Strolling to the Copper River

Fishing had been a bit slow so our host/guide suggested we try a spot down river a ways. Specifically where the Klutina and Copper rivers meet.  His directions were quite easy to follow.

Over the bridge.

Take the path to the left.  Ignore the no trespassing signs.  The land owner does not really care.  Oh, he is also the host of a reality show about guns.  To be fair if the second sign No Fires No Trash is meant to be taken seriously the more generic No Trespassing could be considered null and void.

Oh, and you had better bring bear spray.  This is a sort of veterinary grade tear gas.  It looks like a grenade but I am told that you point and spray.  Lobbing it at a grizzly might only momentarily confuse it.

It was a near perfect day.  Lovely scenery and fine company.

We saw a few other fishermen along the way, none of them seemed to be having much luck.  Salmon are slippery customers, when they are running strong you catch them.  When they are not, you are just flailing at empty river.

As we went through denser and denser woods things did start to feel a little creepy.  Nothing major, a peculiar sound here, a dead porcupine there.  Some sections of the woods

just seemed a little too quiet.  We saw piles of moose droppings twice.  But bears?  Nah, just a story to tell tourists from the  "Lower 48".