Jims Landing fiasco

[Alaskacanoe]

I pickup my customers at jims landing on the upper Kenai, and this year seems even worse for folks keeping the launch tied up.
It seems like folks just think of themselves sometimes.
Limited space and area to turn around etc.
folks would put their rafts and drift boats on the trailers, and then pull forward just a few feet and then unload the contents of boat, and stand around hoping someone would take a photo of them and their new Boat, standing around taking down fishing rods, pulling out coolers, just dragging it out..
while a line of people trying to get to the launch waited for more than what anyone should have to.
the guides that are on the river every day, are in and out... many of them get their boat out of the water and then pull down the road and out of the way so others can get in and out before they do the final secure on their boats.
I saw a family yesterday stop and eat sandwiches while the husband slowly and painfully strapped his boat to the trailer... waaaaaaaaaaaa...
One fellow took two of the one man cats out of the water and placed them directly in the road path and started to take them apart so he could put them in his car trunk.... when A guide asked him nicely to move them from the road so he could get to the launch, he recieved a dirty look... what can be done?
One gal even cleaned out 3 salmon on the actual cement launch instead of moving down river to the gravel area..
Sorry for the long cry session , but I bet other places on Alaska launches suffer during the busy season ... But then again,,,, It might just be me?
Max

[Michael Strahan]

Upper Kenai Launch Etiquette

Max,

You make some good points. I think there are two basic issues here; limited space, and folks who have not been educated on boat ramp etiquette. While we can't do a lot about the former, we can and should encourage folks to get in and out as soon as possible. There is some room at Jim's for people to pull forward after the boat is out of the water, but some folks don't think about that.

Here's another tip; when you pull your boat in to the ramp at Jim's, if you allow it to drift to the farthest open downriver slot, it makes it a LOT easier for the next guy to get in. Boats that pull in to the first slot only make it harder for others to get around them and then into an opening. The current rips by there pretty fast and can carry you past the ramp if you're not careful or if you get crowded out.

It was pretty insane down there this weekend, but it should taper off now that the holiday weekend is over. I'm attaching a picture from yesterday at the Kenai Lake boat ramp, for those who couldn't be there! I count thirteen boats in the photo; the ramp doesn't look too crowded, but when you figure the additional traffic entering the river at Sportsman's, and then it all ends up at Jim's later in the day, it gets pretty crazy.

-Mike

[tj52]

Jim's Landing - Tell me about it

We pulled out at Jim's Landing on Saturday (July 30) around 5 PM and there was a black bear patroling the south section of the beach around the log pile. One idiot came down to the water and carved up his salmon within visual distance of the bear. I wish a game warden had been there to fine the idiot. Next time I'll be sure and take the picture as an example of what not to do in Alaska.

[Alaskacanoe]

Bears

We had a customer the other day say they wanted to get a picture of a bear in the Fireweed. they were up at the russian river and saw the brown bears playing on the gravel bar, so they crabbed themselves some fireweed, and walked over by the bears holding the fireweed and with the bears in the near background took some pictures.
It looked like they were within 100 ft of the bears.
I really struggle with these kind of stories, and it makes it very hard to understand the thought processes..
anyway.. the bears will be removed due to the disrespect people have and the lack of understanding.
like the words of RODNEY KING>>>
" Why can't we all just get along?"
LOL... cuz some people don't know how to get along I suppose...
Max