Daylight in Alaska and the Ever-Changing View

The viewing deck here at the Diamond M Ranch is always changing.  A few days ago, mist gently moved across the wetlands, completely obscuring the mountains and almost everything else.  The way the sun played across the wisps of fog was gorgeous.  I hear that Blair has been told to move his Nordic Trak out of the main office room, but he loves the view there so much that he hasn't been able to do it yet.  Nothing beats working out in the morning to the ever-changing Alaskan scenery... 

Speaking of scenery, here's a sunset picture taken from one of our Main Street Suite rooms.

One of the interesting things about being an Alaskan is the way the sun moves across the sky.  In the dead of winter, the sun seems like it peeps over the edge of the mountains, just long enough to decide that it's way too cold to stay long, and then dips back down to warmer regions.  In the summer, though, the sun stays...and stays...and stays, coming up early in the morning and not going all the way down until after midnight.  (This means that the ideal windows for my houseplants in the winter are not at all ideal in the summer.  Ha.  No matter.  We just play "musical plants" every six months, and it all works out okay).  

We all get accustomed to the rhythms of the light, so it rarely bothers Alaskans, but newcomers to the state often take a year or so to adjust.  "How do you sleep in the summer time, with all that energizing light?"   Sleep?  We've got a gorgeous Alaskan summer in front of us---salmon to catch, berries to pick, clams to dig, gardens to plant, beaches to walk, barbeques to enjoy---and we want to enjoy every last minute of it!  We'll catch up on sleep come winter...    

Iceburgs on Alaska's Kenai River

This last week has been full of unexpected rain and above-freezing temperatures, somewhat odd for an Alaskan February.  The sun is starting to climb back out of the sky, much to everyone's delight, and the promise of warmer days is in the air. 

Close to the mouth of the river, the Cook Inlet tide affects how high the river will be at any given time period.  When the tide is out, we get to see the underside of the iceburgs---always a treat, though with all of this below-freezing weather, the river silt is sticking to the icebergs and so they all have the distinct color of mud!   

Break-up in Alaska, which is our affectionate term for "Spring," tends to be a very wet and muddy affair, but it has certain beautiful aspects to it, as this picture above demonstrates.  I snapped this photograph just below the Diamond M Ranch, catching the glacier-fed river in a moment of cool stillness.   

How the Diamond M Ranch Began - An Alaskan Family Business

Free Activities for Your Alaskan Vacation

"We and our friends stayed with you last July (2008). While keying in my journal entry from our stay there, I was reminded of your wonderful hospitality and family atmosphere. Thank you for going beyond just providing a camping space. We enjoyed a BBQ of 5 kinds of salmon, steak, potatoes and salad our first night there - what a welcome! After driving 7000 miles, I can say that camping at the Diamond M Ranch stands out in my mind as one of the best in our 7 weeks of travel. Thank you." 

--Lynda & Tralve Hathorn

The Diamond M Ranch is an experience in camping that few can parallel! A family owned campground run by three generations of the Martin Family, we are a warm and friendly group eager to help in any matter, whether it be repairs, fishing charters, or advice on sightseeing. Each day has an organized activity you are invited to participate in - clamming to suppers to courses on fish preparation and canning.
 
See what's on the schedule for 2010 Summer Activities here, and come join in the fun!

Setting Up Your Alaskan Fishing Adventure on the Kenai

Fishing the world famous Kenai River is a highlight for most everyone's trip to the Kenai Peninsula. Rated as the #1 Fishing Hotspot in North America by Field & Stream Magazine in May of 2004, the Kenai River holds the world record for the largest Chinook (King) Salmon caught on a pole, weighing in at 97 pounds 4 ounces in 1988 by Les Anderson.

For best success at catching one of these record breaking King Salmon, we can outfit you with our favorite professional local fishing guides, who will take you on a 1/2 day King Salmon charter that will surely live long in your memory! Plan well ahead as the prime dates for the season will surely be booked well in advance.  

 

If you prefer to do-it-alone and catch salmon from the shore, we can point you in the direction of excellent local tackle shops and public access points on the Kenai River. 

There, you can have great success at catching the smaller, but also delicious and plentiful Sockeye (Red), Coho (Silver), and Pink Salmon which run throughout the summer and fall from June-September. Rainbow Trout and Dolly Varden are also caught in record sizes in the Kenai River, and the best fishing for them coincides with the salmon fishery, running from May-September.

Soldotna is a great place to launch your fly for fishing adventures too! Whether you prefer fishing the remote lakes of the Kenai Peninsula for trout or the bountiful streams across Cook Inlet for Salmon, we can help you arrange a fly out trip with a safe, reputable local air charter service.

Give us a call soon to help set up your Alaskan Fishing Adventure!

Brief History of Kenai and Soldotna, Alaska

The Diamond M Ranch was originally a fox farm in the 1920’s because of its easy access to the Kenai River. It was later homesteaded by Red Miller in the late 1940’s or early 1950’s. Carrol and JoAnne Martin purchased the Diamond M Ranch property in 1975---which is the same time that the bridge you see on the viewing deck was opened in to Kenai.

Kenai is on the Cook Inlet at the mouth of the Kenai River. Pre-1700’s the Dena'ina Athabascan village of Skitok, which translates as "where we slide down," existed at the site of modern Kenai. In 1778 Captain Cook sailed up Cook Inlet looking for the Northwest Passage from Pacific to the Atlantic. In 1791, Russia built Fort St. Nicholas in the midst of an Athabascan Dena’ina community near what is now Kenai. The Dena’ina hunted, fished, farmed and trapped in this area, but the Russians were only interested in the fur trade.

Alaska was purchased by the U.S. in 1867 for $7,200,000. The U.S. Military established a fort in the years following and this brought in a post office to Kenai. A village grew up around it.

The area was opened for homestead filing in 1947 and veterans were granted a 90-day preference over non-veterans in choosing and filing for land. Thus, World War II veterans were among the very first Soldotna homesteaders. Transportation to the area was difficult; some flew or took a barge to Kenai, then hiked eleven miles to Soldotna, while others took a train to Moose Pass and sloshed seventy miles through the mud.

Soldotna took its name from the existing Soldotna Creek that empties into the Kenai River. Some say "Soldotna" came from the Russian word meaning, "soldier". Others say it is from an Athabascan Indian word meaning "the stream fork". In 1949, Soldotna obtained its first post office.

In 1957, oil was discovered in Alaska at the Swanson River near Kenai; Soldotna and the oil’s “boom years” began. In 1959, Alaska became the 49th state. Kenai’s economy was traditionally based on the oil and gas industry and commercial fishing. Over the past few years, tourism is playing a more important role.

Today, Old Town Kenai still shows remnants of its Russian history. A self-guided walking tour takes visitors to some of these sites as well as to the Russian Orthodox Church, where services are still held. Many Alaska Native and Russian artifacts are on display at the Kenai Visitors Cultural Center. Soldotna’s Visitor Center is also a good place to visit, with a Homesteader’s Cabin Museum nearby.