Monday August 2

The Alaskan Slam……

Got a decent haircut at Great Clips then a small radio from Radio Shack.

Drove to Willow, home of Willow Creek, the reported location of the Chum salmon. The Chum is the only one left on the list to complete the slam.

I ask the guy at the desk of the Willow Creek Campground (home to 100 loose rabbits, and a few well, 2 dimentional ones on the highway) where I can catch a chum salmon and he says, “See that bridge behind you? Walk on it and look down.” He was right, there were about a hundred chum salmon swimming below. So, in my t-shirt and sneakers, right from the Parks Highway I catch the 5^th and final species of salmon available in Alaska. Mission accomplished.

When I was thru I helped this goofy Swiss family. They had no idea (not one but 2 spinners on a snap swivel)……I gave them some of my stuff and they were on their way. It was cool watching the kids reel in these monsters.

I have a pontoon craft and I brought it with me. A pontoon is good because it can handle some pretty good white water and get you down the river away from the crowds of fishermen that seem to congregate near the roads. I decided to float Willow creek and it was great. It felt like a real Alaskan wilderness adventure. I was alone for 4 hours in the woods and rapids of Willow. Even caught a few fish.

Back in civilization, feeling lazy looking for some chow the only place still open was the Taco Hell. My rig was not going to fit thru the drive thru so I traded some kid in line a bunch of Mini Snickers bars and he added my order to his.

Revelation. The better place you are, the grosser the toilet experience. Examples below.

Anchorage not nice, the Hayatt Regency bathroom super nice.

Willow Creek nice and well, the woods with leaves not that nice.

There’s a million levels in between. Imagine where you might find an outhouse, or a Porto Jon……..Imagine where you might find yourself as you leave the comforts of a Wal-Mart bathroom. The relationship is inversely proportional and consistent.

It’s a revelation.