Alderwood Retreat is owned and operated by Stan and Ginger Duncan. Together we have over 70 years of residency on Kodiak Island. We love our pristine setting in the wilderness of Alaska, and enjoy the opportunity to share our remote lifestyle with visitors, whether they are experiencing the “Alaskan Outback” for the first time or are one of the members of our rapidly growing list of return guests. 

Our lodge is situated on forty acres on the north shore of Kodiak Island. Camp is nestled at the base of the nearly 2500 foot high Kupreanoff Mountain, on a 50 foot bluff overlooking Kupreanoff Straits, which is a five-mile wide channel separating Kodiak from Raspberry and Afognak Islands. These straits are the first place in over 100 miles that anything that swims can use to get from one side of the island to the other, so our front yard is virtually a marine highway! Because the channel is twelve miles long, it also means that we get to go “deep sea” fishing in protected waters that are nearly like a lake all summer long. Great news for those that would usually have to deal with sea-sickness!

We cater exclusively to small groups, so every party is afforded the personal attention and level of intimacy that spurred one guest to comment: “I’ve never felt more at home on vacation!” The F/V Sea Walker is licensed to carry six guests at a time, so if you can recruit a party of six we offer to reserve the entire lodge for your group. We do have the bunk space, however, to accommodate up to ten or more guests and we offer outstanding group discounts, so we’re the perfect place to host your family reunion or corporate retreat. 

Since its installation last spring, our micro-hydropower plant electrifies the entire camp, so we now have power 24/7. And the best part is how quiet the system is! Now the songbirds and the gurgle of the creek are the loudest things you’ll hear as you walk to and from the various buildings. There are laundry facilities in the bathhouse which our guests are welcome to use, which means that you can pack even lighter for your northbound journey…this allows you to check your fish as your baggage when you head back home and you won’t have to pay any shipping charges. A shower and vanity sink area are also available in the bathhouse, along with our steamroom. Known in Alaska as a “banya”, this nightly sweat session becomes the high point of many peoples’ visit. 

Meet the Gang: Stan, Ginger, Dale, & Karen

Stan Duncan moved to the island of Kodiak when he was eleven years old. He began fishing commercially for salmon as a deckhand when he was thirteen years old. He got his first boat at age nineteen, the F/V Kalifonsky. He continued to fish the bays and capes of Kodiak for over thirty years, moving on to the F/V Miracle Girl, then the F/V Midnight Sun. In the late 1980’s, he and his previous wife purchased the remote property on which Alderwood Retreat is now located, seasonally operating a deer hunting lodge from that location each fall. When that marriage ended in 1995, the property was sold, but when the buyers’ business venture failed Stan got the property back. It sat empty for several years, subject to human pilfering and bear damage.
My family moved to Kodiak when I was three and my father was fishing on an old wooden shrimp boat. I grew up watching acquaintances fish commercially for a living, so when I was eighteen I decided to give it a go myself. On and off for about a year I cooked on the crab boats that fished in the Bering Sea during crab season, just like you see on “Deadliest Catch.” I tried twice to move away from Kodiak, but something about the place was too deeply entrenched in my spirit and I returned each time. Stan and I met in 1991, and our very first date entailed a 45-minute skiff ride out to check on the condition of the buildings. I think I fell in love with Stan and the property simultaneously, looking past the mess to the potential. We moved out to Kupreanoff Straits in 2002 and began our labor of love. 

It took nearly a year just to clean up and repair the various buildings, water lines, etc. We opened for business in the summer of 2004 and have been growing ever since. Although we’ve added several cabins, we have remained a small operation by choice, adherent to our principals of minimizing our impact on the environment and giving us the ability to pay close attention to each client’s wishes.

Two years ago Stan’s high school buddy, Dale Andrews, joined our crew, lending us his sport-fishing expertise. In his hometown of Lewiston, Idaho, he is considered one of the top three King fishermen, having caught and released more than 120 King Salmon on the Snake River in one season! His first year with us, we limited out on Kings within two hours, two days in a row, using his super secret tackle. I’ve never had so much fun on the water! Our guests thoroughly enjoy not only Dale’s knowledge in outsmarting salmon, but also his easy-going personality and seemingly endless repertoire of jokes. 

Last summer for the first time I had a right hand gal in Dale’s wife, Karen. What a blessing she was, doing prepwork for meals, helping with cleaning and laundry, and cooking up some fantastic desserts! After years of CPA work in Lewiston, she has recently landed a position teaching at a local college, which means she’ll have the bulk of her summers off to spend at Alderwood….Hallelujah!! 

Dylan  & Hunter:

At age 11, Dylan moved out of the main cabin into his own pad, a tree fort 15 feet in the air with fantastic views of the straits and Kupreanoff Mountain. He enjoys kayaking and shooting his 22. Now 15, Dylan has goals of graduating early and becoming a helicopter pilot for the Coast Guard. If he’s not at Alderwood during your visit, it’s because he’s participating in summer school in an effort to follow his dreams.

Our Golden Retriever, Hunter, rounds out the crew and does his part towards making each guest feel welcomed. He’s likely to accompany us on any kayaking or hiking excursions. He loves to be where the action is and will use his superior sense of smell to keep us informed of any bruins in the area.

Every member of our staff is focused on making sure that your visit to the “Emerald Isle” is everything you dreamed it would be, so just let us know what you’d like to do or see and we’ll do our best to make it a reality.