down and in to my face.

The ferry was set to leave port at 2am. My hopeful intention was to get aboard early, crash in my little cabin and get a little shut eye rising early to see the Barren Islands.... and that's exactly what happened.

I woke at 5.30am just in the nick of time to see these beautiful land masses. The sun had just rose. I could have done with a lot
more sleep than the 3 hours I'd managed to eventually muster up, but it was light and the sea was brimming with life.

Puffins, shearwaters and jaegers scooted across the surface whilst from time to time whales broke through the blue exhaling huge white plumes of spray in to the air before taking a deep breath and disappearing.

A whale spout settles....

Even with a heavily rippled sea it was easy to spot the bright white spray set against the deep blue background. As we passed by the islands the oceanic swell bullied the ferry causing it to rock from side to side. Nothing unpleasant just slightly unbalancing.

Coastal Village.

I remained between the deck and the viewing lounges staring longingly at the deep blue taking every chance I had to see the wildlife which abounds in the seas surrounding Alaska.

At 11am we docked in Kodiak.

As I wheeled my fully loaded bicycle from the ferry, there was Rowland my host waiting for me.

We introduced ourselves, then Rowland took me for an Alaskan cooked breakfast at the local diner in Kodiak.

Afterwards he took me to the Machinists where he works. 

Not only does Rowland run the Celtic Mist B&B, but he also holds down full time work. Rowland is 77 years of age in 6 weeks. What a legend. To look at Rowland, to hear him to experience his energy, you only put him in his mid to late sixties. Amazing guy full of passion as he regales great stories of his varied life. From being born in England, to being raised on the Isle of Man through to his early twenties, then moving on to Montana USA. He's seen a lot and he's done a lot.

He talks and lives engineering. I doubt there is anything mechanical he couldn't fix. Seriously, the guy is a mechanical genius.

On the way back to the Celtic Mist Rowland showed me how and where the island's timber was weighed and measured. The huge spruce trunks are guess-timated using a formula which takes in to consideration the length and weight. 

The unit is measured and sold in one foot squares, one inch thick (obviously it's not cut up like this!).

The Weigh In.

The ship you see below will eventually be loaded with over 4,500,000 (four and a half million) units of timber. That's a lot of timber! The stack of trunks will reach the top of the metal pillars!

As we pulled up the driveway of Celtic Mist B&B I smiled as the Manx flag rippled gently in the light Kodiak breeze. Rowland's home and guesthouse is beautiful. A truly fantastic space in a wonderful setting. 

The Manx Flag...

The log burner and conservatory.

Rowland does everything in his power to make my stay memorable. He talks about fishing, trekking, bear spotting.... whatever it is, Rowland is there to provide all the necessary information and contacts.

Kodiak Island itself experiences a little over double the rainfall the Isle of Man receives, with summer temperatures a couple of degrees celsius lower than ours. The average highs from October right round to May vary between 3 degrees C. and 9 degrees C.... or minus figures. The average winter temperatures are a good slug lower than the Isle of Man. The precipitation is what keeps the place looking so vibrant and green during late June, July and August. It's hammering down right now.

Kodiak Island is 3,595 square miles compared to the Isle of Man's 221 square miles.

It's 100 miles long and varies between 10 and 60 miles in width.

The Kodiak archipelago consists of 25 islands in total.

Kodiak Island is a big old chunk of land (80^th largest island in the world) but it's Kodiak town on the North East, where a few over 6,000 folks reside. The remainder are dotted here and there, with a few villages located around the island that are only accessible by plane or boat. The entire borough of Kodiak including a narrow strip of land to the west on the Alaskan mainland is just over 14,000.00.

It makes me wonder how we fit 85,000 on to our tiny island.... It's probably over populated. There is hardly any traffic here, and only 80 miles of surfaced roads to drive on. Nice!

Panoramic of the bay beside Celtic Mist B&B

That same day at 3pm I jumped aboard my bicycle and took a jaunt South. I forgot that cycling had once been a leisurely activity for me, rather than just a long, quiet and scenic way of getting from point A to point B. It was nice to be riding for the sheer enjoyment of it.

A Lush Patch of Vegetation on the Shoreline.

How Blue????!!

I ended up cycling a round journey of just over 30 miles.

I enjoyed a little stop off on a secluded beach to practise some yoga and meditation.

Awaiting me on my return was a succulent piece of bbq'd pork with all the trimmings. Rowland is pretty handy on the grill! I'm well aware all this meat isn't good for me, but whilst I travel I consume what I can where I can. When I return I shall once again be practising my vegan way of life. Remember I only practise, so every now and again if I feel like a piece of fresh organic flesh I'll have it.

Just after walking through the door Rowland said

'Did you see the bear?'

Unbelievable. I'd cycled 30 miles hoping to encounter a Kodiak bear, whilst less than a mile up off the main road a bear wandered proud as punch only an hour before.

After an early breakfast Rowland took the girls (Tarn, his shorthaired German pointer and Skye his golden labrador) and myself out for a coastal adventure. We visited some beautiful spots, and even explored an off road track that Rowland was yet to experience. It lead to a beautiful lupin covered little spit on the coast.

That day we spotted, deer, red fox, wild mountain goats, eagles and whales a plenty! I've even found a place with pretty good surf! It's about 32 miles away... But if I could find some gear to borrow/rent I'd happily cycle and camp.... There were whales spouting just out behind the waves. Awesome!

Dog tracks on the beach...

Fossil Beach 

On the way back I was deliberating whether to hop on my return ferry as booked, which was at 10.45pm, or to extend my stay. After asking my friends what they thought, and having already kind of made up my mind, I decided to stay for another few days. That few days has turned in to 2 weeks, far longer than I had planned. This is because the first ferry returning to the mainland after the Sunday night is on 29^th July. Ah well.

Lupins under an incredibly blue sky and incredibly green hills.... Amazing colours....

Today I've already vacuumed and dusted the main living areas, and cooked Rowland and myself dinner last night.... So I'll do what I can to help this hard working fellow! The first job of today was to accompany Rowland on a gate priming task. Rowland had built and fitted large iron gates at the timber yard. Four hands were quicker than two!

Then the rain began..... and it has continued.... hammering... hammering... hammering..... (It's still raining now....)

It will eventually stop, and when if does I'll head out to explore some more..... if it doesn't I will also head out to explore some more!

Rowland plays with Tarn & Skye

Love to you all.

Mark.  

PS.  It's still raining and blowing!!!