The Kasilof River had been on my mind quite a bit before this trip. It has this milky appearance. It’s a creamy blue river that’s fed by Tustumena Lake, a glacial lake, which itself is fed by streams that flow from the Tustumena Glacier and the Harding Ice Field. So, this milky appearance is actually glacial silt. The silt makes it hard to see into the water, but it’s pretty beautiful.
The river empties into the Upper Cook Inlet.
Where the Kasilof meets Cook Inlet is a really rich estuary, providing food for migrating birds. So, it’s an important stopover area. Yup, you can see a lot of cool wildlife when you’re floating down the Kasilof.
Unfortunately, or fortunately, no bears this time.
As soon as we got there, we actually saw a little Yellowlegs. He basically saw us off as we put in and floated away. I’ve heard a lot about Yellowlegs and this was the first one I’ve spotted! I wasn’t sure what type of shorebird it was in the moment, but I snapped some photos and was able to identify it later. I felt like a real birder!
There were many loons. My favorite thing to do when I see is a loon is to just keep my eyes on it until it eventually dives under water. I love the dives.
We see families of colorful grebes that would take off last minute once they confirmed you are in fact drifting in their direction. Plenty of gulls standing on the rocky shore. One gull was particularly loud the closer we got and I’ve learned this means they’re protecting something, so look around for a nest or chicks. Sure enough, we spotted some gray fluffy chicks and bigger, older fledglings, waiting for food from mom or dad.
Of course lots of birds I can’t identify. They’re still really fun to spot. And there were lots of fisherman, waiting for their king… salmon that is.
We floated for about 9 miles. The Kasilof is a pretty easy going float, until you take a turn and you’re met off and on with some Class I, Class II conditions. Still pretty easy, but definitely a bit of excitement for newbies like us. Maybe even a bit of a challenge when trying to land and take out. All I can say is look out for those rocks.
Aside from all these beautiful sights and excitement, this trip felt extra special because the Kasilof had been on my mind for so long. I’m fortunate to have friends that want to follow through on ideas and who let me borrow gear. And I’m really grateful for the reminder that I’m capable of learning new skills and having new experiences when I put my mind to it. It’s a reminder I don’t really get tired of.
So, if there’s something that’s been on your mind lately, what’s your next step?