Tag Archives: Fish

Watch the Manta Rays Go Round and Round…

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I don’t know about you, but I wanted to be an Oceanographer when I was in college – must have been sitting in the middle of a tax accounting class when I had that overwhelming desire.  Why do I bring this up?  I have always been fascinated by the sea and everything in it.

The Big Island (BI) is my favorite island in Hawaii..volcanoes, green sand beaches, rugged cliffs, lava, amazing golf courses and home to the phenomenal Iron Man competition.  BI is also the stomping grounds for Manta Rays, one of the largest fish in the ocean.  I hear they have wingspans of up to 20 feet – though I cannot confirm the stat via personal experience.  Have you ever seen these guys in action?  So graceful when navigating the big, blue magnificent ocean.  They also have incredibly large mouths so they can scoop up as much plankton as possible.  It is amazing to me that something so large can subsist on such minute bits of food.  I personally need a ribeye and a loaded baked potato – throw in some cheesecake and I am good to go.

If you happen to find yourself exploring the BI, one of the the best places to see these amazing creatures is off the Kona Coast. Specifically, just offshore at the  Sheraton Kona Resort & Spa at Keahou Bay.  It sounds ridiculous but it’s true. In fact, the hotel has lights that shine at night so you can see them swimming from the viewing deck of the hotel.  The lights attract plankton like moths to a flame, thus drawing the Mantas into a feeding frenzy.

Photo: Courtesy of Mail Online.com (http://www.dailymail.co.uk)

If you want to get up close and personal with these gentle giants (assuming you are not a SCUBA diver), consider a snorkel tour with Hula Kai Adventures.   What is the scoop you ask?  Once the sun begins to set for the day, you hop on a boat which will take you about 100 yards away from shore, don a wetsuit (if needed), life jacket and snorkel gear and jump into the water.

Once in said water you hang on to a floatation device that looks similar to a raft and will be instructed to stretch out as far as possible, plank-like so the chance of accidentally touching the Mantas will be unlikely.  Your legs will be held up by the assistance of a ‘pool noodle’.  The tour operator will shine lights in the water to attract the plankton. Within 10 to 15 minutes a Manta will be inches from your face – and I mean inches. They got so close to me, I screamed in my snorkel which subsequently led to hysterical laughter as the sound was so ridiculous! They seem to be starving when they arrive – they will circle round and round like there is no tomorrow.   The tour lasts for about 90 minutes (varies) – just long enough in my opinion.  We had the opportunity to see 2 mantas, but there can be a heck of a lot more if you are lucky. If by chance you don’t see any, you can come back FOC.

It is definitely in the top 5 of things to do in Hawaii and most definitely in the top 25 of all time experiences.  I think this is the one time in my life where I regretted not buying the video :-/.

Noteworthy Information:  I have a propensity to get motion sickness so after watching these guys and gals go round and round for 60 minutes or so, I almost puked – but it was well worth it!

Get on the Life Bus and hang with the Manta Rays on the Big Island of Hawaii – you will not regret it!

Mohawk Lakes, Breckenridge, CO

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This past Labor Day weekend, Lexi, Todd, Greg and I spent a few days in Summit County.   In true Life Bus fashion, we picked a hike we had never done before, the Mohawk Lakes Trail in Breckenridge, Colorado.  The best website I found that fully describes the trail is the Summit County Explorer.   The only thing I somewhat disagree with is the intermediate rating.  I think it is closer to advanced and not sure I would say this is the best family hike unless your kids are in really good shape and used to the altitude.  The elevation gain is roughly 1,700 feet over a 3.5  mile distance which is quite steep. I do agree with the Summit County Explorer comments that this hike, “encapsulates everything wonderful about Summit County. From sweeping vistas, historic ruins and ore cars to waterfalls and close-up views of massive, rugged peaks.” Once you get to the Lower Mohawk Lake, the views are spectacular.

Todd and Greg brought their fishing poles and threw in their lines at the Lower Mohawk Lake. They didn’t catch anything but it was well worth the effort to bring the poles and practice their casting skills.  If you take a moment to look up at the surrounding mountains, there is a good chance you will see mountain goats dotting the hillside.  It is always a good day when there is a wildlife sighting.  I hear moose have started to migrate to Summit County,  perhaps you will get lucky and spot one of these gorgeous guys milling around.

If you are in the Breckenridge area in the summer time, I highly recommend this 7 mile round trip hike despite the rating. The descent was manageable and not nearly as tricky as I thought it might be. My only caution is a good portion of the trail either has exposed roots or rocks so if it is raining, the chance of slippage is very high.

Key tips:  Bring hiking and fishing poles, wear good ‘sticky’ shoes for climbing over rocks, load up on food/drink and plan on a picnic at one of the Mohawk Lakes.  Also, if you are ever hiking in Colorado, beware of weather in the late afternoon – things can get nasty so bring a rain jacket and a fleece.

Southeast Alaska – Cabins, Float Planes, Grizzlies, and Fish

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If you really, REALLY want to get away from it all:  TV’s, cellphones, spouses, kids, work, escape to Alaska where it is easy to get lost!   What’s that saying about dating in Alaska?  “The odds are good but the goods are odd.”   Pretty sure there is some truth to that saying based on what I have seen.  What does that have to do with travel you say?  Absolutely nothing.

After plowing through multiple guidebooks, Lexi and I concluded we needed to reserve a cabin in the Tongass National Forest in Southeast (SE) Alaska – we wanted to experience the true Alaskan wilderness and exit off the grid for a few days with Greg and Todd in tow.  I did a bunch of research – went to Outside and Backpacker magazine websites and Google, scouring for reviews on the experience. I came across a few but never found the information I was looking for – what to expect, what to bring, how to get there, etc.  Hopefully this blog will save you some time and reduce the headaches associated with planning a trip like this.

Here is the low-down on the cabin situation.  There are approximately 150 cabins in SE Alaska.  The cabins are managed by the US Forest Service and can be further researched at http://www.fs.fed.us/r10/tongass/cabins/cabins.shtml.   Descriptions on this site are relatively good and will inform you as to the location and the basic (VERY) amenities available – bed configuration, fire ring, boat availability and hiking opportunities.  They are generally located on pristine lakes, rivers, streams and salt water beaches and require a float plane to access.

First things first.  You have to figure out just how remote you want to be and how much time (and money) you have on your hands.   The islands in SE Alaska are not connected by highways so your mode of transportation is either by boat, float plane or by Alaska Air – as you can imagine, they have full marketshare of the airways up there so options are slim.  Because the islands are not easily connected, the time to get from place to place can take some time.

We were limited on time and cash so we chose a cabin that was very close to Juneau on Turner Lake.  At first, I was disappointed it was only an hour from civilization.  I really wanted to be WAY out there.  However, the further out you want to go, the greater the cost – similar to the cost to fly to Europe – fuel costs are ridiculous.  In the end, it doesn’t matter where you are.  You will definitely feel as though you are away from it all.

Key Tip:  Book the cabin at http://www.recreation.gov/ as soon as the reservation systems open up for that time period – at least 6 months ahead.  Note the cabins closer to Juneau have a tendency to fill up fast.

The next item to tackle is to determine how you are going to get there.  We chose Ward Air http://www.wardair.com/.  We have a friend who works there and has been a pilot in Alaska for a VERY long time.    We called other companies to validate pricing and they were all pretty comparable.

Key tip:   Book well in advance and ask for pilot Dan at Ward Air to escort you on your journey.  Also inquire about potential boondoggle routes you can take – over glaciers, special lakes, etc.  It will cost extra but it is well worth it!

Packing the right clothes and gear for a trip like this can be a challenge – mostly because it can be cold and rainy (even in the summer) and if you are on a lake, you may be able to partake in some fishing, kayaking or swimming activities.

Key Tip:  Bring a fishing pole (there is potential for snagging Salmon and Trout depending on cabin location), warm and cold weather clothing – preferably not cotton – that stuff doesn’t dry, I don’t care how cute it is – and rain gear.    Also, march down to your nearest bookstore and load up on books.  You will not have the option to check Facebook or read this blog!  If you want to bring a kayak or 2, don’t be shy about that – the plane should be able to accommodate you, however, I would double check with the float plane company.  You will have to bring a sleeping pad and sleeping bag with you as the beds are not equipped with mattresses.

Face it, unless you plan on hunting and fishing to feed your family and friends, you need food and drink to survive out there in the wilderness.   Pack as though you are car camping and don’t skimp.  We ran out of adult beverages on day 2 and it was painful.

Key Tip:   Bring a camping stove and plenty of fuel (cabins are not equipped with kitchens), utensils, foil (for cooking fish on the fire ring) and bring coolers of food and drink for a few extra days beyond what you are planning. We brought backpacking cooking gear with us and that worked out fine too – it just limited what we could cook.  Also, pack a water filter so you can drink the water from the near-by lake.   Chairs are a must, we had backpacking chairs which worked great.  Double check with the float plane company to see if they have weight restrictions.

Now for the good stuff.   From the moment you take off in the float plane, you will instantly feel as though you are part of something special.  Pilot Dan took us on a boondoggle past some of the most phenomenal glaciers I have ever seen in my life. After about an hour of flying around in paradise and a surprisingly smooth water landing, we made it to our destination – a small, log cabin on an emerald colored lake – nothing surrounding it but an outhouse and a couple of aluminum fishing boats. I think all of us were so excited we nearly peed our pants.

We unloaded our gear and said goodbye to Dan who said, “I will see you Tuesday noon, assuming the weather is good.”  What does THAT mean you ask?  The weather in SE Alaska can be, shall we say, moist.  So much so, the pilots cannot always come and get you as scheduled, hence the dire need to pack more food and drink than you need.  It could be days before you see your pilot.  It drizzled about 80% of the time we were there, so when Tuesday noon rolled around, we sat there like anxious dogs waiting for their owners to come home from work (he showed on time).

One last parting comment:  If you happen to see coarse, brown fur wedged in the cracks of the outside awning of your cabin and claw marks on the door and windowsills – yes folks – that means you are in the midst of grizzly country.  Understand it, respect it, and by all means, don’t do something stupid like leave your food and cooking equipment outside over night.   If you do so, rest assured you will have a visit from one of these 600 lb creatures – you could potentially put yourself and others in harms way – can’t say that would be a pleasant experience for the animal either, unless you have some tasty thighs on you.

Sound fun?  To date, It is in the top 10, “most fun things” I have ever done in my life.  I say, jump on the life bus for the experience of a life time and give it a go – grizzly bears and all.