Goodbye Soldotna, maybe forever. I do hope to get back up here again, with a much better detailed plan and a much more athletic body. Rain and lack of hiking ability has made this trip less than perfect, but still really great. The Kenai River is too high for bank access. I asked about bank access at the Kenai Cache Fly Shop and the person on duty told me “There is access to the river. You just can’t wade”. LOL
I drove up to Upper Summit Lake and the best site in the campground was open. I took it. Although anxious to get out on the water, I opened up my copy of the Road Guide to Fishing Alaska, and scoured it for lakes near Anchorage that had Excellent fishing opportunities for catching at least one species. I found 23 lakes that had excellent Land Locked Salmon that also had a good rating for rainbows and / or dollies.
After 2+ hours of research in the van, I drove 20 minutes back into Cooper Landing for dinner at the Sunrise Diner. Devoured a great burger and fries, then back to the camp site. I wish I had gotten out for the evening, but I decided to slow down, relax, and head out for a respectable day of fishing tomorrow. My plan is to fish in lakes every day until I have to beat the weather home. Not a bad way to end a trip.
Tight Lines!