Fishing, Camping, and Living the Dream Deep in the Alaskan Wilderness

Written and photographed by Evan Wardell

It was a peaceful evening in Lake Clark National Park, Alaska. My friends Nate, Jack, Coleson, and I had piled into our boat and were cruising down the teal waters of Lake Clark. Our destination was Kijik River, a popular spot among locals for Grayling fishing. Surrounded by breathtaking mountains, it was the perfect spot for a peaceful evening of camping, fishing, and relaxation. 

As we approached the shore, I cut the motor and our boat slid up onto the beach. We all hopped out and began unloading the gear. Our first order of business: get camp set up. I grabbed my camping hammock and straps from the boat.

As I worked, my mind couldn’t help but remember a previous hammock camping trip Jack and I had taken a few years back. On this occasion, we were camping on the side of a mountain, and I woke up sopping wet from nighttime rain. Soaked to the bone and freezing cold, Jack and I made the grueling hike home at 4 AM, violently shivering the whole way back. 

But this time would be different.

I went with the ENO JungleNest Hammock and the Helios Ultralight Straps. The JungleNest has a built-in bug net, so I knew that none of the massive Alaskan mosquitoes would be buzzing in my ear at night.

I came prepared with the ENO Ember UnderQuilt to keep me warm, as well as the DryFly Rain Tarp for protection from Alaska’s unpredictable weather. Nate set up his hammock as well, opting to use the DoubleNest Hammock, Atlas Straps, Guardian DX Bug Net, Vulcan UnderQuilt, Vesta TopQuilt, and ProFly Rain Tarp. 

A few hours later, the midnight sun began to sink below the mountains, and our fire burned low. We crawled into our sleeping bags and dozed off to the sound of waves lapping the shore. 

In the morning, I woke up feeling refreshed and clear-headed. The first thing I noticed was that I had actually slept very well, unusually well. I had fallen asleep and not awoke once in the night. 

I unzipped the bug net on my hammock and peeked out. I immediately gasped. The wind from the previous night had completely subsided, and the lake was completely flat. The mountains reflected off the clear water, creating the illusion of a 70-mile-long mirror stretching out before us. 

Excited, I leapt out of my hammock, and that’s when I heard it. The low buzz of a PA-18 Super Cub. I could see it off in the distance getting closer and closer. “That’s my dad!” Jack exclaimed. 

Jack’s dad Jeremy was a legendary pilot, known around the state for his world class bush flying skills, and he had decided to come pay us a visit. As he got closer, we could see the door to his plane open up, and when he was directly above, a small package emerged, landing mere feet away from us. 

We all jumped up and down in excitement, waving our arms in the air. Jeremy rocked his wings back and forth, his plane’s way of saying hello, and then ripped off, back to Port Alsworth. 

We tore the box open. Inside was bacon and eggs, wrapped in an obnoxious amount of bubble wrap. Not one of them had cracked. Jack found a large flat rock to start making our breakfast over the fire, but while he was cooking, Nate and I donned our waders and headed down to the river to try to catch some fish. 

The water was exceptionally low due to a below-average snowfall that winter, but we still made the best of it, looking for areas of still water in the river where the fish like to hang out. After nearly an hour of casting, we had come up with nothing, so we decided to head back and enjoy our airdropped breakfast. 

We sat in our ENO Lounger DL Chairs facing towards the water. Even though we hadn’t caught any fish, I couldn't help but feel an immense amount of contentment. To simply put it, we were living the Alaskan dream. 

Author Bio

Evan Wardell is a filmmaker and photographer who grew up in the remote Alaskan village of Port Alsworth and has spent the past 14 years living in the state. Now based in Anchorage, he runs a media production company focused on telling authentic stories of life and adventure in the North.