We awaken early, after about 5 hours of sleep, to a warm reception. Apparently we picked the right yard. We were lucky enough to have coffee with honey (it’s an Alaska thing, I don’t understand) and biscuits with tundra berry jelly. We’re told not to miss lunch at the Eureka Lodge because it is excellent.
We wait our way though the road construction and make it to Eureka two hours later. Perhaps the anticiaption was too great, because the food was only average, through the staff was very friendly. We did get a great view of the Eureka glacier from the front of the restaurant, although we started to notice there there were some mosquitoes.
We make our way to the west end of Glenallen, AK and find the Copper Valley Air float plane on Tolsona lake. We unloaded our gear and got ready for our flight. Before departing, we each purchase a $55 week-long fishing license at the Tolsona Lake Resort.
Kevin and Dan load-up the plane and take the first trip out to the lake. An hour later, Jayson and I do the same. Well, almost. With 40 gallons of water, two guys + pilot, and Jayson’s 85 pound backpack, we’re too heavy for take-off. Jayson gets kicked off the plane and we have no take-off problems at all.
At Kaina Lake, we find that our intended camp site is taken, so we setup on the opposite shore. Kevin and Dan have the boat inflated and most of the gear on top of the hill where we are camping. Upon exiting the plane, I’m immediately swarmed by mosquitoes, so I start spraying 100% deet all over myself. We get the plane unloaded and it heads back to pick-up Jayson.
After we get our tents setup, all four of us head out on the lake to do some fishing. We visit the other campsite but it is abandoned. Kevin quickly catches a 14-inch trout, which he named Larry the Lake Trout. We continue to fish another hour but can’t replicate Kevin’s success.
As we’re cooking dinner, we start to realize that the mosquitoes aren’t bad — they are insane! Each one of us has a swarm around our head and they keep landing and probing for deet-free zones. We cook-up Larry the Lake Trout to supplement our dehydrated camp food. Dan reveals he’s not having any fun and would rather be home. Jayson reveals he hates mosquitoes. Kevin and I are ready to stick it out another 5 nights. We head off to bed at 11:00 PM and it’s no where close to being dark and the view out over the lake is beautiful.
