Thursday, July 28: Clam Gulch

Larry and I left Seward after Betsy this morning. She was feeling well enough to drive out for a few geocaches on the way to Seldotna where we would stop for gas and connect the Jeep. Our destination was to be Clam Gulch State Recreation Area where we could camp and have views of the Cook Inlet and Redoubt volcano. Turned out that the views were from the beach and the campground spaces were more like parking spaces at Walmart - long rows of close together numbered parking blocks. My awning occupied the space allotted for another RV, as did the Jeep. Fortunately there weren’t many campers. Most people drove through and decided this wasn’t their kind of spot. However, the bathrooms were spotless and the picnic tables and fire rings in good repair. The grass could have been cut some, but I’m sure they’ll get around to it. 

There was a “four wheel drive only” road to the beach where we watched fishermen and beachcombers as the tide came in. One couple fishing for small, 20 pounds or so, halibut caught a shark instead. Commercial fishermen had gill nets strung out on buoys. One guy we talked to said that fishing is difficult because the state changes the rules daily as to when and where they can fish. That’s because the salmon run is assessed every day to make sure a certain number of fish are able to make it to their spawning grounds, and to make sure the sport fishermen with the big bucks (i.e. political power) are able to catch a few trophy king salmon.  

Not a halibut so it goes back in the water. 
Campground view of the Cook Inlet. 

Another group of tourists just hanging out on the beach. 

Tide is out. I wonder where these rocks came from as the land to the east for many miles is quite flat and featureless. Maybe the volcano launched them over here?

Redoubt volcano across the Cook Inlet. Makes its own clouds. 

Betsy is feeling well enough to try to push the rocks further apart. 

Jeep on the beach. 



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