Granite Creek Campout

Usually, when someone plans a BBQ and/or campout on the Fourth of July, that ensures that the rain gods will laugh our plans and bring down torrential downpours. Apparently the weather deity took pity on us Alaskans after last summer (a.k.a. worst summer ever) and gave us the nicest Fourth of July weekend I've ever seen. We spent it on the Kenai Peninsula, camping with 40+ of our closest friends, packrafting, mountain biking, grilling and generally being silly.

Callie and I started the weekend off right. Jeff (Callie's boyfriend) and Lea volunteered to drive our stuff while Callie and I biked. So C and I headed off early, left my truck at Indian on Turnagain Arm, and biked the rest of the way to the campsite. The weather was amazing -- sunny and warm. We had a tail wind for most of our way down the arm. From Indian to Girdwood we were on a bike path well-removed from the highway. Bears had been a concern on the path earlier in the summer, but was now open.

We made Girdwood and from there had to ride on the Seward Highway. The shoulder was mostly wide enough to let us ride two abreadst without too much fear of catching an RV's mirror upside the head. Also, the 4th of July traffic worked to our advantage in that people were having to drive slower than usual. I can't overexaggerate how nice it was to be out in the open, biking along the dramatic fjord with snow capped peaks and glaciers around us.

Once we reached the end of the Arm at Portage, we had to head back up the other side into the wind. Luckily it was a short stretch before we headed south up Turnagain Pass. Out of the wind it got downright hot. Also, there was less of a shoulder. But we made it to the top of the pass without incident.

Once we crested the top of the pass it was all downhill (with a slight tailwind) to the campground. We flew along the now generous shoulder, enjoying the gorgeous surroundings.

The Granite Creek campground, where we were staying, is on the bank of the creek. Friends had reserved four to five sites, and so we spread out. Lea and Jeff arrived with out trucks shortly after Callie and I arrived (and got some refreshments, i.e. a beer, from Ben and Brandy).

We set up camp. We sat around the fire. We grilled sausages and salmon. We made s'mores with Petit Ecolier cookies. Life was good.

The next day was equally, if not more, bright and sunny. Ian had kindly lent us his two packrafts while he was out of town. Packrafts are small, inflatable rafts that are light enough to carry in your backpack but river-worthy enough to handle up to a class III rapid. We didn't do anything that ambitious. About 15 folks piled into their rafts and headed out on the creek. The lower portion of Granite Creek is very mellow, and an excellent place to learn to paddle a packraft.

The main difference between a packraft and other watercraft is that packrafts don't track. At all. They are completely flat on the bottom and don't have a keel. So you spin almost as much as you move forward. But you quickly get used to paddling with shallow strokes and quickly alternating sides. Once you get that down, they are actually quite maneuverable. And they bounce off just about any obstacle. They're very stable. And they're very fun. Alex even brought his two-year-old, Ian. Ian loves to packraft.

Our float went wonderfully. After shuttling back to the campground, another group of us headed out for round two. Alex, Ben, Callie, Jeff, Justin and I headed up to the pass to raft down the upper part of the creek. The creek was narrower and flowing more quickly. We had a great time. Twice we had to hike around trees that had fallen all the way across the stream.

I can see how people really fall in love with packrafting. You get out on streams you wouldn't normally be able to carry a kayak to. You end up feeling very adventuresome.



Once we got back to camp, Lea organized a beginners float down the lower part of the river. (Lea is not a beginner, she was giving lessons to the beginners.) So another group headed out. One woman flipped, but was fine. All in all, everyone loved it. Even the woman who got wet. The low angle light was dramatic and brought out the color on the mountains around us.

That night we cooked salmon and went campfire hopping. Eventually all our friends migrated to one campfire for shenanigans and singing.

The next morning people dispersed. Lea, Jeff and Justin headed out to get in one last float in the heat. It was probably about 80 degrees. When they got back Lea and I cleaned up and headed back to town after a liesurely morning in the sun. We'd had a wonderful weekend.

PICTURES: http://picasaweb.google.com/jack.r.mckenna/GraniteCreekCampout



Video of Ben, Jeff, Callie, Justin and Alex on Upper Granite Creek:

From Granite Creek Campout