Aialik Bay and Northwestern Fjord are truly incredible places – But don’t take our word for it!
A fantastic thing has happened in the way of some really great industry feedback lately. The ladies from Alaska Adventure Chicks have written a fantastic account of their day trip to Aialik Bay on the Michael A, and made a pretty fun video to boot! Check it out!
Photograph by Myron Rosenberg, ©️, All rights reserved
Imagine standing in front of a framed image on a wall, your head tilted in contemplation. You then lean in with squinted eyes looking for an imperfection of blurred lines from a paint brush. You ask yourself, “Could this really be a photograph?” The lines are so crisp and clear. It looks so real. Yet, there is no way that nature could have come to an attention so perfectly posed. Could a photographer have created such a juxtaposition of perfection – the lighting, the colors, the life? Four years ago I stood in front of a very large, framed picture done by Myron Rosenberg. It is called “Kayakers”, taken in Upper Pederson Lagoon in the Kenai Fjords National Park – A dream location to begin with. The on-screen image above does it no justice. If you look close, you may see the harbor seals resting on the broken ice.
For a moment, I thought how nice it would be to climb into that image and join the kayakers. I wanted to journey with them in what looked like an exotic location such as Antarctica. I was mesmerized. This place was immediately dropped into my bucket list!
At the time, I had no idea “Pederson Lagoon” was in my back yard. Not only was it close by, I had the means to get there. Four years later I noticed this same photo behind the counter at Miller’s Landing (Lowell Point, Seward, AK). I made a comment of this scene to the owner, Chance Miller. He said, “Oh yes, we transported the photographer and kayakers for this photo shoot”. My elated response went something like, “REALLY?!?!? Do you take regular clients there?” He said yes. The next thing I knew I was signing myself up! I would be headed for the Kenai Fjords National Park on a Miller’s Landing Water Taxi with their kayak guides, my close friends, and family.With great anticipation, the day of the trip finally arrived. The first new for me, that morning was the calm that 5:30am brought with it. If you’re not used to greeting the world at dawn in Alaska, this is a new refreshing sight. It looks completely different than normal daylight hours. There were dark mountain shadows on the water, and aside from the ripples of the changing current, nature seemed very still. We arrived at Miller’s Landing in the pre commotion hours. We met with our guides and geared up for a long day in the park. I was so excited, I was bubbling inside and jumping up and down like a child on Christmas morning. We were going to be kayaking in Myron Rosenberg’s photo today!
Now, the thought of doing the actual kayaking crept into my mind. This brought on a whole different feeling. I was anxious and nervous. I had been kayaking with guides once before, but that was 10 years ago. I was definitely more fit then. Could I keep up? Could I get in and out of the kayak? What happens if I tip over? Will I be stuck upside down? I’d had this internal conversation with myself leading up to the trip, and had already given myself a pep talk over and over. However, I felt I needed one more. I knew these fears were something I needed to overcome. I had to dig deep and tell myself, “Today I am an athlete. Suck it up, buttercup and just paddle.” No matter what I thought my physical capabilities were, I would be more today.
I conquered the kayaking jitters and boarded the water taxi. We headed off into Resurrection Bay, towards the best adventure I would go on thus far. Along the way, we were greeted by the morning sun and the salty ocean air as porpoise danced across the bow. The seabirds had been awake for hours, but some of the passengers were dozing off. Not me. I was too excited to sleep. This was going to be an epic day!
This Ultimate Alaskan Kayaking Experience was everything I imagined it to be. Miller’s Landing guides were professional and we felt completely safe. We were physically challenged. We did paddle 14 miles that day- but well worth it. Instead of my fears becoming a reality, it was my dream of kayaking among icebergs that came to fruition.
Written by – Jamie Walker, AAC
If this post interested you, you might also like:
Trips to add to your “Alaska Bucket List”:
Miller’s Landing Kayaking – Ultimate Aialik Day Trip
Miller’s Landing Kayaking/Camping – Guided Overnight Adventures