I rode the tech bubble wave in Seattle through the 90’s. First explaining to people why they want a web-page then why I was too busy to make them one. In 2001 tech jobs were hard to come by and my mom had purchased a piece of property in one of my favorite places to go as a kid; Halibut Cove. Mom had been looking for a place there for as long as I can remember. She finally found the spot.
With kayak and bike mounted on my Subaru I headed north on the 2,500 mile drive to Homer, Alaska. Friends in Homer lent me a skiff, and I headed 7 miles across Kachemak Bay to start my summer adventure in Halibut Cove. The property is a little over a mile from the harbor where I could moor the boat. That mile felt much longer when carrying gallons of water, food and all my supplies up and down an overgrown foot trail.
On my first trip out to the land the trail was obscured by thick undergrowth and alders in full bloom. My destination was a three-quarter acre spot at the end of the trail on the eastern tip of the island where the trail ended in crumbly metamorphic bedrock cliffs dropping to a rocky and narrow beach.
I cleared a little place on the highest point of the property for my two person tent. My perch on the hilltop had a great view of the underside of green alders, so I began each morning by walking down to the point to the small coastguard light. There I could wake up and enjoy the view of the cove and the mountains beyond with my first cup of coffee.
After three days of solid rain while living in a two person tent, it dawned on me this is a new kind of camping.
Chainsaws, clippers, any tool I could afford, carry and bring across the bay in the 17 foot skiff were allowed.
Soon after, the best camp I ever set up rapidly evolved. I had a garbage can for my bedroll to keep it dry and bug free when not in use. I could turn down the edges of my tarp if the weather got stormy or leave it most of the way open to enjoy the view that slowly emerged as I cleared the trees. I truly slept outside while staying warm by the fire without being choked by smoke. Most of all I could stand upright and be dry.
Soon I developed a makeshift trail up the one gully that reached to the beach. This required clearing it from the bottom up as I could not climb down it. Once clear I had a rope to hang onto and another to haul water and supplies up the cliff.
It was that first summer I began to appreciate those slimy expensive things my dad loved to order. The oyster had never really appealed to me before I ate the ones from Kachemak Bay. Halibut Cove had several oyster farms within view of my campsite.
After aquiring the taste for these oysters I began to contemplate the farms I saw each morning while drinking my coffee. When one of my neighbors offered to sell me a farm the decision was not hard.
I was a bit nieve about how much is involved in being an oyster farmer but I do not regret the decision.
Taking advice of my dear old friend Norman Vaughan I decided to “Dream big and dare to fail”.
Word from the Writer:
Alaska and Alaskan’s are full of diversity. I grew up living on or near the water. I still work on the computer but I also oyster farm and commercial fish. I like to work outside and behind the computer. Often in Alaska you have to do things yourself so you better just figure it out and get it done. When there aren’t many people around it is good to be a generalist.