I will add pictures as I am able. Couldn't do a trip report since All photos are on my dumb phone. I spent 35 days fighting fire in June, I took a week off after that and tied in with a highschool buddy. We did some day trips in a couple of Cedar strip canoes he built. I also visited the Swanson River canoe system on Kenai national wildlife refuge. I will start with some pictures here and add some as I have time.












The cedar came from an old indoor water tower in Galena AK. My buddy plows the airstrip for the state. His wife teaches school there, they have lived there over 20 years. He made the paddles and the wicker chair for the person in the middle. Most pictures are of the Clearwater river by Delta Jct, AK. The picture with the sign in it is from the Swanson River on the Kenai pinisula. Lots of AK looks like the BW but without the mountains.

I leave for AK in 9 days. I transferred to the Kenai NWR.











The card street fire. I initial attacked this with my engine. We couldn't hold it. It went 9,000 acres. We lost 12 primary homes.

Thanks for the pictures.

It looks addicting,thanks for sharing.

great pics. I wonder how they get that moose to pose next to the sign?

Great pictures! Enjoy your stay.

quote Pinetree: "It looks addicting,thanks for sharing."

They were all tethered and hobbeled. It was tough catching those little guys. It was a real hog rassel. It helps if you use shock/training collars on them. The ones in these pictures are very well trained.





OK the ones by the sign are real wild moose. These pictures are of moose in the MRC. Moose Research Center on the Kenai NWR. They do nutritional and browse studies on moose. They were very familiar with our issues of moose' declining populations in Mn. Google the MRC. I can't attach a link with this phone. These pics were supposed to go along with longpaddlers comments regarding how we got the moose to pose right by the sign?

Nice pics. Thanks for sharing. It's been a dream of men to canoe the kenai. Even rolls off your tongue nice. Canoe the kenai. Hey what year is that Volvo? Looks like one i had a while back. 1975, good car. I probably wouldn't haul my cedar canoe that far! Do you suppose canoe rental is similarly priced as here?

ah! the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge.
*drooling*

quote LindenTree3: "

quote Pinetree: "It looks addicting,thanks for sharing."

They were all tethered and hobbeled. It was tough catching those little guys. It was a real hog rassel. It helps if you use shock/training collars on them. The ones in these pictures are very well trained.





OK the ones by the sign are real wild moose. These pictures are of moose in the MRC. Moose Research Center on the Kenai NWR. They do nutritional and browse studies on moose. They were very familiar with our issues of moose' declining populations in Mn. Google the MRC. I can't attach a link with this phone. These pics were supposed to go along with longpaddlers comments regarding how we got the moose to pose right by the sign?"

I will see about prices. There is an Outfitter just outside the Swanson River canoe system. They must have had 20 canoes there. (Only a couple Kevlar ones) If you are into soleing you are welcome to use mine if you come up. The flying moose will be on top of my car and on the Alaska Ferry in a week. The lakes on the Kenai NWR Canoe System are a little smaller than the BW and they don't have the ledge rock, its a little flatter there, then you have the mountains as a view that makes up for it all. They get way less use than the BWCA.

nice pics

awesome!

Great pictures and beautiful canoe and paddles. I see a boot cleaner at the canoe launch in picture #5. Is that common in Alaska?

Also why is there flagging tape attached to your tent. That is an awesome view from the tent site.

quote HighPlainsDrifter: "
Great pictures and beautiful canoe and paddles. I see a boot cleaner at the canoe launch in picture #5. Is that common in Alaska?


Also why is there flagging tape attached to your tent. That is an awesome view from the tent site."

No idea why the boot cleaner is there, I know it looks odd. The flagging is on my tent to make it more visible. The green blends in too well. Last year on a fire in MT, I had to camp on a logging road. Even though it was closed I still was worried about getting run over by a fire truck. I have never taken it off. The one picture was of my campsite on The Danali Hwy. 140 miles long and 100 of it was gravel. 30 mph max in my rental car. I was isolated. Only a couple cars drove by me while I was camped about 15 feet off the road. Another reason I was glad for the flagging.

PSwith5. Its a 1984 volvo 245. My buddy only drives old Volvos. The 84 is his new one.

Thanks for the pics, very nice. I've been all over Alaska and the Kenai reminds me a lot of Minnesota in places. That Volvo and cedar canoe look like they were made for each other, beautiful!

Here are a few more pictures, just general views of the MTN's not necessarily anything to do with canoeing. I only had 2 days off during the 35 I worked on the Kenai NWR and they were not in a row. I was hoping to canoe the Wilderness canoe system. But I will get my chance to do it shortly, I will see if I can post a report when I get at least a couple day trip under my belt on the system. space space space

Below is a like to the two Canoe Routes on the Refuge. Click on the link and scroll down to either the "Swan Lake Canoe Route" or the "Swanson River Canoe Route". Talking with the trail crew thay recommend the Swan Lake Canoe Route, and finding a campsite on the West side of Swan Lake looking East. This way you are staring at the Kenai mountains that will hopefully be lit up with a setting sun. Kenai WIlderness Canoe River Routes

quote pswith5: "Nice pics. Thanks for sharing. It's been a dream of men to canoe the kenai. Even rolls off your tongue nice. Canoe the kenai. Hey what year is that Volvo? Looks like one i had a while back. 1975, good car. I probably wouldn't haul my cedar canoe that far! Do you suppose canoe rental is similarly priced as here? "

Here is a link for the outfitter in the area, it may answer your questions. The Kenai Canoe system is nice but it is not the BW. The BW is probabally a touch prettier with the ledge rock and bigger lakes, however the mountians in the background sure are nice. Also alot less use on the Kenai Canoe System. I think I only saw 3 cars tops in a parking lot that would have held 30 cars.



PS, the car is a 1984 Volvo 245.
Link to an outfitter

I just wanted to say thanks for sharing. Sounds like you are off on an adventure. I have two sisters up there, and have enjoyed paddling in the Nancy Lakes area a few times. It is perhaps a bit less wild than the Kenai system, however once you take a portage you leave the rest of Alaskans behind.

if that outfitter has any Kevlar Canoe, that is more than they had when I talk to them in 2010. Glad to see they're joining the modern ages.