Cast & Blast!

Our area of Alaska has an absolute ton of freshwater. We are situated on a big river and all around are oxbow lakes and small marshy potholes all over the tundra making for ideal breading and summer habitat for all kinds of waterfowl. All summer long as we are running the river, we see an exuberant number of waterfowl. Because we are on the river all summer, we have been able to pay attention to where ducks like to be.  

The last week of fishing we save for our cast and blast. Yes, catch fish and shoot ducks in the same week. Alaska is a wonderful place to duck hunt. As a matter of fact, the majority of the birds that end up in the Gulf area for the winter are birds that were born right here in our water system. We shoot a TON of Teal in the early season but also Mallards, Gadwall, Widgeon, Shovelers, Pintail, and Goldeneye. We have several locations that we hunt from. Some are on local lakes and some are on the river itself.  

During this past seasons cast & blast, we had a full camp but only four duck hunters. The first few days were spent fishing for Silver Salmon, Pike, and Sheefish. The silver salmon were still showing up in good numbers for sure and guests were easily landing limits and then some.  The best of all was the Sheefish. We have a very great run of Sheefish every year and this year guests were easily landing double digits of fish. The Pike fishing is always good and everyone at the lodge landed pike over 40”.  

 September 1st is when Duck season opens, and you can bet opening day guides and guests were in the duck blind waiting on the first flights of the season to come into the decoys. The first day was a little slow but the second really picked up. The limit in our area is 10 birds per hunter per day. Guys were easily pulling the trigger on limits.  

 Once ducks are harvested, they are cleaned, and some are frozen for guests to take home however some are also prepared by our chef. I’ve heard it said that a lot of folks won’t eat duck because of how it tastes. To that, I say you haven’t had it prepared right. In my opinion, duck is one of those things you can either make really great or you can really mess it up. Knowing the difference in how to prepare either takes a great chef or an experienced duck hunter. Luckily at the lodge, we have both and I can guarantee you that whatever came out of the kitchen never made it to the leftover plate. Yes, duck prepared that good can be great!  

 Guests that come all year can take home boxes of fish (25lbs). The cast and blast week is by far the best time of the year to take home a great variety of what Alaska has to offer. Salmon, Sheefish, and a mixed bag of ducks. This week is also one of the best ways to not only experience a great variety of Alaska, but our garden is in full harvest so whatever meals are prepared are 100% fresh Alaskan. The weather is perfect, and the bugs are for the most part gone. For those of us that live at the lodge, it’s our most favorite time of the year. 

For more information on Booking your Cast & Blast Alaskan Adventure, contact us here 

Luscious Lodge Grub

Homemade biscuits and gravy anyone? or say….fresh garlic bread off the smoker, with some lodge famous meatloaf, taters from the garden and home whisked gravy??

The Holitna River is over 200 miles west of Anchorage in the bush of Alaska. Here at this remote lodge, we offer trophy sportfishing trips as well as moose and bear hunts. When most people plan a trip of a lifetime or return to a place of rest, it’s usually because they had a fabulous experience or heard that the amenities were worth the investment. A lot of us also judge a place by its ratings or stars that they earn.  What does this mean to us at Alaskan Adventures? In regards to amenities, we pride ourselves in bringing you classic lodge grub, to accompany the rustic feel of the lodge and cabins, along with the fresh veggies from the garden and wild berries from the patch outback. ALL HOMEMADE. Sauces, dressings, bread, desserts and more!

After a long, fun and action-packed day on the water, battling the fish of the Holitna River, we know you have worked up quite the appetite, and we want to bring you some good ‘ol homemade wilderness gourmet food. Not “fancy” by any means, but when you look at the logistics of getting anything, let alone food, to this lodge, you’ll understand what goes into a single meal.

Because we are so far out, and air transportation is expensive, we have to strategically plan every meal. Now, if you’ve never been to the lodge, we should let you know that we have ONE regular-sized refrigerator, along with three small drink (dorm) mini-fridges, and two chest freezers. Why is this important information? Well, the closest store is a 2-hour boat ride north and west to the nearest village of Sleetmute, and that trip we only make once a week to get the mail at the small post office. To be practical, and save resources, a lot of our food comes in frozen. We will order in bulk and the food for the first half of the season comes in on one plane about a week before guests arrive. Space is limited and we must get creative while packing the freezers and fridges! Imagine fitting 50 dozen eggs in the fridges, along with all the other perishables and dairy products like butter, cheese, and cream. Just getting them in there is great, but placement is key. We don’t want any of those precious eggs freezing! Remember too that once meats are thawed and bottles are opened, those foods then need a place to stay in the fridge!

The next plane of food……
doesn’t come again for another 5 weeks! Pounds, ounces, teaspoons and pinches matter!

We eat as fresh as we can, which means the garden is our most prized asset for meals. The growing season, sunlight, as well as the soil and weather conditions, can be a challenge so some vegetables are started in a greenhouse.   We eat fresh lettuce, broccoli and cauliflower, Brussel sprouts and potatoes, carrots, strawberries and raspberries, beets, tomatoes, cabbage, and rhubarb! Along both sides of the garden, there are two impressive fresh herb gardens that we use to season all the savory food including thyme, oregano, cilantro, rosemary, chives, onions, sage, parsley and more.

So let’s talk about the grub. When the menu is planned out, we have to take into account the number of eggs to begin. What desserts and breakfast can we serve with the allotted eggs? Which days do we serve what foods? A lot of thinking, planning, and ingenuity go into feeding the guests and the staff at the lodge; and no sneaking for late-night snacks!

Meats get attention the day before, with thawing, brining and seasoning. Breads are made fresh every day. Alaskan Adventures did not buy a single loaf of bread from a supermarket in 2019!! Fish is freshly caught the day of the meal. Desserts are also made the same day and we use fresh berries from the strawberry and raspberry patch in the garden, as well as the rhubarb and wild blueberries for pies. Spice cake with cream cheese frosting, cake roll with berries, warm out of the oven cookies, sweet fry bread, brownies with homemade caramel sauce, berry and rhubarb crisp and many more. Breakfast consists of scones, burritos, quiche and French toast, pancakes, egg sandwiches and bacon of course. Dinner has us always excited for pork ribs and tenderloin, meatloaf, fresh cedar plank salmon and fried sheefish, Ribeye steak and baked chicken thighs, all complemented by vegetables picked fresh, like coleslaw and various potatoes dishes.

In 2019, the lodge favorites were the meatloaf with mashed taters and French bread, as well as the cookies and cake roll with raspberries and cream cheese filling, and don’t forget the famous corn casserole, creamy with a slight bite of spice!

We love having guests at our lodge. We love to take care of them and bring them the best experience possible and do it in a way that makes them feel at home away from home.  Stories told on the porch and flies tied on the bench with a cozy cabin to rest, all add to the rustic wilderness experience. The time is now to book with us. You will have a once in a lifetime experience. We are a unique and special place, out in the wild space of Alaska. Our river is full of life and the sites are unforgettable. The food is only a small piece of the puzzle that we want to put together for you and your loved ones!  We look forward to meeting you or seeing you again!

Changing Of The Guard And 2019 Rates

For many years Rocky & Sharon McElveen have shown people some absolutely amazing adventures in the Alaskan Wilderness. Alaskan Adventures has hosted many incredible people over the years with the goal of “Restoration Through Recreation”. Over the years, that is exactly what they have achieved. It has now come time to pass the torch on to another that will carry on the same goal and tradition.
New face same place!

Our goal at Alaskan Adventures is and will continue to be “Restoration through recreation”. One of the greatest things about Alaskan Adventure’s lodge is that your cell phone does not work. You may think it’s a pressing matter, but come week’s end, we guarantee you will have seen something special!

Restoration through recreation starts with a focus on what is important in our lives.  Having limited access eliminates many of the distractions in everyday life. Without the attention of a phone or computer screen, you are completely able to reconnect with the people around you, nature and yourself.

2019 Previous guest special!
We would like to invite all past guests to return at a 2019 special rate of $3750.00 per person for up to 8 guests. Over 8 guests, $3500.00 per person! As always, this includes your flight from Anchorage, food, lodging and guiding for a week. If interested please drop us a line as spots will fill up quickly!

 

Alaskan Adventures New Owner- Dan Paull
Dan Paull grew up on a farm on the shores of Lake Erie. If he wasn’t working the dirt growing vegetables he was on the big water as a first mate for several charter boats during the summer and guiding the rivers for Steelhead in the winter months. After many years of looking, Dan has finally found a place suitable to the standards he has learned. Alaskan Adventures on the Holitna River has all of that, and more. A big garden to grow fresh vegetables, big water for both fly and gear fishing, and all with a wonderful homestead feeling. Dan would like to invite you and your family to come to experience the Alaskan wilderness and reconnect with yourself, friends and family.