ALASKA

SEWARD ALASKA – Day 6

Sometimes, adventure starts with a little luck. At 5:00 AM on a Sunday, I was scrambling to find a last-minute fishing charter. It looked like I was skunked, until 6:10, I struck gold—a cancellation at the Seward Fishing Club just came in! Twenty minutes later, I was on the dock, coffee in hand, climbing aboard. I was with a group of about 20 who had all been traveling together in RVs. One person canceled that morning that landed me the spot.

An hour and fifteen minutes later, we arrived at our first spot. As I walked out to choose a fishing pole, Robert—one of the nineteen in the other group—offered me the spot next to him. He and his wife Donna were from Virginia and are traveling until December. They shared a lot of great tips about Alaska. A lot of my traveling plans overlapped theirs, and now we’re even connected on Facebook.

The day delivered. By noon, we’d hit our halibut limit—two each, the trophy fish of the day. We spent the rest of the trip chasing salmon under clearing skies. The morning had been cold and rainy, but by afternoon the water glistened in the sun. And then I saw something that I always wanted to see: PUFFINS!

Back ashore, I grabbed a cooler for my catch and campfire cooking supplies for a halibut feast. The adventure didn’t end there. Just 20 minutes from my campground sits KENAI FJORDS NATIONAL PARK. I hadn’t even known it existed until today—and like every national park I’ve visited, it was super cool.

This makes two national parks so far on this trip, with a third coming on Wednesday: KATMI NATIONAL PARK, where I expect to see bears up close. It’ll be the priciest part of the trip, but it came so highly recommended by so many others that I decided it was a must do. When I set out for Alaska just over a week ago, I thought I’d see only one National Park. Alaska had other plans.

I have been very happy with the camping situation so far, but now we would see how that fresh halibut would taste by just throwing it in some foil and on the fire with some lemon and seasoning. Turns out it is AMAZING!

It’s time to leave Seward. While standing on a bridge over a stream, I met a man and took in the breathtaking views of RESURRECTION BAY, the harbor, and the surrounding snow-capped mountains. We shared the funniest moment of my adventure, laughing at the antics of a fisherman along Seward’s beautiful shoreline. Make sure to watch the video all the way to the end!

HARDING ICEFIELD, KEANI NATIONAL PARK, SEWARD ALASKA. Day 7.

I woke up knowing the weather would be perfect—a rare gift in Alaska. It felt like the right day to take on the big hike that had been calling my name: the HARDING ICEFIELD TRAIL. It’s an 8.6-mile trek with a 3,200-foot climb.

Rated “HARD” on my AllTrails app—Note to self: The HARDING TRAIL is HARD! The challenge pushed me to my limits, but the reward was beyond anything I’d imagined.

This place is a national park for a reason—it’s home to the largest icefield located entirely within the United States. Standing at the summit, you understand why: the view is nothing short of jaw-dropping.

On August 11, I found myself surrounded by snow and ice. Most of the climb was steep, but after reaching the final ridge, the trail leveled out. From there, it was like stepping into a winter wonderland—snowfields stretching out forever, sparkling under the summer sun. That last mile to the top, with the view opening up around me, made every aching step worth it.

There was an emergency shelter at the top and when you signed out of your hike, it asked if you made it to that emergency shelter. I certainly did, but questioned its usefulness because the door was locked and you could not get in.

It took me 3 hours to reach the summit, an hour to soak it all in, and 2 1/2 hours to make my way back down. By the end, I was completely spent—in the best possible way.

Afterward, I enjoyed a hot shower at the KOA just outside the park, then drove to a campground in COOK INLET, a short distance from HOMER, which was about 3 1/2 hours from SEWARD. I planned to explore the area the next day. By 10PM, with plenty of daylight still remaining, my campsite was set up, a fire was crackling, and a generous serving of fresh halibut was on my plate. It was the perfect ending to an unforgettable day.