An Alaskan Adventure : July 1 - 29, 2026

Part 5 - Kodiak Island and King Salmon

July 14: Flight to Kodiak Island

Once again, a windy, wet, and gloomy morning. I was back on the Pilatus for the flight back to King Salmon, where I was dropped off on the ramp right next to my Tiger. How's that for door to door service? From there, it was an IFR departure to Kodiak, where the weather broke and I was treated to beautiful views of the island.

Tree Swallow	pIMG_97463.JPG	pIMG_9119.JPG	pIMG_9145.JPG
pIMG_9151.JPG	pIMG_97466.JPG	Low ceilings again this morning	Door to canopy service to my Tiger
Departing King Salmon	Kaflia Bay	Cape Gull	Cape Uganik, Uganik Island
Pyramid Mountain and Kodiak beyond	Kodiak State Airport	Kodiak Municipal Airport	Kodiak
pIMG_9178.JPG	Golden Eagle (?)

July 15: Kodiak Island

I took advantage of good weather in the morning to do a short scenic flight around the island, then drove the Pasagshak Point Road out to Fossil Beach. One point of interest was the Pacific Spaceport Complex, where a number of orbital space launches have occurred. Along the way, I got to see my first whale breach, and also a mink.

Spruce Island	Monashka Mountain, Kodiak Island	Ouzinkie Airport	cIMG_9197.JPG
A literal tiedown anchor!	Barabara Cove, Kizhuyak Bay	pIMG_9216.JPG	Viekoda Bay
pIMG_9228.JPG	pIMG_9233.JPG	Just north of Hidden Basin	Saltery Cove
cIMG_9239.JPG	Long Island	Pacific Spaceport facilities	Surfer's Beach
Area 3 pads	Payload Processing Facility	pIMG_9266.JPG	Integration Facility and Launch Pad 1
Fossil Beach	Rocket Motor Storage Facility	pIMG_9282.JPG	pIMG_9285.JPG
pIMG_9291.JPG	Lake near Shaft Peak	pIMG_9297.JPG	pIMG_9298.JPG
pIMG_9304.JPG	cIMG_9305.JPG	pIMG_9308.JPG	Svitlak Island
pIMG_9313.JPG	Kodiak VOR	pIMG_9321.JPG	cIMG_9330.JPG
cIMG_9333.JPG	A raft of sea otters	Cope Mountain	pIMG_9348.JPG
pIMG_9352.JPG	pIMG_9357.JPG	cIMG_9359.JPG	pIMG_9361.JPG
cIMG_9365.JPG	cIMG_9366.JPG	cIMG_9388.JPG	cIMG_9389.JPG
cIMG_9392.JPG	pIMG_9395.JPG	Harlequin Ducks	Lupine
Common Raven	Kelp Fly	pIMG_9411.JPG	pIMG_9416.JPG
cIMG_9417.JPG	cIMG_9421.JPG	pIMG_9425.JPG	Bluet Damselfly
pIMG_9430.JPG	Yellow Monkeyflower	Integration Facility and Launch Pad 1	Payload Processing Facility
cIMG_9437.JPG	cIMG_9439.JPG	cIMG_9440.JPG	Canadian Burnet
Iris setosa among cottongrass	cIMG_9454.JPG	Fox kit	pIMG_9460.JPG
pIMG_9463.JPG	pIMG_9467.JPG	pIMG_9479.JPG	Humpback whale
pIMG_9487.JPG	pIMG_9488.JPG	pIMG_9496.JPG	Making a splash
A breach!	pIMG_9505.JPG	pIMG_9506.JPG	pIMG_9507.JPG
pIMG_9508.JPG	pIMG_9509.JPG	pIMG_9511.JPG	pIMG_9513.JPG
pIMG_9515.JPG	pIMG_9516.JPG	pIMG_9517.JPG	pIMG_9518.JPG
pIMG_9520.JPG	pIMG_9522.JPG	pIMG_9523.JPG	pIMG_9526.JPG
pIMG_9528.JPG	pIMG_9532.JPG	pIMG_9545.JPG	pIMG_9550.JPG
pIMG_9559.JPG	pIMG_9561.JPG	pIMG_9564.JPG	pIMG_9572.JPG
pIMG_9579.JPG	A sea lion splashing?	pIMG_9595.JPG	pIMG_9598.JPG
pIMG_9607.JPG	Mink	pIMG_9623.JPG	pIMG_9625.JPG
pIMG_9628.JPG	pIMG_9629.JPG	pIMG_9630.JPG	pIMG_9632.JPG
Black-billed Magpie

July 16: Back to King Salmon

I filed IFR once again to get through some cloud layers and rain heading back to King Salmon. I booked an expensive rental car to have a look around the area, but cut the exploring short feeling under the weather.

Aircraft parked at Naknek

Runway at Naknek Airport

End of the road at Naknek

July 17: King Salmon

I felt much better the next day. One of my friends arrived via Alaska Airlines, and we drove out to the beach at Naknek.

cIMG_9683.JPG	pIMG_9687.JPG	pIMG_9697.JPG	pIMG_9702.JPG
These folks were heading home from a fishing trip	pIMG_97578.JPG	Wilson's Snipe	Short-eared Owl
pIMG_9735.JPG	pIMG_9737.JPG	pIMG_9738.JPG	pIMG_9740.JPG
pIMG_9743.JPG	pIMG_9745.JPG	pIMG_9749.JPG	pIMG_9756.JPG
pIMG_9759.JPG	pIMG_9760.JPG	pIMG_9761.JPG	pIMG_9766.JPG
pIMG_9768.JPG	pIMG_9775.JPG	pIMG_9782.JPG	pIMG_9785.JPG
pIMG_9787.JPG	cIMG_9797.JPG	Fancy looking ARFF truck at the airport	pIMG_9813.JPG
pIMG_9814.JPG	pIMG_9816.JPG	pIMG_9818.JPG	pIMG_9822.JPG
pIMG_9825.JPG	pIMG_9826.JPG	pIMG_9844.JPG	cIMG_9847.JPG
pIMG_9848.JPG	Black Turnstone	pIMG_9854.JPG	Hudsonian Whimbrel
pIMG_9862.JPG	pIMG_9866.JPG	pIMG_9871.JPG	pIMG_9872.JPG
pIMG_9877.JPG	pIMG_9878.JPG	pIMG_9879.JPG	pIMG_9883.JPG
pIMG_9884.JPG	pIMG_9885.JPG	pIMG_9887.JPG	pIMG_9890.JPG
pIMG_9895.JPG	pIMG_9898.JPG	pIMG_9901.JPG	pIMG_9902.JPG
pIMG_9906.JPG	pIMG_9908.JPG	pIMG_9910.JPG	Checking the nets
pIMG_9917.JPG	pIMG_9933.JPG	Naknek	pIMG_9937.JPG
What is it?	pIMG_9939.JPG	pIMG_9941.JPG	That's a lot of antlers
Gnome garden	pIMG_97589.JPG