Ready, Set… Fish!

Tomorrow is big…. real big! Since Cordova is a fishing town (that’s putting it lightly), you’d probably guess that the beginning of the fishing season is pretty important.  But did you know that Cordova also has the earliest wild Alaskan salmon commercial opener?  That’s right — every fresh-fish-craving, blue-blooded American (and some foreigners, too) are going to fight over tomorrow’s catch.  And this isn’t just any salmon, either.  This is Copper River Salmon, world-renown for its superior quality, taste & sustainability.  By Friday, the first Copper River Salmon of the year will be flown to Seattle with pomp and fanfare on Alaska Airlines Cargo, to chefs waiting on the tarmack.  In an Iron Chef – style flash of grandeur, these pros will compete to make the tastiest dish of the day with this magical ingredient for a chance to win a trip to Cordova (and some sweet bragging rights).  In fact, there are Copper River Salmon Cook-off events like this going on all over Seattle and as far south as Dallas, Texas!

Cordova fisherman, Micah Ess, heading out for the first opener of the Copper River Salmon Season, 2013. Photo by Michelle Dockins.

Snowpocalyspe turns into Slop-pocalypse in Cordova

So what happens when 18 feet of snow turns into slush?  Can you imagine?  We don’t really want to think about that, but unfortunately we’re not blind.  So if we have to see it, so do you!  Here’s a video I shot this morning, January 11th 2012.

Fishing the Copper River Delta

The Million Dollar Bridge over the Copper River with Child’s Glacier in the background

The Copper River is the second largest river in the state of Alaska.  That’s saying something in a state where you can throw a rock in any direction and hit one.  It’s actually the 10th largest river in the United States (but I think that first statistic is more impressive.)  From it’s birth at the base of Mount Wrangell, this beast runs some 200 miles of Alaska’s toughest country at about 56,000 cfs (give or take) before it graces our doorstep at the Million Dollar Bridge, aka “the end of the road”.  You could say that if the mountains are the backbone of Cordova, the Copper River and her delta are its lifeblood.