Monday-Tuesday, July 25-26: Seward

 Ok, I sort of forgot what we did Monday, but it’s coming back to me. 

Brewery. Farm, it doesn’t open until 3:00. Better kill some time. Walk the shore path. Oh great! There’s a geocache nearby, and since Betsy is still passed out in bed with Covid Larry and I can get it! Done! Betsy will be happy!

She’s asleep.

Walk with Larry and Trey north to the stream and watch fishermen try to snag salmon. Success! The young guys can do it. They watch until they see one then throw the treble hook over it and tug fast! If they are lucky, and today they are, they’ll snag a salmon hoping to enter the stream where they’ll spawn. 

Return to the brewery for a couple of beers and pizza. The waitress is cute and just about the only resident of Seward on the entire staff. She fills us in on the area and best prospects for good times. 


Betsy is asleep. 

A call to Jim Click Jeep gets the ball moving on sending paperwork to Seward before we leave for Homer. They have to overnight the paperwork or we will be gone! 

Paperwork is on its way. Betsy is awake enough to drink some of Larry’s chicken broth. Progress. 

Tuesday comes and I’m off to hike Marathon Mountain. An annual race covers 3200 feet of elevation gain in 2.1 miles. It’s steep!!!  Signs at the trailhead give tips on how to climb up and how to safely descend, mostly by dragging your butt. They suggest using the dog friendly Jeep Trail two blocks north for hiking. But I’ve seen someone on the race trail and I’m intrigued. Then sensibility returns and I’m walking northbound. 

The Jeep trail starts out rocky and steep to discourage they weak and uninspired. Four tough switchbacks later it’s a bit more pleasant with lots of ripe salmon berries along the track. Then it joins the Bench Trail where the bushes and berries close in and water from dew fills my shoes and soaks my pants  Berries often equal BEARS so I get a little cautious and clack my hiking poles together every few seconds. No bears appear  a pleasant and muddy walk lead me to the Marathon Mountain Punchbowl where I retrieve a geocache for Betsy. 

A couple of moms with teenage girls show up and giggle as they put their feet in the freezing glacial stream. I’m enjoying it as I had to walk across the same stream to get the geocache and I have to do it again to go back; Nothing like ice on your feet to make you want to move! 

On the way down I hear others working their way up.  Have you seen any bears? Moose? Scary monsters? Sorry, no. Just people. I’m glad I started early.


Which way do I go?

The view of Ressurection Bay from the Bench Trail. 
 
Jeep trail in the woods.

Fireweed must be the Alaskan state flower. 

The bay from above. 

The trail narrows.

Marathon Mountain Punchbowl.


Another view from the trail 1000 feet above the marina. 

Upon return Betsy is feeling better  but still not moving well. 

Larry and I go exploring in the Jeep and have a good look across the inlet at the Seward City Marine Yard where they are refurbishing ships.






 




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