The picturesque Chugach mountain range provided a spectacular mural all around us as we rafted down the Kenai River. In the distance the occasional black bear lumbered down to the water’s edge hoping for a midday salmon snack while an eagle standing guard nearby hoped for the opportunity to swoop down for his own tasty morsel. The arctic terns performed their graceful pirouettes above the water as they, too, searched for fish.
After six hours of rafting, we arrived at our backcountry cabin. It was nestled in the forest just beyond the glacier-carved lake, which was surrounded by a million acres of wilderness. Our cabin was everything I knew Dave would love. It was off-the-beaten-path and the natural beauty of the hemlock forest and alpine tundra was breathtakingly beautiful. The serenity of paddling by sea kayak on the velvet-smooth lake into the setting sun was an indescribable experience. As we came ashore, we knew this was definitely another special place worthy of Dave.
So with the alpenglow illuminating the snow-capped mountains, we sprinkled Dave’s ashes into the fast-moving, glacier-fed Cottonwood Creek.
This would definitely have been Dave’s idea of perfection–a place to reinvigorate your love for the solitude and peace you find in nature.
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