I saw my first bear!

This week has been full of many adventures. On Tuesday, Becca and I hiked Deer Mountain. Most of the snow is gone and the views from the top were gorgeous. I've now hiked Deer Mountain three times this season and every time is a different experience with different trail conditions and varying views.

On Wednesday, Paul took me king fishing. We went out to Herring Cove in a skiff and started snagging. I caught one! It was 25 lbs and took about 15-20 minutes to reel in. I'm learning how to catch fish and how to properly reel in (it reminds me of dancing - sometimes you let the fish lead, and sometimes I lead myself depending on the feel of things). The fish was on the darker side (the skin is darker when they start to turn) so we originally thought the meat would be better for smoking. However, when Pete (the chef at George Inlet) cut into it, it turned out to be a beautiful piece of meat! We vacuum sealed it and I now have 40 lbs of salmon in my freezer. After catching a king all by myself there was only one thing left on my "must do" list: see a bear. We got in Sinkey's truck and headed back to town and sure enough there was a large black bear in the road. I got a great view before it headed into the bushes. I could barely sleep that night because I was so excited with my very successful Alaskan day!