Hidden Inlet

April is here

admin — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 17:42:41 +0000

March came in to Hidden Inlet with a little bit of snow, the first since January 1, and left quite lamblike, with no snow left on the ground. High temps averaged in the low 40s, lows in the low 30s, with just under 20″ of rain, more than January and February combined. Won’t be long till the colorful wildflowers are blooming among the rain forest ferns. With the weird weather patterns that seem to be happening all over, wonder what summer will bring at the Inlet. Can’t wait to find out.

One of the highlights of the winter was hearing from Chip of his close encounter with a killer whale. Back in December he was trolling out in front of the boil at high slack tide on a somewhat sunny day. Just before noon he said he happened to look up to see if the wind was picking up, and found himself looking straight in the eye of an orca looking right back at him! Whoa! There were 20 or 25 in the pod, with four or five cows and calves right close by. That would make the heart thump some! Needless to say, he gathered up gear as the whales took the fish, and headed for home with a rare experience under his belt. For most of us, whale tails are as much as we get.

Introducing Chip and Ruby

admin — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 18:55:49 +0000

Chip and 29lb Red Salmon

We’re fortunate at Hidden Inlet to have a resident caretaker and all-around good hand in Chip Bishop. First sight of Chip was when he was building one of the guest cabins a few years back. He was walking across a foundation beam several feet off the ground, carrying another long heavy beam like a tightrope walker’s balance pole. Thought if there was an Olympic competition for this skill, he’d be a medal winner. Not a huge guy, but fit and wiry and strong, yet with a good heart as when he tried rescuing hummingbirds in the powerhouse.

Lucky for us, Chip’s a jack of all trades, and master of many, though housekeeping wouldn’t be one of them. A person has to be versatile and knowledgable to survive and thrive in the more remote spots in Alaska, like Hidden Inlet. Boatman, fisherman, mechanic, carpenter, electrician, plumber, you name it, Chip is perfectly suited to being winter watchman and seasonal guide, with many years knowledge of the area and its fishing. A weather station was installed last year at Hidden Inlet, and Chip also mans that, sending info to the national weather service. His half malamute/half husky dog Ruby keeps him company, as well as keeping the bears to their own side of the cove.

Chip says he looks forward to showing people what he loves about Hidden Inlet, and sharing his knowledge of the fishing spots in the region. Here’s a picture of him with the 29 lb. red salmon he caught inside the inlet in February. Unfortunately he didn’t have his camera with him when he came eyeball to eyeball with a killer whale while fishing this winter. More on that next week…

Spring at the lodge

admin — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 18:07:42 +0000

Welcome to the new Hidden Inlet blog, undertaken at long last by a writer/partner who can procrastinate with the best of them. We just want to let anyone who is interested in finding out a little more about this very special place on earth, know what’s going on up there, and share in some of our adventures and misadventures. Chip, our winter watchman and caretaker par excellence, reports that it’s been the mildest winter in his memory of that area, which goes back 20 years or so. No snow from the first of January till a few inches earlier this March, which is remarkable because when a group of us were up there working in April a couple years back, the snow was deep and packed and not at all conducive to letting us get the job done (more about that later!) So, anyway, this blog will cover how this cast of characters, several Arizonans and some Alaskans, pooled their resources and talents and bought one of the prettiest little coves in the Misty Fjords (our spot is comprised of 23 of a mere 300 or so privately owned acres out of the nearly 3 million set aside for the national monument), and turned the tumbledown remains of a cannery in to a sweet little fishing resort. Not the 5-star variety, mind you, which seems totally un-Alaskan and inauthentic anyway, but a unique and special experience to be had. There’s been some bumps and set backs to this point, but things is looking up, with new management in place, eager to share our love affair with this spectacular little corner of the world. There’s so much to convey about the Hidden Inlet — the beauty, the birds, the bears, the history and the back story, to say nothing of the fishing! In fact, Chip writes of some of his catches this winter and torments the partners in the lower latitudes with his tales of white king salmon steaks sizzling on the grill. More on all of this to come…

Zippy Summer Shrimp

admin — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 15:42:54 +0000

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, sliced
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons paprika
2 pounds shell-on deveined jumbo shrimp
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat; cook and stir the garlic in the oil until translucent. Sprinkle the red pepper flakes and paprika into the oil. Add the shrimp and toss to coat. Pour the lemon juice over the shrimp; allow to cook until the shrimp are bright pink on the outside and the meat is no longer transparent in the center, 1 to 2 minutes more. Reduce heat to medium-low; add the basil and toss lightly. Season with salt and pepper to serve.

Halibut with Rice Wine

admin — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 12:10:12 +0000

1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 shallots, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon black bean sauce
1/2 cup mirin (Japanese sweet wine)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
6 (4 ounce) fillets halibut, skin removed
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Heat oil in non-stick saucepan over medium heat. Cook shallots and garlic gently until fragrant, but not brown. Stir in black bean sauce, rice wine, and soy sauce. Bring to boil and cook until reduced by half. Remove from heat, and stir in vinegar; set aside.
Pat fish dry. Rub with sesame oil and sprinkle with pepper. Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat, and lightly oil grate.
Grill fish for about 5 minutes per side, or just until cooked through. Sprinkle with cilantro. Serve with sauce poured over top.

Join us in our Blogging Adventure!

admin — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 20:00:19 +0000

Guess what? We’re starting a blog about all that’s going on up here…