On our yearly trips to Alaska since 1998, one of the key items to keep an eye out for was blooming Fireweed. According to most, the beginning of the blooms usually was the signal that the Red Salmon (Sockeye) are in the Kenai, though some years this doesn't work out right due to just the weather. This year, we didn't see much bloom since they are having one of their coldest summers in years, but still some did seem to pop out.