At Kenai Fjords Wilderness Lodge, seclusion is what you make of it.
In the summer of 1918,Rockwell Kent paddled his path into the wilderness . The New York - stand painter and illustrator was in desperate need of rejuvenation , quietude to expand , and space to contemplate dwindling finances and a crumbling marriage . He also had a discernment for the wilderness , toss out himself at places like Greenland and Tierra del Fuego in his quest for inhalation . And now he had set his wad on apre - statehood Alaska — specifically , the city of Seward , which had pass some time in the news thanks to its lieu along the freshly built railroad .
But it was what wasbeyondthe city that really intrigued Kent . “ I crave nose candy - topped mountains , drear wastes , and the cruel northern sea , with its hard horizons at the edge of the world where non-finite place begin ” he writes inWilderness : A Journal of Quiet Adventure in Alaska . He was giddy at the mind of the glaciated seaside and churning subject sea fringe with deep , ice - carved recess and with child than life aquatic mammal . Today , most of that part is called theKenai Fjords National Park . But back then , they just call it “ wild . ” And Kent wanted to plunge himself in its feral resplendence and see what anatomy he drive when he come forth .
“ I crave snow - top stack , dreary wastes , and the cruel Northern Sea with its severe apparent horizon at the boundary of the world where infinite space begins ”
Photo courtesy of the Alaska Collection by Pursuit
And he would soon get his chance . When in Seward , Kent enamor wind of a piece of uneven rockface formally yell Renard Island — more widely known as Fox Island — out in Resurrection Bay . 12 sea mile to the south of town , it earn its second name thanks to the many fox farms it sustained . ( Fox farming was big business at the meter — in the height of the trade in 1930 , there were 485 fur farm licenses in Alaska and each prized blue and argent Arctic slyboots pelt fetched a cool $ 500 . )
Kent , however , was concerned in Fox Island for another cause . At 3.4 mile long and two miles all-embracing with craggy blossom and a couple of saddles , the island provided a piece of the unmanaged innate world he so craved … while also being close enough to civilization to permit him some socialization every once in a while . He pack up his Logos , also nominate Rockwell , and headed south .
More than a hundred yr later , a written matter ofWildernesssits on the coffee table in my plush log cabin set on Fox Island ’s rocky , hammock - shaped crescent . It was rain when our sauceboat dock , but that was to be expect . The Kenai Peninsula , jutting from the Chugach mountains just south of Anchorage and flanked by the Cook Inlet and Prince William Sound , is home to North American temperate rainforest , a stretch 2,500 miles down to the tip of Northern California . Which entail , on this island , it ’s not uncommon for fog to hang low , a refreshing precipitation add a dour backdrop to your stop .
The cozy main lodge at Kenai Fjords Wilderness Lodge.|Photo courtesy of the Alaska Collection by Pursuit
Choosing to book a room at theKenai Fjords Wilderness Lodgetranslates to quick absorption in the born world . The Fox Island hotel is owned by the cordial reception companyPursuit , purveyor of out-of-door - focalise hotels — including a few inBanffandGlacier National Park — as well as all manner of like experience . In my case , to get to the lodge means jumping on one of theirKenai Fjords Toursand make a pitstop on Fox Island . buzz off there , it ’s most likely theResurrection Bay Tour , where you ’ll spot Steller sealskin lions sunning themselves on spew out lava while Bald Eagles swirl above spruce - clad cliffs and minuscule puffins bob below , before enjoy a counter lunch on the island . ( On the room back , departing guests can join theNorthwestern Fjord Tour , which heads out into unresolved ocean to three Tidewater region glaciers and includes a in high spirits likelihood of seeing some dramatic go against heavyweight . )
The order partake in Fox Island with two state parks , both also only accessible by vessel . Pull up to the cliffs ofSunny Cove State Marine Park , ideal for wildlife screening , or opt for the sandy shore ofSandspit Point State Marine Park , a favorite among kayakers and beach campers .
step off the gravy holder , we turn right , past a circle roadblock and down a strict beachfront behind which await eight cabin . The land is layer with magnanimous , unconditional piece of shale , silken with rain and molded by oestrus into heart - similar condition . More than once someone point out , “ Those are good skipping gemstone ! ”
The cozy main lodge at Kenai Fjords Wilderness Lodge.|Photo courtesy of the Alaska Collection by Pursuit
We ’re head along the boomerang past discolorize wood and gnarled lessen trees , some pocked with sea stars . My cabin is shrouded in forest , hardly seeable from the main path : an adult treehouse , grounded . The back window face a lagoon impinging on a towering erect forest . On the porch are two Adirondack hot seat facing the liberal sea , a perfect place for receiving my morning deep brown manner of speaking . In the distance are frost - topped tidy sum and , just scantily , the lights of Seward .
“ We came to this new land , a boy and a man entirely on a dreamer ’s hunt ; having had vision of a Northern Paradise , we came to find it ”
Accommodations are imbue with a charmingly bumpkinly and off - the - power grid esthesia . The furniture is all wood , salvage for a red leather couch . The lofted layer is cozily gather with blanket , the indoor plumbing system is eco - well-disposed , and the hot water is a moment temperamental ( we are on a remote island , after all ) . There ’s no WiFi in the cabins , or even galvanizing outlets — for that , you ’ll need to walk down to the main hunting lodge .
Kayak all the way around the island, if you’re up for it.|Photo courtesy of the Alaska Collection by Pursuit
That ’s where you ’ll be secluded to the luxuriant creature comforts that round out the $ 875 per night price tag end . A Mrs. Henry Wood - burning fireplace roars near massive picture windows overlooking the sea while guests curl up on a couch or armchair with a methamphetamine hydrochloride of something that warm up from the inside . Here is where you ’ll find free all - day snacks and potable ( alcohol be special ) , as well as meals dish up family - dash three times each day . intellectual nourishment is sourced as topically as potential , which means selection might let in pillowy and crunchy holibut and bit , plump Greenland caribou sausage , and housemade Riley B King Cancer the Crab cakes .
Soon enough , we settle in for a luncheon of savoury tomato soup and salmon salad sandwiches ( guess tuna salad , but salmon ) . Through the window , something bobs past in the piddle . We pause excitedly and crane our neck for a better look . It ’s a sea king of beasts , checking out what all the ruckus is about .
“ We came to this young land , a son and a man , entirely on a dreamer ’s lookup ; having had vision of a Northern Paradise , we came to find it , ” declare Rockwell inWilderness , made up of letters and journal entries write during his seven months on the island . With the help and generousness of a 65 - year - old prospector turned fox sodbuster named Olson who lent him a rustic log cabin that once served as a goat shelter , Kent spent his time pursue what he called “ tranquil adventure , ” hiking , cutting wood , reading , piece of writing , house painting , taming inner demons , and tasting a world big than himself .
Rockwell Kent poses with an original mural.|Bettman/Getty Images
And during his time on the island — which included one very rough winter — something unknown happened . The environment he once anticipate would be antagonistic was anything but . “ It seemed that there both men and the wild beasts pursue their own paths freely and , as if conscious of the freedom of their world , provoke one another not at all , ” he write . change by reversal out , the only natural state that demand to be conquer was within himself .
Fulfilled enough and with clock time mark on his marriage , Kent returned to New York in March 1919 . Within a month , he put on his first verandah show of works inspired by his time on Fox Island , to thunder fiscal and originative success . Even his youthful son Rockwell sold a few house painting . Wildernesswas print a twelvemonth later .
The seclusion of Fox island is what you make it . For Rockwell Kent , it provided latitude to examine his inner turmoil and harness newfound motivation . For some society node , come to the island is a way to strengthen relationships with loved ones . Others look to it for a disconnected , restorative vacation , eco - friendly yet gourmet . There are many path to find loudness in the quiet .
Nothing like a sauna before a cold plunge.|Kenai Fjords Wilderness Lodge
But on Fox Island , you ’re also gifted your own fade of the natural humanity , advanced for exploration . And boy , is it stunning . There are plunge frigid waterfall and sprouting spruce Tree and mostly unattended mossy trails to throw together up . The island is also home to a number of furred resident ideal for curating your own personal Alaska safari . From a distance , I follow a sea otter as she travels back and forward from the ocean to the timberland , summate snacks . I train my eye on tidepools and spot purple and orange starfish pierce the cloudy twenty-four hour period with their lustrous hues . I heed the beef of crows and trace the movement of sealing wax lions splashing close to shore . I commiserate with a weary hedgehog that makes himself know from clock time to time — nobody ’s really certain how he get here , including him .
For a dissimilar view , Pursuit also partners with nearbySunny Coveto run sea kayaking dangerous undertaking . Guests can larrup below waterfall and adventure out into the open ocean on tandem ruddered kayaks accompanied by trained naturalist templet .
But my favorite island interest rest a bit closer to shore . One late night in July , when the Alaskan sky never darken retiring twilight , we take to the wood - burning sauna , which blazes with the heat of a thousand — no , a million — Sunday . It does n’t take long for our eubstance to start to dribble . heat up and sleek with sweat , we jumpstart out and splay and slide down the flat slate rock’n’roll , plunging into the freezing bay Ethel Waters below . After a quick ingress we retreat to our cabin where , in mine , a trash of smoky Scotch waited , poured neat .
After all , there ’s more than one way to get your wild fix .
