Nikiski, Cook Inlet and surrounding (volcanoes) mountains!

We next traveled up through Kenai. Saturday was such a beautiful day that as we approached their visitors center we could see Mt Redoubt.

It was magnificent, tall peaked and snow covered. Illiamna was standing proud towards the left and Spurr over towards it's right. They were formed by volcanoes, one of which last erupted in 2009. They are the beginning of the Aleutian Island Chain and the volcanic "Ring of Fire." We were given some great tips on where to view and came alongside the north edge of Conaco Phillips property line. Down a gravel road lead to the "beach". It is gravel stones! Different than I expected. But there were a few people there soaking up the sun none the less. We could see pipelines elevated and extended out into the water so docking vessels could attach to load fuel. There was a refinery and a Nitrogen plant also along shore here.

As I walked the shore I found some "pretty rocks" that I think are green jade or jasper, and some red ones that I will have to check on. Most were grey, blackish and blueish rocks. There is supposed to be aggates that are collected here too, I will have to look that up! I did see someone pick up a black rock that I think was hardened lava.

We stopped at a Nature/wildlife conservancy with viewing platforms near the marshy estuary areas. Migrating birds often nest here and there is a world-wide following that come to check this and Homer Spit areas out each year in May. I could see a grouping of sand cranes and Plovers. But they were quick to move among the taller grasses.

The town docks had several boats in the river with fishermen at work. Two colonies of gulls were resting along the gravel bed at the rivers edge.